Cooking grill with multiple gas heating zones front to back for improved grill plate temperature management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grills with sectioned heating zones suffer from inconsistent cooking due to limited thermal transfer between zones, leading to over or under heating, and inefficient energy use when only partial areas are loaded with food, as they lack independent control across the grill plate front to back.
Innovation Solution
The grill features multiple independently controlled gas heating zones front to back, each with a separate burner and temperature probe for precise temperature management, allowing for flexible cooking and efficient energy use by controlling heat distribution across the grill plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sectioned heating zones are used in conventional grills, then heating control is provided, but thermal transfer between zones is limited causing inconsistent cooking and over or under heating
Solution Approach 1:
The grill heating system is divided into multiple independently controlled heating zones along the front-to-back axis, with each zone having its own heating element and temperature control. This segmentation allows different portions of the grill to be heated to different temperatures simultaneously, enabling consistent cooking across zones while preventing thermal interference between adjacent heating areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Each heating zone is equipped with local temperature sensors and independent control mechanisms, allowing the temperature characteristics to be optimized locally for each zone. This ensures that each zone maintains its designated temperature independently, preventing the thermal crossover that causes inconsistent cooking in conventional sectioned grills.
2Reliability
If entire heating zones are heated in conventional grills, then heating coverage is maximized, but energy is wasted when only partial areas are loaded with food
Solution Approach 1:
The grill system dynamically activates only the heating zones that require heating based on real-time temperature sensor data and control signals. When food is placed in specific zones, only those zones are heated while others remain inactive, providing adaptive heating coverage that matches actual cooking needs and eliminates energy waste from heating empty zones.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of heating entire zones uniformly, the system applies heating only to the specific portions of zones where food is detected or where temperature drop is sensed. This partial action approach provides sufficient heating coverage for loaded areas while avoiding excessive heating of empty spaces, optimizing energy efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple independently controlled zones front to back are implemented, then temperature management is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grill is divided into discrete front-to-back heating zones, each with dedicated heating elements and temperature sensors. This segmentation creates modular units that can be independently controlled, achieving uniform temperature distribution across each zone while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized zone design.
Solution Approach 2:
Each heating zone is designed as a universal module that can perform multiple functions: heating food, maintaining temperature, and providing temperature feedback for control. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by using identical modular components throughout the grill rather than requiring different specialized components for each zone.
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 solution ensures even heating and efficient energy use by allowing independent control of each zone, reducing cooking time inconsistencies and energy wastage, especially during partial loads, and accommodating varying food placements with quick temperature adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the heating zones has a heating unit, such as a gas burner, for heating the associated zone
Implementation Method 2
The heating elements are maintained in contact with the underside of the griddle plate to maximize heat transfer
Implementation Method 3
a sealed opening in the middle to allow for a temperature measurement probe to be mounted through the middle of the burner and substantially near a bottom surface of a grill plate
Data Source
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AI summary
The grill of the present disclosure provides multiple heating zones within a front-to-back direction of each cooking platen. Each cooking zone has a heating element associated therewith. The heating elements can be independently controlled, so that each of the heating zones can be operated at a different temperature if necessary. A controller can monitor and adjust the heat output of each element with a temperature probe that measures the temperature of the surface of the grill plate. One or more of the heating elements can be a gas burner. Electrical heating elements may also be used.