Outdoor Cooking Oven Venting and Heat Deflection for Low-and-Slow Cooking

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing outdoor charcoal ovens lack easy accessibility to cooked meats and charcoal, inefficient airflow and temperature control, and are not suited for rotisserie cooking or low and slow cooking methods due to inadequate sealing and limited adjustability.

Innovation Solution

An outdoor cooking oven design featuring a rotating main door, removable heat deflector system, independently controlled air vents, a charcoal holder with easy access, and a fold-out door for rotisserie cooking, allowing for precise temperature and airflow control, easy cleaning of grease-collecting surfaces, and accommodating indirect heating configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the main door is closed to create a sealed cooking chamber, then temperature control for low and slow cooking is improved, but accessibility to the cooking chamber and charcoal pit deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature controlVSAvoidaccessibility to cooking chamber

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The oven door system is segmented into a main door for sealing and a smaller access door for convenience. The main door closes to create the sealed cooking chamber for temperature control, while the smaller access door can be opened independently to provide accessibility to the cooking chamber and charcoal pit without compromising the overall seal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-generated harmful factors

If the chimney is designed for grease collection, then grease collecting ability is improved, but ease of cleaning the chimney deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrease collecting abilityVSAvoidease of cleaning

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The grease collection function is extracted from the main chimney structure and placed in a separate, removable grease tray or baffle system. This allows the grease-collecting surfaces to be easily removed and cleaned independently from the chimney itself, maintaining effective grease collection while significantly improving ease of cleaning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the oven is designed for traditional charcoal cooking, then charcoal burning capability is improved, but adaptability for rotisserie cooking deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharcoal burning capabilityVSAvoidadaptability for rotisserie cooking

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The oven design incorporates multiple functional elements that serve different cooking purposes. The top surface can be configured for various cooking methods, and the interior space can accommodate rotisserie equipment while maintaining optimal charcoal burning capability. This multi-functionality allows the oven to reliably perform traditional charcoal cooking while also being adaptable for rotisserie cooking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Power

If air vents are positioned for charcoal combustion, then charcoal burning efficiency is improved, but accessibility to control airflow deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharcoal burning efficiencyVSAvoidaccessibility to control airflow

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

An intermediary control mechanism is introduced between the air vents and the user. This could be a remote control system, automated airflow regulator, or accessible control panel that allows the user to adjust airflow to the charcoal from a convenient location, maintaining burning efficiency while improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 easy accessibility to food and charcoal, precise control over airflow and temperature, efficient grease cleaning, and supports rotisserie and low and slow cooking methods, enhancing overall cooking performance and usability.

Implementation Method 1

heat deflector system disposed on the second shelf... at least first and second heat deflector elements that are removable from the cooking chamber to enable a user to reconfigure the heat deflector system to vary indirect heating of food items

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 2

at least first and second air vents disposed in the bottom side of the exterior encasement beneath the cooking chamber... independently control at least first and second airflows, respectively

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS20240302054A1An COOKING OVEN THAT IS WELL SUITED FOR OUTDOOR COOKING, AND METHODS

Publication Date: 2024.09.12 ALIGN MACHINE WORKS LLC

AI summary

An outdoor cooking oven comprises a reconfigurable heat deflector system and independently-controllable air vents that enable the cooking oven to be configured for various cooking methods, such as low and slow cooking or grilling. At least first and second shelves are mounted within a cooking chamber with the second shelf positioned beneath the first shelf. A heat deflector system disposed on the second shelf comprises at least first and second heat deflector elements that are removable from the cooking chamber to enable a user to reconfigure the heat deflector system to vary indirect heating of food items disposed on the first shelf. At least first and second air vents disposed in a bottom side of the exterior encasement beneath the cooking chamber are independently controllable to allow at least first and second airflows from the vents to be independent varied.