Pellet grill
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pellet grills require a continuous AC power supply, are heavy, large, and lack portability, with limited battery life and cooking area, making them inconvenient for outdoor use.
Innovation Solution
A battery-powered pellet grill with a continuous spark ignition system, compact design, and a swing-away warming rack, featuring a head unit with a burn pot, electrical power supply, and electrodes to create a prolonged spark for efficient fuel combustion, allowing for easy battery exchange and reduced power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a continuous AC power supply is used to power the pellet grill, then the grill can maintain consistent cooking temperature, but the grill loses portability and requires tethering to electrical outlets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the AC electrical power system with a DC battery-powered system. The grill is designed to operate on direct current from rechargeable battery packs, eliminating the need for AC outlets and enabling portable operation while maintaining temperature control through electronic regulation of the heating element and auger motor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the power supply parameters from AC to DC operation. The electrical system is redesigned to accommodate battery voltage (typically 12V or 24V DC), with modified wiring, control circuits, and power management components that optimize performance for battery-powered operation while maintaining cooking temperature consistency.
2Ease of operation
If a battery-powered system is implemented to improve portability, then the grill becomes portable, but the battery life may be insufficient for extended cooking sessions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery power system into separate, removable battery packs that can be independently replaced. This allows users to carry multiple battery packs and swap them during extended cooking sessions, effectively extending the total operational duration beyond what a single battery pack could provide while maintaining portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables users to pre-charge multiple battery packs before outdoor cooking trips. By having fully charged backup battery packs ready, users can perform preliminary preparation to ensure continuous operation throughout extended cooking sessions without interruption.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact design is used to improve portability, then the grill size is reduced, but the cooking area is necessarily reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a swing-away warming rack that can be moved between positions. The warming rack can be swung away from the main cooking area to provide additional working space when not needed, or positioned to maximize cooking area when space is limited. This dynamic configuration allows the compact grill to adapt its cooking surface area based on immediate needs.
4Reliability
If traditional resistive heating elements are used to ignite pellets, then ignition is reliable, but the power consumption exceeds battery capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional high-power resistive heating ignition elements with a low-power electronic ignition system. This may include piezoelectric spark generation, capacitor-discharge ignition, or other low-energy ignition mechanisms that provide reliable pellet ignition while consuming minimal battery power, enabling sustained operation throughout the cooking session.
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 true portability, extended cooking sessions, and efficient fuel use, with a compact and lightweight design that maintains a consistent cooking temperature, enhancing user convenience and cooking flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
a spark generator electrically connected to the power supply controller; a first electrode electrically connected to the spark generator... and a second electrode electrically connected to the electrical ground... wherein the power supply controller is configured to cause the spark generator to create a continuous spark in the gap space between the first metallic tip and the second metallic tip
Implementation Method 2
biomass pellets are also capable of providing a controlled burn rate and level of heat... to ignite the biomass pellets
Data Source
AI summary
A pellet fueled apparatus having a continuous spark ignition system and swing-away warming rack is disclosed. The apparatus may include a power supply controller configured to cause a spark generator to create a continuous spark in a gap space between two electrodes for a duration greater than 2 seconds and up to 20 minutes uninterrupted. The apparatus, when embodied as a grill may include a warming rack that swings away from an underlying cooking surface when the grill lid is opened.