Oven Weight Sensors for Closed-Door Cooking Progress Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ovens lack reliable methods for determining cooking completion without opening the door, risking interruption of the cooking cycle and potential burns, and users rely on inaccurate recipe books for cooking times and temperatures.
Innovation Solution
An oven equipped with a three-dimensional scanning system and weight sensors that detect food characteristics, allowing for non-intrusive monitoring of food volume, shape, weight, and nutritional values, providing users with accurate cooking information through image recognition and database comparison.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the oven door is opened 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 and scalds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of sensors (weight sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, optical sensors) and a processing unit that indirectly measures cooking progress without requiring direct visual observation. This intermediary measurement system allows users to obtain cooking information while the oven door remains closed, eliminating the harmful exposure to high temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical action of opening the door for visual inspection with an automated sensor-based monitoring system. Weight sensors detect mass changes, temperature sensors monitor internal conditions, and optical sensors capture cooking progress, substituting the need for physical door opening and direct visual evaluation.
2Loss of information
If the oven door is opened to observe the food, then the user can see the cooking state, but the cooking temperature and cycle stability are disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system where sensors continuously monitor cooking parameters (weight, temperature, humidity, optical properties) and provide real-time information to a processing unit. This feedback loop allows the system to track cooking progress and notify users when cooking is complete, eliminating the need to open the door and disrupting the stable cooking environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system acts as an intermediary that provides indirect measurement of cooking completion through multiple physical parameters. Instead of requiring direct visual confirmation that disrupts the cooking process, the intermediary sensors continuously monitor and report on cooking state through changes in weight, temperature, humidity, and optical properties.
3Ease of operation
If recipe books are used to determine cooking times and temperatures, then the user has cooking guidance, but the information may be inaccurate for specific food characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the oven system to automatically determine and adjust cooking parameters based on real-time sensor measurements of the specific food being cooked. The system self-adjusts temperature, time, and other parameters based on actual food characteristics detected by sensors, eliminating the need for generic recipe book guidance and providing accurate, food-specific cooking control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes cooking parameters (temperature, time, humidity) based on real-time sensor feedback about the specific food characteristics. The system adjusts parameters during the cooking process based on measured changes in food weight, temperature, humidity, and optical properties, providing precise control tailored to each specific food item rather than relying on fixed recipe book values.
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 users to assess cooking conditions and nutritional values without opening the oven door, improving cooking precision and safety by providing real-time cooking data, allowing for adjustments to be made during the cooking process.
Implementation Method 1
at least one weight sensor configured for detecting the weight of a food positioned on a shelf supported by supporting means positioned in the heated cavity of the oven
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an oven (101) comprising a heated cavity (102) for cooking a food (201), supporting means (103) positioned in the heated cavity (102) and configured for supporting a shelf (105) in the heated cavity (102); the supporting means (103) comprise at least one weight sensor (104) configured for detecting the weight of a food (201) positioned on the shelf (105).