Kitchen-connected indoor stationary solar cooking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12287097-B2
Application number	US-202117404758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2021
Priority date	Aug 18, 2020
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A modular kitchen-connected indoor stationary solar cooking device ( 102 ) is disclosed. The solar cooking device ( 102 ) includes a housing ( 202 ), a thermal battery ( 204 ) disposed in the housing ( 202 ) and adapted to store thermal energy, and a first heater ( 206 ) disposed to be in contact with the thermal battery ( 204 ). The first heater ( 206 ) is coupled to a solar array ( 104 ) and adapted to receive solar energy for charging the thermal battery ( 204 ). The solar cooking device ( 102 ) includes a second heater ( 208 ) disposed to be in contact with the thermal battery ( 204 ). The second heater ( 208 ) is coupled to a mains supply and adapted to receive electrical supply for charging the thermal battery ( 204 ). The solar cooking device ( 102 ) includes a heat control assembly ( 210 ) disposed on a cooktop ( 802 ) and adapted to accommodate a cooking vessel. The heat control assembly ( 210 ) is adapted to rotate for controlling a heat supply for cooking in the cooking vessel.

First claim

We claim:

1. A modular kitchen-connected indoor stationary solar cooking device, comprising:
a housing;
a thermal battery disposed in the housing and adapted to store thermal energy, the thermal battery comprising external threads on a top peripheral surface;
a first heater disposed to be in contact with the thermal battery, wherein the first heater is coupled to a solar array and adapted to receive solar energy for charging the thermal battery;
a second heater disposed to be in contact with the thermal battery, wherein the second heater is coupled to a mains supply and adapted to receive electrical supply for charging the thermal battery; and
a heat control assembly disposed on a cooktop of the thermal battery and adapted to accommodate a cooking vessel, wherein the heat control assembly is adapted to rotate for controlling a heat supply for cooking in the cooking vessel, the heat control assembly adapted to removably engage with the thermal battery to control a cooking temperature, the heat control assembly comprising:
a top plate adapted to accommodate the cooking vessel thereon;
a ring portion formed at a bottom of the top plate and comprising internal threads adapted to engage with the external threads of the thermal battery; and
a handle adapted to rotate the top plate to control an engagement of the internal threads of the ring portion with the external threads of the thermal battery to vary contact area of the top plate for controlling the cooking temperature of the cooking vessel.

2. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the top peripheral surface of the thermal battery acts as the cooktop.

3. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the cooktop is carved out as a part of the thermal battery.

4. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the heat control assembly comprises at least one clamp support for locking the top plate with the housing in a predefined position and for locking the cooking vessel on the top plate.

5. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the first heater and the second heater are disposed to contact a bottom surface and the top peripheral surface, respectively, of the thermal battery.

6. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the first heater and the second heater are integratedly embedded with the thermal battery.

7. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the first heater and the second heater are adapted to separately and simultaneously accept energy from different sources and nature for charging the thermal battery.

8. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal battery comprises at least one of a thermal storage material, a sensible heat material, a petroleum derivative, and a phase change material.

9. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal battery is of at least one of a cylindrical profile, a cuboidal profile, a conical profile, and a pyramidical profile.

10. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal battery and an inner surface of the housing are insulated with at least one of Asbestos, Fiberglass, Ceramic fiber, and Polycrystalline fiber.

11. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein outer surfaces of the thermal battery and inner surface of the housing are coated with a heat-resistant and thermal-insulation paint.

12. The solar cooking device of claim 11 , wherein an outer surface of the thermal battery is insulated in a graded manner, by a first layer of a high temperature heat resistant paint, a second layer of a reflector formed on the first layer, and a third layer of another insulation material formed on the second layer.

13. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , comprising an adjustable opening mechanism formed on the cooktop and adapted to:
open to accommodate the cooking vessel for cooking, wherein the adjustable opening mechanism opens based on a pressure of the cooking vessel when being positioned on the heat control assembly; and
close in an automated manner when the cooking vessel is removed from a top surface.

14. The solar cooking device of claim 13 , comprising a spillage prevention unit, the spillage prevention unit comprising:
a sleeve adapted to be inserted in between a space of the thermal battery in such a manner that it covers an outer periphery of the cooktop and an inner periphery of the top surface such that the sleeve is formed adjacent to a periphery of the adjustable opening mechanism; and
a drainage groove running perpendicular and/or along a height of the cooktop, wherein the sleeve and the drainage groove are adapted to direct any foreign material out of the solar cooking device.

15. The solar cooking device of claim 14 , wherein the spillage prevention unit is formed as a plate insulated from the bottom and formed slightly outward on the top surface from the cooktop, wherein the plate is formed as an extended washer plate.

16. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , wherein the thermal battery is adapted to be split open to form multiple cooktops to receive multiple cooking vessels.

17. The solar cooking device of claim 13 , comprising a sensing unit disposed in connection with at least one of the top surface and the cooktop, and adapted to indicate surface temperature.

18. The solar cooking device of claim 1 , comprising a detachable cover lid comprising of at least one insulation layer and adapted to cover a sub-assembly of the housing, the thermal battery, the first heater, the second heater, and the heat control assembly.

19. A solar cooking apparatus, comprising:
a solar array;
a mains supply adapter; and
a modular kitchen-connected indoor stationary solar cooking device coupled to the solar array and the mains supply, the solar cooking device comprising:
a housing;
a thermal battery disposed in the housing and adapted to store thermal energy, the thermal battery comprising external threads on a top peripheral surface;
a first heater disposed to be in contact with the thermal battery, wherein the first heater is coupled to a solar array and adapted to receive solar energy for charging the thermal battery;
a second heater disposed to be in contact with the thermal battery, wherein the second heater is coupled to the mains supply and adapted to receive electrical supply for charging the thermal battery; and

a heat control assembly disposed on a cooktop and adapted to accommodate a cooking vessel, wherein the heat control assembly is adapted to control a heat supply for cooking, the heat control assembly adapted to removably engage with the thermal battery to control a cooking temperature, the heat control assembly comprising:
a top plate adapted to accommodate the cooking vessel thereon;
a ring portion formed at a bottom of the top plate and comprising internal threads adapted to engage with the external threads of the thermal battery; and
a handle adapted to rotate the top plate to control an engagement of the internal threads of the ring portion with the external threads of the thermal battery to vary contact area of the top plate for controlling the cooking temperature of the cooking vessel.

20. The solar cooking apparatus of claim 19 , comprising a controller in communication with the solar array and the mains supply adapter, the controller adapted to:
detect a value of temperature of the thermal battery;
compare the detected value with a predefined threshold value; and
control supply of thermal energy from at least one of the solar array and the mains supply to the first heater and the second heater, respectively, based on

Assignees

• Indian Oil Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Dikshit Vibhav
• Tiwari Vinay
• Srivastva Umish
• Singh Sudhir Kumar
• Saxena Deepak
• RAMAKUMAR Sankara Sri Venkata

Classifications

• F24C15/107

  Pan supports or grates therefor · CPC title

• F24C7/087

  of electric circuits regulating heat · CPC title

• F24C15/14

  Spillage trays or grooves · CPC title

• H02S99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• F28D19/04

  using rigid bodies, e.g. mounted on a movable carrier · CPC title