Motorless Sous Vide Using Vapor-Driven Liquid Circulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sous vide appliances face issues with prolonged motor and pump usage leading to potential failure due to prolonged cooking times, which can result in increased maintenance and risk of food spoilage.
Innovation Solution
A sous vide device that utilizes a heater to generate vapor within a cavity, increasing pressure and displacing heated liquid into the cooking vessel, combined with a cyclical process of heating and cooling to maintain temperature, reducing the load on motor-driven components and enhancing energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If motor-driven components are used to circulate water in sous vide appliances, then circulation and temperature consistency are improved, but component reliability deteriorates due to prolonged usage during long cooking times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the motor-driven pump from the system entirely, extracting the problematic moving component that caused reliability issues during prolonged sous vide cooking operations
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical pump system is replaced with a thermal-driven circulation mechanism where heated water naturally circulates through convection currents, eliminating mechanical moving parts while maintaining temperature consistency
2Ease of operation
If motor-driven pumps are used for water circulation, then liquid circulation is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the motor-driven pump component, simplifying the device by eliminating complex mechanical circulation systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses natural convection currents generated by thermal differences to circulate water automatically, making the circulation function self-driven without external mechanical assistance
3Temperature
If conventional heating elements are used in sous vide devices, then heating capability is improved, but heat stress on components increases leading to potential failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces water as an intermediary medium that absorbs heat in a separate chamber and transfers it gradually to the cooking chamber, preventing direct heat stress on electronic components and sensors
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
This solution reduces the risk of component failure, lowers manufacturing costs, improves energy efficiency, and ensures consistent food temperature, making the device easier to clean and maintain while minimizing heat stress on components.
Implementation Method 1
a heater for heating the liquid in the cavity to generate vapour
Implementation Method 2
heating the liquid in the cavity to generate vapour that displaces some of the heated liquid from the cavity into the vessel
Implementation Method 3
the heater is configured to generate the vapour within the cavity to increase pressure in a head space within the cavity
Implementation Method 4
the housing includes a layer of insulating material to insulate the liquid in the vessel from the heater and the liquid in the cavity
Data Source
AI summary
A sous vide device (10) for at least partial immersion in a liquid (16) contained in a vessel (30), the sous vide device (10) comprising:a housing (12) defining a cavity (14) for fluidic communication with the vessel (30) to at least partially fill the cavity (14) with the liquid; and,a heater (32) for heating the liquid (16) in the cavity (14) to generate vapour that displaces some of the heated liquid (16) from the cavity (14) into the vessel (30).