Sliding Radiant Top Cooker for Multi-Zone Grill Capping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing two-sided cooking systems lack the ability to conveniently deploy or remove the top cooking means from a large number of meat patties to enable placement of cheese and buns on the cooked side while the second side is being cooked, and they often expose cooks to hot surfaces, compromising safety and sanitation.
Innovation Solution
A compact cooking assembly with a radiant heating element that can be selectively positioned above multiple grill zones, allowing for horizontal movement to radiate heat without direct contact, enabling safe, sanitary, and efficient two-sided cooking of hamburger patties or other food products, while allowing for capping of cooked surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a clamshell mechanism with direct contact platen is used for top cooking, then cooking efficiency is improved, but safety and sanitation deteriorate due to exposure to hot surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a radiant heating element as an intermediary device that transfers thermal energy through radiation rather than direct contact. The heating element is positioned above the food product and emits radiant heat that cooks the top surface without requiring the cook to handle or be near hot surfaces, thus maintaining cooking efficiency while eliminating safety hazards
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact-based heating system (hot platen directly touching food) with a radiant heating system that uses electromagnetic radiation for heat transfer. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical contact with hot surfaces, resolving the contradiction between cooking efficiency and safety
2Device complexity
If the top cooking means is fixed in position, then structural simplicity is maintained, but adaptability deteriorates due to inability to service multiple zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a movable mounting system that allows the radiant heating element to be dynamically repositioned across different grill zones. The heating element can be slid or adjusted horizontally to serve multiple cooking zones sequentially, providing adaptability while maintaining relatively simple structural implementation through basic sliding mechanisms
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
Enables simultaneous preparation of individual hamburger sandwiches to order, enhances flavor by precooking one surface before flipping, and ensures safe operation by avoiding direct exposure to hot surfaces, maintaining high cooking efficiency and sanitation standards.
Implementation Method 1
a radiant heating element positioned in the upper assembly... the radiant heating element radiates heat sufficient to maintain a predetermined temperature at the surface of the food products
Data Source
AI summary
A relatively compact cooking assembly includes means for selectively positioning a cooking element above several cooking zones of a lower grill. In addition to a lower heated metal surface having several cooking zones, which may be delineated by vertical barriers or splash plates, the system includes an upper assembly comprising an upper member in which a radiant heating element is positioned, said assembly being adapted to fit over the back splash plate of the grill and extending the depth (back to front) of the grill, and further adapted to be raised or lowered and selectively raised or lowered as well as positioned by a sliding motion above a designated zone in predetermined sequence.