Gas Or Vapor Patents (Class 219/707)
  • Patent number: 11873995
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance and a method for controlling the same, wherein the cooking appliance determines whether a cooling fan stops operating based on results of monitoring of an increase per unit time in temperatures in a cool air passage, and when confirming the cooling fan stops operating, stops the heating unit from operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Seungtae Jang, Chung Kang, Cheol Seung Lee
  • Patent number: 11767984
    Abstract: A connected oven, including a set of in-cavity sensors and a processor configured to automatically identify foodstuff within the cooking cavity, based on the sensor measurements; and automatically operate the heating element based on the foodstuff identity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: June Life, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikhil Bhogal, Matthew Van Horn, Seunghoon Park, Ravishankar Sivalingam, Christopher Russell Clark
  • Patent number: 11353563
    Abstract: There is provided an object detection device including a light source, an avalanche diode, a first counter, a second counter and a processor. The light source emits light within a first interval, and is turned off within a second interval, a third interval and a fourth interval. The avalanche diode detects photons corresponding to the first interval, second, third and fourth intervals to trigger avalanche events. The first counter performs up-counting on the avalanche events in the first interval and performs down-counting on the avalanche events in the third interval to generate a first count value. The second counter performs up-counting on the avalanche events in the second interval and performs down-counting on the avalanche events in the fourth interval to generate a second count value. The processor calculates a time-of-flight according to the first count value and the second count value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INC.
    Inventor: Tso-Sheng Tsai
  • Patent number: 10935596
    Abstract: The invention relates to an over-the-air (OTA) test system for measuring a performance of a device under test (DUT). The test system comprises an over-the-air (OTA) measurement chamber provided with at least one feedthrough for at least a first air hose and a second air hose. The test system further includes a thermally isolated hollow body inside the OTA measurement chamber, in which the DUT is positioned having at least two openings for connecting a first end of each of the first and the second air hose, and at least one sensor having a connection wire, located within the thermally isolated hollow body. Advantageously, the sensor connection wire is fed through one of the two openings into the thermally isolated hollow body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: ROHDE & SCHWARZ GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Corbett Rowell, Stefan Ullrich, Heiko Kuehling
  • Patent number: 10502430
    Abstract: Several embodiments include a cooking instrument. The cooking instrument can include a heating system. The heating system can include one or more heating elements capable of emitting wireless energy into the cooking chamber. The sensor can be positioned, configured, or shaped such that air within the cooking chamber flows over the sensor. The sensor can be adapted to detect particles given off by food under heat. The cooking instrument can also include a sensor and a control system. The control system can be configured to execute a heating process and determine a stage of the heating process based on sensor data from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: BRAVA HOME, INC.
    Inventors: Justin Alvey, Shih-Yu Cheng
  • Patent number: 10438472
    Abstract: A digital electronic system used for receiving an audio alarm from a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector and like detectors. The system amplifies and converts the alarm to a digital encoded radio frequency signal for shutting off power to a kitchen appliance. The system includes a microphone and an amplifier connected to a comparator circuit. This circuit provides for outputting a logic 0 or logic 1 and outputs logic 1, in the form of the digital radio frequency signal, if an audio alarm is received. The comparator circuit is connected to a transmitter and encoder circuit, which receives the frequency signal and transmits it to a radio frequency receiver and decoder circuit. This circuit then decodes the signal and disconnects the power to the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Inventors: Michael L. Haynes, Sylvester C. Maier, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10368692
    Abstract: A food preparation device may include a tunnel cavity having a prep portion and a cooking portion, a conveyor belt extending through a length of the tunnel cavity, a cooking controller operably coupled to the prep portion and the cooking portion to selectively distribute power to at least a radio frequency (RF) capacitive heating source and a cold air source in the prep portion and at least a heat source in the cooking portion, and an interface panel. The prep portion and the cooking portion are positioned in a linear series in the tunnel cavity. The RF capacitive heating source comprises a ground plate and an anode plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: HUSQVARNA AB
    Inventors: Giorgio Grimaldi, Joshua M. Linton
