Flexible Door for Vertical Grill to Separate Grease from Cooked Food
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vertical cooking grills face the challenge of separating oil and grease from cooked food during the delivery process, as these byproducts fall directly onto the food product delivery tray, contaminating the cooked food and adding unwanted calories.
Innovation Solution
A flexible door system is integrated into the cooking unit, positioned to block falling grease and debris during cooking and redirect them to a separate grease pan, while allowing cooked food to be delivered to the tray without contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a vertical cooking grill allows food to fall directly from cooking slots to delivery tray, then food delivery efficiency is improved, but grease and oil contaminate the cooked food
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible door is introduced as an intermediary element between the cooking slots and delivery tray. The door blocks grease and oil from falling directly onto the food while still allowing cooked food to be delivered efficiently to the tray, thus mediating between the conflicting requirements of delivery speed and food cleanliness.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooking grill is segmented into distinct zones: a cooking area, a grease collection area behind the flexible door, and a clean delivery tray area. This segmentation allows grease to be directed to a separate collection path while food follows a clean delivery path, resolving the contamination issue without compromising delivery efficiency.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a flexible door is added to block grease and oil, then food contamination is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible door made of thin, flexible material is used instead of a rigid mechanical barrier. This flexible membrane can be easily actuated and cleaned, providing effective grease blocking with minimal structural complexity. The flexibility allows it to conform to the space constraints and move smoothly between open and closed positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible door is designed to be self-cleaning or easy to maintain, reducing the need for complex cleaning mechanisms. The smooth, non-porous surface of the flexible material allows grease to be wiped off easily, and the door's movement through grease automatically helps clean its surface, minimizing maintenance requirements despite the added component.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides a movable door that directs debris, such as oil, grease, and food particles, that falls from a plurality of cooking slots in a vertical cooking grill to an area separate from a food product delivery tray, providing a cooked food product with reduced calories that is potentially more visually appealing.