Two-surface grill with adjustable gap and multi-stage method for cooking food
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grills fail to uniformly cook meat due to fixed gap spacing between cooking surfaces, leading to uneven cooking and loss of tenderness and moisture, especially when cooking frozen meat.
Innovation Solution
A grill with adjustable gap spacing between upper and lower platens, controlled by a drive mechanism and microprocessor, which adjusts the gap to specific percentages of the meat's thickness at different stages of cooking to thaw, sear, and maintain moisture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If fixed gap spacing is used between upper and lower cooking surfaces, then the grill structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the meat cannot be uniformly cooked when there is variance in meat thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the gap spacing between upper and lower cooking surfaces adjustable rather than fixed. The drive mechanism enables dynamic adjustment of the gap spacing to match different meat thicknesses, allowing the system to adapt to varying cooking requirements while maintaining uniform heat distribution and cooking consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by varying the gap spacing parameter according to meat thickness. The microprocessor controls the drive mechanism to adjust the gap spacing to specific percentages of the meat's thickness at different cooking stages, optimizing cooking uniformity for different meat dimensions.
2Productivity
If high temperature heating surfaces are used to cook frozen meat, then cooking speed is improved, but the meat surface is seared or burnt and internal moisture is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adjusting the gap spacing to compress the frozen meat before applying full heating. The microprocessor controls the drive mechanism to reduce the gap spacing to a first percentage of the meat's initial thickness during an initial stage, pre-compressing the meat to improve thermal contact and prevent surface burning while maintaining cooking speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action by using multiple cooking stages with different gap spacing settings. The microprocessor varies the gap spacing between a first percentage (initial stage) and a second percentage (subsequent stages) of the meat's initial thickness, creating periodic compression and relaxation cycles that prevent moisture loss and surface burning while maintaining efficient cooking.
3Productivity
If gap spacing is reduced to compress and sear the meat surface, then cooking efficiency is improved, but the meat loses tenderness and internal moisture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by using multiple cooking stages with varying gap spacing. The microprocessor reduces gap spacing to a first percentage of the meat's initial thickness during an initial stage for efficient searing, then increases it to a second percentage for subsequent stages to retain moisture and tenderness, creating a periodic compression-relaxation cycle that balances cooking efficiency with quality preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the gap spacing parameter throughout the cooking process. The microprocessor varies the gap spacing between different percentages of the meat's initial thickness at different stages, optimizing both cooking efficiency and meat quality by controlling the compression level at each phase.
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 adjustable gap spacing ensures uniform cooking, retains meat tenderness and moisture, and prevents surface burning, resulting in improved taste and texture of cooked meat products.
Implementation Method 1
cooking meat and other food products on a grill having opposed upper and lower platens wherein heat is applied to cook the meat product
Data Source
AI summary
A device for cooking food on a grill has opposed upper and lower platens wherein a gap spacing between the platens is automatically adjusted in an initial stage and in subsequent stages of the cooking time for the food. The food is caused to be located between two opposed platens, the opposed platens each having opposed cooking surfaces and the opposed cooking surfaces defining a gap spacing that is adjustable. A controller and drive mechanism adjust the gap spacing between the platens so that during an initial stage of the cooking the gap spacing is equal to or less than the nominal initial uncooked thickness of the food, and during one or more subsequent stages of the cooking, after the initial stage, the gap spacing between the platens is varied.