US5166484A — Microwave system and method for curing rubber

Claim 1

Independent Claim 82 words

In rubber processing system: an axially elongated sponge rubber product, means for moving the elongated sponge rubber product in an axial direction along a predetermined path, means for heating the elongated sponge rubber product with microwave energy as it moves along the path, and means for impinging high velocity jets of hot air from all sides radially onto the moving product to break up a laminar flow barrier around the moving product and promote heat transfer between the air and the product.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 82 words

In rubber processing system: an axially elongated sponge rubber product, means for moving the elongated sponge rubber product in an axial direction along a predetermined path, means for heating the elongated sponge rubber product with microwave energy as it moves along the path, and means for impinging high velocity jets of hot air from all sides radially onto the moving product to break up a laminar flow barrier around the moving product and promote heat transfer between the air and the product.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 1 wherein the means for moving the product includes a plurality of rotatively driven feed rollers on which the elongated sponge rubber product rests directly.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 48 words

The system of claim 2 wherein the rollers are divided into at least two groups which are driven at different speeds to accommodate for changes in the velocity of the elongated sponge rubber product due to expansion of the sponge rubber as the product moves along the path.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 19 words

The system of claim 1 including means for turning the microwave energy on and off in a pulsating fashion.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 46 words

The system of claim 4 wherein the means for turning the microwave energy on and off in a pulsating fashion includes means for maintaining the on-time of the pulses as a predetermined percentage of the time base of the pulses notwithstanding changes in the time base.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 145 words

In system for processing extruded sponge rubber products: a microwave cavity, means for introducing microwave energy into the cavity, an entrance tunnel and an exit tunnel at opposite ends of the cavity, a plurality of rollers spaced side-by-side along a path between the tunnels for transporting the products through the cavity, a plurality of air impingement rings spaced along the path in alternating relationship with the rollers and oriented in coaxial alignment with the path so the products pass through the rings as they are transported through the cavity on the rollers, means for supplying hot air to the rings, and a plurality of nozzles carried by the rings for directing high velocity jets of the hot air onto the products as they are transported through the cavity to break up a laminar flow barrier around the products and promote heat transfer with the products.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 145 words

In system for processing extruded sponge rubber products: a microwave cavity, means for introducing microwave energy into the cavity, an entrance tunnel and an exit tunnel at opposite ends of the cavity, a plurality of rollers spaced side-by-side along a path between the tunnels for transporting the products through the cavity, a plurality of air impingement rings spaced along the path in alternating relationship with the rollers and oriented in coaxial alignment with the path so the products pass through the rings as they are transported through the cavity on the rollers, means for supplying hot air to the rings, and a plurality of nozzles carried by the rings for directing high velocity jets of the hot air onto the products as they are transported through the cavity to break up a laminar flow barrier around the products and promote heat transfer with the products.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 27 words

The system of claim 6 wherein the rollers are divided into groups, with means for driving the rollers in different ones of the groups at different speeds.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 6 wherein each of the air impingement rings has a cylindrical inner wall, and the nozzles comprise discharge openings spaced circumferentially about the inner wall.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 21 words

The system of claim 8 wherein the discharge openings in adjacent ones of the rings are displaced angularly from each other.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 61 words

The system of claim 6 wherein the microwave energy is introduced into the cavity in pulses, and the means for introducing microwave energy includes a time base counter for controlling the time between successive pulses, and means for maintaining the duration of the pulses as a predetermined percentage of the time between the pulses notwithstanding changes in the time between pulses.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 117 words

In a microwave heating system: a microwave cavity, means for supporting a product to be heated within the cavity, operator controlled means for providing output pulses having an on time which is a percentage selected by the operator of the time between successive ones of the pulses, operator controlled means for changing the time between successive ones of the pulses without changing the percentage of the on time, means responsive to the output pulses for introducing microwave energy into the cavity in pulses to heat the product, and means for impinging high velocity jets of hot air onto the product to break up a laminar flow barrier around the product and promote heat transfer with the product.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 117 words

In a microwave heating system: a microwave cavity, means for supporting a product to be heated within the cavity, operator controlled means for providing output pulses having an on time which is a percentage selected by the operator of the time between successive ones of the pulses, operator controlled means for changing the time between successive ones of the pulses without changing the percentage of the on time, means responsive to the output pulses for introducing microwave energy into the cavity in pulses to heat the product, and means for impinging high velocity jets of hot air onto the product to break up a laminar flow barrier around the product and promote heat transfer with the product.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 107 words

In a microwave heating system: a microwave cavity, means for supporting a product to be heated within the cavity, a microwave source for supplying microwave energy to the cavity to heat the product, adjustable means for generating time base pulses which define a time base corresponding to the time between successive ones of the pulses, means responsive to the time base pulses for delivering output pulses having a duration which is a constant percentage of the time base notwithstanding changes in the time base, and means responsive to the output pulses for controlling operation of the microwave source to supply the energy to the cavity in pulses.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 107 words

In a microwave heating system: a microwave cavity, means for supporting a product to be heated within the cavity, a microwave source for supplying microwave energy to the cavity to heat the product, adjustable means for generating time base pulses which define a time base corresponding to the time between successive ones of the pulses, means responsive to the time base pulses for delivering output pulses having a duration which is a constant percentage of the time base notwithstanding changes in the time base, and means responsive to the output pulses for controlling operation of the microwave source to supply the energy to the cavity in pulses.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 139 words

In a microwave heating system: a microwave cavity, means for supporting a product to be heated within the cavity, a microwave source for supplying microwave energy to the cavity to heat the product, a time base counter which counts clock pulses to provide pulses which define a time base, an on-time percentage counter, means for applying the pulses which define the time base to the clock input of the on-time percentage counter, a divide-by-100 counter connected between the output of the time base counter and the reset input of the on-time percentage counter, whereby the on-time percentage counter is adapted to deliver output pulses having a duration which is a predetermined percentage of the time base, and means responsive to the output pulses for controlling operation of the microwave source to supply the energy to the cavity in pulses.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 139 words

In a microwave heating system: a microwave cavity, means for supporting a product to be heated within the cavity, a microwave source for supplying microwave energy to the cavity to heat the product, a time base counter which counts clock pulses to provide pulses which define a time base, an on-time percentage counter, means for applying the pulses which define the time base to the clock input of the on-time percentage counter, a divide-by-100 counter connected between the output of the time base counter and the reset input of the on-time percentage counter, whereby the on-time percentage counter is adapted to deliver output pulses having a duration which is a predetermined percentage of the time base, and means responsive to the output pulses for controlling operation of the microwave source to supply the energy to the cavity in pulses.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 88 words

In a microwave heating system: a microwave cavity, means for supporting a product to be heated within the cavity, operator controlled means for providing output pulses having an on time which is a percentage selected by the operator of the time between successive ones of the pulses, operator controlled means for changing the time between successive ones of the pulses without changing the percentage of the on time, and means responsive to the output pulses for introducing microwave energy into the cavity in pulses to heat the product.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 88 words

In a microwave heating system: a microwave cavity, means for supporting a product to be heated within the cavity, operator controlled means for providing output pulses having an on time which is a percentage selected by the operator of the time between successive ones of the pulses, operator controlled means for changing the time between successive ones of the pulses without changing the percentage of the on time, and means responsive to the output pulses for introducing microwave energy into the cavity in pulses to heat the product.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1995-11-24	1996-05-25	1996-11-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1999-11-24	2000-05-25	2000-11-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2003-11-24	2004-05-25	2004-11-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Microwave system and method for curing rubber

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