Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring conditions that affect the quality of food being served. Conditions such as temperature and elapsed time affect the quality of food and the safety of food consumers. Various embodiments of monitoring systems can be incorporated with different types of food containers. Sensors such as temperature probes can provide temperature information about the container and/or the food being served. The monitoring system can use such information in conjunction with elapsed time information in various ways. The monitored information can be displayed generally “real-time,” or it can be stored for subsequent analysis. The monitored information can also be used to trigger an alarm or similar indicator when a condition detrimental to food-serving is present. Various embodiments of the monitoring system having such features can be packaged in various embodiments, including a self-contained unit and an assembly of modular components linked by wire and/or wireless connections.

Abstract: A serpentine waveguide applicator for exposing a material to microwave energy for hearing, drying, or curing. A conveyor transports the material through aligned slots formed in facing sides at consecutive waveguide passes of the serpentine array. Each pass has a ridged waveguide structure with ridges in each corner of the otherwise rectangular waveguide. The ridges make the interior cross section of the waveguide passes cruciform and direct microwave energy away from the slots to reduce arcing, crosstalk, and leakage.

Abstract: A heater unit is provided, the heater unit equipped with an induction heating coil and an electric heater selectively operated based on kind and state of a load of a cooking vessel placed on the heater unit. The kind is determined by an input current inputted when a load-type determination unit causes the induction heating coil to be operated and a resonance current flowing into the induction heating coil. The state is determined by a temperature change of the heater unit when a load-state determination unit allows the electric heater to generate heat, and the induction heating coil and the electric heater are selectively operated based on the determined kind and state of the load. Accordingly, a user needs not to scrupulously determine the kind of the cooking vessel and the electric cooker is not operated under a no-load state to prevent occurrence of safety accidents.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wall-mounting type microwave oven including a main body, a bottom plate provided on a bottom portion of the main body and having an opening, and a lamp supporter to support a lamp provided in the opening. The bottom plate being integrally formed with the lamp supporter to support the lamp. Thus, the lamp installation structure is simplified and the number of components is decreased.

Abstract: A microwave oven in which a power transmission transmitting driving force of a motor moves a tray right and left without direct contact with the tray. The microwave oven includes a support disposed between a bottom plate and the tray to support the tray and the power transmission transmitting driving force of the motor to the support such that the support linearly travels. The shape of an oval guide hole formed in the support is changed to adjust the stopping time of the support at the rightmost or leftmost side. The tray linearly travels together with the support when the support linearly travels. The microwave oven further includes a tray restriction device or a tray moving device for guiding the linear movement of the tray. The tray restriction device and the tray moving device are implemented by locking steps, grooves, protrusions, or rollers.

Abstract: A cooking apparatus using barcodes, including: a barcode reader which reads a barcode including cooking information recorded in the barcode; a cooking information calculator which analyzes the basic cooking information based on an analysis rule for analyzing the cooking information and calculating a final cooking condition based on the analyzed cooking information; and a controller which controls elements of the cooking apparatus to perform cooking so as to achieve the final cooking condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a combined toaster and microwave oven having a function to cook food by using microwave and a function to bake bread. Accordingly, the present invention provides a combined toaster and microwave oven comprising: a body forming an appearance thereof; a cavity formed in the body, for accommodating objects to be cooked by using microwave; an electronic chamber provided at a portion inside the body and in which electronic parts for applying microwave into the cavity are installed; and a toaster. The toaster comprises: a toaster case provided in the front of the electronic chamber and having slits on both sides thereof; at least one tray assembly having means for receiving and ejecting bread and preventing the bread from slanting; and a heater assembly installed inside the toaster case, for heating the bread.

Abstract: A converter (311) converts an AC electric power (e) to the DC electric power with a DC voltage value corresponding to a setting. An inverter (312) is controlled by a frequency electric power control circuit (330) to convert the DC electric power to a dual frequency AC electric power for alternately outputting low and high frequencies at a frequency ratio (duty) corresponding to the setting. A matching transformer (321) having a tap (321C) at which the resonance impedance corresponds to the output impedance of a generator (310) receives the dual frequency AC electric power. A low-frequency series resonance circuit (325) or a high-frequency series resonance circuit (326) is caused to provide a series resonance, thereby causing an induction heating coil (200) to induction heat a workpiece-to-be-heated (201). In this way, the single generator (310) and the single induction heating coil (200) are used to effectively induction heat the workpiece-to-be-heated (201) by means of the dual frequency resonance.

Abstract: A food preparation system includes a non-contact power supply for energizing a cooking appliance. The food preparation system includes a communication system for enabling communication between a food appliance and the system. The appliance transmits an identifier to the system. If the appliance does not have a transmitter, the system attempts to determine the type of appliance from a characterization of the power consumption by the appliance. If the appliance cannot be characterized, the food preparation system can be operated manually.

Abstract: An electromagnetic induction coil unit for use with an electromagnetic induction heating-type image heating apparatus includes magnetic flux generation means comprising an exciting coil and a magnetic core; a core holder for holding the magnetic core; a coil holder for holding the exciting coil and the core holder holding the magnetic core; and a resin cured after being poured in a liquid state into a structure in which the exciting coil and the coil holder, and the magnetic fore and the core holder are incorporated so as to integrally mold the exciting coil, the magnetic core, the core holder, and the coil holder.

