Integrated Vacuum Cooking Appliance for Sous-Vide and Packaging

Solution Overview

Problem

Sous-vide cooking requires separate dedicated appliances for temperature control and vacuum packaging, which is inconvenient and space-consuming, making it difficult to maintain consistent cooking conditions and efficiently prepare food.

Innovation Solution

A combined vacuum cooking appliance that integrates a heating unit for low-temperature cooking and a vacuum packing module, allowing for simultaneous sous-vide cooking and vacuum packaging in a single compact device, featuring a housing with a container for liquid, a handle for easy lifting, and a vacuum packing module with a sealer and pressure generator.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If separate dedicated sous-vide cooking appliance and vacuum package machine are provided, then cooking function and vacuum packaging function can be performed, but device complexity increases and installation space requirement increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooking function and vacuum packaging functionVSAvoidnumber of separate appliances

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the sous-vide cooking appliance and vacuum packaging machine into a single integrated device. The housing contains both the heating unit for water-based cooking and the vacuum packing module with seal heater, allowing users to perform both cooking and vacuum packaging functions with one appliance rather than requiring separate dedicated devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated appliance serves multiple functions: it can heat water for sous-vide cooking, create vacuum pressure for packaging, and seal packages using the seal heater. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate specialized appliances while maintaining the effectiveness of each individual function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If separate dedicated sous-vide cooking appliance and vacuum package machine are provided, then cooking function and vacuum packaging function can be performed, but installation space requirement increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooking function and vacuum packaging functionVSAvoidinstallation space

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the sous-vide cooking appliance and vacuum packaging machine into a single integrated device. The housing contains both the heating unit for water-based cooking and the vacuum packing module with seal heater, allowing users to perform both cooking and vacuum packaging functions with one appliance rather than requiring separate dedicated devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If separate dedicated sous-vide cooking appliance and vacuum package machine are installed at different positions, then each function can be optimized, but operational convenience decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunction optimizationVSAvoidoperational convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the sous-vide cooking appliance and vacuum packaging machine into a single integrated device. The housing contains both the heating unit for water-based cooking and the vacuum packing module with seal heater, allowing users to perform both cooking and vacuum packaging functions with one appliance rather than requiring separate dedicated devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Enables convenient and stable sous-vide cooking with integrated vacuum packaging, reducing the need for separate appliances and saving space, while maintaining food quality and texture.

Implementation Method 1

a heating unit configured to heat the liquid in the container

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

a vacuum packing module configured to package a material to be cooked in a vacuum state

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Implementation Method 3

the vacuum packing module configured to package a material to be cooked in a vacuum state and seal the packaged material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Data Source

PatentUS12114799B2Vacuum cooking appliance

Publication Date: 2024.10.15 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

A vacuum cooking appliance is provided. The vacuum cooking appliance may include a housing in which a housing mount and a vacuum packing module mount may be located at adjacent positions, a first container configured to accommodate liquid inside an accommodation space therein and coupled to the container mount, a heater configured to heat the liquid accommodated inside the first container, a vacuum pressure generator installed at the vacuum packing module mount and configured to suction air inside a food packing container, and a vacuum packing module installed adjacent to the vacuum pressure generator and including a sealer configured to heat.