Microwave heating and infrared ray heating appliance

Claim 1

A heating appliance comprising: a housing, means for supporting an object in said housing, means in said housing for generating microwaves and directing said microwaves to strike said object, a heating plate positioned between said microwave generating means and said supporting means so that a portion of said microwaves impinge on said heating plate, said heating plate absorbing and converting microwave energy into infrared radiation, said heating plate having at least one opening therein so that a portion of said microwaves may freely pass through said heating plate and impinge on an object positioned on said supporting means, said heating plate comprising a heat radiating plate and an infrared radiator layered on said heat radiating plate, said infrared radiator including means producing infrared rays in response to said infrared radiator being heated by the conduction of heat from said heat radiating plate, whereby microwave energy is absorbed by said heat radiating plate and is converted into heat which is conducted to said infrared radiator which converts the heat into infrared radiation, and said infrared rays, in addition to said freely passing microwaves, being directed to strike said supporting means and said object.