  • Patent number: 10368402
    Abstract: A microwave heating device and a method for operating a microwave heating device to heat a product inside a heating chamber includes at least two radiating portions that are adapted to radiate microwaves to the heating chamber and can be operated according to a plurality of operational configurations that differ in frequency or phase shift(s) between the radiated microwaves. A learning procedure can be executed by sequentially operating the radiating portions in several operational configurations for which energy efficiency data are calculated. An operating frequency can be selected via an algorithm that optimizes a mathematical function based on energy efficiency data. An operational configuration with a maximum energy efficiency at the selected operating frequency may be taken as a reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Marco Bullo, Nicola Lanza, Chiara DeMassari, Francesco Gambato, Fabrizio Dughiero, Benoit Flipot
  • Patent number: 9791206
    Abstract: An apparatus includes microwave oven and refrigerator functions. The microwave oven is connected to a source of electrical power and has at least one control circuit for controlling the operation of the microwave oven. A first power supply outlet is provided on the microwave oven. A refrigerator is connected to the source of power by connection to the first power supply outlet. The at least one control circuit is configured to disable the refrigerator compressor, when the microwave oven demands cooking power, and enable the refrigerator compressor when the microwave oven is not drawing cooking power. A safety sensor is provided in the microwave oven and is configured to cause the microwave oven to cease cooking operation upon the safety sensor sensing a dangerous condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: INTIRION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gregory Allan Thomas Hall, Philip Emma
  • Patent number: 9664436
    Abstract: A combination microwave and refrigerator system is provided. The microwave oven is connected to a source of power and has a control circuit for controlling the operation of the microwave oven. A first power supply outlet is provided on the microwave oven. A refrigerator is connected to the source of power by connection to the first power supply outlet. The control circuit is configured to disable the cooking operation of the refrigerator, when the microwave oven demands cooking power, and enable the cooling operation of the refrigerator when the microwave oven is not drawing cooking power. A safety sensor is provided in the microwave oven, and is configured to cause cooking power to the microwave oven to be turned off upon the safety sensor sensing a dangerous condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: INTIRION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gregory Allan Thomas Hall, Philip Emma
  • Patent number: 9528710
    Abstract: The present invention provides for operation of a sensor directed toward a cooking surface positioned beneath the sensor. If a cooking utensil is detected on the cooking surface, a fan is operated to direct a flow of air over the sensing end of the sensor to protect or shield it during cooking operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Haier U.S. Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: James Lee Armstrong, Joshua Stephen Wiseman
  • Patent number: 8863654
    Abstract: A cooking device has a casing 1, a heating chamber 8 provided in the casing 1, an exhaust tube 18 for guiding exhaust from inside of the heating chamber 8 through an electric component chamber 9 in the casing 1 to front face side, and a dew receiving container 4 that is provided on front face side of the casing 1 and that receives and diffuses the exhaust from the exhaust tube 18 to outside of the casing 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Asami, Takashi Utsumi, Shinya Ueda, Hiroyuki Kato
  • Patent number: 8847130
    Abstract: A heating unit can reduce the rate of power consumption for heating a vehicle, so that the running distance of the vehicle is increased and hence the battery charging cycle of the vehicle is prolonged. A heating unit of a vehicle heating system includes a casing made of a metal material capable of electromagnetically shielding microwaves, a support arranged in the hollow section of the casing, a plurality of microwave absorbing/heat emitting members arranged at the support and a microwave outputting unit arranged in the casing to output microwaves toward respective microwave absorbing/heat emitting members, blown air being heated by heat generated as a result of absorption of microwaves by the microwave absorbing/heat emitting members at the time for blown air to flow from the upstream side to the downstream side in the hollow sections of the microwave absorbing/heat emitting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki-Kaisha TAKUMI, Kabushiki-Kaisha Lead Industry
    Inventors: Norio Niwa, Ryousei Noda, Hiroki Anzai
  • Patent number: 8302527
