Handle for a rack support structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of oven racks face the challenge of handling hot racks without protective items like oven mitts or pot holders, as they need to pull and push the racks in and out of the oven, which can be hazardous and inconvenient, especially for those with mobility issues.
Innovation Solution
An oven rack with a handle integrated into its support structure, where the handle has a lower thermal conductivity than the support structure, featuring inwardly and outwardly facing contact surfaces, ribs, and a through opening to reduce user contact with the hot support structure, allowing safe handling and repositioning without additional protective items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users handle the oven rack support structure directly, then they can pull and push the rack easily, but they risk burns from direct contact with the hot support structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a handle as an intermediary component between the user's hand and the hot support structure. The handle is positioned to allow users to grip and maneuver the rack without their hands contacting the thermally conductive support structure that becomes hot during oven operation. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by enabling easy handling while preventing burn injuries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the oven rack into distinct functional components: the support structure for holding cookware and the handle for user interaction. By separating the handling function from the support function, users can grip the handle without contacting the hot support structure, thus maintaining ease of operation while eliminating the burn hazard.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the handle has the same thermal conductivity as the support structure, then it provides structural consistency, but it transfers heat to the user's hand during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by giving different thermal conductivity properties to different parts of the oven rack. The support structure maintains high thermal conductivity for structural integrity and heat resistance, while the handle is designed with lower thermal conductivity to minimize heat transfer to the user's hand during handling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials or material combinations where the handle is made from or coated with thermally insulating materials while the support structure uses thermally conductive materials. This composite approach allows the handle to provide structural consistency with the support structure while simultaneously reducing heat transfer to protect the user's hand.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the handle completely surrounds the support structure, then it provides maximum protection from heat, but it increases the complexity of the design and reduces accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by having the handle partially surround or contact the support structure rather than completely enclosing it. This partial protection is sufficient to block heat transfer paths from the support structure to the user's hand while keeping the design simple and maintaining easy accessibility for gripping and maneuvering the rack.
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
The handle allows users to safely push, pull, and reposition the oven rack without direct contact with the hot support structure, reducing the risk of burns and enhancing usability for individuals with mobility issues, while minimizing heat transfer through its design.
Implementation Method 1
the handle may have a second thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, the second thermal conductivity of the handle may be lower than the first thermal conductivity of the support structure
Data Source
AI summary
A handle for a support structure in a cooking appliance. The handle may include an inner periphery and an outer periphery. The handle may include an opening defined by at least a forward member and a rearward member. The opening may extend from a top side to a bottom side of the handle. One or more inwardly facing contact surfaces of the handle may include a plurality of ribs.