Accessory for heating slices of bread on a cooking appliance such as a griddle or barbecue
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing accessories for cooking appliances, such as planchas and barbecues, are not suitable for reheating slices of bread without cooking or grilling them, as they typically cause toasting or cooking due to direct exposure to heat.
Innovation Solution
An accessory with a support member that holds slices of bread at a distance from the heating surface and includes a reflecting member to obstruct direct thermal radiation, preventing cooking or grilling, allowing for reheating while maintaining the bread's structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If food is placed directly on the heating surface, then cooking efficiency is improved, but the bread slices will be cooked or toasted instead of merely heated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary accessory consisting of a support member and reflective member that positions between the heating surface and the bread slices. This intermediary structure allows thermal energy to reach the bread indirectly through convection and reflected radiation, preventing direct contact cooking while maintaining heating efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The support member elevates the bread slices to a specific height (30-40mm) above the heating surface, transitioning from a 2D contact arrangement to a 3D spatial arrangement. This dimensional change enables controlled thermal exposure without direct contact, resolving the contradiction between heating efficiency and preventing over-cooking
2Object-affected harmful factors
If support members are used to hold bread above the heating surface, then toasting is avoided, but heating efficiency decreases due to increased distance from heat source
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the distance parameter between the support member and heating surface to 30-40mm, and positions the reflective member at specific angles to maximize thermal radiation reflection. These parameter changes ensure that while bread is elevated to avoid toasting, it remains within effective heating range through enhanced radiative heat transfer
Solution Approach 2:
The reflective member converts the potentially harmful effect of distance (reduced heat transfer) into a benefit by reflecting thermal radiation back onto the bread slices. This transforms the gap between support member and heating surface from a heat loss zone into a heat concentration zone through reflected radiation
3Loss of time
If multiple slices of bread are heated simultaneously, then preparation time is reduced, but direct thermal radiation causes uneven heating and toasting
Solution Approach 1:
The accessory is designed with multiple support positions (6-10 slices) and a reflective member that provides uniform thermal distribution across all slices simultaneously. This multi-functional design enables parallel processing of multiple bread slices with consistent heating results, reducing total preparation time while preventing toasting
Solution Approach 2:
The reflective member is positioned and angled to provide localized thermal radiation reflection tailored to each bread slice's position. This creates uniform heating conditions across different locations on the accessory, ensuring even heating throughout the bread batch without hot spots that would cause toasting
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
Enables the reheating of bread slices without cooking or grilling, allowing for concurrent preparation of heated bread and cooked food items like hamburgers, reducing preparation time and utilizing a single cooking appliance.
Implementation Method 1
a reflective member configured to be positioned between the heating surface and the support member for the at least two slices of bread so as to avoid direct exposure of the at least two slices of bread to the direct thermal radiation of the heating elements
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an accessory (1) for a cooking appliance equipped with a heating surface (100), such as a griddle or barbecue. The accessory (1) is suitable for positioning on the heating surface (100) and includes a support element (2) for slices of bread (200), particularly for hamburgers. The support element (2) holds the slices of bread (200) at a distance of between 30 and 40 mm from the heating surface. The invention also relates to a cooking appliance equipped with such an accessory and a cooking method using such an appliance equipped with said accessory.