Cooking appliance comprising a first and a second cooking plate, and method for controlling the distance between cooking plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking appliances with upper and lower plates face issues such as sensor malfunctions due to dirt or food residue, excessive pressure on food products, misalignment of plates, and the need for manual adjustment and periodic maintenance to ensure proper operation.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance with a positioning device allowing the upper cooking plate to move in two or more degrees of freedom, controlled by a unit that adjusts its position relative to the lower plate, enabling precise alignment and distance control without sensors on the plates, using electric drive units and detecting devices to prevent movement based on contact, allowing automatic adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors (micro switch or proximity sensor) are used to detect contact between cooking plates and food product, then the position of the upper platen can be detected, but the sensors are easily subjected to malfunctioning caused by dirt or rest of food collected thereon
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes sensors from the cooking plates entirely and replaces them with a detection system based on motor current monitoring. The contact detection function is extracted from the mechanical/sensor domain and transferred to the electrical control domain, eliminating the reliability issues associated with physical sensors exposed to food environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical sensor-based detection system with an electrical detection system that monitors motor current. Instead of using physical sensors that can be contaminated, the system uses electrical measurements (current changes) to detect contact, substituting a mechanical sensing approach with an electrical one that is not susceptible to food residue contamination.
2Reliability
If motor current monitoring is used to detect contact between upper platen and food product, then sensor malfunctioning due to dirt is avoided, but excessive pressure must be applied on the food product to obtain a detectable current change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system that continuously monitors motor current and adjusts the platen position accordingly. The system detects contact through current changes and provides feedback to the motor controller to stop or adjust movement, creating a closed-loop control that prevents excessive force application while maintaining reliable contact detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by detecting contact at the point where minimal current change occurs, rather than requiring full compression. The system detects contact early in the compression process through subtle current changes and adjusts accordingly, avoiding the need to apply excessive pressure to generate large current signals.
3Shape
If manual adjustment of alignment between cooking plates is performed during set-up, then alignment can be achieved, but the operation is easily subjected to errors and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-alignment through the control system that automatically adjusts the upper platen position based on detected contact points. The system performs alignment autonomously by detecting where contact occurs and adjusting the platen position accordingly, eliminating the need for manual alignment operations and reducing setup time while improving accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback control to automatically align the cooking plates. The detection system monitors contact between plates and food, and the controller adjusts plate positions based on this feedback, creating an automatic alignment process that eliminates manual intervention and reduces errors.
4Reliability
If periodic maintenance by trained technician is performed to correct misalignment, then proper operation can be guaranteed, but maintenance is expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-correction capabilities through the automated detection and positioning system. The system continuously monitors plate contact and automatically adjusts positions to maintain proper alignment, eliminating the need for periodic technician intervention. The appliance performs its own maintenance function through the control system that detects and corrects misalignment in real-time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses continuous feedback monitoring to detect misalignment conditions and automatically correct them. The detection system provides ongoing feedback about plate contact status, and the controller adjusts positions to maintain proper operation, replacing periodic manual maintenance with continuous automated correction.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is related to a cooking appliance (100) comprising a first cooking plate (1) and a second cooking plate (2), said second cooking plate (2) being positionable in an operating condition, in which it faces the first cooking plate (1), so as to be able to heat a product positioned on the first cooking plate (1), and in an open condition in which it is lifted with respect to the first cooking plate (1) in such a way to allow freely positioning a food product on the first cooking plate (1), the cooking appliance (100) comprising a positioning device (3) for adjusting the position of the second cooking plate (2) with respect to the first cooking plate (1) when the second cooking plate (2) is in the operating condition, the positioning device allowing movements of the second cooking plate (2) with respect to the first cooking plate (1) having at least two degrees of freedom; it further comprises a control unit (4) operatively associated to the positioning device (3) and configured to control movements of the second cooking plate (2) with respect to the first cooking plate (1) individually for at least two of the at least two degrees of freedom. The invention is also related to a method for controlling a distance (d) between cooking plates (1, 2) of a cooking appliance (100) comprising a first cooking plate (1) and a second cooking plate (2), the second cooking plate (2) being positionable in an operating condition, in which it faces the first cooking plate (1), so as to be able to heat a product positioned on the first cooking plate (1), and in an open condition in which it is lifted with respect to the first cooking plate (1) in such a way to allow freely positioning a food product on the first cooking plate (1), the method comprising: —adjusting the position of the second cooking plate (2) relative to the first cooking plate (1), when the second cooking plate (2) is in the operating condition, by a movement of the second cooking plate (2) having at least two degrees of freedom; —calculating the distance between said first cooking plate (1) and the second cooking plate (2).