Cooking appliance with a bottom wall

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooking appliance base walls, particularly in ovens, face issues with sharp transitions that lead to stress and potential cracking due to thermal expansion, inadequate retention volume for condensate, and insufficient ergonomic design for cookware positioning.

Innovation Solution

A cooking appliance with a base wall featuring a recessed area defined by varying radii, where the transition from the recessed area to the surrounding surface is smoother at the front and steeper at the rear, ensuring uniform stress distribution and providing a tactile guide for cookware positioning, while accommodating a sufficient volume for condensate and steam functions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a recessed area is formed in the bottom wall to provide condensate retention volume, then the steam function capability is improved, but sharp transitions in the embossing create stress concentrations that lead to cracking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecondensate retention volumeVSAvoidbase wall crack resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The embossing design applies different radius values at different locations: a first (larger) radius at the front transition area and a second (smaller) radius at the rear transition area. This local differentiation allows the front to handle thermal stress while the rear provides structural support and condensate retention, resolving the contradiction between stress resistance and retention volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of manufacture

If a uniform radius embossing is used in the bottom wall, then manufacturing is simplified, but it causes non-uniform stress distribution leading to cracking under thermal loading

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveembossing manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidstress distribution uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The embossing intentionally uses asymmetric radius values (first radius different from second radius) to create non-uniform stress distribution that actually improves reliability. The larger front radius reduces stress concentration where thermal gradients are highest, while the smaller rear radius provides structural support, overcoming the uniformity assumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

3Quantity of substance

If the embossing has a steep transition to maximize retention volume, then condensate capacity is improved, but cookware positioning becomes difficult and ergonomic handling is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecondensate retention volumeVSAvoidcookware positioning ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The embossing design applies different radius values at different locations: a first (larger) radius at the front transition area and a second (smaller) radius at the rear transition area. This local differentiation allows the front to handle thermal stress while the rear provides structural support and condensate retention, resolving the contradiction between stress resistance and retention volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 design reduces stress-induced cracking, enhances ergonomic cookware handling, and ensures adequate condensate retention, improving the functionality and durability of the oven.

Implementation Method 1

temperature differences can cause stresses in the base wall, which in turn can lead to cracks in the base wall

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentEP4660542A1Cooking appliance with a bottom wall
Publication Date: 2025.12.10 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP4660542A1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4660542A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP4660542A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance (4), in particular an oven, with a cooking chamber (6) for receiving food to be cooked, which has a cooking chamber opening at the front, in particular closable by a door (16), a housing (10) forming the cooking chamber (6), which has a bottom wall (2) preferably made of sheet steel, in which an embossing (30) is formed for forming a recessed surface (32) within the embossing (30), wherein the embossing (30) has a larger radius at the front than at the rear.