Dual-Function Baking Stone for Pastry and Grate Cooking Modes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional baking stones used in ovens for cooking pastry products lead to inefficient energy use when cooking other food items, as they trap heat, requiring users to store both the stone and grates separately, and fail to cook pastry products evenly or quickly.

Innovation Solution

A cooker appliance with a refractory baking stone that has a removable plate, allowing it to function as both a heat-trapping surface for pastry cooking and a grate for other foods, featuring a mechanism to switch between closed and open positions, enabling efficient heat distribution and storage convenience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a baking stone is used to cook pastry products, then homogeneous cooking is achieved, but energy efficiency deteriorates when cooking other food products

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooking homogeneityVSAvoidenergy efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The baking stone is segmented into two functional surfaces: a first surface with channels for heat entrapment and a second surface without channels for heat dissipation. This segmentation allows the same component to serve different cooking needs - the first surface for pastry products requiring homogeneous cooking, and the second surface for other food products requiring energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If a baking stone is used for pastry products, then cooking quality improves, but device complexity increases due to separate storage of stone and grates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooking qualityVSAvoidstorage complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The baking stone is designed with dual functionality - it can operate as a traditional baking stone for pastry products using its first surface, and as a grate for other food products using its second surface. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate storage of baking stones and grates, reducing device complexity and improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Duration of action of stationary object

If conventional baking stones are used, then heat storage capacity improves, but cooking speed deteriorates for non-pastry food products

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat storage capacityVSAvoidcooking speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Different surfaces of the baking stone have different thermal properties tailored to specific cooking needs. The first surface has channels for heat entrapment and slow release, ideal for pastry products. The second surface lacks channels, allowing rapid heat dissipation for faster cooking of non-pastry food products. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between heat storage capacity and cooking speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 appliance provides homogeneous cooking for pastries without drying and rapid cooking for other foods by adjusting heat entrapment, while eliminating the need for separate storage of the baking stone and grate, enhancing user convenience and energy efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

refractory materials such as ceramic or stone materials which have high heat storage capacity and which slowly release heat in time

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat storage capacity: Thermal Energy Storage

Implementation Method 2

a plate removably inserted in between the first surface and the second surface. When the plate is removed from in between the first surface and the second surface, the baking stone can be used as a grate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical movement:

Data Source

PatentEP3803214B1Cooker appliance comprising baking stone
Publication Date: 2024.01.10 ARCELIK AS
  • EP3803214B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3803214B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3803214B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a cooker appliance (1) comprising a body (2), a cooking chamber (3) provided in the body (2), in which materials to be cooked are placed, a chassis (4) surrounding the cooking chamber (3), shaped as a box open on the front side, a heater (5) provided in the cooking chamber(3), enabling cooking food products, and a baking stone (6) made of refractory material, placed in the cooking chamber(3), having a support surface on which food products are placed.