Heating control

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR HEATING A FOODSTUFF CONTAINED IN A CONTAINER HAVING AS AN INTEGRAL PART THEREOF A FLANGE WITH A FIRST SIDE AND A SECOND SIDE OPPOSITE SAID FIRST SIDE AND AT LEAST ONE HOLE PREFORMED THEREIN FROM SAID FIRST SIDE AND SAID SECOND SIDE IN A POSITION CORRESPONDING TO A DESIRED EXTENT OF HEATING OF SAID FOODSTUFF, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A MICROWAVE OVEN FOR HEATING SAID FOODSTUFF, CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MICROWAVE OVEN FOR CONTROLLING THE EXTENT OF HEATING OF SAID FOODSTUFF BY SAID MICROWAVE OVEN, A PLURALITY OF SENSING ARMS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONTROL MEANS AND MOVABLE ALONG A SENSING-ARMS PATH INTO A SENSING POSITION IN CONTACT WITH SAID FIRST SIDE FOR SENSING SAID FLANGE FORMING IN INTEGRAL PART OF SAID CONTAINER AND AN OUT-OF-SENSING POSITION, MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID FLANGE SUBSTANTIALLY IN A STRAIGHT LINE ALONG A FLANGE PATH FORMING AN ANGLE WITH SAID SENSING-ARMS PATH AND INTO POSITION TO BE SENSED BY SAID SENSING ARMS, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID SENSING ARMS IN AN OUT-OFSENSING POSITION DURING GUIDING OF SAID FLANGE INTO POSITION TO BE SENSED BY SAID SENSING ARMS AND FOR MOVING SAID SENSING ARMS INTO SENSING POSITION FOLLOWING GUIDING OF SAID FLANGE INTO POSITION TO BE SENSED BY SAID SENSING ARMS, A SELECTED ONE OF SAID SENSING ARMS IN SAID SENSING POSITION PASSING THROUGH SAID HOLE, THE SELECTION OF SAID SELECTED ONE OF SAID SENSING ARMS BEING A FUNCTION OF THE POSITION OF SAID HOLE, A SWITCH MOUNTED ADJACENT TO SAID FLANGE ON THE SECOND SIDE THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED BY SAID SENSING ARM PASSING THROUGH SAID HOLE TO ESTABLISH A SETTING OF SAID CONTROL MEANS CORRESPONDING TO THE DESIRED EXTENT OF HEATING OF SAID FOODSTUFFS, CUTTING MEANS ADAPTED TO SEVER SAID FLANGE FROM SAID CONTAINER, LEVER MEANS ADAPTED TO MOVE SAID CUTTING MEANS BETWEEN CUTTING AND NON-CUTTING STATES, AND CAM MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID LEVER MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAID CUTTING MEANS IN SAID NON-CUTTING STATE PRIOR TO MOVEMENT OF SAID SENSING ARMS INTO SAID SENSING POSITION AND TO MOVE SAID CUTTING MEANS INTO SAID CUTTING STATE TO SEVER SAID FLANGE FROM SAID CONTAINER SUBSEQUENTLY TO MOVEMENT OF SAID SENSING ARMS INTO SAID SENSING POSITION, SAID FOODSTUFF BEING HEATED BY SAID HEATING DEVICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESPONSE OF SAID SENSING ARMS TO SAID FLANGE AND A SECOND HEATING OF SAID FOODSTUFF BY SAID HEATING DEVICE BEING PREVENTED.