US3789179A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Microwave oven with premixing of wave energy before delivery to its heating cavity
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
•
Filing: 1972-04-03
•
Granted: 1974-01-29
•
Expires: 1992-04-03
Abstract
Abstract An antenna protrudes into the interior of a semicyclindrical coupling and distribution structure extending from the rear of the heating cavity. Contained in the structure is a rotatable reflector unit composed of a horizontal flat arm and a curved vane depending downwardly therefrom. The end of the arm remote from the vane is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis at a location between the antenna and the heating cavity, the arm having a length such that the vane passes between the antenna and the semicircular rear wall of the structure during each revolution. The vane''s radius of curvature is less than the radius of curvature of the wall so that the distance or spacing of the vane is continually varying with respect to the wall as well as continually varying with respect to the antenna, thereby causing considerable mode alterations or premixing of the microwave energy prior to its delivery into the heating cavity. Additional dispersion of the energy is effected as it enters the cavity by means of an inclined dispersive plate extending into the cavity from the opening or window through which the energy is introduced. In this way, the vertical dimension of the cavity is substantially reduced and at the same time the usable space therein is maximized by reason of the externally located coupling structure, which modulates the wave pattern of the energy entering the cavity.
Inventors
- 👤 D Haagensen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 19:00
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B6/00; H05B6/64; H05B6/74
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
57 words
A microwave oven comprising a heating cavity, means providing microwave energy including a fixedly located antenna spaced from said cavity, means for directing energy radiated from said antenna into said cavity including a revolvable reflector member movable relative to said antenna in an eccentric path about said antenna and varying in distance with respect to said antenna.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
57 words
A microwave oven comprising a heating cavity, means providing microwave energy including a fixedly located antenna spaced from said cavity, means for directing energy radiated from said antenna into said cavity including a revolvable reflector member movable relative to said antenna in an eccentric path about said antenna and varying in distance with respect to said antenna.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 1 including a fixedly located reflector member having at least a portion thereof spaced farther from said cavity than from said antenna, said eccentric path passing between said portion and also varying in distance with respect to said fixed reflector member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 2 in which said antenna is mounted on a vertical axis and said revolvable reflector member is rotated about a second vertical axis located between said antenna and said cavity.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 3 in which said revolvable member constitutes a vane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 4 in which said vane is curved.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 5 in which said vane constitutes a segment of a cylinder.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 6 in which the radius of said cylinder is equal to the radius of rotation of said vane.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 7 in which said fixed reflector member constitutes a vertical wall.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
A microwave oven in accordancE with claim 8 in which said wall is curved.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 9 in which said wall has a radius of curvature greater than said radius of rotation so that said vane passes between said wall and said antenna during a portion of each revolution.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 10 in which said wall is semicircular.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 11 in which the ends of said semicircular wall extend to said cavity.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 12 in which said cavity is formed in part by a vertical wall, said semicircular wall extending to said cavity wall.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 13 in which said cavity wall has an elongated opening through which microwave energy is delivered into said cavity.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 14 in which said opening extends between locations near the ends of said semicircular wall.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 15 including an inclined dispersive plate extending along one edge of said opening.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 16 in which said opening is near the upper edge of said cavity wall and said dispersive plate is connected to said cavity wall between said opening and the upper edge thereof, said dispersive plate angling downwardly and inwardly into said cavity.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
170 words
A microwave oven comprising means forming a heating cavity having front, rear, side, top and bottom walls, said front wall having an access opening via which articles to be heated are inserted into said cavity, said rear wall having a horizontal window via which microwave energy is delivered into said cavity, means forming a coupling and distribution structure extending from the rear wall of said cavity including a curved vertical wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, an antenna projecting upwardly through the bottom wall of said structure into the interior thereof, said antenna being located nearer to said curved wall than to said rear cavity wall, a horizontal arm rotatable at one end about a vertical axis located between said antenna and the rear wall of said cavity, and a curved vertical vane extending downwardly from the other end of said arm, said arm having a length such that said vane passes between said curved wall and said antenna during rotation of said arm in an eccentric path.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
170 words
A microwave oven comprising means forming a heating cavity having front, rear, side, top and bottom walls, said front wall having an access opening via which articles to be heated are inserted into said cavity, said rear wall having a horizontal window via which microwave energy is delivered into said cavity, means forming a coupling and distribution structure extending from the rear wall of said cavity including a curved vertical wall, a top wall and a bottom wall, an antenna projecting upwardly through the bottom wall of said structure into the interior thereof, said antenna being located nearer to said curved wall than to said rear cavity wall, a horizontal arm rotatable at one end about a vertical axis located between said antenna and the rear wall of said cavity, and a curved vertical vane extending downwardly from the other end of said arm, said arm having a length such that said vane passes between said curved wall and said antenna during rotation of said arm in an eccentric path.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 18 in which said arm constitutes a flat strip.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
