Cookware leveling solutions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cookware with an uneven cooking surface leads to uneven coating of oil or melted butter, requiring constant adjustment to ensure even cooking, which can result in incomplete food preparation if not properly attended to.
Innovation Solution
A detachable or permanently attached adjustable leg system that can be used to level the cookware by adjusting its position or angle in contact with the stovetop, ensuring a stable and level cooking surface, applicable to both gas and electric stovetops, and also includes adjustable grates for leveling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cookware is used on an uneven stovetop surface, then the cooking surface becomes tilted, but this causes oil or melted butter to leak to one side and fail to coat the entire cooking surface evenly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the leg adjustable in length, allowing the user to dynamically modify the cookware's orientation until the cooking surface is level. The leg can be extended or retracted to compensate for stovetop unevenness, transforming a static structure into a dynamically adjustable one that adapts to different stovetop conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by altering the length parameter of the supporting leg to achieve the desired cooking surface levelness. By changing the leg length parameter, the system compensates for stovetop irregularities and ensures the cooking surface is horizontal, allowing oil or butter to distribute evenly.
2Productivity
If the cookware cooking surface is not level, then constant shifting of the cookware is required, but this increases the time and attention needed from the chef
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by leveling the cookware before cooking begins using the adjustable leg. Once the leg is adjusted to achieve a level cooking surface, no further adjustments are needed during the cooking process. This preliminary leveling action eliminates the need for constant shifting and attention during cooking, thereby improving productivity and reducing time loss.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a detachable adjustable leg is added to the cookware, then the cooking surface can be leveled, but this increases the device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by separating the leveling function from the main cookware body through a detachable leg component. This allows the leveling mechanism to be added independently without redesigning the entire cookware structure. The segmented approach enables users to attach or remove the leg as needed, minimizing the impact on overall device complexity while still achieving the desired levelness.
4Measurement precision
If multiple adjustable legs are used, then stability and accuracy of leveling are improved, but this further increases the device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing adjustable legs at specific critical locations on the cookware rather than uniformly across the entire structure. By strategically placing adjustable legs where they have the greatest impact on leveling accuracy, the system achieves high precision with minimal additional components, thus balancing measurement precision with device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Solutions for leveling the surface of cookware are disclosed. In one embodiment, at least one detachable adjustable leg makes contact with the stove surface to tilt the cooking surface to make it level. The pressure on the stove surface can be increased or decreased, thereby increasing the tilt until the cooking surface is level. In another embodiment, at least one detachable adjustable leg is weighted at one end and the weighted end extends outward to make the cooking surface level. In yet another embodiment, the cookware comes with at least one adjustable leg permanently attached. In all cases, multiple adjustable legs can be used to increase the stability and accuracy. In another embodiment, adjustable legs protrude from the top or bottom surface of a grate that typically covers a flame on gas stove surface.