    Abstract: A method and device for determining a variation with time of an amount of steam released from a food product during a cooking process in a cooking chamber of a baking oven. A heat sink is provided outside the cooking chamber or a vapor duct in fluid communication with the cooking chamber. A sensing head of a heat conducting body projects into the cooking chamber or vapor duct, and the heat conducting body is operable to transfer heat to the heat sink. The sensing head is protected from precipitation of condensate on its surface by its spatial positioning and/or the mode of operation of the baking oven. A variation with time of the temperatures of the sensing head and cooking chamber are measured with first and second temperature sensors, respectively. The variation with time of the amount of steam in the cooking chamber is determined using an evaluation circuit of a controller as a function of measurement signals generated by the first and second temperature sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Miele & Cie. KG
    Inventors: Sonja Heitmann, Wenzel Meierfrankenfeld, Nico Zurmuehlen
  • Patent number: 8178142
    Abstract: A method for conducting a treatment program in a preparation chamber of a food preparation appliance comprises: (a) determining at least one first value of the preparation chamber atmosphere and/or of the atmosphere surrounding the food preparation appliance before selection and/or beginning of the treatment program, (b) storing the first value, (c) determining at least one second value of the preparation chamber atmosphere and/or of the atmosphere surrounding the food preparation appliance after loading the cooking product into the preparation chamber or after introduction of a lime removal and/or cleaning agent into the preparation chamber and/or after beginning of the treatment program, (d) determining at least one third value from the first and second value, (e) comparing the third value with the stored values, and (f) conducting the treatment program as a function of the result of the comparison of the third value with stored values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Rational AG
    Inventors: Michael Greiner, Oliver Merker, Reinhard Nielsen, Stefan Rusche, Thomas Schreiner, Manfred Breunig
  • Patent number: 8084723
    Abstract: A method for detecting a fire condition in a cooking chamber of a baking oven. The method includes measuring the oxygen concentration in the baking oven and also using an evaluation circuit of an electronic controller to determine the rate of change of the oxygen. The oxygen concentration and the rate of change are compared to predetermined values stored in a memory of the electronic controller. If the oxygen concentration reaches a value smaller than a limit in the range of 15 to 20 percent by volume, and the rate of change of the oxygen concentration exceeds a rate of decrease of about 2.5 percent by volume per 10 seconds, the fire condition is detected. Subsequently an alarm is created and/or at least one of the heat output or air circulation through the oven is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Miele & Cie. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Kruempelmann, Juergen Scharmann, Ulrich Sillmen
  • Patent number: 8043642
    Abstract: In one embodiment for regulating a baking process in an oven, an operator introduces a product to be cooked into the oven, and a sensor detects a gas or moisture concentration release from the product cooking in the cooking chamber over time wherein The slope of the curve of the detected concentration is determined, and a trigger value that is linked to the product to be cooked is determined for the slope. The point in time at which the trigger value will be reached is determined, and an additional time linked to said point in time is determined at the point in time at which the trigger value is reached. The additional time depends on the point in time at which the trigger value is reached. The additional time is continued as an additional process until the additional time has elapsed in case the trigger value is not reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: E.G.O. Elektro-Geraetebau GmbH
    Inventor: Konrad Schõnemann
  • Patent number: 7875235
    Abstract: A method is described for batchwise heat treatment of goods to be annealed which are heated in a heating chamber after scavenging air with a scavenging gas under protective gas to a predetermined treatment temperature, with the protective gas being conveyed through the heating chamber depending on the occurrence of impurities in different quantities. In order to enable the economic use of protective gas, it is proposed that the protective gas which is withdrawn from the heating chamber after the main occurrence of impurities and which is loaded with a residual quantity of impurities is conveyed, optionally after intermediate storage, into the heating chamber during the main occurrence of impurities of a subsequent batch before non-loaded protective gas is introduced into the heating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Ebner Industrieofenbau Gesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventors: Peter Ebner, Heribert Lochner
  • Patent number: 7811616
    Abstract: A control method for an oven comprises the steps of determination of the food product, reading out of a corresponding vector from a memory, whereby the vector is at least two-dimensional and previously empirically determined, with a time value and a scalar value, recording the concentration of a gas characteristic of the cooking product by means of a gas sensor, recording a first point, at which the time curve for the gas concentration has the absolute greatest gradient, storage of the same and the corresponding time, recording a second point, at which the time curve of the gas concentration has a zero gradient and storing the corresponding time, determination of the gradient of the straight line through the first and second points, calculation of the cooking duration by multiplication of the straight line gradient by the scalar value and addition of the time value of the vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: E.G.O. Elektro-Geraetebau GmbH