42 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 19 in which said flat strip resides in a horizontal plane, said curved wall also residing in a vertical plane, the radius of curvature of said wall being greater than the curvature of said vane.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
69 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 20 in which said opening in the cavity rear wall is nearer the upper edge thereof, the top wall of said structure being substantially co-planar with the top wall of said cavity and the bottom wall of said structure residing in a plane above the bottom wall of said cavity and in a proximal relation with the lower edge of said opening.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
40 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 21 including a flat dispersive plate inclining downwardly into said cavity from said rear cavity wall from a height between the upper edge of said opening and the top wall of said cavity.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
129 words
A microwave oven comprising a heating cavity, a coupling and distribution structure for feeding microwave energy into said cavity including first reflector means fixedly located with respect to said cavity, an antenna for introducing microwave energy into the interior of said structure in a spaced relationship with said first reflector means, and second reflector means movable relative to said first reflector means and relative to said antenna in a path in which the spacing of said second reflector means with respect to said first reflector means continually changes and also in which the spacing of said second reflector means with respect to said antenna continually changes, said seconD reflector means passing between said antenna and said first reflector means during a portion of its travel in an eccentric path.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
129 words
A microwave oven comprising a heating cavity, a coupling and distribution structure for feeding microwave energy into said cavity including first reflector means fixedly located with respect to said cavity, an antenna for introducing microwave energy into the interior of said structure in a spaced relationship with said first reflector means, and second reflector means movable relative to said first reflector means and relative to said antenna in a path in which the spacing of said second reflector means with respect to said first reflector means continually changes and also in which the spacing of said second reflector means with respect to said antenna continually changes, said seconD reflector means passing between said antenna and said first reflector means during a portion of its travel in an eccentric path.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 23 in which said first and second reflector means each includes a curved surface.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
38 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 24 in which the curved surface of said first reflector means has a radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of the curved surface of said second reflector means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 25 in which said second reflector means includes a flat surface generally perpendicular to the curved surface thereof.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 26 including means for rotating said second reflector means about an axis parallel to said antenna and located between said antenna and said cavity.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
41 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 27 in which said cavity has a window via which microwave energy is delivered thereinto, and means associated with said window for dispersing at least a portion of the energy passing through said window.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
28 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 28 in which said dispersive means is contained within said cavity and is located in a proximal relation with said window.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
30 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 29 in which said dispersive means constitutes a plate angling downwardly and inwardly from the upper edge of said window into said cavity.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
34 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 30 including a perforated cover plate of low loss dielectric material extending between the lower edge of said dispersive plate and the lower edge of said window.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
66 words
A microwave oven comprising a heating cavity, means providing microwave energy including a fixedly located antenna spaced from said cavity, first reflective means fixedly located with respect to said antenna and with respect to said cavity, second reflective means, and means successively positioning said second reflective means between said antenna and said cavity and between said antenna and said first reflective means in an eccentric path.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
66 words
A microwave oven comprising a heating cavity, means providing microwave energy including a fixedly located antenna spaced from said cavity, first reflective means fixedly located with respect to said antenna and with respect to said cavity, second reflective means, and means successively positioning said second reflective means between said antenna and said cavity and between said antenna and said first reflective means in an eccentric path.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
28 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 32 in which said first and second reflective means each include concave surface portions facing in the direction of said antenna.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
46 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 33 in which the concave portion of said first reflective means constitutes a cylindrical segment having one radius and the concave portion of said second reflective means constitutes a cylindrical segment having a lesser radius than said one radius.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
29 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 33 in which said second reflective means is revolved about an axis offset from said antenna in the direction of said cavity.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
51 words
A microwave oven comprising a heating cavity, an antenna spaced from said cavity, an arcuate reflector, and means moving said reflector in an eccentric path about said antenna, said reflector passing between said antenna and cavity in one position and to the other side of said antenna in a second position.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
51 words
A microwave oven comprising a heating cavity, an antenna spaced from said cavity, an arcuate reflector, and means moving said reflector in an eccentric path about said antenna, said reflector passing between said antenna and cavity in one position and to the other side of said antenna in a second position.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
28 words
A microwave oven in accordance with claim 36 including an additional arcuate reflector, said first reflector passing between said antenna and said second reflector in said second position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-28 | 1977-07-30 | 1978-01-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-28 | 1981-07-30 | 1982-01-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-28 | 1985-07-30 | 1986-01-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |