Support Accessory with Varying Edge Levels for Steam Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing yogurt makers and similar appliances face issues with temperature uniformity when using steam heat, leading to unsatisfactory yogurt production due to excessive temperature differences between containers.
Innovation Solution
An electric appliance with a support accessory that suspends containers above a steam-producing heating base, featuring an upper surface with orifices and varying edge levels to distance container bottoms from the heating base, reducing temperature differences without requiring homogeneous steam distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If containers are placed close to the heating base for efficient heat transfer, then heating efficiency is improved, but temperature uniformity between containers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support accessory introduces a vertical dimension to the heating arrangement by suspending containers at different heights above the heating base. The upper surface of the support accessory has varying thickness, creating different vertical distances between containers and the heat source. This dimensional variation allows containers to be positioned optimally for both heat transfer efficiency and temperature uniformity, resolving the contradiction between heating efficiency and temperature uniformity.
2Speed
If steam production device provides concentrated steam for efficient heating, then heating speed is improved, but temperature distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support accessory acts as an intermediary element between the steam production device and the containers. It positions containers at optimized distances from the heat source and provides structural mediation that distributes thermal energy more uniformly across all containers while maintaining heating speed. The varying thickness design of the support accessory mediates the thermal interaction, allowing concentrated steam production to result in uniform temperature distribution.
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 appliance achieves uniform heating of containers with reduced temperature differences, enabling effective yogurt fermentation at controlled temperatures below 50°C without a need for a uniformly distributed steam source.
Implementation Method 1
a heating base (1) comprising a device for producing steam, in particular a cavity (11) for receiving water and a heating device (12) for bringing the water contained in the cavity (11) to a boil
Implementation Method 2
the heating base and the support accessory forming an enclosure capable of containing steam from the steam production device
Implementation Method 3
heating the containers by steam produced below the support accessory
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a support accessory (2) for preparing food in separate portions, comprising an upper surface (20) having several openings (21), each opening (21) passing through the support accessory (2), each opening (21) being surrounded by an upper support edge (22), each upper support edge (22) being provided for suspending a container. According to the invention, the upper support edges (22) extend at different levels of the upper surface (20). The invention also relates to an electrical apparatus for preparing food in separate portions, comprising a heating base including a steam-generating device, containers for holding a food preparation, and a support accessory of the aforementioned type.