Cooking vessel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooking vessels fail to prevent the unintentional escape of hot steam when the lid is shifted during the pouring process, leading to fogging of glasses and potential burns, as existing solutions do not provide a sufficient seal to retain steam effectively.
Innovation Solution
A cooking vessel design featuring a lid with an annular edge that includes an axial projection with interruptions, allowing the lid to rest evenly on the vessel wall in a pouring position, forming a seal that prevents steam escape, even when the lid is slightly lifted, by matching the inner diameter of the arc with the outer diameter of the vessel wall and providing a concave curvature for defined pouring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lid is shifted to create a pouring gap, then liquid can be poured off, but steam escapes to the side causing burns and fogging
Solution Approach 1:
The axial projection is divided into multiple segments (first axial projection, second axial projection, third axial projection) arranged at different radial distances from the center. This segmentation allows different portions of the lid to perform different functions: the first projection maintains sealing at the rear, while the second and third projections enable pouring at the front, thus resolving the contradiction between pouring capability and steam containment.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the lid's axial projection are designed with different properties. The rear region (first axial projection) maintains full contact with the vessel wall for sealing, while the front region (second and third axial projections) creates controlled gaps for pouring. This local differentiation allows the lid to simultaneously prevent steam escape at the rear and enable liquid pouring at the front.
2Reliability
If the lid is pressed firmly onto the vessel body to prevent steam escape, then steam containment improves, but pouring becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is designed to be dynamically positionable along the vessel wall, allowing the user to shift it between a closed position (for steam containment) and a pouring position (for liquid discharge). The multiple axial projections maintain sealing contact at the rear while enabling controlled movement and positioning at the front, thus achieving both reliable steam seal and ease of pouring operation through dynamic repositioning.
3Ease of operation
If the lid is lifted slightly from the vessel wall to facilitate pouring, then liquid flow improves, but steam escapes between the lid and vessel wall
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is shifted from the lateral dimension (between lid edge and vessel wall) to the axial dimension (through the multiple axial projections contacting the vessel wall at different depths). This dimensional transition allows the lid to be laterally displaced for pouring while maintaining axial sealing contact through the protruding axial projections, thus enabling pouring facilitation without compromising steam containment.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a cooking vessel (10) with a vessel body (12) provided with an upper opening (11), which has a vessel wall (13) enclosing the opening (11) and having an upper rim (14); with a lid (1) having an annular lid rim (2) for resting on the upper rim (14) of the vessel wall (13) and an axial projection (3) extending from the annular lid rim (2), which is arranged at a distance from an outer circumference of the lid rim (2), wherein the axial projection (3) engages in the opening (11) when the lid (1) is in a closed position resting on the vessel wall (13); and the axial projection (3) has at least two interruptions (4) around its circumference by which an arc (3.1) of the axial projection (3) is separated from a one- or multi-part remaining section (3.2) of the axial projection (3). The cooking vessel (10) according to the invention is characterized in that the arc (3.1) has an inner diameter (Di) which corresponds to an outer diameter (da) of the upper rim (14) of the vessel wall (13).