Hinged Cooktop Grate and Griddle Design for Flexible Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooktop designs lack flexibility in grate and griddle positioning, making it difficult to efficiently alternate between different cooking surfaces and configurations, which limits user convenience and versatility.
Innovation Solution
A cooktop with hinged grates and griddles that can be selectively coupled to coupling members, allowing them to rotate between raised and lowered positions, and featuring pivot members and retaining protrusions for secure engagement and easy interchangeability, enabling multiple configurations and use positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If grates and griddles are fixed in position on the cooktop, then structural stability is improved, but flexibility in positioning and interchangeability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by implementing hinged connections between the grates/griddles and the cooktop body. This allows the cooking surfaces to be dynamically positioned between raised and lowered states, and enables easy interchangeability between different cooking accessories. The hinge mechanism provides rotational movement capability while maintaining structural integrity when in position, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If grates and griddles are made interchangeable with selective coupling, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the coupling system into distinct components: coupling members attached to the cooktop body and corresponding coupling features on the grates/griddles. This modular approach allows for selective engagement and disengagement of different cooking accessories. The coupling members are positioned at specific locations on the cooktop body, enabling independent coupling/decoupling actions without affecting other components, thus managing complexity through functional segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality through the coupling member design that can accommodate multiple types of cooking accessories (grates and griddles). The same coupling member structure on the cooktop body can selectively engage with different coupling features on various accessories, providing a universal interface that simplifies the overall system while enabling interchangeability across different cooking surface types.
3Reliability
If retaining protrusions are added to prevent accidental disengagement, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation slightly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by incorporating retaining protrusions that automatically engage with corresponding features on the coupling members when the grates/griddles are positioned. This preliminary engagement mechanism prevents accidental disengagement before it can occur during normal use. The retaining features are designed to engage passively through the coupling motion itself, requiring minimal additional user action to activate while providing reliable retention during operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A cooking appliance (10) includes a cooktop (14) and a burner (18) mounted on the cooktop (14). At least one coupling member (22) is coupled to the cooktop (14). A grate (26), a griddle (378), or a reversible griddle (678) is selectively coupled to the at least one coupling member (22) and is operable between a raised position (30) and a lowered position (34) when the grate (26), the griddle (378), or the reversible griddle (678), is engaged with the coupling member (22).