Steam cooking vessel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steam cooking vessels are complex, expensive, and not suitable for small kitchens or catering establishments, as they require their own steam generation units and are difficult to clean, limiting their versatility and space efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A steam cooking vessel with a bowl-shaped body and a lid that can be tightly connected using a lid seal, featuring a lid recess for introducing hot steam from an external source, a pivot joint for easy handling, and a sealing plug to direct steam into the vessel while preventing leaks, made of durable and easy-to-clean materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an integrated steam generation unit is used in the steam cooking vessel, then steam cooking functionality is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The steam generation function is extracted from the cooking vessel and relocated to an external source (espresso machine). The vessel only retains the cooking chamber and lid with steam introduction opening, eliminating the need for integrated boiler, pump, and control systems while maintaining steam cooking capability
Solution Approach 2:
The steam cooking vessel leverages the existing steam generation capability of espresso machines, which are already present in small kitchens and catering establishments. This allows the same external steam source to serve multiple purposes (coffee preparation and food heating) without requiring dedicated steam cooking equipment
2Productivity
If a steam wand extends far into the container to heat liquid food, then heating effectiveness is improved, but cleaning difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The steam introduction opening is positioned on the lid rather than requiring a long steam wand extending into the food. This allows the external steam source to inject steam directly into the container without the wand needing to reach the food, eliminating the cleaning problem while maintaining heating effectiveness through steam condensation on the container walls and food
Solution Approach 2:
The container walls and lid act as intermediaries that receive steam from the external source and transfer heat to the food through condensation. This indirect heating method achieves effective heating without requiring direct contact between the steam delivery mechanism and the food, simplifying cleaning
3Adaptability or versatility
If an electrical steam generation unit is integrated into the vessel, then steam cooking is enabled, but space requirements and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The steam generation function is completely extracted from the cooking vessel and performed by an external espresso machine. This eliminates the need for integrated water reservoirs, heating elements, pumps, and control electronics that would occupy significant space within the vessel or require separate dedicated equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The solution utilizes the existing espresso machine already present in small kitchens and catering establishments for dual purposes: coffee preparation and steam generation for food heating. This eliminates the need for additional space-dedicated equipment while providing steam cooking capability
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 design provides a cost-effective, versatile, and easy-to-use steam cooking solution that is space-efficient, allowing for quick and gentle heating of small food portions with minimal effort and easy cleaning, while ensuring safe operation and energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a lid seal, wherein the lid has at least one lid recess and the at least one lid recess is designed to introduce hot steam from an external steam source into the steam cooking vessel
Implementation Method 2
a sealing plug with a through-bore that tapers conically towards the interior of the steaming vessel is inserted into at least one lid recess
Implementation Method 3
The heating process is greatly enhanced by the condensation of steam on the food being cooked. During condensation, the released enthalpy of condensation is transferred to the food.
Implementation Method 4
During condensation, the released enthalpy of condensation is transferred to the food
Implementation Method 5
The lid can be rotatably attached to the vessel body by means of a separable pivot joint about a pivot axis on a hinge side of the steam cooking vessel
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a steam cooking vessel (1) with a bowl-shaped vessel body (10) and a lid (20) that can be tightly connected to the vessel body (10) by means of a lid seal (50), wherein the lid (20) has at least one lid recess (21) and the at least one lid recess (21) is designed to introduce hot steam (45) from an external steam source (46) into the steam cooking vessel (1). A handle (15) is arranged on the bowl-shaped vessel body (10) and a lid handle (25) is arranged on the lid (20), wherein the handle (15) and the lid handle (25) are positioned congruently with each other when the lid (20) is closed and each protrudes from the steaming vessel (1) on a handle side (8), wherein the lid (20) can be attached to the vessel body (10) on a hinge side (9) of the steaming vessel (1) opposite the handle side (8) so as to be rotatably movable (33) about a hinge axis (32) by means of a separable pivot joint (30).