Ventilation system for a cooking appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking appliances face the challenge of heat transfer from the cooking chamber to surrounding structures, causing undesirable temperature increases in cabinet walls and electronics, which existing cooling systems struggle to effectively manage.
Innovation Solution
A ventilation system with a cooling duct and fan configuration that directs main cooling airflow horizontally above the cooking chamber and vertically adjacent to the rear panel, incorporating auxiliary inlets to induce auxiliary airflows that converge with the main airflow, creating a comprehensive cooling circuit to thermally isolate the cooking chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a fan is positioned within the cabinet to force heated air out and replenish with cooler ambient air, then the cabinet housing and electronics are cooled, but the cooling system fails to effectively manage temperature increases in cabinet walls and surrounding structures
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling duct is divided into multiple sections with separate inlet paths: a main inlet at the front providing primary cooling airflow, and auxiliary inlets along the length of the duct providing secondary airflow paths. This segmentation allows different airflows to cool different areas of the cabinet housing and surrounding structures independently, addressing the limitation of single-path cooling systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system transitions from a single-dimensional front-to-back airflow to a multi-dimensional cooling approach by adding auxiliary inlets along the duct length. This creates multiple airflow dimensions (front inlet airflow, side inlets, rear inlet airflow) that can simultaneously cool various surfaces including cabinet walls, electronics, and other heat-sensitive components that were previously inaccessible to the cooling airflow.
2Reliability
If cooling airflow is directed only through the main inlet at the front, then the system structure is simple, but the cooling coverage is insufficient for comprehensive thermal isolation
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling duct is divided into multiple sections with separate inlet paths: a main inlet at the front providing primary cooling airflow, and auxiliary inlets along the length of the duct providing secondary airflow paths. This segmentation allows different airflows to cool different areas of the cabinet housing and surrounding structures independently, addressing the limitation of single-path cooling systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling duct system performs multiple cooling functions simultaneously through its multi-inlet configuration. The main inlet cools the cabinet housing, while auxiliary inlets along the duct length provide additional cooling paths for electronics and other heat-sensitive components. This multi-functional design achieves comprehensive thermal isolation without requiring separate cooling systems for each component.
3Area of stationary object
If auxiliary inlets are added along the cooling duct length, then cooling coverage is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling duct system performs multiple cooling functions simultaneously through its multi-inlet configuration. The main inlet cools the cabinet housing, while auxiliary inlets along the duct length provide additional cooling paths for electronics and other heat-sensitive components. This multi-functional design achieves comprehensive thermal isolation without requiring separate cooling systems for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple cooling airflow paths (main inlet airflow and auxiliary inlet airflow) into a single integrated cooling duct system. Rather than creating separate cooling systems for different areas, the auxiliary inlets are merged into the existing cooling duct structure, allowing unified management of multiple cooling functions through one system.
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
This configuration effectively cools the surrounding structures and electronics by establishing a continuous airflow curtain, reducing temperature buildup and enhancing thermal isolation within the cooking appliance.
Implementation Method 1
a fan adapted to motivate the main cooling airflow
Implementation Method 2
one or more heating elements are energized to heat the cooking cavity to a selected cooking temperature. This heat, however, can transfer to structure surrounding the cooking chamber such as the cabinet walls or electronics contained within the cabinet
Implementation Method 3
such appliances include cooling systems to help thermally isolate the cooking chamber by managing the flow of cooling air
Data Source
AI summary
A cooking appliance includes a cabinet; a cooking chamber positioned within the cabinet; a cooling duct positioned within the cabinet above the cooking chamber and configured to accommodate a main cooling airflow therethrough, the cooling duct defining a main inlet at a front of the appliance, an outlet at a rear of the appliance, and one or more auxiliary inlets disposed along a length of the cooling duct; and a fan adapted to motivate the main cooling airflow. The one or more auxiliary inlets includes a rear inlet disposed adjacent to a rear panel of the cabinet.