Corrugated Grilling Rack for Stable Stuffed Pepper Cooking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food grilling racks often cause food items to fall between or become stuck in the openings, making it difficult to grill stuffed items like peppers efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A grilling rack with a two-part frame, featuring a removable perforated upper section that nests onto a corrugated lower section with troughs and peaks, ensuring secure placement of elongated food items, and a food dispensing funnel and plunger for easy stuffing of peppers with a selected filling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a perforated plate is used for grilling, then heat distribution is improved, but food items fall between or become stuck in the openings
Solution Approach 1:
The grilling rack is divided into two separate sections: a perforated upper section for heat distribution and a solid lower section with troughs for food support. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specialized function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The solid lower section with troughs acts as an intermediary between the perforated upper section and the food items. It provides a stable base that prevents food from falling through while allowing the upper perforated section to maintain good heat distribution.
2Reliability
If a solid grilling surface is used, then food items are securely held, but heat distribution and cooking efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The grilling rack is divided into two separate sections: a perforated upper section for heat distribution and a solid lower section with troughs for food support. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specialized function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a two-dimensional flat surface problem to a three-dimensional structure with vertical separation. The upper and lower sections are positioned at different heights, allowing the solid support section to prevent food falling while the upper perforated section maintains cooking efficiency.
3Reliability
If a two-part nested frame structure is used, then food item stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper perforated section is designed to nest within the lower solid section when not in use. This nesting arrangement allows the two-part structure to be stored compactly and simplifies the overall device footprint while maintaining the stability benefits of the two-section design during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The grilling rack is divided into two separate sections: a perforated upper section for heat distribution and a solid lower section with troughs for food support. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specialized function without compromising the other.
Data Source
AI summary
A food grilling rack provides a frame defined by a plurality of connected side walls forming a closed geometric shape. The frame includes a lower corrugated sheet that provides multiple troughs, each trough having a lowest portion. The lower sheet is attached to at least some of the side walls. An upper sheet of material is supported (e.g., removably) above the sheet of corrugated material. There are a plurality of openings in the upper sheet of material, each opening being vertically aligned with a lowest portion of a trough. In one embodiment, the frame includes a pair of flanged members attached to a lower corrugated sheet that provides multiple troughs, each trough having a lowest portion. A sheet with openings slides into the frame aligning the openings with the lowest part of the trough. A food stuffing apparatus provides a receptacle having an interior, an upper end portion with a larger opening and a lower end portion with a smaller opening, and a tapering portion in between the upper and lower end portions. A plunger is provided having a head, a lower end portion with a shaft having a lower pushing surface and a joint that joins the head to the shaft. The pushing surface has a larger diameter portion, the shaft tapering above the pushing surface to a smaller diameter portion above the pushing surface in the upper one half of the plunger.