Microwave oven apparatus

Abstract

Abstract Disclosed is a shield apparatus for a microwave oven. The shield is situated adjacent to a wall of a cooking chamber that defines an opening which is the termination of a waveguide that carries high frequency energy from an energy source to the cooking chamber. A non-electrically conductive shield surface optically shields the opening and an electrically conductive redirector diffuses energy emanating from the waveguide so as to prevent ''''hot spots'''' within the cooking chamber. In preferred embodiments that are disclosed herein the shield surface is a sheet of heat resistant glass and the redirector is metallic and of a substantially smaller surface area than the glass and is laminated thereto. The redirector may be a metal plate, metallic material deposited on the glass, metal rings, etc. Another preferred embodiment disclosed herein includes a metallic shorting bar across the opening that protects the high frequency energy source by preventing high frequency energy within the cooking chamber from entering the waveguide. In addition, the shorting bar and the redirector are electrically connected and function as a large surface area antenna and thereby distribute the high frequency energy still more evenly throughout the cooking chamber.

Inventors

• 👤 A Tang

Bibliographic Details