Plate-shaped grill with full-surface cooking zone

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing plate-shaped grills with induction or mass heating elements experience local temperature unevenness and delays in heating, leading to inconsistent grilling conditions across the grill surface, which affects the homogeneity of food grilling and flavor.

Innovation Solution

A plate-shaped grill design with a surface heating element that covers the entire underside of the grill plate, typically a sandwich structure with a resistance wire embedded in a mica fragment layer between aluminum plates, ensuring even and simultaneous heating across the entire surface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If one or more induction or mass heating elements are used that act at specific points, then the heating structure is simple and energy consumption is reduced, but local temperature unevenness and heating delays occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheating structureVSAvoidtemperature uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The heating element is divided into multiple independent heating zones (first heating element, second heating element, etc.) that can be independently controlled. Each heating element corresponds to a specific region of the grill plate, allowing localized heating control while maintaining overall temperature uniformity through coordinated operation of multiple segments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Temperature

If the entire underside of the grill plate is connected to surface heating elements, then temperature uniformity is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature uniformityVSAvoidheating structure
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Different regions of the grill plate are equipped with heating elements according to their specific heating requirements. The heating elements are strategically positioned to address local temperature variations, ensuring each area receives appropriate heating intensity rather than uniform heating across the entire surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of providing heating elements across the entire underside of the grill plate, heating elements are positioned only at critical locations where temperature control is most needed. This partial action approach achieves sufficient temperature uniformity while avoiding the complexity and energy consumption of full-surface heating elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If heating elements are positioned away from the edges, then safety is improved, but heating efficiency and speed decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidheating efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The heating elements are arranged in a multi-dimensional configuration on the grill plate surface, utilizing both radial and axial dimensions. This spatial arrangement allows heating zones to extend toward the edges for improved heating efficiency while maintaining safe distances through proper positioning and spacing in different dimensional directions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 allows for uniform heating of the grill plate, eliminating temperature spreads and delays, resulting in consistently grilled food with homogeneous grilling conditions and enhanced flavor.

Implementation Method 1

a resistance wire embedded in a mica fragment layer between aluminum plates

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

an aluminum plate (34), an aluminum plate (36) underneath and a flat heating element (35) in between

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP2926701B1Plate-shaped grill with full-surface cooking zone
Publication Date: 2017.08.23 BRUCKBAUER WILHELM
  • EP2926701B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2926701B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2926701B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Plate-shaped grill (1), in which the entire underside of the grill plate (2) is directly or indirectly connected to one or more surface heating elements (5), so that the grill plate (2) is absolutely uniform and simultaneous over its entire surface is heatable.