Vertical Rotating Grill with Stepless Heat-Distance Adjustment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable grill devices either require frequent manual turning of food, risk contamination and burning, or are bulky and inefficient in heating food uniformly, with limited adjustability in heat intensity and portability.
Innovation Solution
A portable grill device with a vertically oriented flat heat source and a rotating support for food, featuring a steplessly adjustable spacing between the heat source and food support, allowing for uniform heating and easy cleaning, and incorporating a gas radiant heater for efficient heat distribution and a compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If food is grilled over a heat source with the support arranged horizontally, then the food can be cooked, but the food must be regularly turned by hand and may burn on the underside
Solution Approach 1:
The support for food is inverted from a horizontal arrangement to a vertical arrangement, allowing food to be grilled without manual turning. The vertical orientation with rotation capability ensures uniform heating while preventing burning on any single surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The grill device performs the turning function automatically through the rotating support mechanism, eliminating the need for manual intervention. The system serves itself by continuously rotating the food to ensure even cooking.
2Ease of operation
If food is grilled over a heat source, then cooking is possible, but fluid from the food may drip onto the heat source and contaminate it
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful effect of fluid dripping onto the heat source is eliminated by extracting the contamination risk through the vertical arrangement. Fluid drains away from the heat source rather than onto it, separating the food cooking zone from the heat source protection zone.
3Reliability
If a skewer design is used for rotating food, then uniform cooking on all sides is achieved, but the loading is laborious and the device is too bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The food support transitions from a one-dimensional skewer to a two-dimensional vertical support surface. This dimensional change allows food to be placed more easily while maintaining uniform rotation and cooking, reducing both loading complexity and device bulk.
4Device complexity
If the spacing between heat source and food support is fixed, then the device structure is simple, but the heat intensity cannot be adjusted for different foods
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed spacing between heat source and food support is changed to a dynamic, adjustable spacing. This allows the distance to be modified based on the specific food being grilled, enabling heat intensity adjustment while maintaining a relatively simple device structure through a single degree of freedom adjustment.
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 safe, efficient, and uniform cooking of various foods with adjustable heat intensity, preventing contamination and burning, while being compact and portable for easy use at any location.
Implementation Method 1
at least one flat heat source that is arranged substantially vertically
Implementation Method 2
at least one drive unit for rotating the at least one support for food to be grilled about a substantially vertical axis of rotation
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a portable grill device including at least one substantially vertical, flat heat source, at least one support for food to be grilled that is arranged in front of the heat source, at least one drive unit for rotating the at least one support for food to be grilled about a substantially vertical axis of rotation, and a power supply for supplying the drive unit with the power required for the operation thereof. The portable grill device includes at least one adjustment unit which is designed to steplessly adjust a spacing between the at least one heat source and the at least one support for food to be grilled, during operation of the grill device.