Abstract: Portable turntable and drive motor assembly for use in microwave ovens. The drive motor assembly is positioned to one side of the turntable platform and has a low profile so that it will not interfere with the rotation of overhanging objects on the platform. In the principal embodiment disclosed, the drive motor is spring powered.

Abstract: Absorptive tape or gasket for microwave ovens, set up in the leakage path of microwave energy, and filling at least partially such passage, consisting in an absorptive magnetic compound:where the compound consists in a powder or mixture of powders of ferrites, in an organic matrix (such as a plastic, rubber, polymer, etc.), where this or these ferrite(s) is (are) represented by the general formula MO(Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3),where M represents a bivalent metal, or mixture of bivalent metals, such as Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mg, with a weight percentage of over 80%, and where this compound does present no resonance effects, i.e. presents a Q-factor substantially equal or less than unity, over the frequency range of 2,45 to over 12 GHz.

Abstract: A shuttered card-edge type IC card including a base having springs therein and a circuit board, a shutter and a cover provided in succession on at least one surface of the base. The base is formed with guide grooves and guide and spring receiving grooves. The springs are located in the guide and spring receiving grooves to close the shutter. The shutter is provided with pawls to be fitted in the guide grooves, respectively, for guiding the pawls in the guide grooves. The shutter is further provided with spring bias plates to be fitted in the guide and spring receiving grooves, respectively, for guiding the spring bias plates in the guide and spring receiving grooves and biasing the spring bias plates by the springs located therein. The connector comprises ridges located corresponding to the guide grooves of the base of the IC card and to be fitted in the guide grooves. The shutter of this IC card is not easily opened even if any member contacts the card in carrying or using it.

Abstract: Bar codes and auxiliary characters representative of the contents of the bar codes are printed on an article which is limited with respect to the available space in distinguishably recognizable and superposed relations. By selecting appropriately the lightness of the auxiliary characters, reflected light resulting from scanning of the bar code is converted into an electrical signal which is subsequently converted into a binary signal with the signal components due to the auxiliary characters being neglected, to thereby extract only the signal originating in the bar code. A bar code reader is provided which comprises an A/D converter for compensating the output of bar code detection due to the character pattern superposed on the bar code.

Abstract: An optical type record card reader according to the present invention is provided with a line sensor (10) for reading an information by a reflected light from a track of an optical type record card (1) irradiated by a light source (4) and in which optical type record card an information is recorded on a record medium (1A) as a plurality of parallel tracks which can be read out optically, a cylindrical lens (11) located rotatably between the optical type record card (1) and the line sensor (10) and an azimuth error detecting circuit for detecting an azimuth error generated between the track and the line sensor (10), wherein the cylindrical lens (11) is rotated by the detected output of the azimuth error detecting circuit to thereby correct the azimuth error. Thus, it becomes possible to correct the azimuth error of the projected image a sub-track of the optical type record card onto the line sensor smoothly, highly precisely and rapidly by the rotation of the cylindrical lens.

Abstract: Liquid-phase moisture is detected in sealed integrated circuit packages by measuring the conductance and capacitance of the integrated circuit at a temperature which is above temperatures which allow moisture to condense; and remeasuring the conductance and capacitance of the integrated circuit at a temperature which allows any moisture present to condense on the integrated circuit. The conductance of the integrated circuit is expected to rise sharply with the condensation of water on its surface.

Abstract: An oven includes two tungsten-halogen lamp units strategically positioned, so that infra-red radiation generated by the units is emitted into the oven cavity to brown or grill food placed in the cavity. The cavity also includes, in one embodiment, an infra-red-reflective support for reflecting infra-red radiation emitted from the lamp units onto the underside of the food. In another embodiment, the support includes a heat transfer medium for absorbing infra-red radiation from the lamp units to produce heat and convey the heat to the underside of the food for browning. The oven may include a source of microwave energy and the support may have a microwave absorbent coating, which produces heat for browning the underside of the food.

Abstract: A heat variation detecting circuit, for use with a heat sensor in a microwave oven, comprises a heat sensor, temperature memorizing registers and control comparators. The temperature sensed by the heat sensor is converted via an A/D converter into a digital signal and is memorized in a present temperature register. A buffer register and a prior temperature register will then compare via at a comparator the present and prior temperatures to give a Reset or Enable signal at the comparator in accordance with coincidence or noncoincidence of the temperatures between the present and the prior temperatures in order to control a temperature error counter. The output of the temperature error counter together with the output of the presetting register controls a comparing unit for producing a signal for control of the Magnetron.

Abstract: A time domain reflectometer (TDR) for making impedance measurements on a powered transmission line cable system. The TDR is particularly useful for measuring impedance discontinuities on a powered Ethernet system. A negative test pulse is provided to ensure that any positive reflections do not exceed the upper voltage limit of the transceivers. The TDR selectively applies a negative bias to the transmission line cable below the collision detection threshold in order to disable all transceivers and prevent network interference with the TDR measurements. The negative DC bias also provides additional headroom for positive pulse reflections.

Abstract: This relates to the induction heating of metal shapes and coils of metal strip wherein the element to be heated functions as a shorted out armature of a D.C. generator. Either the metal shape to be heated or field forming magnets are moved relative to each other wherein the metal shape cuts the flux field to effect an induced generation of electricity within the shape. The frequency of the induced current is such wherein the electrical energy is induced into the metal shape on the order of one third of the thickness of that shape wherein a most efficient conduction of the heat from the electrical energy is effected with a minimum heat loss to the atmosphere. The voltage involved is low while there is a very high amperance. The frequency of the induced current will normally be on the order of one to ten hertz and less than sixty hertz. The relative movement between the field and the shape to be heated may be rotary or linear.

