Patents Examined by Philip H. Leung
  • Patent number: 7030349
    Abstract: A combination oven includes radiant cooking lamps and a magnetron for delivering cooking energy to a cooking cavity. The oven is operable in a speed cooking mode utilizing both radiant and microwave energy, a microwave only cooking mode utilizing only microwave energy, and a radiant only cooking mode utilizing only radiant energy. A radiant cooking element is briefly energized upon user command during microwave only cooking modes and lower power radiant cooking modes to illuminate the cooking cavity for visualization of cooking in progress. A duration of cavity illumination is limited to prevent cooking of food during cavity illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Todd Vincent Graves, Dennis Patrick Kill, Jesse Spalding Head, Charles Ray Smith
  • Patent number: 7030345
    Abstract: A heating apparatus, for heating a material P to be heated by heat from a heat generation member which has a predetermined curie temperature characteristic and generates heat by magnetic flux produced by a magnetic flux generation device. The apparatus includes a discrimination device for discriminating whether or not the curie temperature characteristic of the heat generation member is a predetermined characteristic and a control device for terminating the supply of electric power to the magnetic flux generation device when the discrimination device determines that the curie temperature characteristic is not the predetermined characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroto Nishihara, Manabu Yamauchi, Kenji Fukushi, Yasuyuki Aiko, Hidehiko Kinoshita, Tomoichiro Ohta, Takamitsu Hirayama
  • Patent number: 7030347
    Abstract: A microwave oven, which has a circular polarized wave stirrer for uniformly heating food, is disclosed. The microwave oven includes a magnetron generating electromagnetic waves, a waveguide guiding the electromagnetic waves generated from the magnetron to a cavity, and a stirrer formed to an outlet of the waveguide, receiving electromagnetic waves from the magnetron, and generating two polarized waves having different electric field directions and phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Won Hui Lee, Eung Su Kim
  • Patent number: 7026587
    Abstract: A composite cooking apparatus having a body, a heating unit, and an induction heating unit. The heating unit is positioned in the body to generate heat used to heat food. The induction heating unit is positioned adjacent to the heating unit to generate a magnetic field to cook the food by induction heating. The induction heating unit has at least one wire, a coating of which is exposed to an electron beam to strengthen a heat resistance thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ha Yeong Yang, Jun Young Lee, Dong Lyoul Shin, Jung Eui Hoh, Jong Gun Kim, Alexandr Narbut
  • Patent number: 7026586
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus has an excitation coil disposed adjacent the heating element; a voltage source for applying to the excitation coil a high frequency electric power provided by modulating an input AC electric power with a high frequency, wherein the heating element is heated by induction by the excitation coil supplied with the high frequency electric power, wherein the heating element has a characteristic frequency which is unequal to integer multiple s of a frequency of the AC electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masashi Oyumi
  • Patent number: 7026585
    Abstract: The performance of a magnetic pulse forming or welding process is monitored by positioning a deformation member relative to an inductor coil of the apparatus, then energizing the inductor coil to exert a force thereon. The deformation member can be a plastically deformable tube, and the amount of such plastic deformation that occurs when the inductor coil is energized can be measured to determine the magnitude of the force that is generated by the inductor coil. Alternatively, the deformation member can be an elastically deformable body, and the amount of such elastic deformation that occurs when the inductor coil is energized can be measured to determine the magnitude of the force that is generated by the inductor coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Torque-Traction Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Boris A. Yablochnikov, Aleksey B. Yablochnikov
  • Patent number: 7022953
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for efficient heating fluid by using electromagnetic energy, the fluid is passed into a channeling structure within a region of space illuminated with electromagnetic energy uniformly, equally and simultaneously for rapid heating. Electromagnetic energy penetrates the fluid and causes it to heat. Structure in close proximity to the fluid in the channeling structure efficiently converts electromagnetic energy to heat to further heat the fluid to obtain a substantially homogeneous final desired temperature. The fluid is moved through the channeling structure creating turbulent to maximize the transfer of electromagnetic energy to the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Fyne Industries, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Khanh Kim Nguyen, Thanh Van Pham
  • Patent number: 7022954
    Abstract: Heating a printing substance and/or toner, in an electrophotographic printer, with a standing microwave formed by at least one cavity resonator, with the printed matter being caused to move through the resonator gap. The power distribution of the microwave applied by the resonator is shaped and configured for specific application requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Knut Behnke, Frank-Michael Morgenweck, Domingo Rohde, Lars Seimetz, José Manuel Catalá-Civera
  • 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: 7019270
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing electrical noise in an electrical signal from a temperature feedback device to an induction heating system. The induction heating system has an electrical connector that is adapted to electrically couple a temperature feedback device to a system controller and to ground via a capacitor circuit. The capacitor circuit shunts electrical noise to ground but allows a temperature signal from the temperature feedback device to be received by the system controller. A shielded extension cable to electrically couple the temperature feedback device to an induction heating system may be used. The shielding of the extension cable is electrically coupled to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Paul D. Verhagen
  • Patent number: 7019272
