← Back to Patent Explorer
US4455467A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Metal rack for microwave oven

Assignee: General Electric Co
•
Filing: 1981-09-21
•
Granted: 1984-06-19
•
Expires: 2001-09-21
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A rack for use in a microwave oven cavity wherein the microwave energy enters the top of the cavity and the cavity has a rectangular shaped bottom shelf and sidewalls. The rack includes a metal rectangular framework of parallel bars and the framework is spaced inwardly of all sides of the cavity. The rack has legs depending from the corners of the framework and extending downwardly and diverging outwardly from the framework. Each of the legs has low loss dielectric insulating material on the terminal end thereof and the legs cooperate with the oven cavity bottom shelf and sidewalls such that the framework of the rack is centered relative to the cavity sidewalls and electrically insulated therefrom. With this rack two levels of food may be cooked simultaneously in the microwave oven.

Inventors

  • 👤 Raymond L. Dills

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 07:56
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B6/00; H05B6/64; H05B6/72; H05B6/725; F; F24; F24C; F24C15/00; F24C15/16; H05B6/6402

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 130 words
A microwave oven, comprising: (a) an oven cavity having a top, a rectangular shaped bottom shelf and sidewalls; (b) a microwave energy source; (c) means to deliver microwave energy from the microwave energy source to the cavity through the top thereof; and (d) a rack including: a metal, rectangular framework of parallel bars, said rack being spaced inwardly of all sides of the cavity, legs depending from the corners of the framework, said legs each having a terminal end and extending downwardly and diverging outwardly from the framework, said legs having low loss dielectric insulating material on the terminal ends thereof, the legs cooperating with the oven cavity bottom shelf and sidewalls such that the framework of the rack is centered relative to the cavity sidewalls and electrically insulated therefrom.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 130 words
A microwave oven, comprising: (a) an oven cavity having a top, a rectangular shaped bottom shelf and sidewalls; (b) a microwave energy source; (c) means to deliver microwave energy from the microwave energy source to the cavity through the top thereof; and (d) a rack including: a metal, rectangular framework of parallel bars, said rack being spaced inwardly of all sides of the cavity, legs depending from the corners of the framework, said legs each having a terminal end and extending downwardly and diverging outwardly from the framework, said legs having low loss dielectric insulating material on the terminal ends thereof, the legs cooperating with the oven cavity bottom shelf and sidewalls such that the framework of the rack is centered relative to the cavity sidewalls and electrically insulated therefrom.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 41 words
The microwave oven of claim 1 wherein the rack framework is spaced from the bottom shelf and all sides of the cavity so approximately half of the microwave energy is available to the food placed on the bottom shelf for cooking.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 40 words
The microwave oven of claim 1 wherein the rack framework is spaced from the cavity sidewalls and a door a distance equal to (Nλa)/2 wherein N is an odd integer and λa is the microwave energy wavelength in free space.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 14 words
The microwave oven of claim 1 wherein the legs of the rack are collapsible.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 14 words
The microwave oven of claim 1 wherein the rack framework has seven parallel bars.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 27 words
The microwave oven of claim 1 wherein the insulating material of the rack legs has a loss tangent of less then 0.004 at 2450 MH z .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 24 words
The microwave oven of claim 1 wherein the rack legs are metal with low loss dielectric insulating material members on the terminal ends thereof.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1248150A Cited
US2961520A Cited
US2912554A Cited
US3716687A Cited
US3936627A Cited
US4074102A Cited
US4140888A Cited
US4147912A Cited
US4223194A Cited
US4249464A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-06-19 1987-12-19 1988-06-19 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-06-19 1991-12-19 1992-06-19 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-06-19 1995-12-19 1996-06-19 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag