Oven with improved airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ovens suffer from inefficient airflow distribution and energy loss due to hot air being pushed along meal carriers and inner oven walls, resulting in uneven heating and increased energy expenditure.
Innovation Solution
The system employs fans to direct heated air first over meal trays and then back towards the heating elements, using air deflectors and baffle plates to ensure even airflow and reduce energy transfer to oven walls, while separate heating elements for each tray enhance heat distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If hot air is pushed along the meal carrier and inner oven walls to the front of the oven, then the heating element can distribute heat throughout the oven, but the hot air loses energy to the inner oven walls and oven door before reaching the meals, resulting in energy loss and uneven heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional airflow direction by using a fan at the front to suck air toward the front of the oven, causing hot air to flow directly over the meals first and then along the inner walls back to the heating element. This reversal ensures meals receive heat before walls do, eliminating energy waste and improving temperature uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a fan as an intermediary device to control and direct airflow. The fan creates a controlled circulation pattern that prioritizes heat delivery to meals over heating oven walls, acting as a mediator between the heating element and the meals to optimize heat distribution.
2Temperature
If hot air flows along the inner oven walls before reaching the meals, then the oven cavity can be heated, but the airflow is not distributed evenly through the meal carrier, resulting in uneven heating of meals
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the airflow sequence to prioritize meal heating over wall heating, the patent ensures that all meals in the carrier receive direct hot air exposure before the air circulates along the walls, creating uniform heating across all meal positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates different airflow zones: a primary zone directly over the meals receiving high-velocity hot air from the fan, and a secondary zone along the walls receiving cooler return air. This localized quality differentiation ensures uniform meal heating while maintaining overall oven temperature.
3Loss of energy
If the oven uses conventional airflow distribution, then the structure can be simple, but the hot air loses energy to the inner oven walls and oven door, increasing energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The fan acts as an intermediary that creates controlled airflow circulation, directing hot air priority to meals and then along walls. This single intermediary device eliminates energy waste without requiring complex multi-component systems, achieving energy efficiency with minimal added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the airflow velocity and direction parameters by introducing the fan-driven circulation system. By adjusting these parameters, the system optimizes heat delivery to meals first, reducing energy loss to walls without requiring fundamental structural changes to the oven.
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
This configuration improves temperature uniformity across meals, reduces energy loss to oven walls, and potentially lowers insulation needs and air conditioning costs in galleys.
Implementation Method 1
a fan positioned at a front of the oven between the inner walls and the heating element configured to: move air from the front of the oven through a meal carrier to a rear of the oven; move the air along the inner walls to the heating element
Implementation Method 2
a heating element positioned at the rear of the oven between the meal carrier and the fan configured to heat the air
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An oven (104) may include inner oven walls (110) defining a cavity. The oven may further include a heating element (128) configured to heat air in the oven. The oven may further include a fan (130) positioned between the rear of the oven and the heating element. The fan may be configured to: draw air from the front of the oven to the rear of the oven; blow the drawn air over the heating element to produce heated air; and distribute the heated air within the oven.