Resistive Heating Pellets for Faster Food Temperature Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food warming systems, such as pellets and trays, are time-consuming and labor-intensive to heat, and lack efficient heat transfer and storage properties, making them inefficient for maintaining comestible goods at elevated temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A re-heatable apparatus with a circular top and bottom surface, featuring power pins, loop pins, and a resistively heatable filament that acts as a heat reservoir, coupled with a charging unit that efficiently heats and controls the apparatus using a controller board to regulate electric current.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional ovens are used to heat pellets or trays, then the warming device can be heated, but the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional thermal convection heating (mechanical/physical oven heating) with direct electrical resistance heating through embedded heating elements and heating coils. This substitution enables rapid heating of pellets and trays without requiring time-consuming oven preheating, directly resolving the time-loss contradiction while improving service efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary heating action by embedding heating elements within the pellets and trays themselves, allowing them to be heated quickly and independently before food service. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for lengthy oven heating cycles, reducing time loss while maintaining productivity
2Temperature
If pellets or trays are heated in ovens, then they can store and transfer heat, but the heating process is laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service heating by integrating heating elements directly into the pellets and trays. These self-heating components can be activated independently without requiring manual operation of external ovens, making the heating process simpler and more straightforward while maintaining effective heat storage and transfer capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the heating function with the storage and transfer functions by integrating heating elements directly into the pellet and tray structures. This combination allows a single component to perform multiple functions (heating, storing, and transferring heat), simplifying the overall operation while maintaining temperature control
3Temperature
If traditional warming devices are used, then they can maintain food temperature, but they lack efficient heat transfer properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces inefficient thermal convection heating with direct electrical resistance heating through embedded heating elements. This substitution provides more efficient and controllable heat transfer directly to the food-bearing surfaces, maintaining temperature while reducing energy loss compared to traditional oven-based systems
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 apparatus quickly and consistently heats the comestible goods, reducing heating time and improving efficiency, while the charging unit's controlled heating ensures precise temperature maintenance and easy handling.
Implementation Method 1
a filament coupled to the power pins and resistively heatable by an electric current source connected via the power pins. The filament is thermally coupled to the top surface of the body such that heat resistively produced by the filament is transferred to the top surface of the body and stored by the body acting as a heat reservoir
Implementation Method 2
The filament is thermally coupled to the top surface of the body such that heat resistively produced by the filament is transferred to the top surface of the body
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 2
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A pellet warming system (1) includes a charging unit capable of warming a plurality of pellets contemporaneously. Each of the plurality of pellets comprise an internal heating element (30) which resistively heats the body of the pellet from a regulated electrical current that is provided from the charging unit. The system comprising a plurality of power pins (31), a filament coupled to the power pins and thermally coupled to the top surface, a plurality of loop pins (5) and a pair of guide pins (6,7). The charging unit also comprises a controller board with means to control the duration of electric current supplied to each of the pellets as well as means for cycling electrical current to each of the pellets in order to maintain the resistively generated heat. The charging unit further comprises means for a user to connect their PC to the controller board in order to alter its internal programming and view its operational history.