Patents Examined by Philip H. Leung
  • Patent number: 6903315
    Abstract: In a method for wrapping an article in a sheet of thermoplastic wrapping material, the temperature of an at least partly metal belt (5) looped and induction heated to seal wrapping material (4) is detected by detecting a first signal (S1) to the voltage (V) applied to the belt (5), and a second signal (S2) related to the current (I) circulating along the belt (5); and by calculating the electric resistance (R) of the belt (5) as a function of the first and second signal (S1, S2); the electric resistance (R) of the belt (5) being related to the temperature (T) of the belt (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: G. D Societa' per Azioni
    Inventors: Mario Spatafora, Bruno Tommasini
  • Patent number: 6900421
    Abstract: A surgical and dental instrument sterilizer is described. Liquid water is rapidly vaporized by microwave heating and steam is generated to attain a steam pressure of approximately 47 psi and a temperature of approximately 135° C. in the region of the articles to be sterilized. Micron-size water-droplets are intermittently sprayed onto the articles which are arranged on a tray, from both the top and from underneath thereof so as to thoroughly wet the surfaces. A 30-90 s duration of droplet spray is followed by pulsed microwave irradiation of the top and underneath surfaces for a similar period, as an example; this is followed by a plurality of spray/microwave cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Ecofriend Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Ravi Varma
  • Patent number: 6900422
    Abstract: A microwave device includes a cooking space disposed in a housing, at least one microwave source, and at least one further radiation source, as an alternative to the microwave source, which is protected from microwaves from the microwave source by a shielding grid. At least one grid wall of the shielding grid has a radiation reflector by which it is possible for rays from the alternative radiation source to be reflected into the cooking space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Herold, Katrin Horn, Kurt Lintner, Martin Schulte, Martin Thaler
  • Patent number: 6900424
    Abstract: A microwave delivery system for a cooking appliance includes a toroidal waveguide, a launching zone and a waveguide cover. The launching zone includes opposing top, bottom and side walls that form a pathway for a microwave energy field to travel from a magnetron through the waveguide and into a cooking chamber. In accordance with one aspect of the overall invention, the bottom wall of the launching zone is aligned with a bottom surface of the waveguide to establish a direct conducting surface for the microwave energy field. The waveguide cover shields a hollow interior portion of the waveguide from cooking byproducts generated in the cooking chamber during a cooking process. The waveguide cover is preferably constituted by a metallic conductor having a finish that enhances the microwave energy field distribution in the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Arntz, Dennis Michael Brandon Burns, Damien L. Esprit, Trieu Huynh, Sondra Denice Proffitt, Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6900420
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an induction heating coil comprising a litz cable which is wound into a spiral to form a bobbin, and means for cooling said cable indirectly. The litz cable is arranged to be cooled by means of an indirect cooling system that comprises a tube which is wound in an intermeshed fashion with the windings of the litz cable. The present invention relates also to a method on a paper or board machine or on a paper finishing machine, in which method at least one induction heating coil comprising a wound litz cable is used for heating a component, and said coil is cooled indirectly by a cooling medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignees: Metso Automation Oy, EFD Induction a.s.
    Inventors: Leif Markegård, Lars Andersson, Risto Säynäväjärvi, Pekka Höyssä
  • Patent number: 6894259
    Abstract: A wall-mounted type microwave oven to prevent deformation and drooping of an outer cabinet thereof. The microwave oven includes an outer cabinet defining an outer appearance of the wall-mounted type microwave oven, and an inner cabinet disposed in the outer cabinet with a predetermined spacing therebetween. The inner cabinet includes a hanger member extending from the inner cabinet to allow the inner cabinet to be secured to an installation base, and a fastening device to secure the hanger member to the installation base. The hanger member secures the inner cabinet as well as the outer cabinet to the installation base. A weight of the wall-mounted type microwave oven is distributed to the outer cabinet and the inner cabinet, thereby preventing deformation of the outer cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Se-Hun Lee
  • Patent number: 6894256
    Abstract: An apparatus in the production of a package or a packaging material comprising at least one metal layer and one polymer layer, the apparatus including an inductor connectable to a high frequency current source. According to the invention, said inductor includes a core (1) of a ferromagnetically conductive material, the core displaying two shanks (5a, 5b) with an air gap (6) between a first respective end of these shanks (5a, 5b), as well as an arc section (7) which interconnects a second respective end of the two shanks (5a, 5b) with each other for conducting a magnetic flow (8) between the shanks, the arc section (7) displaying an electrically conductive coil (2) wound around same, the coil displaying connection points (3a, 3b, 11a, 11b, 11c) for said high frequency current source (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventor: Gyula Balla
  • Patent number: 6891137
    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: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Torque-Traction Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Boris A. Yablochnikov
  • Patent number: 6888114
    Abstract: In order to reduce reflected waves and improve heating matching, a microwave heating apparatus is equipped with at least one cone-shaped, bell-shaped, pyramid-shaped or similarly shaped waveguide, a reflector apparatus provided inside the waveguide, and a reflection diffusion apparatus provided inside the oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Inventor: Shunichi Yagi
  • Patent number: 6884975
