Wok Support Ring Geometry for Low-Effort Rocking Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking with a wok requires significant skill and physical effort due to the weight and motion of the wok, leading to worker discomfort and risk of injury, especially in commercial settings where high-quality food is difficult to achieve without extensive training.
Innovation Solution
A wok support ring and rocking devices that allow the wok to rock back and forth over a heat source, reducing the need for the cook to lift the wok, using designs such as a tear-drop shape or cam tracks with roller followers to create a natural rocking motion, thereby reducing the effort and skill required for cooking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a worker manually holds and moves a heavy wok to fold and mix food, then the food can be turned and folded, but the worker experiences significant physical effort, discomfort, and risk of injury
Solution Approach 1:
A support ring is introduced as an intermediary device between the wok and the worker's hands. The ring supports the wok's weight and provides a mechanical interface that converts simple pulling motion into the required rocking motion, eliminating the need for the worker to directly manipulate the heavy wok
Solution Approach 2:
The support ring with its asymmetric geometry automatically generates the rocking motion when the wok is pulled across it. The system serves itself by converting linear pulling motion into rotational rocking motion through the geometric properties of the ring, without requiring additional actuators or complex mechanisms
2Productivity
If a worker manually moves a heavy wok rapidly back and forth to fold food, then the food can be turned frequently, but the combination of weight and motion makes cooking difficult and requires extensive training
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric support ring automatically converts simple pulling motion into the complex rocking trajectory needed for proper wok cooking. The geometry of the ring encodes the required motion pattern, allowing any user to achieve professional-grade food turning without extensive training
Solution Approach 2:
The support ring features a curved, asymmetric profile that guides the wok through a natural rocking arc. The specific curvature of the ring determines the amplitude and frequency of the rocking motion, optimizing food turning efficiency
3Temperature
If a worker holds a heavy wok over a cooking flame, then the food can be cooked at high temperature, but the worker is exposed to burn risks
Solution Approach 1:
The support ring acts as a thermal and mechanical intermediary, positioning the wok over the heat source while keeping the worker's hands at a safe distance. The ring supports the wok weight and maintains proper positioning without requiring direct hand contact with the hot wok or proximity to open flames
Data Source
AI summary
A wok support ring supports the weight of a wok and food items to be cooked in the wok and imparts a rocking motion to the wok as it is moved in a back and forth motion by the worker. A wok rocking device includes the use of a wok support base which moves in a rocking motion via cam tracks with roller followers. When the worker pulls the wok in a back and forth motion, the rollers follow the cam track to cause the wok to rise rapidly and then rock forward near the end of the stroke. A wok rocking device also can utilize movable linkages attached to a wok support base in order to create the rocking motion needed to mix and fold the food items within the wok.