Multi-Functional Oven with Recirculation Duct for Air Fryer Capability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking appliances fail to combine the functionality of toaster ovens and air fryers, lacking the crispness and texture associated with both cooking methods in a single device.
Innovation Solution
A multi-functional oven with a housing design that includes a cooking cavity and a control cavity, featuring lower and upper heating elements, a fan-driven recirculation duct, and a controller to switch between cooking modes, along with a removable cooking rack and heat shields to enhance air frying capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single appliance combines toaster-oven and air fryer functionalities, then versatility and space efficiency are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance integrates multiple cooking functions (toasting, air frying, conventional cooking) into a single device by combining heating elements with an airflow system. The housing contains both heating elements for conventional cooking and a fan with vents for air frying mode, allowing one appliance to perform multiple cooking tasks that traditionally required separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the airflow generation system (fan and vents) with the existing heating element system in a toaster-oven housing. The fan is positioned to draw air through vents and create airflow patterns that work in conjunction with the heating elements, combining two separate cooking mechanisms into a unified appliance structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If airflow is drawn from the cooking cavity through lower vents, then air frying texture and crispness are improved, but pressure differential and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow system is designed with localized vents positioned at specific locations (lower vents in the housing, upper vents near the cooking surface) to create targeted airflow patterns. The fan draws air through these strategically placed vents to generate upward airflow directly across the cooking surface, optimizing air frying effectiveness at the critical locations where food contact occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The recirculation duct system continuously circulates air through the cooking cavity, maintaining constant airflow across the food surface during cooking. The fan operates continuously to draw air through the vents and force it through the recirculation duct, ensuring uninterrupted airflow that sustains the air frying process throughout the cooking cycle.
3Power
If heating elements are positioned above and below the cooking surface, then heating efficiency is improved, but risk of direct flame contact and food charring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow system acts as an intermediary between the heating elements and the food. Air drawn through the lower vents and forced upward through the recirculation duct creates a cooling airflow that passes over the food surface, preventing direct contact with excessive heat from the heating elements while still allowing efficient heat transfer for cooking.
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 oven achieves both conventional toasting and air frying results by creating a controlled air flow pattern that mimics air frying conditions, providing a crisp finish and texture without excessive oil or fat.
Implementation Method 1
a fan residing in a recirculation duct in the control cavity. The fan is configured to draw air from the cooking cavity through one or more lower vents located in a lower area of the internal side wall, thereby creating an airstream below the cooking surface that flows into the lower vents
Implementation Method 2
a lower heating element positioned in a lower region of the cooking cavity beneath the cooking surface; an upper heating element positioned in an upper region of the cooking cavity above the cooking surface
Implementation Method 3
The fan is configured to force air from the control cavity through upper vents into the cooking cavity
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-functional oven includes: a housing having a floor, a rear wall, a ceiling, and first and second side walls; a door that serves as a front wall of the housing; an internal side wall that divides the housing into a cooking cavity and an control cavity; a removable cooking rack that defines a cooking surface; a lower heating element positioned in a lower region of the cooking cavity beneath the cooking surface; an upper heating element positioned in an upper region of the cooking cavity above the cooking surface; and a fan residing in a recirculation duct in the control cavity configured to draw air from the cooking cavity through lower vents located in a lower area of the internal side wall, thereby creating an airstream above and below the cooking surface that flows into the lower vents, and to force air from the control cavity through upper vents into the cooking cavity.