Cooking Grill Hood Lighting and Bracket-Free Positioning Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking grills face challenges in maintaining a partly open hood position without separate brackets, which can be lost, damaged, or pose safety hazards, and lack adequate lighting for cooking in dark environments or with a partially open hood.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a grill apparatus with a pivotable hood and integrated light modules, including halogen lights, that are powered only when the hood is within specific angular positions, providing illumination to the food supporting region without the need for external brackets and ensuring safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external brackets are used to maintain hood position, then hood positioning is achieved, but safety hazards and component loss/damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the hood positioning function directly into the hood structure by incorporating a recess that receives a protrusion on the firebox. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate external brackets, thereby removing the safety hazards and loss/damage risks associated with detached components while maintaining reliable hood positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The hood structure serves itself by including an integrated recess that automatically engages with the firebox protrusion when the hood is installed. This self-positioning mechanism eliminates the need for external positioning components, allowing the hood to maintain its own position reliably without additional parts that could be lost or damaged.
2Illumination intensity
If hood lighting is added to illuminate food supporting region, then cooking visibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is merged with the hood structure by integrating the light module and power source directly into the hood. The light module is positioned within the hood's interior cavity, and the power source is incorporated into the hood's electronic system. This integration provides effective illumination of the food supporting region while avoiding the complexity of separate external lighting components and their associated wiring and control systems.
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 solution allows for improved temperature control and lighting during cooking, enhancing food cooking quality and safety by maintaining the hood in a partly open position and providing necessary illumination, while eliminating the risks associated with external brackets.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second light modules may include respective one or more first halogen lights and one or more second halogen lights to illuminate the food supporting region
Implementation Method 2
The hood may be pivotably mounted to the grill body and thereon be pivotable above the food supporting region between a closed position and one or more open positions
Implementation Method 3
The grill body may include a firebox adapted to burn a source of fuel
Implementation Method 4
The resulting hot combustion gas, including water (steam) and carbon dioxide, as well as heated air, rise upward through the grate to escape from an upper hood area
Data Source
AI summary
A grill or BBQ appliance that is generally intended for outdoor use has a pivoting hood disposed in hinged connection with a grill body, both of which are raised above a firebox that receives a food support grate. The hood may include overhanging lights configured to provide optimal lighting through a range of hood positions.