3D Oven Scanning for Closed-Door Cooking Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking food in an oven is challenging due to the difficulty in determining completion without opening the door, risking interruption of the cooking cycle and potential burns, and users lack specific information about cooking conditions, temperatures, and times, relying on potentially inaccurate recipe books.
Innovation Solution
An oven equipped with a three-dimensional scanning system and weight sensors that detect food characteristics, providing information on volume, shape, weight, and nutritional values without opening the door, allowing for improved cooking condition evaluation and interaction with the appliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the user opens the door to directly observe the food, then the user can visually evaluate the cooking progress, but the cooking cycle is interrupted and the user risks burns from high temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces sensors as intermediaries between the food and the user. These sensors detect cooking parameters (temperature, humidity, weight) and transmit this information to the control unit, which then provides feedback to the user through the display. This mediator system allows the user to obtain cooking information without directly exposing themselves to the high-temperature environment inside the oven.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical action of opening the door with an electronic sensing and communication system. Instead of physically accessing the oven interior to observe food, the user interacts with the control unit through electronic interfaces (display, buttons). This substitution eliminates the need to open the door while maintaining the ability to monitor cooking progress.
2Loss of information
If the user opens the door to directly observe the food, then the user can visually evaluate the cooking progress, but the cooking cycle is interrupted and becomes less deterministic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system where sensors continuously monitor cooking parameters and the control unit processes this information to provide real-time feedback to the user. The display shows cooking progress, allowing users to monitor the cycle without interruption. This continuous feedback loop maintains cooking cycle reliability while providing the information users need.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor-control unit-display system acts as an intermediary that provides cooking information without requiring door opening. This mediator maintains the closed cooking environment, ensuring the cooking cycle continues undisturbed and remains deterministic.
3Ease of operation
If recipe books are used to determine cooking temperatures and times, then the user has cooking guidance, but the information may be inaccurate or inadequate for specific food characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the oven to serve itself by automatically detecting food characteristics through sensors (weight, volume, shape) and using this information to determine appropriate cooking parameters. The system adapts to the specific food being cooked rather than relying on generic pre-printed instructions, thereby improving both ease of operation and parameter accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts cooking parameters based on real-time sensor measurements of the food. The control unit modifies temperature, time, and other cooking parameters according to the detected food characteristics, replacing static recipe book information with adaptive, precision-controlled parameters tailored to each specific food item.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an oven (101) comprising a heated cavity (102) for cooking a food (201), which comprises a three-dimensional scanning system (106) configured for acquiring information about the volume and/or shape of a food (201) positioned in the heated cavity (102).