Microwave Egg Holder With Dielectric Layer for Uniform Cooking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for cooking eggs in a microwave oven often result in uneven cooking, require additional devices or steps, and are time-consuming, with a risk of the egg exploding, leading to suboptimal quality and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
A microwave egg cooking apparatus and method utilizing a holder with a dielectric layer surrounding the egg, having a specific dielectric constant and thickness, which allows for rapid and uniform heating of eggs to achieve a soft-boiled or hard-boiled state within 120 seconds, minimizing energy use and waste, while ensuring safety and quality comparable to boiling in hot water.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If an egg is cooked in a microwave oven using conventional methods, then the cooking time is reduced, but the egg may explode or cook unevenly
Solution Approach 1:
A dielectric layer with specific properties (ε'' between 20-500, thickness 1-6mm) is introduced as an intermediary between the microwave field and the egg. This layer absorbs and distributes microwave energy uniformly, preventing hot spots that cause explosions while maintaining rapid cooking. The layer acts as a mediator that transforms the microwave heating pattern from concentrated to distributed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the dielectric layer: dielectric constant imaginary part ε'' between 20-500 at 2.45 GHz, and thickness d of 1-6mm. By controlling these parameters, the heating characteristics are optimized to achieve uniform cooking without explosions, resolving the contradiction between speed and safety.
2Loss of time
If an egg is shelled and placed in a container for microwave cooking, then the cooking time is reduced to about 60 seconds, but the albumin becomes too hard or rubbery and cooking is uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The dielectric layer serves as a mediator that enables rapid cooking while maintaining quality. Unlike direct container heating, the dielectric layer distributes energy through the egg shell, achieving 60-second cooking times with uniform results and proper albumin texture, eliminating the rubbery texture problem.
Solution Approach 2:
By controlling the dielectric layer parameters (ε'' = 20-500, thickness = 1-6mm), the patent achieves optimal energy distribution that cooks the egg uniformly in 60 seconds, producing acceptable albumin texture and yolk consistency that matches professional kitchen standards.
3Reliability
If an egg is placed in an electrically conducting holder with water, then the egg can be cooked in 4-5 minutes, but the preparation time is not reduced and requires additional water heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the water heating step from the cooking process by using a dielectric layer that generates heat directly through microwave absorption. This eliminates the need to heat large volumes of water beforehand, reducing total preparation time while maintaining safe cooking conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the water-based heat transfer system with a direct dielectric heating system. Instead of heating water and transferring heat to the egg, the dielectric layer absorbs microwave energy and transfers it directly to the egg, eliminating the water heating step and reducing preparation time.
4Reliability
If complex packaging methods are used (tissue soaked in salt solution, rubber packaging), then the egg can be cooked in microwave, but the procedure is laborious and does not allow reproducible results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent defines specific parameter ranges for the dielectric layer (ε'' = 20-500, thickness = 1-6mm) that can be achieved through simple manufacturing processes. This allows reproducible results without complex salt solution soaking or rubber packaging, making the process easy to manufacture and consumer-friendly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent discards complex preparation steps (salt solution soaking, tissue wrapping, rubber packaging) in favor of a simple dielectric layer that can be applied directly to the egg. This simplifies the manufacturing process while maintaining reproducible cooking results.
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 quick, energy-efficient, and safe preparation of eggs with consistent quality, reducing cooking time by up to 75% compared to traditional methods, while preventing explosions and ensuring uniform cooking.
Implementation Method 1
said first layer: is in heat exchanging contact with the shell of the egg; has a dielectric constant with an imaginary part, ε'', between 20-500 at a temperature between 0°C -100°C and at a microwave frequency of 2.45 GHz
Implementation Method 2
device for providing microwave radiation in a confined space
Implementation Method 3
said first layer: is in heat exchanging contact with the shell of the egg
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6
AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus for boiling an egg, said apparatus comprising a device for providing microwave radiation in a confined space, said space further comprising a holder provided with at least one cavity adapted to the shape of an egg with an eggshell, said cavity provided with a first layer surrounding the eggshell, said first layer: -is in heat exchanging contact with the shell of the egg; -has a dielectric constant with an imaginary part, ε", between 20-500 at a temperature between 0°C -100°C and at a microwave frequency of 2.45 GHz, and -having a layer thickness d of 1-6 millimetre and varying less than 30 % over the egg, or said holder for holding at least one egg assembly adapted for cooking an egg using microwave radiation, said egg assembly comprising an egg having an eggshell which is provided with an packaging surrounding the eggshell, said packaging comprising a first layer which: -enfolds the shell of the egg and is in heat exchanging contact with the eggshell; -has a dielectric constant with an imaginary part, ε", between 20-500 at a temperature between 0°C -100°C and at a microwave frequency of 2.45 GHz, and -has a layer thickness d of 1-6 millimetre and which varies less than 30 %, and -said packaging designed to retain the layer thickness of the first layer while said egg assembly is subjected to said microwave radiation to turn said egg into a boiled egg.