Design Progression
cam and follower design
The initial approach was to use cams and followers which theoretically produced the correct rocking motion. However, this design is complicated to synthesize, analyze, and prototype. In addition, the contact points between the cams and followers are under constant friction which is a concern for the durability of the product.
Four-bar linkage
In this simple crank and rocker design, the pan is the pan is the coupler, and by doing a 3-position motion generation graphical synthesis, the length of the crank and rocker are easily determined. Since our early thoughts was to make a product that sits on top of users' stoves, placing the pivots above the mechanism was a one of our main constraints.
Final design
After conducting a design review, it was determined that designing a mechanism that is "one size fits all" would be a nearly impossible. Users' kitchen layouts and stovetops largely vary. Thus, it was decided to make the product a stand-alone appliance which allowed us to add several safety and customization features.