Pressure cooker
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure cookers with small vent holes require frequent maintenance, leading to high production costs and downtime, and enlarging the vent hole results in excessive steam release, affecting food consistency.
Innovation Solution
A pressure cooker design featuring a handle with an elastic sealing element positioned above the steam vent and a rotating shaft with a non-circular cross-section that exerts mechanical force on the sealing element, creating an intermediate chamber for controlled steam release through a sealing lip, allowing larger vent holes without increasing steam escape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vent hole diameter is increased to reduce maintenance frequency and production costs, then manufacturing reliability improves, but steam release intensity increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The venting function is segmented into two independent components: the vent hole in the lid and the sealing lip with opening in the handle. This allows the vent hole diameter to be enlarged for manufacturing reliability while the sealing lip controls the actual steam release rate, decoupling the two previously coupled parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing lip with its controlled opening acts as an intermediary element between the vent hole and the external environment. It mediates the steam flow, allowing a larger vent hole to be used without increasing the final steam release intensity, as the sealing lip restricts the flow to maintain gentle venting.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the vent hole diameter is kept small to maintain gentle steam release, then steam release intensity is controlled, but maintenance frequency increases and production costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the vent hole function from the steam release control function, the system allows the vent hole to be large (improving manufacturing reliability) while the sealing lip maintains gentle steam release. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing both parameters to be optimized independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the system have different functional requirements: the vent hole is designed for easy manufacturing with larger diameter, while the sealing lip is designed with a smaller opening to control steam release. This local differentiation of quality and function resolves the contradiction between manufacturing reliability and steam release control.
3Device complexity
If the elastic sealing element is positioned below the steam vent, then the structure is simpler, but steam release cannot be controlled with larger vent holes
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is repositioned from below to above the steam vent, creating a new spatial arrangement that enables the intermediate chamber configuration. This dimensional change in the spatial relationship between components allows for the controlled steam release mechanism while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
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
Ensures gentle steam release with larger vent holes, reducing maintenance needs and production costs while maintaining consistent cooking results.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic sealing element (6) that is arranged in a hole (5) of the handle base (5) and seals it steam-tight
Implementation Method 2
a rotating shaft (7) that is arranged above the elastic sealing element (6) in the handle (4) and has a section in this area with a non-circular cross-section (8), wherein this section is suitable for exerting a mechanical force on the elastic sealing element (6)
Implementation Method 3
Steam thus initially flows from the pot through the steam vent into an intermediate chamber, which is bounded by the circumferential sealing lip, and can only escape through the at least one opening (10) in the sealing lip (9)
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2C
AI summary
The invention provides a pressure cooker in which an elastic sealing element of the handle is arranged over the steam-release hole when the handle is fastened on the lid. The pressure cooker also contains a rotary shaft, which is arranged above the elastic sealing element in the handle and, in this region, has a portion of non-round cross section, wherein this portion is suitable for subjecting the elastic sealing element to a mechanical force. The pressure cooker is characterized in that the elastic sealing element has a sealing lip which, when the handle is fastened on the lid, ends up located on the lid so that it runs laterally around the steam-release hole, wherein a fluidic connection from the steam-release hole into an interspace between the lid and the base of the handle is provided merely by at least one opening in the sealing lip.