Parabolic Oven Muffle Back for Low-Pressure Air Circulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional oven muffles with flat back designs suffer from inefficient air circulation, leading to longer cooking times, uneven cooking, and increased energy consumption due to pressure losses and unproductive air swirls.

Innovation Solution

A muffle with a back having a parabolic profile, featuring intersecting flat side and top/bottom portions with radiused connections, optimized to minimize pressure losses and enhance air flow circulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a flat back design is used in the muffle, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but air circulation is inefficient causing pressure losses and unproductive swirls

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidair circulation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The back of the muffle is designed with a parabolic curvature instead of a flat surface. This curved geometry guides air flows smoothly along the parabolic profile, eliminating dead zones and unproductive swirls while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through deep drawing from a mold or folding press.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Ease of manufacture

If a flat back design is used in the muffle, then the manufacturing process is simple, but cooking time increases due to inefficient heat distribution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidcooking time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The parabolic curvature of the back promotes efficient air circulation patterns that distribute hot air uniformly across the cooking chamber. This eliminates stagnant zones and ensures consistent heat distribution to all food items, thereby reducing cooking time while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Ease of manufacture

If a flat back design is used in the muffle, then the structure is simple, but energy consumption increases due to poor air circulation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The parabolic back design optimizes natural convection currents and reduces the need for high-power motors and impellers to circulate air. By guiding air flows along the curved surface, the system achieves efficient heat distribution with lower energy input, reducing overall energy consumption while keeping the structural design simple.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

4Ease of manufacture

If a flat back design is used in the muffle, then the construction is straightforward, but cooking uniformity is poor due to uneven air distribution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidcooking uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The parabolic curvature creates optimized airflow paths that ensure uniform distribution of hot air throughout the cooking chamber. This geometric design eliminates dead zones and ensures consistent thermal exposure for all food items, achieving uniform cooking results while maintaining straightforward construction methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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

The parabolic back design improves air circulation, reducing cooking time and energy consumption while allowing for more efficient heating system operation, resulting in cost savings and uniform cooking.

Implementation Method 1

A drawback of these traditional muffles is that they do not allow a good circulation of hot air flows due to the flat shape of the back that causes pressure losses and unproductive swirls

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure losses: Pressure Drop

Implementation Method 2

The parabolic back design improves air circulation, reducing cooking time and energy consumption

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAir circulation: Convection

Implementation Method 3

the greater efficiency of the heating system allows to reduce the use of motors, impellers and resistances that generate and diffuse the hot air

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 4

there is a circulation of hot air, possibly also for the heat treatment of non-food products

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP3608594B1Muffle for convection oven and oven comprising said muffle

Publication Date: 2021.10.13 BONFERRARO SPA

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AI summary

A muffle comprises a back (1) provided with a central zone (3) capable to accommodate at least a resistance, a motor and an impeller, said back (1) presenting a substantially parabolic profile in the part between its external perimeter and said central zone (3), with radii (4) between the portions (5) with horizontal inclination and the portions (6) with vertical inclination.