Sub-Vertical Cooking Grill Design to Prevent Fumes and Dripping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional electric grills and other cooking apparatuses face issues with fat and water dripping onto the heat source, causing unpleasant fumes and bad odors due to their horizontal design, and existing solutions either compromise cooking uniformity or practicality.

Innovation Solution

A cooking apparatus is designed with a sub-vertical, inclined position for both the heat source and grill, preventing drips from falling onto the heat source and allowing for adjustable distance between food and heat, while maintaining a lightweight and inexpensive structure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the cooking grate is disposed in horizontal position above the heat source, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but fat and water drip onto the heat source generating fumes and bad odors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidfumes and bad odors
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the orientation of the cooking grate from horizontal to substantially vertical position. This dimensional change in spatial arrangement prevents fat and water from dripping onto the heat source by altering the gravitational flow path, thereby eliminating fumes and bad odors while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If the cooking grate is disposed in horizontal position, then the structure is simple, but uniform cooking of the food is not guaranteed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidcooking uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

By repositioning the cooking grate to a substantially vertical orientation, the patent enables more uniform heat distribution across the food surface. This spatial reconfiguration allows the heat source to more effectively and evenly cook the food, improving cooking uniformity while keeping the structure simple

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of manufacture

If the cooking grate is disposed in horizontal position, then the structure is simple, but turning the meat around is difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidmeat rotation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The substantially vertical positioning of the cooking grate facilitates easier meat rotation and manipulation. This orientation allows users to more conveniently access and turn the meat on the grate, improving ease of operation while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

This design effectively prevents fumes and bad odors, ensures uniform cooking, and allows for easy meat rotation, while being practical and cost-effective.

Implementation Method 1

a heat source (1)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

the same drawbacks are also encountered when the grill comprises a different type of heat source, such as for example gas or charcoal

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3463016B1Cooking apparatus
Publication Date: 2020.04.22 BONACCI GIOVANNI
  • EP3463016B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3463016B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3463016B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A cooking apparatus comprises: a heat source (1), a supporting device (2) for food, a supporting frame (3) to support the supporting device (2), a central edge (4), two lateral edges (5) connected to the central edge (4); the lateral edges (5) comprise a front lower border (53), a front upper border (54) and a front intermediate border (55) that connects said front lower border (53) with said front upper border (54); the supporting device (2) for food is placed onto the front upper borders (54) of the two lateral edges (5) and has its lateral border (23) in contact with the front intermediate borders (55) of the lateral edges (5).