Frying basket with detachable viewing window and air fryer

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air fryers have non-removable or difficult-to-clean viewing windows, which affect user experience due to oil stains accumulating between glass and plastic panels, reducing visibility and making cleaning challenging.

Innovation Solution

A detachable viewing window system for air fryer baskets, featuring a sliding and snap-in mechanism that allows users to easily remove and clean the viewing window panel, comprising a door panel assembly with a slide track, guide grooves, and snapping structures, and a button-activated locking mechanism for the outer transparent board.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If a visual window is provided on the door panel mechanism with heat-resistant glass and transparent plastic panel, then the visibility of cooking status is improved, but oil stains accumulate between the glass and plastic panel making cleaning difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovevisibilityVSAvoidcleaning difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The visual window is divided into multiple detachable components: an inner transparent board fixed to the frying basket main body, and an outer transparent board that can be removed from the door panel assembly. This segmentation allows the outer board to be detached for cleaning, solving the problem of oil stain accumulation while maintaining visibility during cooking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The outer transparent board is extracted as a separate removable component from the door panel assembly. By taking out this component, users can easily remove and clean it, eliminating the cleaning difficulty associated with fixed visual windows while preserving the visibility function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If the visual window is made non-removable to ensure structural integrity, then the sealing and stability are improved, but the cleaning accessibility is significantly reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesealingVSAvoidcleaning accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The visual window system is segmented into an inner board that remains fixed for sealing purposes and an outer board that is removable for cleaning. The inner transparent board maintains the sealing integrity with the accommodating cavity, while the outer transparent board can be detached, thus resolving the contradiction between structural reliability and cleaning accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If a detachable viewing window panel is provided, then the cleaning ease is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning easeVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The visual window is segmented into two simple transparent boards without complex mechanisms. The inner board is fixed with a sealing ring, and the outer board is held by a simple limiting structure. This minimal segmentation provides cleaning ease while avoiding excessive structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The outer transparent board is extracted as a simple removable component held by a basic limiting structure rather than complex fastening mechanisms. This extraction approach simplifies the cleaning process while minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of operation

If an outer transparent board is slidably arranged on the door mechanism, then the mounting and removal ease is improved, but the risk of accidental operation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting removal easeVSAvoidaccidental operation risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A microswitch component is introduced as an intermediary between the outer transparent board and the control system. When the outer board is removed, the microswitch detects this state and prevents the air fryer from operating, eliminating accidental operation risks while maintaining the ease of mounting and removal through sliding motion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The microswitch provides feedback about the position of the outer transparent board to the control system. This feedback mechanism ensures that the air fryer only operates when the outer board is properly in place, preventing accidental operation while preserving the ease of sliding mounting and removal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4437917A1Frying basket with detachable viewing window and air fryer
Publication Date: 2024.10.02 NINGBO CARELINE ELECTRIC APPLIANCE CO LTD
  • EP4437917A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4437917A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4437917A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Disclosed is a frying basket with a detachable viewing window. The frying basket comprises a frying basket main body, a door panel assembly, a viewing window, and a viewing window panel, wherein the frying basket main body is provided with an accommodating cavity, and a side part of the frying basket main body is provided with a viewing port communicating with the accommodating cavity. A door panel assembly is provided on an outer side of the frying basket main body and fixedly connected to the frying basket main body, wherein the door panel assembly is provided with a viewing window port corresponding to the viewing port. A transparent board is provided between the door panel assembly and the frying basket main body to seal the viewing port. A viewing window panel is detachably arranged on the door panel assembly to seal the viewing window port. Further disclosed is an air fryer, comprising an air fryer main body and the aforementioned frying basket with a detachable viewing window arranged on the air fryer main body. In the present disclosure, the frying basket allows the viewing window panel to be detachably arranged on the door panel assembly, enabling users to remove the viewing window panel to clean the space in the viewing window panel and/or the space between the viewing window panel and the transparent board. This effectively enhances the user experience.