Precision cooking system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooking methods lack precision and consistency in heat transfer, leading to uneven cooking and inefficiencies, as they either indirectly transfer heat or rely on unpredictable methods like microwaves or sous-vide, which cannot achieve comprehensive real-time monitoring and culinary versatility.
Innovation Solution
A precision cooking oven equipped with thermally insulated chamber, food preparation laser devices, and sensor mechanisms, including weight, 3D scanning, and thermal imaging sensors, which generate thermal finite element analysis models to predict and adjust cooking parameters for uniform heating and searing, ensuring 90%-95% thermal uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If indirect heat transfer methods (boiling, baking, roasting) are used, then cooking is easier to implement, but heat transfer precision and cooking uniformity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat transfer step from indirect methods by eliminating the intermediate medium (water, air, pan). The laser beam directly heats the food surface without requiring water to be heated first or air to circulate, achieving direct energy transfer from the laser source to the food molecules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional thermal conduction and convection mechanisms with optical energy delivery. Instead of using heated water, steam, or hot air to transfer heat, the system uses focused laser beams to directly deposit thermal energy onto the food surface, substituting mechanical/thermal transfer systems with an optical field-based heating system.
2Temperature
If microwave cooking is used, then internal heating is achieved, but cooking stability and predictability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using multiple laser beams that can be independently controlled and focused on specific regions of the food. Each laser beam targets a particular area with precise power and duration control, allowing different parts of the food to receive customized heating treatment based on their specific cooking requirements, rather than uniform microwave exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms through sensors that continuously monitor the cooking process parameters (temperature, moisture content, color changes). This real-time data feeds back to the control system, which adjusts laser power, beam position, and exposure time to maintain consistent cooking results and compensate for variations in food composition or environmental conditions.
3Manufacturing precision
If sous-vide cooking is used, then cooking precision is improved, but cooking time and post-processing requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic action by applying laser beams in controlled pulses or cycles rather than continuous exposure. The laser can be turned on and off in specific sequences, allowing for intermittent heating that achieves desired cooking results more quickly while maintaining precision. This periodic application of energy prevents overheating and reduces total cooking time compared to prolonged sous-vide immersion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by using laser pre-heating or surface searing before final cooking completion. The laser can quickly prepare the food surface or specific regions in advance, creating a head start that reduces the overall cooking time required to achieve the desired doneness, eliminating the need for extended water bath immersion followed by post-processing.
4Adaptability or versatility
If traditional cooking methods are used, then culinary versatility is maintained, but real-time monitoring and control capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by designing a laser cooking system that can perform multiple cooking functions through software control and beam parameter adjustment. The same laser apparatus can execute different cooking programs (grilling, searing, roasting, defrosting) by varying power levels, exposure times, and scanning patterns, eliminating the need for separate appliances while providing real-time digital monitoring and control capabilities that traditional methods lack.
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 oven achieves consistent and efficient heating, eliminating hot and cold spots, allowing for precise control of cooking time and power, enabling uniform cooking of diverse food items with reduced energy waste and providing real-time operator updates.
Implementation Method 1
at least two food preparation laser devices... configured to emit sheets of laser light
Implementation Method 2
The food preparation laser devices are configured to emit sheets of laser light... resulting in the generation of friction and heat
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of sensor mechanisms... including weight, 3D scanning, and thermal imaging sensors
Implementation Method 4
a thermally insulated cooking chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention comprises a precision cooking oven that utilizes laser sheets to cook food, thus creating homogeneously heated and uniformly seared food bodies and surfaces. Laser sheets move back and forth evenly injecting heat into items being cooked. All food cold or hot areas can be eliminated since intersecting laser lines can be completely projected on and accommodate an item's exterior surfaces. Items with non-uniform cross-sections and properties can be cooked uniformly by controlling the exact amount of energy projected into differing sections of the food. The oven is also capable of cooking autonomously. Since laser sheets can be precisely controlled, cooking results can be very predictable once the boundary conditions for a thermal analysis are determined. The oven can detect the properties of the items to be cooked and thereafter compute the needed time and power to achieve the desired results stipulated by an oven operator.