Stackable drainage base for an electric cooking appliance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric cooking appliances with drain devices require cumbersome cover removal for emptying, lack compact storage options, and often compromise on stability and size efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A drain base with a valve that automatically switches between closed and open positions, allowing for easy emptying and compact stacking, featuring a receptacle cover with lateral stops and depressions for stable positioning and storage, and upper supports for improved stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the drain receptacle is designed with a removable cover for emptying, then the cooking appliance can be emptied, but the operation becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the weight of the cooking appliance itself to automatically trigger valve opening. When the appliance is placed on the drain base, the weight activates the control member which opens the valve, eliminating the need for manual cover removal and making the system self-activating.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve is pre-positioned in a closed stable return position and is designed to automatically open when the appliance weight is applied. The system prepares the draining mechanism in advance so that simply placing the appliance on the base initiates the emptying process without additional manual steps.
2Ease of operation
If multiple drain bases are stored separately, then each base is easily accessible, but the storage space required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drain receptacle is designed to nest within the receptacle cover when not in use. The receptacle fits into the cover's housing, creating a compact stacked configuration that minimizes storage space while keeping both components readily accessible for use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from horizontal storage of multiple separate bases to vertical stacking configuration. By utilizing the vertical dimension through stacking, multiple bases can be stored in a compact arrangement that reduces the horizontal footprint while maintaining accessibility.
3Productivity
If the receptacle cover is removed for emptying, then the cooking bath can flow out, but stability and safety are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The function of the cover is split: the receptacle cover remains in place to maintain stability and safety, while the valve is extracted as a separate controllable element. This allows the cooking bath to flow out through the opened valve without removing the stabilizing cover structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve acts as an intermediary mechanism between the sealed receptacle and the draining process. It controls the flow of cooking bath while the cover remains in position, providing both safety/stability and enabling controlled emptying through the valve opening action.
4Area of stationary object
If the drain base is designed for compact stacking, then storage space is reduced, but the construction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle and cover are designed with asymmetric features including lateral stops and positioning elements that enable compact stacking. The control member and housing are positioned asymmetrically to facilitate the stacking configuration while maintaining structural integrity and reducing overall footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
Specific localized features such as lateral stops, depressions, and positioning elements are added to specific areas of the receptacle and cover to enable stacking functionality. These localized modifications create the compact stacking capability without requiring complex changes to the entire structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a drain base (3) configured to support an electric cooking appliance, the drain base (3) comprising a drain receptacle (70), a receptacle cover (80), and having a control member configured to move a valve when the drain base (3) supports the electric cooking appliance. According to the invention, the receptacle cover (80) provides a passage for the cooking bath to drain into the drain receptacle (70), the drain base (3) has a cover plug (90) closing the passage, the drain receptacle (70) has a lower face comprising a housing (73b), and the drain receptacle (70) and the receptacle cover (80) can occupy a stacking configuration in which the drain receptacle (70) rests on the receptacle cover (80) and in which the housing (73b) accommodates the cover plug (90).