    Inventors: Konrad Schönemann, Michael Riffel, Lutz Ose
  • Publication number: 20080053990
    Abstract: A method for detecting a fire condition in a cooking chamber of a baking oven. The method includes measuring the oxygen concentration in the baking oven and also using an evaluation circuit of an electronic controller to determine the rate of change of the oxygen. The oxygen concentration and the rate of change are compared to predetermined values stored in a memory of the electronic controller. If the oxygen concentration reaches a value smaller than a limit in the range of 15 to 20 percent by volume, and the rate of change of the oxygen concentration exceeds a rate of decrease of about 2.5 percent by volume per 10 seconds, the fire condition is detected. Subsequently an alarm is created and/or at least one of the heat output or air circulation through the oven is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: MIELE & CIE. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Kruempelmann, Juergen Scharmann, Ulrich Sillmen
  • Patent number: 7267833
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method automatically cook food, for example, a hulled grain such as buckwheat, thereby conveniently providing the uniform and optimal cooking quality of the food to a user. The cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity that contains food to be cooked and water therein, and a heating unit that heats the food and the water. The cooking apparatus further includes a control unit operated in such a way as to heat the food and the water at a preset initial output of the heating unit, first to reduce the output of the heating unit to a first reduced output and allow the heated high temperature water to be absorbed into the food after a first preset time has elapsed, and second, to reduce the output of the heating unit to a second reduced output and cook an inside of the food using the high temperature water absorbed into the food after the water has simmered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Boris V. Rayskiy, Tai Eun Kim
  • Patent number: 7164106
    Abstract: A toaster-cum-microwave oven includes a toasting chamber, a heating device, a humidity measuring device for measuring an inside humidity of the toasting chamber and producing a humidity signal indicating the measured inside humidity, a switching device for selectively cutting or allowing a power supply to the heating device, and a controlling device. The controlling device receives the humidity signal, calculates a rate of change of humidity using the humidity signal, compares the rate of change of humidity with a predetermined value, and controls the switching device to cut the power supply to the heating device after a remaining cooking time has lapsed if the rate of change of humidity is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Hak Seok Yu, Seung Hoe Kim
  • Patent number: 7135662
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the operation of a microwave oven, including a magnetron generating microwaves and a sensor sensing the state of air in the cooking cavity of the oven. The cooking period is determined by searching one of two data tables in accordance with a determination result after determining whether food to be cooked is included in ascending slope-type foods or descending slope-type foods. The control method and apparatus remarkably reduces a deviation in the cooking periods by distinguishing the ascending slope-type foods from the descending slope-type foods. The control method and apparatus allows the microwave oven to appropriately cook food for a period of time which substantially matches a practically required cooking period, thus providing a good cooking result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Won-Woo Lee, So-Hyun Lee, Keun-Seuk Oh
  • Patent number: 7075041
    Abstract: A method for controlling a cooking process in a cooking appliance having a sensor for measuring a gas concentration in the cooking chamber and an electric or electronic control system in communication with the sensor and including an evaluation circuit and a memory, includes ascertaining, as a function of a food to be cooked, a cooking end value stored in the memory. An output signal of the sensor is processed using the evaluation circuit so as to generate a cooking quotient. The cooking quotient at a point in time corresponds to a ratio of the first derivative of the output signal with respect to time to a first extreme value of the first derivative of the output signal with respect to time. A value of the cooking quotient is compared to the cooking end value using the evaluation circuit, and an appliance function is triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Miele & Cie. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Kruempelmann, Ulrich Sillmen
  • Patent number: 7053347
