Dielectric Food Seasoning Control for Accurate Condiment Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inexperienced cooks often struggle to accurately season food products, leading to bland or unpleasant dishes, and excessive seasoning can be detrimental to health, particularly with high salt consumption which can increase the risk of heart disease.
Innovation Solution
A food preparation apparatus equipped with a dielectric sensor and processor arrangement that determines the dielectric properties of food products to generate precise seasoning instruction signals based on stored data, ensuring accurate addition of condiments while monitoring changes to prevent over-seasoning, and optionally includes a temperature control to maintain stable readings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If automated seasoning control is implemented using dielectric sensing, then seasoning precision and health safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical seasoning methods with automated dielectric sensing and control systems. The dielectric sensor detects electrolyte concentration changes in real-time, and the processor arrangement automatically controls condiment addition, substituting human judgment and manual operation with electronic measurement and automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service seasoning control where the dielectric sensor continuously monitors the food product's electrolyte concentration and the processor arrangement autonomously determines when to add condiments and in what quantities, without requiring human intervention or taste testing.
2Manufacturing precision
If dielectric sensing is used to monitor electrolyte concentration, then seasoning accuracy is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dielectric sensing technology that uses electromagnetic fields to detect electrolyte concentration, replacing traditional mechanical or chemical measurement methods. This non-contact, automated detection system provides precise real-time monitoring of seasoning levels without requiring complex manual intervention.
3Reliability
If real-time dielectric monitoring is implemented during cooking, then food quality control is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dielectric sensor operates continuously throughout the cooking process, providing uninterrupted monitoring of electrolyte concentration. This continuous measurement ensures that seasoning is precisely controlled at all stages of food preparation, maintaining consistent food quality without requiring intermittent manual checking.
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 apparatus provides accurate and healthy seasoning by automating the addition of condiments, reducing the risk of over-seasoning and maintaining food quality, thus ensuring a consistently appealing taste without excessive salt intake.
Implementation Method 1
a dielectric sensor in said food preparation compartment... adapted to determine a dielectric property of a food product in the food preparation compartment from sensor data provided by said dielectric sensor
Implementation Method 2
the processor arrangement is adapted to monitor a change in the dielectric property of the food product from said sensor data, wherein said change is indicative of the addition of one of said condiments
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a food preparation apparatus (100) comprising a food preparation compartment (101); a dielectric sensor (120) in said food preparation compartment, a data storage device (130) storing food seasoning data as a function of a dielectric constant of the food product, said food seasoning data relating to a plurality of condiments to be added to the food product; and a processor arrangement (110) coupled to said dielectric sensor. The processor arrangement is adapted to determine a dielectric property of a food product in the food preparation compartment from sensor data provided by said dielectric sensor; retrieve food seasoning data for the food product corresponding to the determined dielectric property from the data storage device; and, for each condiment of said plurality generate a seasoning instruction signal for adding an amount of said condiment of said plurality to the food product based on the retrieved food seasoning data until all condiments of said plurality have been added to the food product. A method of automatically generating seasoning instructions for adding a plurality of condiments to a food product during preparation of the food product is also disclosed.