Stackable Turkey Fryer Racks for Food Separation and Oil Flow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current turkey fryers are underutilized due to cumbersome and expensive baskets that fail to separate food items properly during cooking, leading to stuck or undercooked food, and are not suitable for everyday cooking.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising stackable wire mesh racks with metal borders and handle loops that allow for efficient stacking and separation of food items, compatible with a cooking basket and pot designed for deep frying, enabling simultaneous cooking of various foods.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional fryer baskets are used to cook non-turkey foods, then food items can be cooked in the turkey fryer, but the baskets are cumbersome, expensive, and difficult to load and unload

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to cook various foodsVSAvoidease of loading and unloading

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention divides the cooking system into multiple separate, stackable racks instead of using a single large basket. Each rack is an independent unit that can be easily handled, loaded, and unloaded separately, eliminating the cumbersome nature of traditional baskets while maintaining the ability to cook multiple food types simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If traditional fryer baskets are used to cook non-turkey foods, then food items can be cooked in the turkey fryer, but the baskets do not provide separation of food items resulting in stuck together or uncooked food

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to cook various foodsVSAvoidproper cooking of food items

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments food items across multiple separate racks with gaps between them, allowing cooking oil to flow freely around each rack and food item. This segmentation prevents food from sticking together and ensures reliable, thorough cooking of all items simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from horizontal food placement in a single basket to vertical stacking of multiple racks. This dimensional change creates separation between food items both horizontally (on each rack) and vertically (between racks), ensuring proper oil circulation and cooking while maintaining versatility for various food types

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the turkey fryer is designed for whole turkey cooking, then it can cook turkeys effectively, but it is not suitable for everyday cooking of various foods

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveturkey cooking capabilityVSAvoidsuitability for various foods

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention makes the turkey fryer universally applicable by introducing stackable racks that can accommodate various food types and quantities. The same fryer pot that reliably cooks whole turkeys can now also cook smaller items like chicken wings, fries, or vegetables using the rack system, transforming it into a multi-functional everyday cooking device

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 solution increases the utility of turkey fryers by allowing frequent use for diverse foods, ensuring proper separation and cooking, and enhancing the overall cooking experience.

Implementation Method 1

Each wire mesh body is supported around its outer periphery by a metal border or edging, which provides stiffness and encloses the individual wire strands of the mesh

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStiffness:

Implementation Method 2

each of the bails have an uppermost surface and each of the uppermost surfaces are coplanar. The cooking racks are stackable upon each other vertically such that each stacked cooking rack rests upon the uppermost surfaces of the adjacent lower cooking rack

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlanar surface contact:

Implementation Method 3

The handle's bail is offset a distance from the mesh body to allow sufficient space for food items to fit between stacked racks and to allow cooking oil to flow up and around each food item

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid flow:

Implementation Method 4

The turkey fryer's inherent depth and relatively large cooking oil requirements result in turkey fryer owners finding other cooking implements to prepare their 'everyday' foods... which are typically heated using a propane-fueled fire

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCombustion: Combustion

Data Source

PatentUS8025007B1Turkey fryer with vertically stacking cooking racks

Publication Date: 2011.09.27 BOYER ROBERT L

AI summary

The present invention is a deep frying apparatus for cooking food items within a deep stock pot. The apparatus includes a pot-shaped basket and a plurality of stackable cooking racks with flat screen bodies and spaced handles which project vertically from the screens and which concomitantly provide a loop for handling each rack and for spacing apart adjacent stacked racks. A bottom-most cooking rack further includes feet which raises the bottom-most rack's screen above a bottom wall of the basket when inserted therein.