Partitioned Oven Burner Assembly for Even Heat and Easy Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cooking appliances face challenges in efficient air circulation and heat distribution, leading to uneven cooking and difficulty in cleaning due to the placement of burners at the bottom, which results in hotspots and makes cleaning cumbersome.

Innovation Solution

A cooking appliance design featuring a partitioned cooking chamber with a burner assembly located at the rear, utilizing a fan to circulate heated air from the combustion chamber through a separate exhaust passage, and a burner cover that introduces additional air for combustion, ensuring even heat distribution and easy cleaning by eliminating direct contact between the burner and the chamber floor.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If the burner is placed at the bottom of the cooking chamber, then the heating efficiency is improved, but the heat distribution becomes uneven and cleaning becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating efficiencyVSAvoidheat distribution uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cooking chamber is divided into two separate chambers by a partition plate: a first chamber for food placement and a second chamber for burner placement. This segmentation allows the burner to be positioned at the bottom without directly contacting the food preparation surface, thereby maintaining heating efficiency while achieving uniform heat distribution through controlled air circulation between chambers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A fan is introduced as an intermediary device to circulate air from the first chamber through the second chamber and back. This mediates the heat transfer process, distributing hot air uniformly throughout the cooking chamber and eliminating localized hotspots that would otherwise occur with direct bottom burner placement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Power

If the burner is placed at the bottom of the cooking chamber, then the heating efficiency is improved, but the cleaning process becomes cumbersome

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating efficiencyVSAvoidcleaning ease
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the cooking chamber into two separate chambers with the partition plate, the burner is isolated in the second chamber away from the food preparation surface in the first chamber. This spatial separation prevents food residue from accumulating near the burner, making cleaning significantly easier while preserving the heating efficiency benefits of bottom burner placement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Manufacturing precision

If a partition plate is introduced to separate the chambers, then the heat distribution is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat distribution uniformityVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The partition plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it separates the two chambers for improved heat distribution, provides mounting support for the fan, and creates the necessary structural framework for air circulation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving the desired heat distribution uniformity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Productivity

If a fan is added to circulate air, then the air circulation is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair circulation efficiencyVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fan is integrated with the partition plate structure, where the partition plate serves as both the chamber separator and the fan mounting support. This merging of functions allows the air circulation system to be implemented without requiring separate complex mounting structures, thereby improving air circulation efficiency while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 design enhances air circulation and heat distribution, resulting in more uniform cooking and simplifies cleaning by preventing food residue from accumulating near the burner, thus improving cooking efficiency and appliance maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

a fan disposed in the exhaust chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced Convection: Forced Convection

Implementation Method 2

a burner disposed in the combustion chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Data Source

PatentEP4108991B1Cooking appliance
Publication Date: 2024.05.22 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP4108991B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4108991B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4108991B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A cooking appliance comprises a cavity (21) to provide a cooking chamber (22), a door (25) to open and close the cooking chamber (22), a partition plate (190) to partition the cavity (21) into a first chamber (22a) and a second chamber (22b) and a burner assembly (23) disposed in the second chamber (22b) to supply heated air into the first chamber (22a). The partition plate (190) faces the door (25) in the closed state and the door (25) closes the first chamber (22a). The burner assembly (23) comprises a burner cover (130, 630, 730) and a burner (110) disposed in the burner cover. The burner cover comprises a first cover (140) having a first opening (142) through which air within the first chamber (22a) can pass through and a second cover (160) coupled to the first cover (140) and having a second opening (162).