    Abstract: A microwave oven, having a humidity sensor and a voltage detecting unit for detecting a change in an output voltage of the humidity sensor, includes: a control unit for receiving a compensated voltage according to a change in temperature supplied from the humidity sensor and a detected voltage supplied from the voltage detecting unit, and determining a cooking time based on a voltage difference between the detected voltage and the compensated voltage. With this configuration, an optimal cooking time based on a being cooked can be calculated by use of the humidity sensor, and the cooking time can be controlled in a stable manner relative to external noise or irregular changes in humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-woo Lee, Gun-su Kim, So-hyun Lee, Jong-chull Shon, Kum-chul Hwang
  • Patent number: 7022958
    Abstract: A high frequency heating apparatus is equipped with an oven hood fan, including a heating chamber for entering/deriving an article to be heated into/from the heating chamber, an electric power supplying apparatus for radiating electromagnetic waves into the heating chamber, a cooling fan for cooling the electric power supplying apparatus, another heat-cooking apparatus operated by gas or electric power, which is installed under an appliance main body, and a ventilation fan for sucking hot air from an air intake port, which is generated from the another heat-cooking apparatus, and for exhausting the sucked hot air. In the apparatus, wind which cools a heat generating unit of the electric power supplying apparatus by the cooling fan is joined onto an air intake path of the ventilation fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Yamauchi, Toshiyuki Ishiguro, Hirofumi Yoshimura, Fumihiko Migaki, Hisahiro Nishitani
  • Patent number: 6974937
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for exhausting pollutant for a microwave oven, the apparatus comprising: a sensor part formed at a predetermined portion of the microwave oven, for detecting fumes and/or moisture contained in polluted air generated during a cooking process; a controller for determining whether or not amount of the fumes and/or moisture detected by the sensor part is greater than a predetermined reference value; and a fan driving part operated, when the amount detected by the controller is greater than the reference value, by a driving signal from the controller and allowing air containing the pollutant to be inhaled and then removed from an interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Seog Tae Kim
  • Patent number: 6963058
    Abstract: A simmering method includes energizing a generator of an oven to raise humidity inside a chamber of the oven to a first level, and performing a simmering operation for a first predetermined amount of time after the humidity reaches the first level, the simmering operation including deenergizing the generator, and energizing the generator after the deenergizing of the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jesse S. Head, Brigid Blocker
  • Patent number: 6953921
    Abstract: A bolometric humidity sensor, cooker having the same applied thereto, and method for controlling the cooker are provided. The bolometric humidity sensor has two static bolometric temperature sensors for detecting humidity more accurately. A cooker may have such a bolometric humidity sensor fitted to one side of a bracket on an air outlet for deflecting air flowing out of the cooker. This arrangement allows for more accurate detection of the humidity in the cooking chamber. A method of controlling a cooker could include the use of such a sensor to permit a cooking time period to differ depending on whether the cooked food is wrapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Sang Doo Kim
  • Patent number: 6884449
    Abstract: A method for controlling a rice cooking operation in a microwave oven including setting up at least one rice cooking operation in the microwave oven based upon the amount of rice and water mixture; heating the rice and the water in a cooking chamber using a magnetron; computing the amount of the rice and the water by measuring a vapor concentration within the cooking chamber; and cooking the rice according to a cooking operation corresponding to the computed amount of rice and water. Further, the present invention provides a microwave oven having at least one rice cooking operation and a method of controlling the same, in which rice is cooked by automatically sensing the amount of rice and water content using the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., LTD
    Inventors: Sung-ho Lee, Young-won Cho, Tae-soo Kim
  • Patent number: 6881936
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method implement automatic cooking, which may automatically cook compote, thus conveniently providing the uniform and optimal cooking quality of compote to a user. The cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity that contains food to be cooked and water therein, and a heating unit that heats the food and the water. The cooking apparatus further includes a control unit operated to heat the food and the water at a preset initial output of the heating unit, to reduce the output of the heating unit to a first reduced output, allow a heated high temperature water to be absorbed into the food after the water is boiled, and to increase and reduce the output of the heating unit in stages to reduce an amount of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Boris V. Rayskiy, Tai Eun Kim
  • Patent number: 6878912
