Oven Optical Sensor Relocation to Reduce Foreign Matter Attachment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ovens with integrated optical devices for food monitoring face issues such as degradation of sensing performance due to oil mist, smoke, and steam, and risk of burns during cleaning, along with potential degradation of heating performance from altered heating part structures.
Innovation Solution
A food analysis apparatus with a measuring unit that irradiates food with light and senses spectral characteristics, positioned separately from the heating part, allowing for real-time molecular information analysis and easy cleaning, while maintaining optimal heating performance by using a heat-resistant member and a filter unit to prevent foreign matter attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the optical device is installed at the upper portion of the cooking chamber adjacent to the heating part, then the image capturing function is achieved, but oil mist, smoke, and steam attach to the lens causing degradation of sensing performance
Solution Approach 1:
The optical device is extracted from the upper portion of the cooking chamber and relocated to the lower portion, separating it from the heating part. This spatial extraction prevents oil mist, smoke, and steam from attaching to the lens while maintaining the image capturing function.
2Ease of operation
If the optical device is installed at the upper portion of the cooking chamber, then image capturing is enabled, but the risk of burns during cleaning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical device is extracted from the high-temperature upper portion and relocated to the lower portion away from the heating part. This enables safer cleaning operations without burn risk while maintaining monitoring functionality.
3Measurement precision
If the heating part structure is changed to secure the image capturing region, then the optical device can be installed, but the heating performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The optical device is extracted and relocated to the lower portion of the cooking chamber, eliminating the need to modify the heating part structure. This preserves the original heating performance while enabling image capturing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical device is positioned in a different spatial dimension (lower portion) relative to the heating part, allowing both functions to coexist without structural compromise to the heating system.
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 real-time molecular information analysis during cooking, ensuring optimal cooking with reduced risk of accidents during cleaning and maintaining heating performance, with the ability to apply to various cooking appliances.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting part provided in one support part and configured to irradiate the food with light, and a light receiving part provided in the other support part and configured to sense spectral characteristics of the light
Implementation Method 2
sense spectral characteristics of reflected light to detect the molecular information of the food
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a food analysis apparatus including a cooking chamber provided in a cooking appliance, a measuring unit mounted in the cooking chamber and configured to irradiate food placed in a cooking region inside the cooking chamber with light and then sense spectral characteristics of reflected light, and an analyzing unit configured to analyze the spectral characteristics transmitted from the measuring unit to detect molecular information of the food.