Cooking Appliance Cleaning Modes with Timed Heat and Steam Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking appliances often face challenges in efficiently cleaning leftover food residue from their inner surfaces, requiring manual effort and time, with existing cleaning methods lacking optimal timing and effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance with a heat source and input unit that allows users to select between cooking and cleaning modes, featuring a porcelain enamel coating with a phosphate-based ingredient, and a control unit that manages temperature and time for efficient cleaning, including automatic water supply for enhanced cleaning performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual cleaning methods are used, then cleaning can be performed, but cleaning efficiency is low and requires significant manual effort
Solution Approach 1:
The cavity is designed to clean itself through automated steam injection and heating cycles. The control unit automatically controls the heat source to generate steam and the water supply unit to inject water, eliminating the need for manual scrubbing and significantly reducing manual effort while improving cleaning efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical cleaning actions are replaced by a thermal-based automated cleaning system. The heat source generates steam and heat to loosen and remove food residue, while the control unit orchestrates the entire process, substituting mechanical manual labor with thermal and automated control mechanisms
2Productivity
If cleaning is delayed, then cooking operations can continue uninterrupted, but cleaning effectiveness decreases and residue adheres more strongly
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors cleaning cycle progress and automatically adjusts heating and water injection parameters based on detected conditions. This feedback mechanism ensures optimal cleaning effectiveness by maintaining appropriate temperature and moisture levels throughout the cleaning process, preventing residue re-adhesion
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary steam injection and heating actions immediately after cooking cycles to prevent residue from firmly adhering to the cavity surfaces. By initiating cleaning actions promptly and maintaining thermal energy in the cavity, the system ensures cleaning effectiveness without significant time loss
3Productivity
If high temperature cleaning is used, then cleaning effectiveness improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system uses periodic cycles of steam injection, heating, and water injection rather than continuous high-temperature heating. The control unit orchestrates these periodic actions to maintain cleaning effectiveness while allowing brief cooling intervals, thereby reducing overall energy consumption compared to sustained high-temperature operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts temperature, steam injection rate, and water injection timing parameters during the cleaning cycle. By optimizing these parameters rather than maintaining constant high temperature, the system achieves effective cleaning with reduced energy consumption through precise parameter control
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 facilitates easy and timely cleaning of the cavity, with the phosphate-based enamel enhancing cleaning performance by reducing residue removal effort and providing visual alerts for optimal cleaning times, ensuring a thorough and efficient cleaning process.
Implementation Method 1
a heat source configured to generate heat to clean the cavity
Implementation Method 2
heating water to produce steam that loosens and removes food residue
Implementation Method 3
a porcelain enamel coating with a phosphate-based ingredient that reduces adhesion of food residue
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~7
AI summary
The present invention relates to a cooking appliance comprising: a heat source (16, 18); an input unit (31) configured to input a plurality of operational modes of the heat source (16, 18), wherein at least one of the plurality of operational modes is a cleaning mode for cleaning a cavity (11) of the cooking appliance; a control unit (50) configured to operate the heat source (16, 18) in accordance with an operational mode input through the input unit (31); and an informing unit (35) showing a time according to the selected operational mode, wherein the input unit (31) comprises a selection unit (32) configured to permit a user to select a specific mode of the plurality of operational modes, characterized in that the cleaning mode comprises a plurality of cleaning operational modes, and wherein a time from a point where the heat source (16,18) starts operating to a point where the informing unit (35) generates a signal (S21) is different for each of the plurality of cleaning operational modes.