Electric Grill Touch Control and Grate Layout for Flare-Up Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grills face issues with burner extinguishment hazards, difficult-to-read controls, flare-ups, hot spots, and excessive smoking, which pose safety and cooking efficiency challenges.
Innovation Solution
A grill design featuring a touch control with a linear light indicator for easy temperature adjustment, an emergency power cut-off, automatic shut-off, and a grate with covered openings to reduce grease contact with the heating element, minimizing flare-ups and hot spots, while enhancing safety and readability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional dials and gauges are used for temperature control, then the control mechanism is simple, but the controls become difficult to read and require extensive user attention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical dials and gauges with an electronic display system that shows temperature numerically. This substitution makes the controls much easier to read and understand without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms, as the electronic display can clearly present temperature information in a straightforward digital format.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation from analog dial positions to digital numerical values. By displaying temperature as specific numbers rather than requiring users to interpret dial positions, the system improves readability and reduces the cognitive load on users, making temperature control more intuitive.
2Ease of manufacture
If the grill is left on after cooking to burn off residue, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but safety hazards increase due to potential fires
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automatic shut-off system that monitors cooking duration and automatically turns off the grill after a predetermined time period. This self-service feature eliminates the need for user intervention to remember shutting off the grill, thereby maintaining cleaning effectiveness while significantly improving safety by preventing fires caused by forgotten grills.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a timer and control system that provides feedback about cooking duration and automatically responds by shutting off the grill when the predetermined time elapses. This feedback mechanism ensures the grill operates safely without requiring continuous user monitoring, balancing cleaning needs with fire prevention.
3Use of energy by moving object
If low gas flow rate is used for low temperature cooking, then energy consumption is reduced, but the burner is easily extinguished creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a piezoelectric igniter that generates an electric spark to reliably ignite the gas before combustion begins. This preliminary ignition action ensures that even at low gas flow rates, the burner will light properly and maintain stable combustion, preventing extinguishment hazards while allowing energy-efficient low-temperature cooking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical ignition methods with an electronic piezoelectric igniter system. This substitution provides more reliable ignition at low gas flow rates by generating high-voltage sparks that can reliably light the gas, thereby maintaining burner stability during energy-efficient low-temperature operation.
4Productivity
If continuous monitoring of the grill rack is performed to extinguish flare-ups, then food quality is maintained, but user time and attention are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the grill with a raised cooking surface that physically prevents grease and food particles from falling onto the burner. This self-protective design eliminates flare-ups by addressing their root cause, allowing users to cook without continuous monitoring while maintaining food quality and saving user time and attention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a preventive design feature where the raised cooking surface blocks grease from reaching the burner before flare-ups can occur. This preliminary anti-action approach prevents the harmful effect (flare-ups) before it happens, eliminating the need for continuous user monitoring to extinguish them.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a grill (10) having a heating element (20) for heating food, a cooking grate (30) positioned above the heating element and having a plurality of openings (34) for permitting grease to pass where the plurality of openings are arranged around the heating element (20), and a touch control (40) for adjusting a temperature of said heating element. The touch control (40) has an increase button (42) to elevate the temperature of the heating element and a decrease button (44) to lower the temperature of the heating element. The touch control (40) also has a plurality of lights (50) arranged in sequential order from a first light (51) to an nth light, wherein manipulation of the increase button (41) or decrease button (44) commences illumination.