Abstract: An electric cooking oven for use a normal cooking mode and defrost mode is provided which comprises a detector for detecting a temperature of a food body during cooking thereof, the detector comprising a thermistor which detachably attached to the food body to sense the temperature thereof. A circuit is provided for compensating the gradient of the output characteristics of the temperature detector to increase the gradient of the output characteristic curve of the resistance of the thermistor as a function of temperature in when the thermistor is operating in a temperature range in which it has a low accuracy of temperature sensing.

Abstract: A microwave oven is provided with a gas sensor and a heat-sensitive element (i.e. thermistor) within a passageway for outgoing air from the heating chamber. A microcomputer generates a heating stop instruction for a microwave source in response to output signals from the heat-sensitive element and the gas sensor and also in accordance with a stored program in the microcomputer. Based upon the variations with time in the output signal from the gas sensor, the microcomputer decides what kind of foodstuff is being heated and establishes a final level for the gas sensor at the end of microwave heating and a final level for the heat-sensitive element at the end of grill heating. A heating end instruction is issued when both the gas sensor and the heat-sensitive element reach their intended final levels. Furthermore, a compensation value (U) is selected based on the rate of variations in the output from the heat-sensitive element.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus for performing a microwave cooking operation and a convection cooking operation wherein heated air is circulated in an oven cavity. An air intake aperture is formed at the center of the ceiling wall of the oven cavity. The air removed through the air intake aperture is heated up by a heater and reintroduced into the oven cavity through a first blowoff aperture which is positioned at the corner of the ceiling wall near a right side wall of the oven cavity, and through a second blowoff aperture which is asymmetrically positioned at the lower portion of a left side wall of the oven cavity.

Abstract: Magnetic induction heating apparatus for flat, rectangular metal products travelling in the direction of their longitudinal axis, comprising at least one inductor mounted so as to rotate about an axis perpendicular to a wide face of the metal product and comprising at least two magnetic poles having polar surfaces sweeping out an annular area as the inductor rotates about the perpendicular axis. In order to effectuate the homogeneous heating of the metal product in the transverse direction, the polar surface of each magnetic pole has the shape of a curvilinear triangle with a truncated apex directed toward the axis of rotation of the inductor, two concave sides which are symmetric with respect to a straight line passing through the truncated apex and perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and a convex side of circular arc centered about the axis of rotation having a radius of curvature essentially equal to the external radius of the annular area sweep by the polar surfaces of the magnetic poles.

Abstract: A conveyor for removing billets from an induction heating furnace and for separating them from following billets to which they may have become adhered employs a roller having a contoured surface. The roller is rotatably mounted about an axis skewed relative to its central axis so that it wobbles as it rotates, imparting a reciprocating force on the billet to separate it from the following billet to which it is adhered.

Abstract: A microwave oven browning system incorporating a combination microwave and hot air convection oven. The microwave cooking is carried out by use of a magnetron feeding a waveguide having a top branch on the top wall of the oven, a side branch on the side wall of the oven, and a bottom branch on the bottom wall of the oven. The convection cooking is carried out by directing heated air through a plurality of inlet openings in the top wall of the oven which are dimensioned to progressively increase in size in a downstream direction to ensure even distribution of heated air to the oven and a return air opening in the lower portion of the oven which ensures that air will flow over the top and bottom of food being cooked in the oven.

Abstract: An oven is disclosed combining microwave, infrared and convection cooking. The oven includes in addition to a magnetron, a pair of quartz infrared lamps and a rotatable heat exchanger/fan. The quartz infrared lamps have blinds which either direct the infrared rays toward the food for broiling, or towards the rotating heat exchanger/fan, which in turn transfers heat to the air and blows it out and down towards the food. The entire oven is maintained at negative pressure to prevent the escape of hot, smoke-filled air into other parts of the oven or the kitchen.

Abstract: A cooking utensil for a microwave oven is provided comprising a shallow, generally hollow, lower cooking member defining a pyramidal-shaped cavity with an open base. A stand orients the lower cooking member in the microwave oven cavity with the open base upwardly directed to define an open top, pyramidal-shaped lower heating chamber for retaining and heating popcorn kernels. Unpopped popcorn kernels are gravity biased into the apexes defined by the intersections of the sidewalls of the pyramidal-shaped heating chamber to facilitate efficient heating of the unpopped kernels. A cover is disposed over the lower cooking member comprising a deep, generally hollow, upper member defining a roughly cube-shaped cavity with one open side.