Tortuous-Path Filter for Cooking Apparatus Smoke Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking apparatuses, especially those with heaters not located above the food, face challenges in restricting cooking juices, such as fat, from reaching the heater, leading to undesirable smoke production due to the circulation of air containing these juices.
Innovation Solution
A filter with a base plate configured to create a tortuous path for air to pass through, featuring projecting plate portions and channelling portions that collect and direct cooking juices away from the heater, integrated with a drip tray for efficient liquid collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a filter with tortuous path is introduced to reduce cooking juices reaching the heater, then smoke production is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is segmented into multiple functional zones: a tortuous path section with bends and turns for particle separation, and channelling portions for liquid drainage. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall structure manageable and manufacturable.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement by mounting the base plate at an angle with respect to the vertical direction, creating a tortuous path that extends in multiple dimensions. This dimensional approach maximizes particle separation effectiveness within a compact footprint without excessively complicating the device.
2Ease of operation
If the heater is located to one side of the food items, then packaging convenience and user visibility are improved, but cooking juices can more easily reach the heater causing smoke
Solution Approach 1:
The filter acts as an intermediary component positioned between the food items and the heater. It intercepts cooking juices and fat particles in the circulating air before they can reach the heater, while allowing the heater to maintain its advantageous lateral position for packaging and visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter extracts harmful cooking juices and fat particles from the air circulation stream through its tortuous path design, separating them from the useful heated air that continues to cook the food. This extraction allows the heater to be positioned optimally without being contaminated by cooking juices.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a lid is used to collect and drip cooking juices away from the heater, then smoke is reduced, but this solution is not effective when the heater is not located above the food items
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is designed as a universal solution that works effectively regardless of heater position. Unlike lid-based solutions that require the heater to be above the food, this filter can be integrated into air circulation systems with heaters positioned laterally or in various configurations, making it adaptable to different cooking apparatus designs.
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 filter effectively reduces the amount of cooking juices reaching the heater, minimizing smoke production while allowing unobstructed airflow and convenient design for packaging and visibility during cooking.
Implementation Method 1
the filter is shaped to create a tortuous path for the circulating air to pass though the openings, such that liquid particles entrained by the circulating air passing through the openings collect on the filter
Implementation Method 2
the channelling portions form one or more surfaces for liquids, e.g. cooking juices, such as fat and/or water, collecting on the filter to flow, e.g. over the filter or base plate of the filter, in the plate direction
Data Source
AI summary
A filter (100) for filtering cooking juice particles from air circulating within a cooking apparatus (2) is provided. The filter is configured to be mounted on the cooking apparatus such that a base plate (102) of the filter is in a plane parallel with a plate direction (DP), the plate direction having a component in a vertical direction, wherein the filter comprises: the base plate, wherein the base plate comprises one or more openings (104) for circulating air to pass through the filter, wherein the filter is shaped to create a tortuous path for the circulating air to pass though the openings, such that cooking juice particles entrained by the circulating air passing through the openings collect on the filter, wherein the filter comprises one or more channelling portions (108) extending in the plate direction, wherein the channelling portions form one or moresurfaces for cooking juices, collecting on the filter to flow in the plate direction. A cooking apparatus comprising the filter is also provided.