With Control System Patents (Class 219/702)
  • Patent number: 6965100
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling output power of a combination hood and microwave oven, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling power of a combination hood and microwave oven, wherein an output level of a high voltage transformer for generating a high voltage can be adjusted. According to the combination hood and microwave oven of the present invention, the electric power supplied to the high voltage transformer can be increased by temporarily turning off the parts (limited to the components which can be controlled separately from the microwave oven function), such as the vent fan or the electric indicator lamp, having large power consumption. Thus, the output power level thereof can be increased. Therefore, there are advantages in that the quick cooking can be made and cooking performance can be improved due to the high output of the transformer, when the user intends to make the quick cooking with the high output power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Seog-tae Kim
  • Patent number: 6949729
    Abstract: A microwave oven, a relay box communicating with the microwave oven and a personal computer communicating with the relay box are provided in private. The personal computer is connected to a host computer storing home page information, through the public Internet. A home page storing unit of the host computer stores, corresponding to each of a plurality of cooking recipes, recipe data directly recognized by microwave oven including heating control data for heating and cooking the cooking recipe by the microwave oven, a button to be operated for transferring the recipe data through the Internet to personal computer and image display data for displaying information related to the cooking recipe as a home page image display. Therefore, in accordance with the heating control data downloaded and supplied to personal computer, microwave oven is controlled to heat and cook the desired cooking recipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ishikawa, Tooru Fujikawa, Tomoko Ota
  • Patent number: 6945159
    Abstract: A microwave oven incorporating a toaster (400) includes a toaster door (440) provided on a toaster panel (430) for opening and closing at least one toaster entrance (421) and a tray assembly (460). The tray assembly (460) includes a tray support (462) provided inside the toaster (400) and at least one tray securely provided on top of the tray support (462) for holding a food item. The tray (461) is declined toward a front end of the tray (461) so as to enable the food item to slide down toward the front end of the tray (461), and it includes at least one elevating bracket (465) for maintaining a predetermined angle and a predetermined distance between the tray (461) and the tray support (462). The microwave oven incorporating a toaster (400) further includes a support wall provided at the front end of the tray (461) for supporting the food item so as to prevent from falling off from the tray (461).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jong Woog Lee
  • Patent number: 6943321
    Abstract: At least two blowers are controlled with baffles to create circulating zones of airflow which circulate in a substantially horizontal plane within a convection oven cavity. This airflow minimizes the potential for airflow paths to be broken up or blocked by the configuration of objects placed in the oven. The substantially horizontal airflow reduces the non-uniformity of air temperature distribution within the oven cavity. The blowers may be controlled to rotate either simultaneously or alternately, depending on the selected mode of operation. The blowers and associated heating elements are controlled to operate in various cooking modes by the controller in response to a mode selector input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Wolf Appliance Company, LLC
    Inventors: Philip Carbone, Peter Pescatore, Steve Hobson, Matthew Brekken
  • Patent number: 6936802
    Abstract: On a home page of a home page storing unit (421) of a host computer (4), information related to a plurality of recipes and recipe data (MI) corresponding to each of the plurality of recipes are included. The recipe data includes a heating control code (DS141) common among different types of microwave ovens (1) for heating and cooking the corresponding recipe. The microwave oven has a memory (11A) that stores a plurality of different pieces of procedure information (heating sequence FLi, heating mode data MDi, heater down time data HDT) indicating procedure matching the type, for executing a heating operation. The microwave oven performs the heating operation in accordance with one or more pieces of procedure information read from the memory (11A) based on the heating control code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ishikawa, Kazuo Wanda
  • Patent number: 6936801
    Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a control panel which includes a rotary dial for selecting and entering control information to the cooking appliance, and a control interface for providing a prompt to guide a user through a selection process of the control information. The control information includes at least one of a cooking mode, a food type, a food weight or size, a cooking temperature, and a degree of doneness. The cooking appliance is operatively responsive to the selection of the control information from the rotary dial before and during cooking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jesse Spalding Head
  • Patent number: 6933483
    Abstract: A microwave oven readily registers cooking courses in a favorites menu or deletes the cooking courses from the favorites menu in one registering or deleting operation, thereby simplifying an operation of registering or deleting the cooking courses of the favorites menu. That is, the microwave oven registers or deletes the cooking courses corresponding to the favorites menu at one time. The microwave oven has a plurality of favorites menus, and classifies and registers the cooking courses so as to allow a user to effectively use the cooking courses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yun-Bong Chun
  • Patent number: 6930294
    Abstract: A microwave oven and a method of controlling the same that is capable of detecting the respective positions of heaters using detectors for which a number thereof is less than a number of cooking modes. Cooking is performed with the heaters in respective horizontal positions in a cooking mode in which cooking requiring the heaters to heat food is performed, while cooking is performed with the heaters positioned in the respective initial positions in a cooking mode in which the cooking not requiring the heaters to heat the food is performed. Each of the detectors is a micro switch operated by a cam. Accordingly, in the microwave oven and in the method of controlling the same, the number of the detectors to detect the respective positions of the heaters is decreased. Further, an electrical wire is connected to a single micro switch to detect the respective positions of the heaters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kwang-Keun Kim
  • Patent number: 6927373
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus including an audio player; a body with a player seat to which the audio player is attached and from which the audio player is detached; and at least one speaker to output sound signals reproduced by the audio player. The cooking apparatus of the present invention improves installation/removal and operation of the audio player, and expands the range of use thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sei Ill Jeon
