Staged Grill Platen Compression for Uniform Frozen Meat Cooking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grills fail to uniformly cook meat due to fixed gap spacing between cooking surfaces, leading to uneven cooking and loss of tenderness and moisture, especially when cooking frozen meat.
Innovation Solution
A grill with adjustable gap spacing controlled by a drive mechanism and microprocessor, which compresses the meat to 75-90% of its initial thickness during an initial stage and expands to 87-97% during a secondary stage, optimizing cooking time and preventing surface searing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fixed gap spacing is used between cooking surfaces, then cooking speed is improved, but uniformity of cooking across different meat thicknesses deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the gap spacing between cooking surfaces adjustable rather than fixed. The system dynamically changes the gap spacing based on the thickness of the food item being cooked, allowing the cooking surfaces to adapt to different meat thicknesses while maintaining optimal cooking speed and uniformity.
2Productivity
If high temperature heating surfaces are used, then cooking efficiency is improved, but surface searing and burning of frozen meat deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the preliminary action principle by pre-adjusting the gap spacing before cooking frozen meat. By setting an initially larger gap spacing, the system allows heat to gradually penetrate the frozen meat without causing immediate surface searing or burning, while still maintaining cooking efficiency through controlled heat transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the parameter changes principle by dynamically adjusting the gap spacing parameter during the cooking process. The system changes the physical distance between heating surfaces based on the thermal state of the meat, reducing the gap as the meat thaws to maintain efficient heat transfer while preventing surface damage.
3Manufacturing precision
If compression force is applied to frozen meat, then gap spacing is reduced for better contact, but loss of tenderness and internal moisture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the periodic action principle by implementing staged compression where the gap spacing is adjusted in distinct phases during cooking. The system periodically changes the compression level - initially maintaining a larger gap to prevent moisture loss, then gradually reducing it as cooking progresses, thereby achieving good contact uniformity without excessive compression damage.
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 adjustable gap spacing ensures uniform cooking, retains moisture, and maintains the tenderness of meat products, improving the overall cooking quality and texture.
Implementation Method 1
the gap spacing is less than the initial uncooked thickness of the meat
Implementation Method 2
cooking meat on a grill having opposed upper and lower platens wherein a gap spacing between the platens is adjusted
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device and a method for cooking food on a grill having opposed upper and lower platens wherein a gap spacing between the platens is adjusted in an initial stage and in subsequent stages of the cooking time for the meat. The method includes causing the food to be located between two opposed platens, the opposed platens each having opposed cooking surfaces and the opposed cooking surfaces defining a gap spacing that is adjustable, and adjusting the gap spacing between the platens so that during an initial stage of the cooking the gap spacing is equal to or less than the nominal initial uncooked thickness of the food, and during one or more subsequent stages of the cooking, after the initial stage, the gap spacing between the platens is varied.