Cookware Adjustable Leg Design for Stovetop Leveling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cookware with uneven cooking surfaces requires constant adjustment to maintain a level position, leading to uneven oil or butter distribution and cooking quality, as existing cookware lacks effective leveling solutions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating detachable or permanently attached adjustable legs that can be adjusted to level the cookware by contacting the stovetop, with options for increased stability and accuracy using multiple legs or weighted ends, and adjustable grates that alter the cooking surface tilt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cookware is used on an uneven stovetop surface, then the cookware can be placed quickly, but the cooking surface becomes unlevel causing oil or butter to leak to one side
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable legs incorporate threading mechanisms that allow dynamic adjustment of leg lengths to compensate for uneven stovetop surfaces. The legs can be rotated to extend or retract, enabling the cooking surface to be leveled after placement on the stovetop, thus resolving the contradiction between easy placement and precise leveling.
2Manufacturing precision
If adjustable legs are added to level the cookware, then the cooking surface can be leveled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The leveling system is segmented into multiple independent adjustable legs rather than a single complex mechanism. Each leg can be adjusted independently, simplifying the overall design while achieving precise leveling. The segmentation allows for modular assembly and easier manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable legs are designed to be manually operated by the user without requiring external tools or complex mechanisms. The threading allows users to easily adjust leg lengths by hand, making the system self-sufficient and reducing overall device complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple adjustable legs are used to increase stability, then the leveling accuracy improves, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Each adjustable leg serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables leveling adjustment, and contributes to stability. The universal design of the legs allows any number of them to be used depending on the specific leveling needs, making the system adaptable and easy to operate regardless of the number of legs engaged.
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.