Cooking systems with washing elements and spreader bar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial fryers face issues with the degradation of cooking media due to contamination and chemical reactions, leading to reduced cooking quality and frequent replacements, necessitating efficient cleaning methods to maintain chamber quality and extend media life.
Innovation Solution
A fryer system incorporating a washing element with spray jet nozzles coupled to the bottom wall of the cooking chamber, which sprays pressurized streams of cooking medium to reach and clean hard-to-reach areas, combined with a spreader bar maintaining the electric heating coil in a serpentine pattern to enhance cleaning effectiveness without obstructing the medium flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If the cooking medium is filtered frequently to maintain quality and extend its life, then the useful life of the cooking medium is extended and operational costs are reduced, but the amount of cooking medium remaining in the cooking chamber decreases, leading to incomplete and inconsistent cooking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful particles and debris from the cooking medium through filtration systems, allowing the cooking medium to be reused for longer periods while maintaining its quality and consistency for reliable cooking results
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a system where the cooking medium is periodically filtered to remove contaminants, then returned to the cooking chamber. This discarding of harmful particles and recovering of the cooking medium extends its useful life while maintaining adequate volume for consistent cooking
2Reliability
If the fryer is cleaned manually to remove accumulated particles, then cooking quality is maintained, but the downtime increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic washing elements that continuously or periodically clean the cooking chamber during or between cooking cycles, preventing particle accumulation before it affects cooking quality, thereby eliminating the need for manual cleaning downtime
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs self-cleaning mechanisms where washing elements with spray nozzles automatically remove particles from the cooking chamber using pressurized cooking medium, allowing the system to maintain itself without external intervention and without disrupting productivity
3Loss of substance
If the cooking chamber volume is reduced to minimize cooking medium usage, then operational costs are reduced, but the ability to cook large batches of food is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the useful life of the cooking medium through filtration and reuse, effectively reducing the rate of consumption. This allows the cooking chamber to maintain a sufficient volume for large batches while the extended medium life compensates for the larger initial volume required
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
The system allows for quick and efficient cleaning of fryer chambers, reducing downtime, improving cooking quality by removing particles and debris, and extending the life of the cooking medium, thus reducing replacement frequencies and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
The upper portion includes a plurality of spray jet nozzles fluidically coupled to the passage. The plurality of spray jet nozzles are separated at predetermined angles relative to one another around a periphery of the upper portion of the washing element to orient the plurality of spray jet nozzles so as to spray a plurality of pressurized streams of the cooking medium
Implementation Method 2
Heat is typically provided to the cooking medium using an electrical heating element submerged in the cooking medium
Implementation Method 3
a spreader bar coupled to the upper surface of the electric heating coil and at a predetermined distance away from the bottom wall. The spreader bar maintains the electric heating coil in the serpentine pattern
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for cleaning a fryer using a washing element coupled to a bottom wall of a cooking chamber. An upper portion of the washing element extends above the bottom wall of the cooking chamber and includes a plurality of spray jet nozzles that are separated at predetermined angles relative to one another around a periphery of the upper portion of the washing element to orient the plurality of spray jet nozzles so as to spray a plurality of pressurized streams of the cooking medium to predetermined areas of the cooking chamber, including at least one corner of the cooking chamber. Also disclosed is a fryer that includes a spreader bar that maintains an electric heating coil in the serpentine pattern.