Patent EP0206811A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0206811A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Microwave container
Assignee: Rio Tinto Alcan International Ltd
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Filing: 1986-06-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-06-24
Abstract
Abstract A container for heating material in a microwave oven, said container comprising a metal, for example aluminium, foil tray (100) having a bottom (102) and sides (104). Bottom (102) is formed with two rectangular apertures (106) and (108). The container lid (110) is formed of microwave transparent material and has two metallic, for example aluminium, plates (112) and (114) located thereon. The plates (112) and (114) are located in registry with the apertures (106) and (108) respectively. Each of the apertures (106) and (108) and plates (112) and (114) are operable to generate a microwave field pattern having a higher order than that of the container, said field pattern propagating into the container to heat the material. This is achieved in the arrangement illustrated by amplifying the 2nd order mode within the container which has been found to give improved heat distribution within the material being heated. Several other alternative arrangements are possible, some of which are illustrated in the specification.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard M. Keefer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 17:05
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D81/00; B65D81/34; B65D81/3446; B65D81/3453; H; H05; H05B; H05B6/00; H05B6/64; H05B6/6408; H05B6/647; H05B6/6491; H05B6/6494; B65D2581/00; B65D2581/34; B65D2581/3437; B65D2581/3439; B65D2581/344; B65D2581/3441; B65D2581/3471; B65D2581/3472; B65D2581/3486; B65D2581/3487; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S99/00; Y10S99/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A container for containing a material to be heated in a microwave oven, said container comprising an open topped tray for carrying said material and a lid covering said tray to form a closed cavity, said container being characterised in that at least one surface of the container is formed with means for generating a microwave field pattern having a higher order than that of the fundamental mode of the container, said microwave generating means being so dimensioned and positioned with respect to the material when in the container that the field pattern so formed propagates into the material to thereby locally heat the material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
A container for containing a material to be heated in a microwave oven, said container comprising an open topped tray for carrying said material and a lid covering said tray to form a closed cavity, said container being characterised in that at least one surface of the container is formed with means for generating a microwave field pattern having a higher order than that of the fundamental mode of the container, said microwave generating means being so dimensioned and positioned with respect to the material when in the container that the field pattern so formed propagates into the material to thereby locally heat the material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one surface is formed of a sheet of microwave transparent material and wherein the higher order mode generating means comprises at least one plate made of electrically conductive material, said plate being attached to said sheet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one surface is formed of a sheet of electrically conductive material and wherein the higher order mode generating means comprises at least one aperture in the sheet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A container as claimed in claim 3 wherein said or each aperture is covered with microwave transparent material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
A container as claimed in claims 2 and 3 or 4 wherein more than one said surface of the container is formed with a higher order mode generating means and wherein a first of said surfaces is formed of a sheet of microwave transparent material to which is attached at least one plate as aforesaid, and wherein a second of said surfaces is formed of a sheet of electrically conductive material, in which sheet is formed at least one aperture as aforesaid.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A container as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the dimensions of said or each aperture or plate are such as to be non-resonant at the microwave frequency being used.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each higher order mode generating means is so configured and positioned on its surface as to generate or amplify higher order modes which are natural to the container and dictated by its boundary conditions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
63 words
A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the or each higher order mode generating means is so configured and positioned on its surface as to generate a mode of higher order than that of the fundamental of the container but is not otherwise dictated by the boundary conditions of the container and would not normally exist therein.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising at least two higher order mode generating means each formed on a respective horizontal surface of the container, and wherein said means are in vertical registry with one another to thereby improve the vertical distribution of heating energy within the material.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
109 words
A method of manufacturing a container for containing a material to be heated in a microwave oven, said container being of a type comprising an open- topped tray for carrying said material and a lid covering said tray to form a closed cavity, said method comprising forming on at least one surface of the container means for generating a microwave field pattern having a higher order than that of the fundamental mode of the container, said microwave generating means being so dimensioned and positioned with respect to the material when in the container that the field pattern so formed propagates into the material to thereby locally heat the material.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
109 words
A method of manufacturing a container for containing a material to be heated in a microwave oven, said container being of a type comprising an open- topped tray for carrying said material and a lid covering said tray to form a closed cavity, said method comprising forming on at least one surface of the container means for generating a microwave field pattern having a higher order than that of the fundamental mode of the container, said microwave generating means being so dimensioned and positioned with respect to the material when in the container that the field pattern so formed propagates into the material to thereby locally heat the material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the or each higher order mode generating means is so configured and positioned on its surface as to generate or amplify higher order modes which are natural to the container and dictated by its boundary conditions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the or each higher order mode generating means is so configured and positioned on its surface as to generate a mode of higher order than that of the fundamental of the container but is not otherwise dictated by the boundary conditions of the container and would not normally exist therein.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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