    Abstract: A method of controlling a microwave oven, in which the microwave oven includes a cooking chamber for containing food therein, a cooling fan which circulates air, a magnetron which generates microwaves and a humidity sensor which senses humidity of the cooking chamber. Cooking instruction(s) may be preset or set manually by a user. A first cooking operation is performed while preventing water from boiling off/to overflow by controlling an output power of the magnetron according to the set cooking instruction(s). A time required to perform a later cooking is set according to a time required to perform the first cooking operation. A second cooking operation is performed for the later cook time while controlling the output power of the magnetron to reduce the overall cook time of the food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics, Co., LTD
    Inventors: Sung-Ho Lee, Chul Kim, Young-Won Cho, Tae-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 6878913
    Abstract: A method of controlling a microwave oven, in which the microwave oven includes a cooking chamber for containing food therein, a cooling fan which circulates air, a magnetron which generates microwaves and a humidity sensor which senses humidity of the cooking chamber. Cooking instruction(s) may be preset or set manually by a user. A first cooking operation is performed according to the set cooking instruction(s). A cook time required to perform a second cooking operation is set based on a time required to perform the first cooking operation. The second cooking operation is performed for the cook time while controlling the output power of the magnetron to perform a rapid cooking operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., LTD
    Inventors: Sung-Ho Lee, Chul Kim, Young-Won Cho, Tae-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 6875968
    Abstract: A method of controlling a microwave oven, in which the microwave oven includes a cooking chamber for containing food therein, a cooling fan which circulates air, a magnetron which generates microwaves and a humidity sensor which senses humidity of the cooking chamber. Cooking instruction(s) may be preset or set manually by a user. A first cooking operation is performed while preventing water from boiling off/to overflow by controlling an output power of the magnetron according to the set cooking instruction(s). A time required to perform a second cooking operation is set based on a time required to perform the first cooking operation. The second cooking operation is performed for the second cooking time while steam boiling the food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Ho Lee, Chul Kim, Young-Won Cho, Tae-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 6875969
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a control unit which sets sampling intervals to accumulate humidity values measured by a humidity sensor, and controls a cooking end time of food according to an accumulated humidity value obtained by accumulating the humidity values measured during the set sampling intervals. Accordingly, the microwave oven prevents overcooking of the food, for example, that does not require a further cooking after initial generation of steam thereof. The microwave oven may set sampling intervals through several measurements to improve the reliability thereof. Moreover, the microwave oven may learn an operation of setting sampling intervals according to cooking conditions so as to finish a cooking according to the set sampling intervals where a later set cooking condition corresponds to the learned cooking condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Won-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 6867403
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method automatically cook food, for example, millet, thus conveniently providing the uniform and optimal cooking quality of food to a user. The cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity that contains food to be cooked and water therein, and a heating unit that heats the food and the water. The cooking apparatus further includes a control unit operated to heat the food and the water at a preset initial output of the heating unit, to reduce the output of the heating unit to a first reduced output and cook a surface of the food by allowing a heated high temperature water to be absorbed into the food after the water has boiled, and to reduce the output of the heating unit to a second reduced output and cook an inside of the food using the high temperature water absorbed into the food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Boris V. Rayskiy, Tai Eun Kim
  • Patent number: 6835920
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a magnetron to generate microwaves and a cooking chamber to contain food to be cooked using the generated microwaves. The microwave oven further includes a humidity detector to detect moisture formed from the food being cooked. The humidity detector is provided at air outlets of the cooking chamber, and includes first and second electrodes formed on a board to be space apart from each other at a predetermined interval to form a gap therebetween. The control unit of the microwave oven controls the cooking operation of the microwave oven according to the output of the humidity detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., LTD
    Inventor: Jong-Chull Shon
  • Patent number: 6806449
