Waffle maker
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional upright-type waffle makers often result in uneven waffle thickness and edge defects due to incomplete expulsion of air from the baking space during batter pouring, leading to ununiformed waffle production.
Innovation Solution
The waffle maker features a first and second grill member with a cross-shaped rib and notch configuration, allowing for rotation to an upright state for batter pouring, where the cross-shaped rib is positioned under the batter inlet, and the rib portions are inclined, facilitating uniform batter distribution and air expulsion through ventilation notches, ensuring even filling of the baking space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the conventional upright-type waffle maker uses a simple grill structure without cross-shaped ribs, then the device complexity is reduced, but the waffle thickness uniformity deteriorates due to incomplete air expulsion
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-shaped rib divides the baking space into four compartments, creating segmented pathways for air expulsion. Each rib portion with its corresponding notch creates a dedicated air escape route, ensuring complete air removal from all sections of the baking space, which directly improves waffle thickness uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The notches are strategically positioned at specific locations along the rib portions, creating localized air expulsion points. The first notch portions extend further than second notch portions to optimize air flow paths in different regions, ensuring effective air removal while maintaining structural integrity.
2Reliability
If the cross-shaped rib structure with notches is added to the grill, then the air expulsion capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The notches are pre-formed in the cross-shaped rib structure before operation. When batter is poured, air is automatically expelled through these pre-positioned notches without requiring additional mechanical action, ensuring reliable air removal while maintaining a simple operational process.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-shaped rib structure with notches enables the grill to self-expel air during the batter pouring process. The gravity-driven batter flow naturally pushes air out through the notches without requiring external intervention, improving air expulsion effectiveness while avoiding complex mechanisms.
3Manufacturing precision
If the first notch portions are made longer than the second notch portions, then the air flow path is optimized for uniform filling, but the manufacturing precision of the rib structure becomes more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-shaped rib features asymmetric notches where first notch portions extend further than second notch portions. This asymmetric design optimizes air expulsion paths for different compartments, ensuring uniform batter filling. The symmetry breaking is simple and can be easily achieved through standard manufacturing processes like CNC machining or molding.
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 design ensures uniform waffle thickness and prevents edge defects by allowing for complete batter filling and air expulsion, resulting in a consistently made waffle without overflow or underfilling.
Implementation Method 1
The first grill member is rotatable about an axis to an upright state for pouring of batter, where the batter inlet is at top of the grill body... the first and second rib portions are inclined relative to the axis
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A waffle maker includes a first grill member (11) and a second grill member (12) openably coupled to the first grill member (11). The first grill member (11) has a grill body (2) and a cross-shaped rib (3) mounted in a receiving space (20) of the grill body (2). The cross-shaped rib (3) has first rib portions (32), second rib portions (33) under the first rib portions (32) when the first grill member is at an upright state, and a cross-shaped notch (34). The cross-shaped notch (34) has first notch portions (341) extending respectively along the first rib portions (32), and second notch portions (342) extending respectively along the second rib portions (33) and communicating with the first notch portions (341). Each of the first notch portions (341) has a length (D1) larger than that of each of the second notch portions (342).