Plasma-Treated Cooking Chamber Walls for Easy-Clean Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooking apparatuses face challenges in simultaneously achieving heat resistance, durability, and cleanability, with high-temperature cleaning methods increasing power consumption and risking user safety, while also limiting the space and increasing manufacturing costs due to thick insulation.
Innovation Solution
A cooking apparatus with a plasma-treated inner wall surface and etched grooves filled with a water-repellent coating material, such as silicon oil, to enhance cleanability and reduce the need for high-temperature cleaning, allowing for thinner insulation and increased cooking chamber space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If enamel is used to construct the cooking chamber to improve abrasion resistance and heat resistance, then durability is improved, but cleanability deteriorates as food easily sticks to the cooking chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface treatments to different regions of the cooking chamber. The plasma treatment creates etched grooves and modifies surface properties in specific areas to achieve both durability and improved cleanability, rather than using a uniform material throughout
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines enamel coating with plasma-treated surfaces creating a composite structure. The plasma treatment modifies the enamel surface to create etched grooves and alter surface energy, resulting in a composite material system that provides both durability and non-stick properties
2Ease of operation
If Teflon is used to prevent food from sticking to the cooking chamber to improve cleanability, then cleanability is improved, but heat resistance and abrasion resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma treatment creates localized surface modifications with etched grooves and altered surface energy that provide non-stick properties without requiring Teflon coating throughout, maintaining durability while improving cleanability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface energy parameters and topography of the enamel surface through plasma treatment, creating etched grooves and modifying surface properties to achieve non-stick characteristics without sacrificing the underlying enamel's durability and heat resistance
3Ease of operation
If the heating unit is operated at high temperature for two hours or more to burn contaminants stuck to the inner wall, then cleanability is improved, but power consumption increases greatly and cleaning time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma treatment is applied in advance during manufacturing to create etched grooves and modify surface properties that prevent contaminant adhesion. This preliminary action eliminates the need for subsequent high-temperature cleaning operations, reducing both time and energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of contaminant accumulation into a benefit by using plasma treatment to create surface properties that actively prevent sticking. The etched grooves and modified surface energy transform the cooking chamber from a surface where contaminants adhere to one where they easily release, eliminating the need for energy-intensive cleaning
4Ease of operation
If the heating unit is operated at high temperature for two hours or more to burn contaminants, then cleanability is improved, but the temperature of the door glass increases causing burn risk to users
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma treatment is applied during manufacturing to prevent contaminant adhesion in the first place, eliminating the need for subsequent high-temperature cleaning operations that would heat the door glass and create burn risks
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma treatment creates surface properties that counteract the tendency of contaminants to stick. By establishing this anti-adhesion property in advance, the system prevents the need for harmful high-temperature cleaning operations that would affect user safety
5Reliability
If the thickness of the insulation member is increased to reduce thermal energy leakage, then heat resistance is improved, but manufacturing costs increase and cooking chamber space becomes smaller
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma treatment modifies the surface properties and creates etched grooves that improve heat distribution and reduce thermal energy leakage through the cooking chamber walls. This parameter change in surface topology allows for reduced insulation thickness while maintaining heat resistance performance
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma treatment creates etched grooves and a porous-like surface structure that enhances thermal management properties. This surface topology improvement allows for more efficient heat distribution and reduced thermal loss, enabling thinner insulation while maintaining performance
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 solution provides improved abrasion resistance, heat resistance, and cleanability, reducing power consumption and cleaning time, while minimizing the risk of burns and allowing for a more spacious cooking chamber design.
Implementation Method 1
the cooking chamber has an inner wall surface-treated by plasma
Data Source
AI summary
A cooking apparatus is disclosed. The cooking apparatus includes an apparatus body, a cooking chamber defined in the apparatus body for cooking food, and a door for opening and closing the cooking chamber. The cooking chamber has an inner wall surface-treated by plasma.