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of controlling a microwave oven includes performing a first heating until detection values of a humidity sensor reach a reference value, wherein the humidity sensor senses humidity of water vapor discharged from a cooking chamber. A second heating is performed, lower than the first heating, after the detection values reach the reference value using an output power from a magnetron. A surrounding humidity condition of the microwave oven is determined. The reference value of the first heating is reset so as to cook food appropriately according to the determined humidity condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Ho Lee, Young-Won Cho, Han-Seong Kang, Kyung-Hoo Hahm, Too-Soo Kim
  • Publication number: 20040178193
    Abstract: A method of microwave treatment of wood with a moisture content (based on dry weight) of at least 12% for rapid drying and stress relief which includes determining an area of the wood that is not to be treated, selectively subjecting a surface of the wood outside said determined area to microwave radiation at a frequency (f) in the range of from about 0.1 to about 24 GHz to provide a modified wood zone having increased permeability relative to the untreated wood, wherein said zone is located in an exterior shell of the wood and has wooden rays directed from the core of the wood to the irradiated surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Grigory Torgovnikov, Peter Vinden
  • Patent number: 6791070
    Abstract: A method of performing a simmer cooking operation in a microwave oven is based on detected levels of humidity from a sensor and an algorithm automatically calculating a cooking time such that a desired cooking operation is optimally performed. A third heating operation is performed at about 30% of the maximum power level of the microwave oven. The third heating operation is performed for an amount of time equal to a sum of an amount of time during which first and second heating operations are performed adjusted by a predetermined constant. The total heating time is calculated and controlled by adding the amount of time during which the third heating operation is performed to the time during which the first and second heating operations are performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Kwang Hwa Kim
  • Patent number: 6787743
    Abstract: Ginkgo leaves contain many beneficial chemicals which can be transferred into a preparation of tea. However, the leaves contain 2-hexenal, a chemical which is toxic and has an unpleasant taste. Therefore, removal of the 2-hexenal is an essential step for the tea production. This removal is accomplished in this invention by a microwave apparatus, which has the advantage of a rapid rate of treatment at great energy efficiency. Therefore, this invention provides an effective means for large scale ginkgo leaf tea production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Inventor: Pao-Hsien Fang
  • Patent number: 6774347
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a humidity sensor, a main-outlet and a sub-outlet formed at opposite sidewalls of a cooking cavity such that the cooking cavity communicates with the atmosphere through the main-outlet and the sub-outlet. The sub-outlet is installed in a machine room adjacent an air inlet side of a cooling fan. The humidity sensor is installed in the machine room at a position adjacent to the sub-outlet and senses the humidity of air inside the cooking cavity by sensing the humidity of a part of the air discharged from the cooking cavity through the sub-outlet. The surface of the humidity sensor is less likely to be easily contaminated by the air exhausted from the cooking cavity, moisture deposited on the surface of the humidity sensor 60 is quickly evaporated so that the humidity sensor performs its desired operation even when the microwave oven sequentially performs several cooking processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Keun-Seuk Oh, So-Hyun Lee, Won-Woo Lee
  • Publication number: 20040104224
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method automatically cook food, for example, millet, thus conveniently providing the uniform and optimal cooking quality of food to a user. The cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity that contains food to be cooked and water therein, and a heating unit that heats the food and the water. The cooking apparatus further includes a control unit operated to heat the food and the water at a preset initial output of the heating unit, to reduce the output of the heating unit to a first reduced output and cook a surface of the food by allowing a heated high temperature water to be absorbed into the food after the water has boiled, and to reduce the output of the heating unit to a second reduced output and cook an inside of the food using the high temperature water absorbed into the food.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Applicant: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Boris V. Rayskiy, Tai Eun Kim
  • Publication number: 20040104222
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a control unit which sets sampling intervals to accumulate humidity values measured by a humidity sensor, and controls a cooking end time of food according to an accumulated humidity value obtained by accumulating the humidity values measured during the set sampling intervals. Accordingly, the microwave oven prevents overcooking of the food, for example, that does not require a further cooking after initial generation of steam thereof. The microwave oven may set sampling intervals through several measurements to improve the reliability thereof. Moreover, the microwave oven may learn an operation of setting sampling intervals according to cooking conditions so as to finish a cooking according to the set sampling intervals where a later set cooking condition corresponds to the learned cooking condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Won-Woo Lee