Abstract: A microwave heating device for using microwave energy to heat a high polymer material or the like being conveyed under pressure comprises a hollow, cylindrical microwave waveguide closed at one end and having a metallic shell capable of withstanding high internal pressures, a pressure partition made from a dielectric material provided within said waveguide near an open end thereof so as to define a sealed space between itself and the closed end of said waveguide and to define a path for introduction of microwaves between itself and the open end of said waveguide, a solid or liquid dielectric packing material filling said sealed space and thereby forming a packed dielectric region, said packing material having a lower specific inductive capacity than that of the material to be heated, a passage for pressurized conveyance of the material to be heated, said passage running transversely through said waveguide at said packed dielectric region thereof, and a microwave generator for transmitting microwaves into said

Abstract: A universal sensor includes a dielectric substrate, a curved surface capacitive plate mounted to the substrate and responsive to the electromagnetic field (EMF) of an integral coil ignition system, and a rotatable lever arm mounted to the substrate and having wire holders for receiving the EMF of spark plug wires of a distributorless ignition system (DIS)ignition, the arm operable in a closed position to conduct the DIS EMF to the plate, and operable in an open position for securing a standard ignition coil secondary wire between the arm and the plate allowing the standard wire EMF to be coupled to the capacitive plate.

Abstract: The invention is a method for forming package blanks incorporating selectively located microwave absorbing areas for crisping and/or browning one or more surfaces of a packaged product. Successive lengths of an extended web of thin, microwave transparent film are transported past means for depositing a thin layer of microwave energy absorbing material on one side of the film while masking selected areas of the film web by masks placed adjacent the film surface on which the microwave absorbing layer is deposited. No microwave absorbing material is deposited in the selected masked areas. Successive lengths of the resulting film are laminated onto an extended web of flexible dielectric packaging material with the microwave absorbing layer sandwiched between the film and the flexible dielectric packaging material. Thereafter, successive lengths of the resulting laminated web are fed through a die cutting machine that cuts one or more package blanks from the laminated web.

Abstract: A heating oven has a weighing apparatus, and a weight of a food material placed on a tray in a heating cavity is conveyed by Roberval mechanism. The conveyed weight is measured by the weighing apparatus, and the heating oven controls heating time, heating power and the like responding to the measured weight of the food stuff.

Abstract: A high-frequency induction system can generally be achieved by detecting noise superimposed on AC power supply which might induce voltages exceeding the given break-down voltage of a switching device and in such cases by temporarily shutting off the power supply to the induction heating system. To implement this, a high-frequency induction heating system, according to the invention, is provided with a noise detector circuit connected to the output terminal of a rectifying circuit rectifying said input AC voltage. The noise detector is designed to detect noise pulses superimposed on an input AC voltage. The induction heating system of the present invention also includes means for disabling a switching device. The disabling means responds to detection of a noise pulse by the noise detector by disabling the switching device and whereby protects the circuit of the induction heating system.

Abstract: A mechanism for driving a turntable in a heating apparatus uses a motor with the characteristic of reversing its direction of rotation when a load greater than its output torque is applied to its shaft. The shaft is engaged with a coupling member attached to the turntable but a gap is provided between the shaft and the coupling member such that they can rotate with respect to each other by a predetermined maximum idling angle before a power-communicating relationship is established between them. This maximum idling angle is set greater than the angle of rotation of the shaft necessary for the output torque of the motor to reach the starting torque of the coupling member.

Abstract: A microwave hot water kettle employing a three magnetron source housed in an accylene or plastic shell having a metallic outer casing. Uniformly distributed throughout the kettle are thin hollow platelets which hold the water to be heated. The reflective outer casing in conjunction with the three magnetron source provides near instantaneous heating of the water without cold spots. The kettle incorporates features for thermostatically controlling water temperature and providing pressure relief of the steam generated.

Abstract: An induction heating coil for a zone pulling of semiconductor rods assures the disturbance-free performance of the pulling process even at the high power densities required for large rod diameters (approximately 10 to 12 cm). According to the invention, the arc-over paths between surfaces in the region of the coil slot, which are at differing potentials, are covered by one or more movable planar structures of temperature-stable insulating material which are introduced into the coil slot.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the temperature in a heating system comprising a cooking pot with cooking material positioned on a hot plate where a radiation receiver is arranged at a distance from the wall of the cooking pot and aligned with it, which receiver produces a temperature measurement signal corresponding to the temperature of the cooking material in the cooking pot. The temperature measurement signal is derived from a detected radiation area on the wall of the cooking pot which corresponds to the radiation measuring field of the radiation receiver. The effect of different distances of the cooking pot from the radiation receiver is automatically compensated for by aligning the center axis of the radiation measurement field at an acute angle to the support surface of the hot plate, so that the distance of the center of the detected radiation area from the bottom of the cooking pot increases with an increasing distance of the wall of the cooking pot from the radiation receiver.

Abstract: A method and package assembly for retailing and microwave heating of a breaded food product is provided. The package assembly includes a container with an interior surface composed of a microwave interactive material. The container bottom has inlet air openings and the container top has outlet air openings therein. The container also has a support member for supporting the food product in order to minimize the degree of contact between the food product and the container and the support member. The container is adapted to rest on an exterior packaging sleeve whereby a generally verticle air flow pathway is provided through the container to promote convection heating and crisping of the breaded surface portion of the food product during microwave heating.