Controlling multi-function cooking apparatuses

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing multi-function cooking apparatuses face inefficiencies in processing complex food products or multi-course menus due to incompatible ingredients and incompatible control parameter settings, leading to increased energy consumption and preparation time.

Innovation Solution

A control system that partitions recipe programs into subsets based on compatible ingredients and temperature ranges, generating a combined recipe program to optimize energy usage and reduce preparation time by grouping compatible steps together and eliminating unnecessary cleaning and heating cycles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate recipe programs are processed sequentially one by one, then each food product can be prepared with dedicated control parameter settings, but the overall food processing time increases and energy consumption increases due to repeated heating and cleaning cycles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol parameter settings accuracyVSAvoidoverall food processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate recipe programs into a single integrated recipe program that processes multiple food products simultaneously. The control system merges the control parameter settings from individual recipes and coordinates their execution, allowing the cooking apparatus to prepare multiple dishes without sequential processing delays and repeated cleaning cycles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system dynamically adjusts control parameter settings during the cooking process based on the specific food product being prepared. The system can switch between different temperature ranges, heating powers, and cooking modes within the same operational cycle, maintaining optimal parameters for each food product while processing multiple items efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If separate recipe programs are processed sequentially one by one, then each food product can be prepared with dedicated control parameter settings, but the overall energy consumption increases due to repeated heating cycles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol parameter settings accuracyVSAvoidoverall energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate recipe programs into a single integrated recipe program that processes multiple food products simultaneously. The control system merges the control parameter settings from individual recipes and coordinates their execution, allowing the cooking apparatus to prepare multiple dishes without sequential processing delays and repeated cleaning cycles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system maintains continuous heating operation throughout the cooking process by orchestrating multiple food product preparations simultaneously. Instead of heating and cooling cycles for each separate recipe, the system sustains useful thermal action across multiple dishes, reducing energy waste from repeated heating cycles and idle cooling periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Reliability

If separate recipe programs are processed sequentially one by one, then each food product can be prepared with dedicated control parameter settings, but the device complexity increases due to multiple cleaning steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol parameter settings accuracyVSAvoidcleaning steps requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate recipe programs into a single integrated recipe program that processes multiple food products simultaneously. The control system merges the control parameter settings from individual recipes and coordinates their execution, allowing the cooking apparatus to prepare multiple dishes without sequential processing delays and repeated cleaning cycles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system identifies and eliminates redundant cleaning steps by analyzing the sequence of food product preparations. When compatible food products are processed in succession, the system discards unnecessary intermediate cleaning operations, reducing the overall number of cleaning cycles required while maintaining food safety and quality standards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS10360812B2Controlling multi-function cooking apparatuses

Publication Date: 2019.07.23 VORWERK & CO INTERHOLDING GMBH

AI summary

Control system, method, and computer program product for partitioning machine readable recipe programs to control one or more multi-function cooking apparatuses for processing one or more food products. The system may include recipe program interface configured to receive one or more separate recipe programs for preparing food products. A partitioning module is configured to identify, in accordance with predefined partitioning rules, subsets of recipe program instructions in the one or more recipe programs. A first subset includes recipe program instructions for executing food processing steps with compatible ingredient information at temperatures below a predefined temperature threshold and a second subset includes recipe program instructions for executing food processing steps with compatible ingredient information at temperatures equal to or above the predefined temperature threshold.