Cooking device and control method therefor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking devices lack the capability to efficiently heat curved areas to higher temperatures than flat areas, making it difficult to cook traditional foods like roti, which requires a two-step cooking process with different temperature zones.
Innovation Solution
A cooking apparatus with a cooking unit featuring a first planar cooking region and a second curved cooking region, where the second region is concave and heated to a higher temperature than the first, along with a controller that guides the user through a method to cook food by moving it from the first region to the second region based on predetermined temperature and time settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single temperature zone is used for cooking, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot efficiently cook traditional foods like roti that require different temperature zones
Solution Approach 1:
The cooking surface is segmented into two distinct temperature zones: a first cooking region with a first temperature and a second cooking region with a second temperature. This segmentation allows different parts of the cooking surface to operate at different temperatures, enabling versatile cooking of traditional foods like roti that require both lower temperature for surface cooking and higher temperature for puffing.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the cooking surface are assigned different thermal properties - the first cooking region maintains a lower temperature suitable for cooking the surface of food, while the second cooking region maintains a higher temperature for puffing. This local quality differentiation allows each region to perform its specific cooking function optimally.
2Productivity
If a curved surface region is added for higher temperature cooking, then cooking efficiency for puffing is improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The second cooking region is designed with a curved surface that is concave in a direction toward the heating unit. This curvature concentrates heat more effectively on the food placed in this region, enabling faster and more efficient puffing. The curved geometry naturally focuses thermal energy, improving cooking productivity without requiring additional complex heating mechanisms.
3Manufacturing precision
If temperature control for different regions is implemented, then cooking precision is improved, but the control system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented to independently manage the first and second cooking regions. The controller can set and maintain different temperatures for each region, providing precise temperature control that matches the specific cooking requirements of different food preparation stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates temperature sensors in both the first and second cooking regions that provide feedback to the controller. This feedback mechanism allows the controller to monitor and adjust the temperatures of each region independently, ensuring precise temperature maintenance despite the added control complexity.
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
This setup allows for effective cooking of roti and other foods by ensuring the surface is cooked in the first region and then puffed in the higher-temperature second region, enhancing the cooking environment by providing a controlled temperature difference.
Implementation Method 1
a heating unit configured to heat the cooking unit; and a controller configured to control the heating unit to heat the first cooking region to a first temperature and to heat the second cooking region to a second temperature different from the first temperature
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 2b
AI summary
A cooking device and a control method thereof is provided which heating a curved area to a higher temperature than a flat area of a cooking area where food is cooked. A cooking apparatus includes a cooking unit having one side in which a first cooking region and a second cooking region distinguished from the first cooking region are provided; a heating unit configured to heat the cooking unit; and a controller configured to control the heating unit to heat the first cooking region to a first temperature and to heat the second cooking region to a second temperature different from the first temperature.