Oscillating Hot Dog Grill Mechanism for Uniform Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hot dog cookers face issues with deformation and wear of bearing components due to load exertion from roller tubes, leading to grease and liquid leakage, and complex mechanical assemblies with lateral linkages causing motor overwork and failure.
Innovation Solution
A hot dog grill with an oscillating mechanism using a motor-driven rotating shaft to move a grill assembly between two positions, eliminating the need for lateral linkages and ensuring uniform heat distribution through an inclined heating surface, with a heating element and temperature control system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If roller tubes are mounted to housing by bearings, then the roller tubes can rotate to cook hot dogs, but the load exerted by the tubes causes deformation and wear of the bearings, allowing grease and liquids to leak into the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the roller tubes entirely from the cooking mechanism, replacing them with a flat oscillating grill surface. This extraction eliminates the bearings and their associated sealing problems, as the grill surface directly contacts the food without requiring rotational support elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical rotation system (roller tubes with bearings) with an oscillating flat grill mechanism driven by a motor. This substitution eliminates the need for bearings under load, thereby preventing grease and liquid leakage into the housing while maintaining the cooking function.
2Productivity
If a chain driven by a rotatable sprocket or gear is used to rotate the roller tubes, then the roller tubes can be driven, but the drive chain force distorts the end of the roller tube and the bearing, allowing grease and liquids to pass by the bearing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts both the roller tubes and the chain-driven sprocket mechanism from the system. Instead, it employs a motor directly coupled to an oscillating mechanism that moves a flat grill surface, eliminating the distorting forces on bearings and roller tube ends.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex chain and sprocket drive system is replaced with a simpler motor-driven oscillating mechanism. This substitution eliminates the transmission of distorting forces to the cooking surface support structures, preventing grease and liquid leakage.
3Shape
If roller heating tubes are mounted in a row horizontally or at an angle with their central axes extending in a straight line, then the tubes can be arranged for heating, but the drive chain force application causes distortion and bearing failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the roller heating tubes entirely and replaces them with a flat oscillating grill surface. This eliminates the structural issues associated with mounting and driving roller tubes in any configuration, as the flat grill requires no rotational support.
4Temperature
If a tilted grill is moved back and forth over a heating surface using a motorized cam with lateral linkage, then heat distribution is improved, but the rod may come out of alignment causing the motor to be overworked and eventually fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the motorized cam and lateral linkage system entirely. Instead, it uses a motor directly coupled to an oscillating mechanism that moves the grill surface back and forth, eliminating the alignment issues and motor overload problems associated with the lateral linkage.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex cam and lateral linkage mechanism is replaced with a direct motor coupling to an oscillating mechanism. This substitution maintains the beneficial back-and-forth motion for heat distribution while eliminating the alignment instability and motor overwork that led to failure in the previous design.
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 provides a simple, efficient mechanism for cooking hot dogs with reduced wear on components, uniform heat distribution, and effective grease management, preventing motor overwork and maintaining consistent cooking performance.
Implementation Method 1
A heating element is provided under the heating surface
Implementation Method 2
A motor having a rotating shaft that extends from the inclined top plate is provided
Implementation Method 3
The grill assembly is moveable between two positions relative to the top plate
Data Source
AI summary
A hot dog grill for cooking hot dogs or similar food products is disclosed. The grill can include a plate having a heating surface. A grill assembly can be positioned proximate to the plate and can be moveable relative to the plate. A cam can be operably coupled to a motor and a first end portion of a connecting rod can be movably received within a groove in the cam. A second end portion of the connecting rod can be operably coupled to the grill assembly. Operation of the motor can rotate the cam and drive the connecting rod to move the grill assembly back and forth along the heating surface.