Griddle Assembly Radiation Channel for Even Cooktop Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooktop appliances often experience uneven heat distribution across griddle surfaces due to localized heat transfer from heated elements, leading to 'hot spots' that result in uneven cooking.
Innovation Solution
A cooktop appliance design featuring an upper plate with a top cooking surface and a bottom heating surface, along with a lower plate that extends beneath the upper plate to create a radiation channel, allowing for even heat distribution by restricting conducted heat and promoting radiant heat diffusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If heat is directly transferred from heated portions to the griddle according to the footprint of the heated portion, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but uneven temperature distribution and hot spots occur on the cooking surface
Solution Approach 1:
A heat distribution plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the heating element and the cooking surface. This plate receives concentrated heat from the heating element and redistributes it across a larger area before transferring to the cooking surface, thereby maintaining heat transfer efficiency while achieving uniform temperature distribution and eliminating hot spots
Solution Approach 2:
The heat distribution plate extends in the lateral dimension beyond the footprint of the heating element, creating a thermal bridge that spreads heat laterally across the cooking surface. This dimensional extension allows heat to be distributed over a wider area, converting localized heat input into uniform surface temperature
2Temperature
If the griddle thickness is increased to slow heat conduction, then hot spots are reduced, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The griddle assembly is segmented into multiple functional layers: a heat distribution plate layer and a cooking surface layer. This segmentation allows the heat distribution function to be performed by the lower plate while the upper plate provides the cooking surface, achieving hot spot reduction without requiring excessive thickness of a single component and simplifying manufacturing
3Temperature
If vertical fins are added to the griddle to vary heat conduction, then temperature distribution is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat distribution function is extracted from the cooking surface itself and implemented by a separate heat distribution plate positioned beneath the cooking surface. This extraction allows the cooking surface to remain simple and easy to manufacture while the dedicated heat distribution plate handles the temperature uniformity function through its extended lateral dimensions
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
This design ensures consistent temperature distribution across the griddle surface, preventing hot spots and ensuring even cooking performance.
Implementation Method 1
A radiation channel may be defined between the lower plate and the bottom heating surface along the vertical direction to receive a radiated heat from the lower plate
Implementation Method 2
restricting conducted heat and promoting radiant heat diffusion
Data Source
AI summary
A cooktop appliance and griddle assembly are generally provided herein. The cooktop appliance may include a top panel, a heating element attached to the top panel, an upper plate, and a lower plate. The upper plate may be disposed above the top panel along a vertical direction. An upper plate may have a top cooking surface and a bottom heating surface. The top cooking surface may extend perpendicular to the vertical direction to receive a cooking item thereon. The bottom heating surface may be positioned beneath the upper plate and face the top panel to receive a thermal output from the heating element. The lower plate may extend perpendicular to the vertical direction beneath a portion of the upper plate and above the top panel. A radiation channel may be defined between the lower plate and the bottom heating surface along the vertical direction.