Dual-Sided Cooking Cavity with Microwave Heating for Even Browning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking apparatuses are unable to cook food products thoroughly on both sides simultaneously, leading to undercooked interiors and potential overcooking or scorching on the outside, with long cooking times and lack of control over cooking processes to achieve desired textures.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a base and top heating surface that encloses food products to form a cooking cavity, incorporating a microwave generator and adjustable top heating surface, allowing for controlled microwave irradiation and adjustable humidity to ensure even cooking, with a bottom heating surface that uses microwaves and steam to enhance cooking efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If cooking time is increased to cook food products thoroughly, then the interior of food products is cooked properly, but the exterior becomes overcooked and scorched
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines three cooking methods (contact heating, infrared radiation, and microwave irradiation) into a single integrated apparatus. The bottom and top heating surfaces provide contact heating and infrared radiation, while the microwave generator penetrates the food interior, allowing simultaneous multi-mode cooking that achieves thorough interior cooking without exterior scorching
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the cooking parameters by introducing microwave irradiation with adjustable power levels alongside traditional heating. The control unit regulates the intensity and duration of each heating mode, enabling precise control over the cooking process to achieve uniform cooking without overcooking the exterior
2Productivity
If contact heating is used to cook food on both sides simultaneously, then cooking time is reduced, but the food interior remains uncooked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges contact heating (bottom and top surfaces) with microwave irradiation (interior heating). The microwaves penetrate the food interior while the heating surfaces cook the exterior, achieving both speed and completeness simultaneously through multi-mode heating
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to heating by introducing microwave irradiation that penetrates through the food interior, complementing the surface-level contact heating. This creates a three-dimensional heating approach (surface from bottom, surface from top, interior through microwaves) that ensures complete cooking
3Device complexity
If fixed heating surfaces are used, then the apparatus structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate different sizes of food products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the top heating surface adjustable in position, allowing it to move vertically to accommodate different food product sizes. The top surface can be raised or lowered independently while maintaining the cooking cavity seal, providing versatility without significantly increasing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the heating system into independent components: bottom heating surface, top heating surface, and microwave generator. Each component can be independently adjusted or positioned, allowing flexible accommodation of various food sizes while keeping each component relatively simple in design
4Device complexity
If traditional heating methods are used, then the cooking process is simple, but control over cooking outcomes (crispiness vs. juiciness) is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces multiple controllable parameters including microwave power level, contact pressure between heating surfaces, and cooking duration. The control unit independently regulates each parameter, enabling precise control over cooking outcomes to achieve desired textures such as crispiness or juiciness based on food type and preference
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and uniform cooking of food products on both sides with significantly reduced cooking times, preventing scorching and allowing for adjustable cooking outcomes such as crispiness or juiciness, while maintaining flavor and ease of cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
a microwave generator (7) adapted to emit microwaves towards the food products
Implementation Method 2
These griddles use contact heating or infrared radiation as a process to cook such products
Implementation Method 3
the cooking cavity (6) itself defines a radiation shield capable of retaining microwaves inside the same cooking cavity (6)
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for cooking food products on both sides thereof, comprising a base member (2) associated to a bottom heating surface (3) adapted to support food products to be cooked, an upper member (4) associated to a top heating surface (5) and joined in an articulated manner to the base member (2) so that, when the upper member (4) is displaced towards the base member (2), the top heating surface (5) comes to lie opposite to the bottom heating surface (3) so as to enclose the food products therebetween. The upper member (4) is adapted to close in onto the base member (2) so as to form a cooking cavity (6) containing said heating surfaces (3, 5), the base member (2) comprising a microwave generator (7) adapted to irradiate the food products being enclosed between said heating surfaces (3, 5), wherein said cooking cavity (6) defines a radiation shield capable of retaining the microwaves inside said cooking cavity (6) itself.