    Abstract: A system and method inductively heats and stress relieves a weld joint area having a stress induced zone. A susceptor assembly is positioned over the stress induced zone. The susceptor assembly includes susceptor sheets manufactured to operate at different, preselected Curie temperatures. A housing is mounted over the susceptor assembly including an induction coil positioned adjacent to the susceptor assembly. An alternating electric current is applied to the induction coil. The alternating electric current causes the induction coil to generate a plurality of magnetic flux lines. The invention provides the advantage that the magnetic flux lines passing through the susceptor assembly heat the susceptor assembly providing localized and controlled temperature heat to the weld joint area to stress relieve the stress induced zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Marc R. Matsen, Terry L. Smith
  • Patent number: 6884979
    Abstract: A microwave oven and a method for heating a load which is placed therein. According to the invention a predetermined mode in the cavity of a microwave oven is fed by means of an associated feeding port which is arranged to feed essentially the intended mode only, the feeding of a mode other than the intended, predetermined mode being essentially prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Per Törngren, Ulf Nordh, Håkan Carlsson, Roland Ekinge
  • Patent number: 6884977
    Abstract: A variable-frequency inverter microwave oven and a method for controlling the same. The inverter microwave oven comprises a magnetron for generating electromagnetic waves, a direct current (DC) voltage generator for rectifying and smoothing a commercial alternating current (AC) voltage, which is an inverter drive voltage, to generate a DC voltage, and a switching device for performing a switching operation based on the DC voltage from the DC voltage generator to generate an AC voltage for the driving of the magnetron. The switching device includes a plurality of switches turned on/off in response to the DC voltage from the DC voltage generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronic Inc
    Inventors: Sung Jin Han, Dong Myung Shin
  • 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: 6878910
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a body which defines an appearance of the microwave oven, a cooking cavity provided therein, a microwave-supplying unit which generates microwaves to irradiate the microwaves into the cooking cavity, a plurality of vent holes which are formed on a sidewall of the cooking cavity to ventilate the cooking cavity, a water collecting depression which is formed on a bottom of the cooking cavity to contain water therein to generate steam, and a vent hole control unit which selectively closes the vent holes. During a steam cleaning operation of the microwave oven, the vent holes are closed to prevent a leakage of the steam from the cooking cavity to the outside of the microwave oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyang-Ki Kim, In Ki Jeon, Sung Kwang Kim
  • Patent number: 6875966
    Abstract: A portable induction tool is provided for soldering or brazing sections of metal pipe together. A work coil head (with induction coil) is U-shaped, allowing placement of the head around lengths of pipe, heating a susceptor (e.g., the pipe) to form a joint, and then to be withdrawn after the pipe joint is made. In one form, the tool uses heat pipes to remove thermal energy from the head, and also a heat exchanger for higher-powered units. Power capacitors are generally included with the induction (work) coil to create a tank circuit of a resonant frequency. The induction coil uses Litz wire, copper tubing, or heat pipes with a conductive outer skin to carry the high-current being delivered to the induction coil. The induction coil has a general racetrack configuration, which is typically wound in a U-shape (or as a semicircle) as a single winding, with multiple turns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Nexicor LLC
    Inventors: John P. Barber, Robert C. Cravens, II, Antonios Challita, Susan A. Stanton
  • 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: 6872926
    Abstract: A rapid cook convection oven is constructed to efficiently cook a food item by breaking down a thermal insulation layer maintained about the food, while effectively removing contaminates from within a convection air flow. The rapid cook oven preferably includes both a microwave cooking system and a convection cooking system. The convection cooking system is provided with a dual flow fan adapted to simultaneously draw in an oven air flow from a cooking chamber and a fresh air flow from the surroundings. In order to reduce the presence of contaminates and, by extension, smoke, the two air flows are combined in a mixing chamber and passed over a heating element arranged within a combustion chamber prior to re-entry into the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Arntz, Dennis Michael Brandon Burns, Sondra Denice Proffitt, Herbert Dustin Sims, William Darryl Sneed, Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6872928
    Abstract: A microwave oven is adapted to hingeably couple a door to an oven body, while preventing microwaves from leaking between a door frame and a shield plate included in the door. The microwave oven includes a door hinge bracket having a pair of door-side hinge members and a connecting member adapted to connect the door-side hinge members such they have an integral structure. At a front surface portion thereof, on which the door hinge bracket is fitted, the shield plate is provided with a stepped portion for receiving a portion of the door hinge bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoung Ho Kim, Jae Man Cho
  • Patent number: 6872925
    Abstract: An image heating device includes a heat generating member that heats a body to be heated that is allowed to travel while carrying an image, an excitation unit that is provided close to the heat generating member and generates magnetic flux so as to cause the heat generating member to generate heat by electromagnetic induction, and a heat generation suppressing unit that suppresses an amount of heat generated in the heat generating member by regulating magnetic flux generated by the excitation unit. The heat generation suppressing unit suppresses heat generation of the heat generating member in a region corresponding to a region including at least a center portion of the body to be heated in a width direction. Thus, an amount of heat generated in the width direction can be regulated using a simple configuration at a reduced cost. Further, when the heat generation suppressing unit is operated, diffusion of magnetic flux into a wide area can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Asakura, Noboru Katakabe, Keisuke Fujimoto, Masaru Imai