Sliding Grill Oven Bulkhead for Heat-Loss Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ovens for grilling food suffer from heat loss when the door is opened, leading to temperature fluctuations and increased fuel consumption, and they are not suitable for using fossil fuels like wood or coal, resulting in inefficient cooking and exposure to heat and smoke.
Innovation Solution
A grill oven design with a sliding door mechanism, telescopic guides for independent grill extraction, a drip tray for liquid collection, and a smoke outlet conduit with a butterfly valve, allowing for controlled heat management and fuel usage, including the option to use solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels, and featuring a transparent front for safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door is opened to insert food or check cooking, then the operator can access the food, but a large quantity of heat escapes and temperature drops drastically
Solution Approach 1:
The door is divided into multiple independent panels, each associated with a specific grill level. This allows the operator to open only the specific door panel needed for accessing food at a particular level, rather than opening the entire door. This segmentation minimizes the opening area and consequently reduces heat loss while maintaining ease of access to food.
Solution Approach 2:
A bulkhead is introduced as an intermediary element that can be positioned to close off specific grill compartments when their associated door panels are opened. This bulkhead acts as a movable partition that isolates the opened section from the main cooking chamber, preventing heat escape to the exterior while allowing operator access to the specific grill compartment.
2Ease of operation
If the door is opened frequently, then the operator can monitor and adjust food, but fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is segmented into multiple independent panels corresponding to different grill levels. This allows the operator to open only the specific panel needed for monitoring or adjusting food at a particular level, minimizing the opening area and heat loss. This reduces the energy required to maintain cooking temperature and consequently lowers fuel consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The bulkhead serves as a movable intermediary that can be deployed to seal off specific grill compartments when accessed. This prevents heat escape during food monitoring and adjustment operations, maintaining stable cooking temperatures and reducing fuel consumption while allowing frequent localized access.
3Ease of operation
If grills are extracted for food removal, then food can be accessed, but cooking liquids drip onto the door or floor
Solution Approach 1:
A drip tray is positioned at the bottom of the oven chamber as an intermediary collection device. When grills are extracted for food removal, cooking liquids that would otherwise drip onto the door or floor are instead collected in the drip tray. This eliminates the harmful contamination effect while maintaining ease of food removal operations.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional brazier design is used for barbecue, then fossil fuels like wood or coal can be used, but heat disperses enormously and multiple grills cannot be arranged vertically
Solution Approach 1:
The oven chamber is segmented into multiple independent grill compartments arranged vertically, each with its own door panel and bulkhead. This segmentation allows multiple grills to be positioned at different heights while maintaining heat containment in each compartment. The enclosed design prevents the enormous heat dispersion characteristic of traditional brazers, while the vertical arrangement enables efficient heat distribution from a single fuel source.
Solution Approach 2:
The oven is designed with universal fuel compatibility, accommodating solid fuels like wood and coal for barbecue applications, as well as liquid and gaseous fuels. The enclosed chamber design with controlled access points ensures efficient heat retention regardless of fuel type, enabling multi-functional use while preventing heat loss.
5Ease of operation
If the operator works near an open brazier, then food preparation is possible, but the operator is constantly struck by heat and smoke
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is segmented into multiple panels that can be opened independently at different grill levels. This allows the operator to access food while minimizing the opening area, thereby reducing heat and smoke exposure. The segmented design enables food preparation operations to continue with reduced harmful exposure compared to traditional open brazier designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The bulkhead serves as a movable partition that can be positioned to close off specific grill compartments during food preparation. This intermediary element contains heat and smoke within the closed compartments, preventing them from reaching the operator while still allowing access to open compartments for food preparation tasks.
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 oven maintains a constant internal temperature, reduces fuel consumption, prevents heat loss, and allows for flexible cooking options while keeping the operator safe from heat and smoke, enabling efficient and hygienic food preparation.
Implementation Method 1
an outer shell, consisting of walls defining an internal volume, comprising a transparent portion belonging to a wall of said oven placed at the front
Implementation Method 2
a zone for heat production by means of heating means
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates to the food preparation equipment sector. More in detail, the invention relates to an oven for grilling food, provided with: - an outer shell (2), consisting of walls defining an internal volume, comprising a transparent portion (3); - at least one door (4), wherein said volume is subdivided into a zone (5) for heat production by means of heating means and a cooking zone (6) comprising at least one grill (7) on which said food is placed, wherein that said at least one door (4) is associated with said at least one grill (7), which is slidingly supported inside said outer shell (2) and comprises a bulkhead (8), opposite said door (4) with respect to said grill (7), arranged for closing said cooking zone (6) when the grill is fully extracted from said oven.