  • Publication number: 20040104223
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method implement automatic cooking, which may automatically cook compote, thus conveniently providing the uniform and optimal cooking quality of compote to a user. The cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity that contains food to be cooked and water therein, and a heating unit that heats the food and the water. The cooking apparatus further includes a control unit operated to heat the food and the water at a preset initial output of the heating unit, to reduce the output of the heating unit to a first reduced output, allow a heated high temperature water to be absorbed into the food after the water is boiled, and to increase and reduce the output of the heating unit in stages to reduce an amount of the water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Applicant: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Boris V. Rayskiy, Tai Eun Kim
  • Patent number: 6689996
    Abstract: A microwave oven having an improved air outlet and humidity sensor mounting structure includes a body partitioned in its interior into a cooking cavity and a machine room, and a cooling fan installed in the machine room which draws atmospheric air into the cooking cavity while cooling a variety of elements installed in the machine room. In the microwave oven, an air outlet unit discharges air from the cooking cavity, and the humidity sensor senses a cooking atmosphere of the cooking cavity. This microwave oven further comprises a control unit which determines the conditions of food in response to automatically or manually inputted information, and controls the rpm of the cooling fan in response to the determined conditions of the food so as to improve the sensing performance of the humidity sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Kaun-Beuk Oh, So-Hyun Lee, Won-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 6670591
    Abstract: A microwave oven performs a cooking operation in one of several cooking modes having a first cooking time period and a second cooking time period. The first cooking time period is determined in accordance with an output value of a sensor which senses a state of air in a cooking cavity of the microwave oven. The second cooking time period is determined in accordance with the first cooking time period such that the first and second cooking time periods are expressed by a functional relation. The cooking modes include a standard mode with a standard second cooking time period, a high mode with a longer cooking time than the standard second cooking time period, and a low mode with a shorter cooking time than the standard second cooking time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Won-Woo Lee, So-Hyun Lee, Keun-Seuk Oh
  • Patent number: 6642491
    Abstract: A process for controlling a cooking operation in a microwave oven as well as a microwave oven therefor. Subsequent to a heating step at full power for bringing cooking liquid to the boil, foodstuff which is to be cooked is added, whereupon continued moisture sensor controlled heating begins, initially at full power, until boiling resumes, whereupon moisture sensor controlled simmering/boiling takes place during a cooking time. During an initial time period of the continued moisture sensor controlled heating, the moisture sensor action is inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Per Åke Törngren, Birgitta Tua Kidblad, Anders Reinhold Wikstrom
  • Publication number: 20030192885
    Abstract: A microwave oven performs a cooking operation in one of several cooking modes having a first cooking time period and a second cooking time period. The first cooking time period is determined in accordance with an output value of a sensor which senses a state of air in a cooking cavity of the microwave oven. The second cooking time period is determined in accordance with the first cooking time period such that the first and second cooking time periods are expressed by a functional relation. The cooking modes include a standard mode with a standard second cooking time period, a high mode with a longer cooking time than the standard second cooking time period, and a low mode with a shorter cooking time than the standard second cooking time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Won-Woo Lee, So-Hyun Lee, Keun-Seuk Oh
  • Publication number: 20030189040
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of controlling a microwave oven includes performing a first heating until detection values of a humidity sensor reach a reference value, wherein the humidity sensor senses humidity of water vapor discharged from a cooking chamber. A second heating is performed, lower than the first heating, after the detection values reach the reference value using an output power from a magnetron. A surrounding humidity condition of the microwave oven is determined. The reference value of the first heating is reset so as to cook food appropriately according to the determined humidity condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung-Ho Lee, Young-Won Cho, Hon-Seong Kang, Kyung-Hoo Hahm, Too-Soo Kim