Portable turntable for microwave oven

Claim 2

A portable self-contained turntable for rotating foodstuffs in a microwave oven cavity comprising: a base for engaging a load supporting surface in the oven cavity; a table for receiving foodstuffs, said table being rotatably mounted on said base; and drive means mounted on said portable self-contained turntable for rotatably driving said table from within the oven cavity, said drive means comprising: an energy storing spring; a spring storage reel, said spring being stored on said storage wheel; an output reel secured to said table and centered on the axis of rotation of said table; and an escapement mechanism connected to said output reel, said escapement comprising: a gear step-up transmission; and means for limiting the rotation of said transmission and thus regulating the speed of said turntable, said means for limiting rotation limiting movement of said transmission to a step-like motion.

Claim 3

The portable self-contained turntable of claim 1 wherein said spring comprises a constant force spring.

Claim 4

The portable self-contained turntable of claim 1 wherein said means for limiting the rotation of said transmission comprises a rotatable star wheel and a pendulum actuated by rotation of said star wheel, said transmission interconnecting said output reel and said star wheel.

Claim 5

The portable self-contained turntable of claim 1 wherein said base and said table are formed from a low dielectric loss material.

Claim 6

The portable self-contained turntable of claim 3 further including means for varying the natural frequency of said pendulum and thus varying the speed of said table.

Claim 7

The portable self-contained turntable of claim 1 further including first and second travel restraints comprising first and second pivotable pawls cooperating with first and second notches on said storage reel and said output reel, respectively; said first and second notches being covered by said constant force spring except at the ends of travel of said constant force spring.

Claim 8

The portable self-contained turntable of claim 1 wherein said base and said table cooperate to present a portable freestanding turntable with the shape of a low profile right circular cylinder having planar top and bottom surfaces and a curvilinear circumferential surface.

Claim 9

In a microwave oven having a cooking cavity where foodstuffs are irradiated with electromagnetic radiation; the improvement comprising: a portable self-contained turntable for rotatable foodstuffs within said microwave oven cooking cavity said turntable having: a base for engaging a load supporting surface in the oven cavity; a table for receiving foodstuffs, said table being rotatably mounted on said base; and drive means mounted on said portable self-contained turntable for rotatably driving said table from within said microwave oven cavity without a physical connection extending outside of said microwave oven cavity, said drive means comprising: an energy storing spring; a spring storage reel, said spring being stored on said storage wheel; an output reel secured to said table and centered on the axis of rotation of said table; and an escapement mechanism connected to said output reel, said escapement mechanism comprising: a gear step-up transmission; and means for limiting the rotation of said transmission and thus regulating the speed of said turntable, said means for limiting rotation limiting the movement of said transmission to a step-like motion.

Claim 10

In a microwave oven having a cooking cavity where foodstuffs are irradiated with electromagnetic radiation; the improvement comprising: a portable self-contained turntable for rotatable foodstuffs within said microwave oven cooking cavity said turntable having: a base for engaging a load supporting surface in the oven cavity; a table for receiving foodstuffs, said table being rotatably mounted on said base; and drive means mounted on said portable self-contained turntable for rotatably driving said table from within said microwave oven cavity without a physical connection extending outside of said microwave oven cavity, said drive means comprising: an energy storing spring; a spring storage reel, said spring being stored on said storage wheel; an output reel secured to said table and centered on the axis of rotation of said table; and an escapement mechanism connected to said output reel, said escapement mechanism comprising: a gear step-up transmission; and means for limiting the rotation of said transmission and thus regulating the speed of said turntable, said means for limiting rotation limiting the movement of said transmission to a step-like motion.

Claim 11

The microwave oven of claim 8 wherein said spring comprises a constant force spring.

Claim 12

The microwave oven of claim 4 wherein said means for limiting the rotation of said transmission comprises a rotatable star wheel and a pendulum actuated by rotation of said star wheel, said transmission interconnecting said output reel and said star wheel.

Claim 13

The microwave oven of claim 8 wherein said base and said table are formed from a low dielectric loss material.

Claim 14

The microwave oven of claim 10 further including means for varying the natural frequency of said pendulum and thus varying the speed of said table.

Claim 15

The microwave oven of claim 8 further including first and second travel restraints comprising first and second pivotable pawls cooperating with first and second notches on said storage reel and said output reel, respectively; said first and second notches being covered by said constant force spring except at the ends of travel of said constant force spring.

Claim 16

The microwave oven of claim 8 wherein said base and said table cooperate to present a portable freestanding turntable with the shape of a low profile right circular cylinder having planar top and bottom surfaces and a curvilinear circumferential surface.

Claim 17

A portable self-contained turntable for rotating foodstuffs in a microwave oven cavity comprising: a base for engaging a load supporting surface in the oven cavity; a table for receiving foodstuffs, said table being rotatably mounted on said base; and drive means mounted on said portable self-contained turntable for rotatably driving said table from within the oven cavity, said drive means comprising: an energy storing spring; a spring storage reel, said spring being stored on said storage wheel; an output reel mounted on said turntable; and an escapement mechanism connected to said output reel, said escapement comprising: a gear step-up transmission; and means for limiting the rotation of said transmission and thus regulating the speed of said turntable, said means for limiting rotation limiting movement of said transmission to a step-like motion.

Claim 18

A portable self-contained turntable for rotating foodstuffs in a microwave oven cavity comprising: a base for engaging a load supporting surface in the oven cavity; a table for receiving foodstuffs, said table being rotatably mounted on said base; and drive means mounted on said portable self-contained turntable for rotatably driving said table from within the oven cavity, said drive means comprising: an energy storing spring; a spring storage reel, said spring being stored on said storage wheel; an output reel mounted on said turntable; and an escapement mechanism connected to said output reel, said escapement comprising: a gear step-up transmission; and means for limiting the rotation of said transmission and thus regulating the speed of said turntable, said means for limiting rotation limiting movement of said transmission to a step-like motion.