Steaming Oven Collector Plate for Clean Water and Stable Level Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steaming ovens face issues with waste material collection and contamination, as droppings from cooked food can contaminate the water tray, leading to foam formation and safety hazards, and current solutions either require manual intervention or allow contaminants to enter the boiling water, affecting subsequent food batches.
Innovation Solution
A steaming oven design featuring a collector plate with a barrier and tabs to shield water level probes from turbulence, a conduit for waste material, and an overfill tube system that prevents water overflow, ensuring clean steam production and stable water levels, thereby preventing contamination and safety hazards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a water tray is used to provide steam and collect waste droppings, then the steam generation function is achieved, but waste contaminants enter the boiling water tray causing food contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The water tray is segmented into two distinct functional zones: a steam generation zone with clean boiling water, and a waste collection zone that captures droppings. This segmentation prevents contaminants from entering the boiling water while maintaining steam generation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The waste collection function is extracted from the steam generation function. A separate waste collection area is provided within the water tray, allowing droppings to be captured and isolated from the clean water used for steam generation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a grease catching pan is disposed between racks and water tray to catch droppings, then foam formation is prevented, but the pan requires manual monitoring and emptying
Solution Approach 1:
The water tray system is designed to be self-service in waste collection. The integrated waste collection area automatically captures droppings as they fall, eliminating the need for manual monitoring and emptying of separate grease catching pans.
3Measurement precision
If water level probes are exposed to water turbulence, then water level sensing is achieved, but measurement accuracy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
A barrier structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the water turbulence and the water level probes. This barrier creates a calm zone that shields the probes from turbulence while allowing them to accurately sense the water level.
4Measurement precision
If a barrier is introduced to create a quiet zone for water level probes, then measurement stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it creates a quiet zone for accurate water level sensing, acts as a structural support element, and helps define the waste collection area. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity despite the addition of the barrier.
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 effectively prevents contaminants from entering the water reservoir, reducing foam formation and safety risks, ensuring cleaner cooking conditions and improved steam circulation for better cooking performance, while also providing a safe overflow mechanism to prevent flooding.
Implementation Method 1
A barrier is located at least partially in the water reservoir to provide a quiet zone about said water level probe. The water level is stabilized in the quiet zone despite water turbulence outside said quiet zone.
Implementation Method 2
A steaming oven of the present invention comprises an oven chamber and a water reservoir disposed in the oven chamber to provide steam therein.
Data Source
AI summary
A steaming oven having a collector plate disposed in an oven chamber. A collector plate is disposed above a boiling water reservoir in the oven chamber. The collector plate has a drain tube inserted into an overfill tube. Waste material from the steam and food droppings is conveyed from the oven chamber via the drain tube and the overfill tube. A barrier shields one or more water level probes or sensors from water turbulence, thereby providing reliable water level sensing by the water level probes or sensors.