Cooking Chamber Divider Layout for Dual-Zone Heating Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooking appliances lack the ability to efficiently utilize and separate cooking chamber sub-regions for individualized heating and cooking methods, leading to limited usability and potential overheating or poor food preparation results.

Innovation Solution

A cooking appliance with a plate-shaped cooking chamber divider that can be positioned to create separate upper and lower cooking chamber regions, allowing for specific heating elements and hot air system usage in each region, with adjustable distances for improved accessibility and heating efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a cooking chamber divider is introduced to divide the cooking chamber into separate regions, then individualized heating and cooking methods can be applied in each region, but the cooking chamber space and accessibility are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindividualized heating capabilityVSAvoidcooking chamber space

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cooking chamber is divided into separate cooking chamber regions using a cooking chamber divider that can be positioned at different slide-in levels, allowing independent heating zones with different heating elements while maintaining overall space utilization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cooking chamber divider is positioned in the height direction at specific slide-in levels, creating vertical separation between cooking regions. This dimensional approach allows multiple cooking zones without reducing the horizontal cooking chamber footprint

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple heating elements are arranged in the cooking chamber for different cooking methods, then cooking versatility is improved, but the risk of overheating and poor food preparation results increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooking method varietyVSAvoidoverheating risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Different heating elements (hot air system, top-heat, grill, bottom-heat) are assigned to specific cooking chamber regions based on local cooking requirements. Each region receives appropriate heating type and intensity, preventing overheating while maintaining cooking versatility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Temperature sensors are positioned in each cooking chamber region to monitor local temperature conditions. The control system uses this feedback to regulate heating elements individually, preventing overheating and ensuring optimal cooking results in each zone

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Volume of moving object

If a cooking chamber divider with heating element is positioned close to cooking food support, then space utilization is improved, but the accessibility and loading of components becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace utilizationVSAvoidcomponent accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cooking chamber divider is designed with movable positioning capability at different slide-in levels. This dynamic positioning allows optimization of space in some regions while maintaining accessibility in others, depending on cooking requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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

Enhances the usability and efficiency of cooking by allowing individualized heating methods in each region, preventing overheating and improving food preparation results through precise temperature control and separate heating element usage.

Implementation Method 1

The cooking chamber divider has at least one heating element which is arranged, in particular, on the base unit

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

The cooking appliance also has a hot air system. Hot air can be conducted thereby into the cooking chamber as intended

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS20230408101A1Cooking appliance comprising a cooking chamber insert for asymmetrically dividing a cooking chamber as well as specific vertical distances from a cooking food support

Publication Date: 2023.12.21 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH

AI summary

A cooking appliance includes a housing and a plate-shaped cooking chamber divider which divides a cooking chamber into upper and lower cooking chamber regions. A cooking food support can be inserted into a cooking food support slide-in level in the upper cooking chamber region at a distance from an upper face of the cooking chamber divider, such that the distance between the upper face of the inserted cooking chamber divider and an upper face of the inserted cooking food support is between 10 mm and 30 mm, and/or the upper cooking chamber region has a fixedly arranged heating element, with a distance between the upper face of the inserted cooking food support and the heating element in the upper cooking chamber region and/or an upper rim of a boundary flange which defines a loading opening of the cooking chamber is between 160 mm and 210 mm.