Tilting Pan Pouring Control for Spill-Free Emptying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking appliances with tiltable pans face challenges in achieving consistent and efficient pouring of contents across different fill levels and container sizes, often resulting in spills and safety hazards due to inconsistent tilting movements.
Innovation Solution
A method that calculates control data for tilting the pan by considering geometric dimensions, fill level, density, and viscosity of the contents, using derivatives of the tilting angle and sensors to regulate the tilting process for precise and uniform pouring, ensuring safe and efficient emptying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual tilting is used by pulsing the drive device, then the pan can be tilted for pouring, but the pouring behavior becomes inconsistent and requires operator experience
Solution Approach 1:
The control device automatically determines the tilt angle and its derivatives without requiring operator intervention. The system self-regulates the tilting process by calculating optimal parameters based on pan geometry and contents properties, eliminating the need for operator experience while ensuring consistent pouring behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the control parameters from simple on/off switching to using the tilt angle and its first and second derivatives. By regulating these parameters dynamically, the system achieves consistent and reliable pouring behavior across different operators and conditions.
2Productivity
If the pan is tilted quickly to empty contents, then productivity increases, but food or cooking medium may spill over the edge
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the tilting process by continuously regulating the tilt angle and its derivatives during the pouring operation. This dynamic control allows the pan to be tilted quickly while preventing spills, as the control device can respond to changing conditions in real-time to maintain optimal pouring behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device uses feedback from the determined tilt angle and its derivatives to regulate the tilting process. By monitoring these parameters and adjusting the drive device accordingly, the system ensures that the pan is tilted at the optimal speed to prevent spilling while maintaining high productivity.
3Device complexity
If simple on/off control is used, then the device complexity is low, but the pouring process requires operator experience and is inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces simple mechanical on/off control with an automated control system that uses calculated parameters (tilt angle and its derivatives) to regulate the tilting process. This substitution of control mechanisms increases reliability and consistency while maintaining reasonable device complexity through algorithmic control.
4Productivity
If the pan is tilted to pour out contents, then the pan can be emptied, but wave movements cause food to spill over the edge
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic control of the tilt angle and its derivatives to manage the pouring process. By regulating the rate of tilting and the acceleration profiles, the system prevents wave movements that cause spilling while maintaining the ability to empty the pan efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device calculates and applies preliminary control actions based on the determined tilt angle and its derivatives before wave movements can develop. By anticipating and counteracting potential wave formation through proactive regulation of the tilting motion, the system prevents spilling while maintaining productivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves tilting a pan (1) around a tilting angle between two angular positions for pouring liquid contents. The angular positions are adjusted by a control device (35) of a cooking device. The angle and two derivatives of the angle are determined based on a geometrical dimension of the pan. Width of a pan base, height and depth of the pan, an inclination angle of a wall, cross section form, circumferential form, quantity and/or inclination of a base surface, circumferential length, balance volumes and/or standard size of an outlet and/or the pan is utilized as the dimension.