Heating/ stirring cooker

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional heating/stirring cookers face challenges in efficiently stirring objects with varying sizes and hardness without increasing device size, leading to uneven heating and scorching, and require user intervention to manage rotational loads and prevent stirring body deviation.

Innovation Solution

A heating/stirring cooker with a detachable stirring body and a magnetic field generator that controls the direction of a rotating magnetic field between forward and reverse rotation directions, allowing the stirring body to adjust its rotation rate and direction to manage uneven loads and prevent deviation, using a clutch unit and detector to maintain efficient stirring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the stirring body rotates continuously in one direction, then the stirring action is consistent, but the load on the stirring body becomes uneven causing deviation and requiring user intervention

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous stirring operationVSAvoiduser intervention required
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The controller periodically reverses the rotation direction of the stirring body at predetermined time intervals. This periodic action prevents uneven load accumulation by alternating the direction of rotation, allowing the stirring body to return to its initial position and maintain proper alignment with the heating element throughout continuous operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Force

If a larger magnetic field generator is used to increase stirring torque, then the stirring capability is improved, but the device size increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestirring torqueVSAvoiddevice size
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically controls the rotation of the stirring body by periodically reversing direction rather than relying solely on increased torque. This dynamic control allows a smaller magnetic field generator to maintain effective stirring capability by optimizing the rotation pattern and preventing load accumulation that would require higher torque.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If the stirring body rotates at high speed, then the stirring efficiency is improved, but the load variation causes deviation from initial position

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestirring efficiencyVSAvoidposition stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The controller implements periodic direction reversal at optimized time intervals that balance stirring efficiency with position stability. By alternating rotation directions periodically, the system maintains high-speed stirring effectiveness while preventing cumulative load variations from causing significant deviation from the initial position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

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 solution enables efficient stirring of objects with varying sizes and hardness without increasing device size, reducing the risk of uneven heating and scorching, and allows the stirring body to continue operation without user intervention by managing rotational loads and maintaining synchronization.

Implementation Method 1

a magnetic field generator that is disposed inside the main body and generates a rotating magnetic field so that a rotational force of the rotating magnetic field acts on the magnet

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRotating magnetic field: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

a stirring body which is disposed inside the container and which rotates in response to a rotating magnetic field from an outside of the container

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMagnetic coupling: Magnetism

Data Source

PatentEP3473143B1Heating/ stirring cooker
Publication Date: 2020.12.16 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3473143B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3473143B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3473143B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Heating/stirring cooker (100) includes: main body (1); container (2) that is disposed inside main body (1) and accommodates an object to be cooked; stirring body (6) that is disposed inside container (2) so as to be detachable from container (2), stirring body (6) having blade (10) for stirring the object to be cooked in container (2) and magnet (7) disposed at a position facing an inner bottom part of container (2) in a state in which stirring body (6) is disposed inside container (2); magnetic field generator (11) that is disposed inside main body (1) and generates a rotating magnetic field so that a rotational force of the rotating magnetic field acts on magnet (7); and controller (50) that is disposed inside main body (1) and controls magnetic field generator (11). Controller (50) is configured to control magnetic field generator (11) so that a direction of rotation of the rotating magnetic field is switched between a forward rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction that is reverse to the forward rotation direction, and that number M of rotations in the reverse rotation direction is less than number N of rotations in the forward rotation direction.