Microwave Oven Multi-Stage Heating for Oil-Free Fry-Cooking Texture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Microwave ovens struggle to effectively implement a fry-cooking method as they primarily supply thermal energy directly to food, making it difficult to replicate the process of frying, which involves heating oil and cooking food through it.
Innovation Solution
A cooking apparatus that utilizes a combination of microwave-heating, radiant heat, and convection-heating to achieve a fry-cooking process without submerging food in oil, using a 'crusty plate' for direct heating and a control method that coordinates the heating units to mimic the effects of frying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If microwave heating is used to cook food, then cooking efficiency is improved, but the ability to achieve fry-cooking texture and color is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines three different heating mechanisms (microwave heating, convection heating, and radiant heating) into a single cooking system. The microwave generator provides rapid heating, the convection heater supplies hot air circulation for even heat distribution, and the grill heater delivers radiant heat for browning and crisping. This combination allows the system to achieve both high cooking efficiency and authentic fry-cooking texture and color that would be impossible with microwave heating alone.
2Manufacturing precision
If oil is used for fry-cooking, then crispy texture and brown color are achieved, but healthfulness is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an air circulation system as an intermediary medium to replace oil in the frying process. The convection heater generates hot air that circulates around the food, while the grill heater provides radiant heat. This hot air circulation acts as the heat transfer medium that enables crispy texture and browning without requiring the food to be submerged in oil, thus maintaining healthfulness while achieving authentic fry-cooking results.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple heating units are coordinated for fry-cooking, then fry-cooking process is achieved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a control unit that monitors the cooking process and adjusts the operation of the microwave generator, convection heater, and grill heater based on feedback from temperature sensors and cooking stage detection. The control unit receives information about the current cooking state and automatically regulates the power and timing of each heating unit to achieve optimal fry-cooking results, thereby managing the complexity of coordinating multiple heating mechanisms through automated feedback control.
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 the achievement of a crispy texture and brown color similar to deep-fried food, while maintaining a healthier cooking method by using microwave, grill, and convection heating in a coordinated manner, allowing for efficient and effective fry-cooking without oil.
Implementation Method 1
a microwave-heating unit (120) to generate microwaves
Implementation Method 2
a grill-heating unit (130) to generate radiant heat
Implementation Method 3
a convection-heating unit (140) to generate convection heat
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Disclosed is a cooking apparatus including a cooking chamber to receive materials to be cooked therein, a microwave-heating unit to radiate microwaves to the cooking chamber, a convection-heating unit to supply hot air to the cooking chamber, a grill-heating unit to supply radiant heat to the cooking chamber, a crusty plate configured to be heated by the microwaves, an input unit to receive a user fry-cooking command, and a control unit. When the user fry-cooking command is input, the control unit performs a microwave-heating stage of activating at least one of the convection-heating unit and the grill-heating unit and activating the microwave-heating unit, and performs a slim fry stage of activating the grill-heating unit and the convection-heating unit without activating the microwave-heating unit. Accordingly, the cooking apparatus achieves the fry-cooking process using the microwaves, radiant heat and convection heat without dipping the materials to be cooked in oil.