    Abstract: A wall mounted type microwave oven having an external enclosure including a bottom closure wall which includes a suction opening and a top vent opening and an oven cavity which is supported within the external enclosure. The oven cavity has a rearwardly stepped portion to maximize the usable space provided within the oven cavity. An air exhaust air path is formed between the external enclosure and the oven cavity and includes a bottom plenum, a pair of rear air channels and an upper plenum. The rearwardly stepped area divides the space between the oven cavity and the external enclosure into the two rear air channels. At least one blower is provided within the external enclosure for drawing air into the bottom plenum through the suction opening and exhausting the air out through a top exhaust opening which forms part of the top vent opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Eckart Wilhelm Braunisch, Per Törngren, Hans Lundstrom, Hans Lindgren, Hakan Carlsson
  • Patent number: 7019271
    Abstract: The combination of insulating material with microwave interactive food packaging for enhanced cooking properties is disclosed. An insulating microwave packaging material (200) and a method of making the same are also disclosed. In one embodiment, the insulating microwave packaging material (200) is formed by bonding a microwave interactive material substrate (205) that creates sensible heat upon exposure to microwave energy to a second substrate (210) along bond lines (212) arranged in a pattern to form closed cells (214). Upon impingement of the insulating microwave packaging material (200) by microwave energy in a microwave oven, the closed cells (214) expand to form insulating pockets (216). One side of the insulating pocket (216) bulges and lofts above the opposite side. When a food product is situated on the insulating microwave packaging material (200), the insulating pockets (216) insulate the food product from the microwave oven environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick H. Wnek, Terrence P. Lafferty, Richard G. Robison, Lorin R. Cole, Brian R. O'Hagan, Scott W. Middleton
  • Patent number: 7015440
    Abstract: A microwave oven and a method of controlling the same, in which a cooking unit disposed in a cooking cavity is moved from an initial position to a cooking position. In the microwave oven, a magnetron is operated after heaters are moved to respective cooking positions where a rotating unit to move the heaters and the magnetron are operated. Accordingly, microwaves are radiated into the cooking cavity while the heaters are not being moved by the rotating unit, so a generation of heat and sparks resulting from a concentration of the microwaves into spaces between a moving unit including the rotating unit and the cooking unit and between the moving unit and a wall of the cooking cavity is preventable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Han-Gyu Ryu
  • Patent number: 7015439
    Abstract: A workpiece heating system having an induction heating power source and a controller. The controller is operable to control the operation of the power source according to programming instructions received from a user. The controller enables a user to establish a sequence of inductive heating operations to be performed automatically by the induction heating system from among a selection of inductive heating operations. A temperature feedback device may be included to provide the controller with the workpiece temperature. A data recorder may be provided to receive and record the workpiece temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Thomas, Randall G. Baxter, Mark A. Ulrich, Paul D. Verhagen
  • Patent number: 7015436
    Abstract: An apparatus for the heat treatment of foodstuffs and feedstuffs, in particular for the production of bakery products, such as wafer products, has a continuously moving conveying device, a device for depositing the product on the conveying device, and a device for removing the heat-treated product from the conveying device. The conveying device is formed by an endless conveyor belt that can be circulated between two return rollers and which is formed by a ferromagnetic metal strip, in particular by a steel strip. A heating device is provided on one side of the conveyor belt and includes a group of induction heaters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Masterfoods Austria OHG
    Inventors: Rudolf Fila, Joseph Roeckel, Garry Dean Moppett, Stefan Trojer
  • Patent number: 7015435
    Abstract: A method for securing components of a vehicular driveshaft includes disposing a neck of an end fitting into the open end of a driveshaft tube. The end fitting is held with respect to the driveshaft tube so that an annular gap is formed between the neck and the driveshaft tube. An inductor is provided about the driveshaft tube adjacent the end receiving the neck. The inductor is energized to generate a magnetic field for collapsing the driveshaft tube about the neck at a high velocity so that the driveshaft tube and the end fitting are welded to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Torque-Traction Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Boris A. Yablochnikov
  • Patent number: 7012228
    Abstract: A microwave oven comprises a magnetron for delivering microwave power to a cavity of the oven, a rotatable phase modular (19) an electrical resistance heating element (12) and a rotatable fan (20) for forcing air over the resistance heating element (12) and though the cavity. The phase modulator (19) and the fan (20) are mounted on a common driveshaft (18). A matchplate (9) is mounted in the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Microwave Ovens Limited
    Inventors: Kenneth Ian Eke, Graham Christopher Eke
  • Patent number: 7012232
    Abstract: An RF welder is disclosed that has circuitry that automatically affects system impedance so that, throughout the welding or embossing cycle, a generator is capable of sending energy through die and fabric at a predetermined frequency and cabling is capable of dissipating a load that is less than a preselected amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Inventors: Mark Gruenspecht, Timothy Hopper
  • Patent number: 7012231
    Abstract: A system and method for thermally expanding a product submerged in heating medium located in an internal compartment of a microwave oven. The heating medium is subjected to low doses of micro-radiation in order to become heated and thermally expand the encapsulated product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: SPX Corporation
    Inventor: Anthony Reale
  • Patent number: 7012227
    Abstract: A method of applying or repairing a coating on a substrate by inductive heating. A susceptor element is applied on the coating and the element and the substrate are inductively energized to cause the substrate and the coating to be heated. The susceptor element is removed from the heated coating before applying the coating or applying a patch to the coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: ShawCor, Ltd.
    Inventors: Amarjit Tathgur, Dilip K. Tailor, David Seepersaud