Turntable Positioning for Cooking Appliance Meal Cycle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking an entire meal typically requires multiple appliances and operations due to varying cooking times, temperatures, and energy sources for different food types, increasing preparation time and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A cooking appliance with integrated microwave, upper and lower heater modules, and a convection module, along with a rotating turntable and controller, allows for simultaneous and sequential use of multiple heat sources to optimize cooking conditions for diverse food items in a single cycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple appliances and operations are used to cook diverse food types with different requirements, then optimal cooking conditions for each food type are achieved, but preparation time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cooking functions (microwave heating, radiant heating, convection heating) and multiple food items into a single appliance and single cooking cycle. The turntable rotates to position different food items under different heating sources simultaneously, merging what would traditionally require multiple separate appliances into one integrated system that cooks an entire meal in one operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooking appliance is designed with multi-functionality to handle diverse cooking requirements. It includes a microwave module for microwave energy, upper and lower heater modules for radiant heat, and a convection module for air circulation. The turntable system can accommodate various food types (meats, vegetables, potatoes) and position them optimally for different heating methods, making the appliance universal for cooking entire meals with different cooking requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple appliances and operations are used to cook diverse food types, then optimal cooking conditions are achieved, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple cooking operations into a single integrated cycle. Instead of requiring separate operations for microwaving vegetables, roasting meats, and boiling potatoes, the system combines all these functions into one cooking cycle where the turntable rotates to position different food items under the appropriate heating sources automatically, reducing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The turntable provides dynamic repositioning of food items during the cooking cycle. The controller automatically rotates the turntable to different positions at predetermined times to expose different food items to different heating sources (microwave, radiant, convection). This dynamic adjustment eliminates the need for manual intervention and complex sequential operations, simplifying the overall process while maintaining optimal cooking conditions.
3Productivity
If a single appliance with multiple heating sources is used, then preparation time is reduced, but precise control over energy delivery to different food items becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The turntable provides dynamic repositioning that enables precise energy delivery control. By rotating the turntable to different positions at predetermined times, the system ensures that each food item receives the appropriate type and amount of energy from the different heating sources. This dynamic positioning allows the controller to precisely control energy delivery to each food item individually while maintaining high cooking speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller manages the cooking cycle with feedback mechanisms to ensure precise energy delivery. The controller monitors the cooking process and adjusts the turntable rotation timing and heating source activation based on predetermined parameters for each food item. This feedback control ensures that each food item receives the optimal energy delivery profile, maintaining precision despite the multi-source heating configuration.
4Adaptability or versatility
If turntable rotates through multiple positions sequentially, then different food items receive different energy sources, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is pre-programmed with the sequencing and timing for the turntable rotation through different positions. The preliminary action is embedded in the control logic, where the controller automatically executes the rotation sequence at predetermined times without requiring real-time manual intervention. This pre-planned sequencing reduces control complexity while maintaining the ability to provide different energy sources to different food items.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service through automated control. The turntable rotation and heating source activation are automatically managed by the controller based on the cooking cycle requirements. The system monitors and adjusts itself without external intervention, reducing the operational burden on the user while maintaining precise control over which food items receive which energy sources.
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
Enables efficient and streamlined preparation of entire meals by providing precise control over energy delivery and rotation of food items, reducing cooking time and complexity while ensuring optimal cooking conditions for each food type.
Implementation Method 1
a microwave module for delivering microwave energy into the cooking cavity
Implementation Method 2
another, e.g., the meat, may be optimally prepared using radiant and/or convective heat energy
Implementation Method 3
a convection module having one or more heating elements and a convection fan operable to move air across the one or more heating elements of the convection module and into the cooking cavity
Data Source
AI summary
A cooking appliance includes a cooking cavity, a microwave module, a convection module, an upper heater module and a lower heater module. A turntable is rotatably mounted in the cooking cavity. The cooking appliance is operable for, and related methods may include, activating at least one of the microwave module, the upper heater module, the lower heater module, and the convection module, while also rotating the turntable within the cooking cavity within the cooking cavity. The cooking appliance is further operable for, and related methods may also include rotating the turntable to a predetermined position at a predetermined time.