Removable Heating Module for Hygienic Cooking Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional electric waffle irons face issues with hot oil or fatty substances infiltrating the back of the plates, causing corrosion and poor heat transfer, while dough can clog the gaps, leading to hygiene concerns and reduced appliance reliability.
Innovation Solution
A removable heating module with a shielded electric resistor embedded in dielectric but thermally conductive insulating material, housed in a protective tubular sheath, is fitted inside the depression, allowing for easy cleaning and maintaining tightness, comprising a 'sandwich' structure with a heat-distribution sheet, insulating plate, and closing sheet, ensuring proper heat transfer and hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional multilayer heating structure with mica-based insulator is used, then heating function is achieved, but hot oil infiltrates and corrodes the structure causing short-circuits and poor heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating element and insulator assembly from the traditional multilayer mica structure and encases it in a protective tubular sheath. This separation isolates the electrical components from direct contact with hot oil, preventing corrosion while maintaining heating functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining a thermally conductive material (for heat transfer), a tubular sheath (for protection), and an insulating material (for electrical isolation). This multi-material approach simultaneously addresses heat transfer efficiency, corrosion resistance, and electrical insulation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a closing plate is used to block the depression opening, then structural integrity is maintained, but dough infiltrates and clogs the gap causing hygiene issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional closing plate entirely and replaces it with a tubular sheath that extends to the opening. This extraction eliminates the gap between the closing plate and depression rim where dough could infiltrate, while the sheath itself provides the necessary structural closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular sheath acts as a flexible protective shell that seals the depression opening. This thin-walled structure prevents dough infiltration while allowing for thermal expansion and contraction, and can be easily removed for cleaning.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the heating structure is fixed permanently, then structural stability is maintained, but cleaning access is difficult and maintenance is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heating assembly into a modular unit consisting of the tubular sheath containing the insulator and heating element. This segmented design allows the entire heating assembly to be removed as one unit for cleaning, providing easy access to the depression while maintaining structural stability during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic removability to the heating assembly. The tubular sheath can be inserted into and removed from the depression, transitioning from a fixed state during operation to a removable state for cleaning. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction between structural stability and cleaning accessibility.
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 enhances the reliability and longevity of the appliance by preventing corrosion and maintaining even heat distribution, while the removable design facilitates easy cleaning and prevents dough from clogging, ensuring consistent performance and improved hygiene.
Implementation Method 1
a shielded electric resistor for heating said plate when it is supplied with electric current
Implementation Method 2
embedded in dielectric but thermally conductive insulating material
Data Source
AI summary
This appliance comprises a pair of plates made of a material that conducts heat well which are heated electrically and are hinged to each other, each of these plates having a cooking surface, which two cooking surfaces can be brought toward each other by pivoting one plate onto the other in order to cook a food product which is clamped between them, the rear or non-cooking surface of each of these plates having a depression with a flat base whose area is large; in accordance with disclosure, a heating module whose shape is complementary to that of said depression is fitted into and fixed removably inside the latter, this module being provided with a shielded electric resistor capable of heating said plate and is supplied with electric current.