Abstract: An automated microwave cooking device turntable assembly includes an anchor member nested to a bottom surface of a microwave cooking device and extending upwardly within a cavity thereof. A drive gear is journaled about the anchor member and rotatable along a counter clockwise direction, and a body is seated on the drive gear and coupled thereto. A mechanism rotates the drive gear such that the annular body terminates at a position that insures that an item placed on the body remains identically oriented at a beginning and an ending of the cooking time. The rotating mechanism includes a peg that protrudes upwardly from the drive gear and is positioned along an outer edge thereof. A motor is coupled to the drive gear, and a switch is coupled to the motor and a power supply source respectively. An actuating arm is coupled to the switch.

Abstract: A microwave energy interactive insulating material is provided. The material may include a susceptor film comprising a microwave energy interactive material supported on a first polymeric film layer, a moisture-containing layer superposed with the microwave energy interactive material, and a second polymeric film layer joined to the moisture-containing layer in a predetermined pattern, thereby forming at least one closed cell between the moisture-containing layer and the second polymeric film layer. The closed cell is capable of inflating upon exposure to microwave energy.

Abstract: A shear-assisted solid state welding method for joining of metal parts, involves a first step of heating opposing surfaces in a non-passivating environment to a temperature in the hot working temperature range of the metal. A second step involves bringing the opposing surfaces into contact while still in the hot working temperature range, and applying compressive stress sufficient to substantially prevent sliding in response to shear displacement, causing plastic flow in the hot layers. A third step involves imposing relative shear displacement of the metal work pieces without disengaging the opposing surfaces. The shear displacement induces plastic shear strain within the hot layers to progressively induce bonding.

Abstract: A microwave oven for use in cooking food having a door and door mounted controls and a cooling system where the door mounted controls are disclosed. The microwave oven having an external enclosure defining an outer cabinet and an oven cavity supported within the external enclosure where the oven cavity has a front access opening. The door is rotatably supported adjacent the external enclosure for selectively closing the access opening. A control unit is mounted within the door and a ventilation cooling path is formed within the door for cooling the control unit mounted with the door. A blower is supported within the external enclosure for directing an air flow toward the door and into the ventilation cooling path. The microwave can further include a housing which is supported within the door for enclosing the control unit and where the housing forms part of the ventilation cooling path.

Abstract: A method for safe and uniform microwave cooking of food articles in a container, comprising providing a microwave permeable container, wherein a portion of said container is covered with a microwave reflective surface to deflect microwaves away from a predefined body of liquid within said container; loading bacon within said container; and exposing said container to microwaves for a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A tube apparatus is provided to detect successful or failed tube operations. The tube apparatus includes jaws mounted for movement with respect to one another between (1) a first position spaced from one another and (2) a second position selected to perform a successful tube operation. A sensor is positioned to detect when the jaws have moved into the second position, and a timer is electrically coupled to the sensor for determining the time delay before the jaws have moved into the second position, wherein a time delay up to a predetermined time limit indicates a successful tube operation and a time delay exceeding the predetermined limit indicates a failed tube operation.

Abstract: A microwave oven in which there is substantially no difference between time when a linearly traveling tray travels from the right side to the left side of a cooking chamber and time when the linearly traveling tray stays at the right side or the left side. The microwave oven includes a linearly traveling tray having a guide channel or hole guiding a linear movement and a power transmission transmitting driving power of a motor to the tray. The guide channel and the guide hole have an oval shape and adjust the staying time at the rightmost or leftmost side in the traveling region. A rotation tray having a locking step formed in the lower surface thereof is further provided. The power transmission may include a linkage, protrusion and/or a roller, and their modifications. Food is uniformly cooked at any place of the cooking chamber, and a user can easily clean and reinstall the tray.

Abstract: A combination microwave and impingement heating cooking oven, wherein an upper blowing port blowing hot air in vertical direction and a lateral blowing port for blowing hot air in horizontal direction are provided in a cooking chamber, the upper blowing port is provided in the ceiling wall of the cooking chamber, the lateral blowing port is provided in one of the right and left inside walls thereof, and a suction port is provided in the bottom inside wall thereof in the form of collected perforations, air in the cooking chamber sucked from the suction port is fed to an upper duct and a lateral duct, heated by an upper heater and a lateral heater, respectively, and blown from the upper blowing port and the lateral blowing port, and the distribution of the perforations of the upper blowing port is made such that the distribution of the perforations at a position where the air blows toward air current from the lateral blowing port to a cooked object is made coarser than that at the other positions so that the ai

Abstract: A high frequency heating apparatus having a steam generating function including a heater main body 111 embedded with heater 27, a transport tube heating portion 113 for boiling a liquid in a transport tube 112, and a heat conduction control portion 114 comprising a material having a heat conductivity smaller than a heat conductivity of a material forming an evaporating portion 25 and capable of restraining adherence of scale in accordance with local boiling in the transport tube by reducing an amount of heat conducted to the transport tube 112 while ensuring heat energy supplied to an evaporating side by setting heater to a high temperature. Further, a steam supply mechanism for excellently maintaining a balance of supply of the heat energy to a side of a transport portion and a side of an evaporating portion and continuously generating steam at a high temperature near to 100° C. can be provided.

Abstract: A steam generating apparatus, and an oven including the same. The apparatus includes a water tank adapted to enable convenient cleaning, and is adapted to heat water in the water tank via an induction heating method to generate steam rapidly. The water tank is provided with a steam discharging pipe. The apparatus further includes an induction coil assembly, an induction heating member fitted to the water tank such that it is located near the induction coil assembly, a barrier inserted into the water tank such that only a small amount of water is directly heated by the induction heating member which generates heat by the induction coil assembly, and a cover closing an upper portion of the water tank. The steam discharging pipe is connected with a steam supplying pipe which communicates a cavity with a cooking compartment to supply steam from the apparatus to the cooking compartment.