Oven Tray Rack Grease Deflection for Stacked Rack Cooking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In commercial ovens, grease drippings from upper food racks often fall onto lower racks, obstructing drainage and causing uneven cooking, as well as splattering onto oven walls and floors, complicating grease collection.
Innovation Solution
An oven tray rack design with upwardly extending food holders and downwardly and inwardly extending grease deflection plates that divert grease to a central area, creating a channel for unobstructed gravity drainage to the oven's drain, preventing grease from contacting lower food products or oven walls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If grease is allowed to drain away from food product, then cooking quality is improved and risk of smoking is decreased, but grease may fall onto lower food racks and obstruct drainage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces grease deflection plates as intermediary elements positioned between the food product and the lower rack area. These plates intercept grease drippings and redirect them toward the drain line, preventing direct contact with lower food products and maintaining unobstructed drainage pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the grease drainage function from the general oven floor by providing dedicated grease deflection plates and drain lines. This separates the grease collection function from the food holding function, allowing grease to be efficiently removed without interfering with lower rack operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If grease drains to center drain line, then grease collection is simplified, but grease may splatter onto oven walls and floors
Solution Approach 1:
The grease deflection plates serve as intermediary surfaces that capture grease drippings and channel them toward the center drain line. This controlled redirection prevents grease from splattering onto oven walls and floors while maintaining efficient drainage to the collection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies grease deflection plates at specific locations where grease drippings are most likely to occur. This localized approach addresses grease management at critical points without requiring complete coverage, reducing splatter in vulnerable areas while maintaining drainage efficiency.
3Productivity
If multiple racks are stacked vertically, then cooking capacity is increased, but grease from upper racks accumulates on lower food product
Solution Approach 1:
The grease deflection plates act as intermediary barriers between vertically stacked racks. They intercept grease falling from upper racks and redirect it to drain lines, preventing contamination of lower food products and maintaining cooking uniformity across multiple rack levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the grease drainage function from the food cooking function by providing separate grease deflection plates and drain lines. This allows multiple racks to be stacked for increased capacity while maintaining independent grease management that prevents cross-contamination between levels.
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
Facilitates efficient grease drainage, preventing splattering and uneven cooking by directing grease to the central drain, ensuring effective grease collection and reducing the risk of smoking and personnel hazards during food handling.
Implementation Method 1
downwardly and inwardly extending grease deflectors for diverting grease to a center area of the tray rack... facilitate gravity dripping of the grease from the deflection plates to the central oven drain
Data Source
AI summary
An oven tray rack for insertion into a food rack assembly is provided having upwardly and inwardly extending food holders and downwardly and inwardly extending grease deflectors for diverting grease to a center area of the tray rack and preventing grease from dripping onto food on lower tray racks.