Shelf-stable multi-use instant cooking kit with improved cookability and instant cooked food supply system using the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing convenience food solutions, such as instant lunch boxes and HMRs, face issues with reliability, storage, transportation, and flavor prediction, particularly for users like breastfeeding mothers who need nutritious and safe meals but lack cooking expertise.
Innovation Solution
A shelf-stable multi-use instant cooking kit comprising vacuum-packed dry ingredients, seasoning packs, and raw rice cans, along with a container featuring a rice cooker shape and scales for precise ingredient measurement, allowing for easy preparation and transport of high-quality meals, and an accompanying system for predicting cuisine results and guiding ingredient selection based on user health characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If ingredients are provided in a cooked state (convenience store lunch boxes), then cooking convenience is improved, but ingredient reliability and quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Ingredients are pre-washed, pre-cut, and pre-packaged in vacuum-sealed containers before reaching the user. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for cooking preparation while maintaining ingredient freshness and quality, resolving the contradiction between convenience and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Vacuum packaging creates an inert environment that preserves ingredient quality and prevents spoilage. This allows ingredients to be stored and transported in a fresh state without requiring refrigeration, maintaining both convenience and ingredient reliability
2Reliability
If fresh ingredients are used for cooking, then ingredient quality is improved, but storage and transportation become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Vacuum packaging removes oxygen and creates an inert atmosphere that preserves fresh ingredients without refrigeration. This allows high-quality fresh ingredients to be stored and transported easily at room temperature
Solution Approach 2:
Flexible vacuum-sealed packaging films protect fresh ingredients while being easy to store and transport. The packaging maintains ingredient quality while providing convenient storage solutions
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple ingredients are combined for cooking, then cuisine variety is improved, but flavor prediction difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback by showing users the final cuisine results and ingredient combinations before purchase. Users can see what dishes will be created from selected ingredient packs, enabling them to predict flavors and make informed choices despite multiple ingredient combinations
Solution Approach 2:
A standardized container design works universally with different ingredient combinations. The same container type accommodates various cuisines made from different ingredient packs, making the system versatile while maintaining consistent user experience
4Adaptability or versatility
If a container is used for heat cooking, then cooking functionality is improved, but transportability after heating deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The inner cooking container is nested within an outer insulating container. After heating, the inner container fits inside the outer container which provides thermal insulation, allowing safe transport of hot food without direct heat exposure
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 kit enables users to prepare high-quality meals conveniently, with improved cookability and transportability, while allowing non-cooking experts to predict flavors and select ingredients suitable for their health conditions, addressing the limitations of existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
an ingredient pack in which an uncooked dry ingredient that has been washed, dried, and cut is vacuum-packed so as to be shelf-stable
Implementation Method 2
a cuisine in a form of a bowl of rice served with toppings is prepared when the dry ingredient, the seasoning, the raw rice, and the water are inserted and heated
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a shelf-stable multi-use instant cooking kit with improved cookability includes: an ingredient pack in which an uncooked dry ingredient is vacuum-packed; a seasoning pack in which a seasoning is vacuum-packed; a raw rice can in which raw rice is vacuum-stored in a container having a can shape so as to be shelf-stable; and a container including an inner layer having a rice cooker shape, and an outer layer surrounding the inner layer and having a handle, in which the dry ingredient, the seasoning, and the raw rice are inserted together into the container, and a preset amount of water is poured into the container, so that a cuisine in a form of a bowl of rice served with toppings is prepared when the dry ingredient, the seasoning, the raw rice, and the water are inserted and heated.