Heating Table Grill Height Adjustment Using Friction Rod Mechanism

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing outdoor heating solutions like gas heaters, fire pits, and chimineas are inefficient, environmentally harmful, and lack effective smoke control, while heating tables with sealed combustion chambers face challenges in adjusting cooking surface height and accessibility.

Innovation Solution

A friction rod mechanism that allows the cooking surface in a recessed combustion chamber to be easily raised and lowered using opposing friction members, enabling infinite position adjustment without complex mechanisms, maximizing surface area, and allowing for easy cleaning and surface replacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If a sealed combustion chamber is used for efficient heating, then heat efficiency is improved, but accessibility to the cooking surface deteriorates due to the recessed chamber design

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat efficiencyVSAvoidaccessibility to cooking surface

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cooking surface is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be raised and lowered along the front wall of the combustion chamber. This dynamic positioning enables users to access the cooking surface easily when needed while maintaining the sealed chamber design for heat efficiency when the surface is lowered.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A friction rod mechanism serves as an intermediary system between the cooking surface and the chamber structure. The friction rod with opposing friction members provides a simple mechanical means to hold the cooking surface at various positions, enabling easy accessibility without compromising the sealed chamber design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If complex lifting mechanisms like screw-drives or scissor jacks are used to adjust cooking surface height, then position adjustment capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition adjustment capabilityVSAvoidmechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the essential friction-based holding function from complex lifting mechanisms. By using a simple friction rod with opposing friction members, it achieves position adjustment capability without the complexity of screw-drives, scissor jacks, or other elaborate systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The friction rod mechanism is self-regulating, using friction between the rod and opposing members to automatically hold the cooking surface at any position. The system serves itself by using the weight of the cooking surface to maintain friction contact, eliminating the need for complex control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If fixed cooking surfaces are used in recessed chambers, then structural simplicity is maintained, but ease of cleaning and surface replacement deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidease of cleaning and surface replacement

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The cooking surface is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be easily removed and replaced. This dynamic design maintains structural simplicity while enabling easy cleaning and surface replacement by allowing the surface to be lifted out of the chamber.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Productivity

If the cooking surface is positioned close to the heat source for efficient cooking, then cooking efficiency is improved, but accessibility and safety for users deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooking efficiencyVSAvoiduser accessibility and safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The movable cooking surface allows users to dynamically adjust its position. When cooking, the surface can be lowered close to the heat source for efficient cooking. When not in use or when users need to access the chamber, the surface can be raised for safety and accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 provides durable, efficient, and accessible heat control, allowing for varied cooking surface positions and easy cleaning, while maintaining a compact design that maximizes usable space within the combustion chamber.

Implementation Method 1

Friction between the friction rod and two opposing friction members holds the cooking surface at potentially infinite positions above the heat source and/or the floor of the combustion chamber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

Outdoor gas heaters are environmentally destructive as they produce high levels of carbon emissions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Implementation Method 3

using combustible fuel to generate heat within a substantially sealed chamber to provide efficient, radiant heat

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadiant heat: Thermal Radiation

Data Source

PatentUS11179005B2Heating table with adjustable-height grill

Publication Date: 2021.11.23 THE CASHMERE CAVEMAN CO WILD KITCHENS LTD

AI summary

A mechanism for raising and lowering a cooking surface within a recessed combustion chamber is provided.