Food Cooling Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a food cooling device that quickly cools down hot meals to prevent burning and allows users to enjoy their food faster, particularly for children, elderly, and handicapped individuals, while resembling a toaster oven or microwave with multiple dial controls for temperature and timing settings.
Innovation Solution
A food cooling device with a housing component featuring a cooling element, multiple dial controls, and insulated doors that can be controlled via a mobile app, allowing users to set temperatures and timers to cool food efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If food is placed to cool down on the tabletop, then no additional device is needed, but the cooling time is excessively long and children cannot cool food themselves
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device enables self-service cooling for children and adults alike. The device includes a container that holds food and a cooling mechanism that automatically cools the food without requiring manual intervention from the user, allowing children to cool their own food safely
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the passive mechanical cooling method (sitting on tabletop) with an active cooling system using Peltier devices or refrigeration elements that actively remove heat from the food, dramatically reducing cooling time from hours to minutes
2Temperature
If food is cooled using a conventional refrigerator, then cooling capability is achieved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device is nested within or integrated into the existing dinnerware set. The cooling container fits inside a larger insulated housing that can be stored with the tableware, creating a compact nested structure that reduces space requirements and simplifies the overall system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses Peltier devices or thermoelectric cooling elements that change temperature parameters electrically, allowing precise control of cooling intensity and duration without the complex mechanical compression systems found in conventional refrigerators
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cooling options are provided for different food types, then versatility is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device is designed as a universal container that can accommodate various food types including hot meals, beverages, and baby bottles. The single cooling mechanism serves multiple functions by cooling different substances in the same device, eliminating the need for separate cooling devices for each food type
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 rapid cooling of food and beverages, preventing mouth burns and reducing waiting time, with the device resembling a toaster oven or microwave and offering user-friendly controls.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling element which acts to cool the contents of food and beverage containers placed within the housing component
Data Source
AI summary
A food cooling device is disclosed, which is designed to cool hot meals to reduce the risk of burning the mouth and tongue. The food cooling device comprises a housing component with a cooling element which acts to cool the contents of food and beverage containers placed within the housing component. The housing component comprises multiple dial controls on the front that enables users to set cooling temperatures, timers, choose specific foods to be cooled, etc., to cool down food for an appropriate period of time. Users can place their food and beverage containers inside the housing component, cool them down, and quickly enjoy them, rather than waiting for food/beverages to cool down while sitting at the table.