Microwave oven

Claim 2

In a continuous process microwave oven of the class having a horizontally oriented inlet port therein, the combination comprising a horizontally oriented electrically conductive conveyor tray in said inlet port, said conveyor tray being divided into a plurality of sections, each of said sections being dimensioned so as to suppress the propagation of microwave energy therein, and means for moving said conveyor tray in vibratory motion to move a product along said conveyor tray in a substantially horizontal path.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said sections are defined by a plurality of electrically conductive dividers normal to the base surface of said tray and coextensive with the direction of product flow along said tray.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 2 wherein said conveyor tray has an extending portion outside of said inlet port and adapted to receive product to be conveyed into said microwave oven.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 3 wherein said dividers terminate within said extending portion, the ends of said dividers being beveled to facilitate the passage of product from said extending portion into said sections.

Claim 6

In a continuous process microwave oven of the class having a microwave treating chamber and a horizontally oriented inlet port communicating with said chamber whereby product to be treated is passed through said port into said chamber, the improvement comprising a horizontally oriented electrically conductive conveyor tray having a portion in said port and coextensive therewith and an extending portion outside of said port adapted to receive product thereon, said tray being divided into a plurality of sections, each of said sections being dimensioned so as to suppress the propagation of microwave energy therein, and means for moving said tray in vibratory motion to move a product from said extending portion into said chamber along a substantially horizontal path.

Claim 7

In a continuous process microwave oven of the class having a microwave treating chamber and a horizontally oriented inlet port communicating with said chamber whereby product to be treated is passed through said port into said chamber, the improvement comprising a horizontally oriented electrically conductive conveyor tray having a portion in said port and coextensive therewith and an extending portion outside of said port adapted to receive product thereon, said tray being divided into a plurality of sections, each of said sections being dimensioned so as to suppress the propagation of microwave energy therein, and means for moving said tray in vibratory motion to move a product from said extending portion into said chamber along a substantially horizontal path.

Claim 8

A continuous process microwave oven comprising a process chamber having horizontally oriented inlet and outlet ports therein, a first conveyor means horizontally oriented in said inlet port and dimensioned so as to suppress emission of microwave energy through said inlet port, a second conveyor means lengthwise of said process chamber adapted to receive material discharged from said first conveyor means, a third conveyor means horizontally oriented in said outlet port adapted to receive material discharged from said second conveyor means and dimensioned so as to suppress emission of microwave energy through said outlet port, and means to move said first and third conveyor means in vibratory motion to move material along a substantially horizontal path.

Claim 9

A continuous process microwave oven comprising a process chamber having horizontally oriented inlet and outlet ports therein, a first conveyor means horizontally oriented in said inlet port and dimensioned so as to suppress emission of microwave energy through said inlet port, a second conveyor means lengthwise of said process chamber adapted to receive material discharged from said first conveyor means, a third conveyor means horizontally oriented in said outlet port adapted to receive material discharged from said second conveyor means and dimensioned so as to suppress emission of microwave energy through said outlet port, and means to move said first and third conveyor means in vibratory motion to move material along a substantially horizontal path.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said first and third conveyors operate A rate of product flow which is greater than the rate of product flow of said second conveyor.