Gravity-Assisted Smoke Feeder for Smokers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional smoker devices face challenges in accessing and re-supplying smoke generating materials during the smoking process, especially at high temperatures, leading to disruptions, ash dispersion, and complexity in the smoking process.
Innovation Solution
A gravity-assisted release feeder device that allows for easy and safe resupply of smoke generating materials, even at elevated temperatures, using a semi-cylindrical loader that rotates from a storage mode to a release mode, minimizing disruption and ash dispersion, and can be used in conjunction with existing access methods like doors or drawers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the smoker housing is accessed during cooking to resupply smoke generating material, then the smoke generating material can be replenished, but heat is released and smoke is dispersed disrupting the smoking process
Solution Approach 1:
The smoke generating material is nested within a removable tray that is itself nested within the smoker housing. The tray can be extracted through the door opening without opening the door, allowing material resupply while maintaining the sealed housing environment and preventing heat release and smoke dispersion.
Solution Approach 2:
The smoke generating material is extracted from the fixed housing structure and placed in a removable tray. This allows the tray to be taken out through the door opening for resupply without opening the door, thus maintaining the sealed environment and preventing disruption to the smoking process.
2Quantity of substance
If the door is opened to access the smoke generating material, then the material can be resupplied, but ash falls out on the cook and exterior environment
Solution Approach 1:
The smoke generating material is extracted from the fixed housing structure and placed in a removable tray. This allows the tray to be taken out through the door opening for resupply without opening the door, thus maintaining the sealed environment and preventing ash dispersion to the cook and exterior.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable tray acts as an intermediary container between the smoke generating material and the exterior environment. It allows material resupply through the sealed door opening while containing ash and preventing its dispersion to the cook and surrounding area.
3Extent of automation
If a complex motorized pusher assembly is used to feed smoke generating material, then automated feeding is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses gravity as the self-service mechanism to feed smoke generating material from the removable tray to the combustion area. This eliminates the need for complex motorized pusher assemblies while achieving automated material feeding through the simple action of tilting or removing the tray.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex motorized mechanical feeding system is replaced with a simple gravity-based system. The removable tray design allows material to be fed automatically through gravity when the tray is tilted or removed, eliminating motors, pushers, and complex mechanical components.
4Productivity
If the smoker operates at high temperature for extended periods, then cooking efficiency is improved, but fuel needs to be replenished more frequently
Solution Approach 1:
A large quantity of smoke generating material is loaded into the removable tray in advance before the cooking process begins. This preliminary action allows the tray to serve throughout the entire cooking duration without needing frequent replenishment, maintaining high cooking efficiency while reducing the frequency of resupply operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable tray design enables dynamic resupply operations. The tray can be quickly removed, refilled, and reinserted through the door opening without opening the door or disrupting the cooking process, allowing efficient fuel replenishment even during extended high-temperature operation.
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 flexible and efficient resupply of smoke generating materials without disrupting the smoking process, reducing the risk of ash dispersion and operational complexity, while maintaining smoke quality and food moisture.
Implementation Method 1
A gravity-assisted release feeder device that allows for easy and safe resupply of smoke generating materials
Data Source
AI summary
A smoker having a smoke generating material loader which preferably is insertable and retractable through a housing aperture and is adjustable between a no dump state and a dump state once inserted, preferably relative to a receiver tray that is closer to a heat source, as in an electric heat resistance bar, to cause smoke generation of smoke generating material received from the loader when placed in a dump state. The loader preferably has one or more seal off end caps or sections relative to the receiving housing aperture to provide a heat retention function. A preferred embodiment features a nested arrangement between the inserted loader and receiver tray and preferably the receiver tray is in a sliding supported relationship with the loader as in a semi-cylindrical loader main body in contact with one or more concave supporting surfaces of the receiver tray. The receiver tray also preferably has opposing shielding walls extending up from opposite sides of an apertured base receiving tray. The opposing shields also preferably having an upper constricted opening in close proximity to a rotating loader main body and at a common height with the constricting opening brought about by the nesting arrangement.