  • Patent number: 6924469
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for a microwave oven 12 having color-coded pressure switches 24, 26 applied to the face plate incorporating a receiver 14 for remotely operating the color-coded switches by means of a transmitter 16 having indicia and color-coding 24, 26 corresponding to the microwave color-coding, thereby providing a method whereby a user 18 having a pacemaker can remotely operate a microwave oven at a safe distance using the hand held transmitter and the microwave applied mating color-coded control switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Inventor: Marilyn R Strong
  • Patent number: 6921888
    Abstract: A microwave oven designed to open or close a front of a control panel, and to either supply power to the microwave oven or shut off power, depending on whether the front of the control panel is opened or closed. The microwave oven includes a control panel provided with a plurality of control buttons. A cover unit is mounted to the control panel to open or close a predetermined portion of the control panel in which the control buttons are provided. A power switch either supplies power to the microwave oven or shuts off power, depending on whether the cover unit is opened or closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Han-Gyu Ryu
  • Patent number: 6919546
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a control panel having a separate upper and lower panel parts. The control panel comprises the upper panel part and the lower panel part which are separate from each other. A display unit is arranged on, for example, the upper panel part, and a manipulation unit is arranged on, for example, the lower panel part, thus establishing the control panel. During a production of the microwave oven, one of variously designed upper panel parts and one of variously designed lower panel parts can be selected and combined to form the control panel. Accordingly, the microwave oven can have a customizable control panel with customizable features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Suk-Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 6909076
    Abstract: A microwave oven and control method thereof in which the microwave oven has a magnetron initially driven for a preset period of time to generating an output of at least 20% of a rated output of the magnetron when a cooking mode requiring a low output of less than 20% of the rated output of the magnetron is selected. Further, the magnetron performs the cooking mode by generating the low output of less than 20% of the rated output of the magnetron after the initial driving is completed. In this case, the cooking mode requiring the low output can be a thawing mode, a warming mode, etc. Further, the microwave oven of the present invention is an inverter-type microwave oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung-Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 6906298
    Abstract: A microwave oven having a magnetron that generates microwaves, a magnetron driving circuit that supplies high voltage power to the magnetron and a machine room that accommodates the magnetron and the magnetron driving circuit. The microwave oven includes a single magnetron driving circuit board in which the magnetron and the electronic devices of the magnetron driving circuit are mounted thereon. The single magnetron driving circuit board is fixedly attached to the machine room by mounting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-Sung Han, Yong-Woon Han, Young-Won Cho, Seong-Deog Jang, Joo-Yong Yeo
  • Patent number: 6903318
    Abstract: A programmable food service system including one or more food service devices and at least one data key. Each data key is provided with a data memory for storing program data corresponding to sequences of food service operations. Each food service device includes a programmable controller for controlling the food service device to carry out sequences of cooking operations. Each food service device includes a key aperture adapted to receive a data key and a data reader arranged to read program data from the data key memory. The program data is passed on to the programmable controller, thereby making the appropriate sequences of cooking operations available to the food service device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Merrychef Limited
    Inventor: Nigel Thorneywork
  • Patent number: 6900423
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a widely applicable and extensible Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) microprocessor, allowing a control panel to be easily included, and which controls various functions using a single microprocessor, reducing a size of the control panel. The microwave oven also includes a control panel in which soft touch switches using electrostatic capacity are substituted for membrane switches, allowing the control panel to be formed in various forms including a curved form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yun-Bong Chun
  • Patent number: 6894258
    Abstract: A microwave oven, and method of controlling the same, stores a weight of food in an external memory of the microwave oven through a simple manipulation of pressing a hold key, and applies the stored weight of the food for calculation of a cooking time. The microwave oven of the present invention may perform cooking by calculating a cooking time based on the weight of the food temporarily stored in an internal memory even if a setting operation using the hold key is not performed. Further, the present invention is advantageous in that it calibrates a zero point to calculate the cooking time, increasing a cooking performance. The microwave oven performs initialization by deleting the stored weight of the food if a cooking start key is not pressed within a set time after the weight of food is measured, thus preventing a malfunction of the microwave oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yun-Bong Chun
  • 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: 6881935
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a control panel having a panel casing, a membrane board, and a cover sheet. The membrane board is mounted to a front surface of the panel casing. A membrane board seat is formed at a predetermined area of the front surface of the panel casing so as to seat the membrane board. The control panel further includes an air discharging channel which is provided on the membrane board seat, and discharges air existing between the membrane board seat and the membrane board. The air discharging channel may extend to a cover sheet-panel casing interface. Accordingly, air existing between the panel casing, the membrane board and the cover sheet is discharged to the outside as the panel casing, the membrane board and the cover sheet are attached to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoung Ho Kim, Jae Man Cho
  • Patent number: 6862494
    Abstract: An automated cooking system (10) cooks food (12) accompanied by machine-readable indicia, such as a bar code (16) read by a reader (18). Cooking data, including function coefficients, are accessed from an Internet server (20) based on the information in the bar code. An oven (40) cooks the food in phases in response to the cooking data and one or more monitored food parameters of humidity, temperature and weight. The cooking is controlled by functions in which one or more food parameters are multiplied by coefficients that vary according to food type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ziqiang Hu, Jon Roepke
  • Patent number: 6855918
    Abstract: A microwave oven and a method of controlling the microwave oven recognize a power supply frequency correctly at a time power is supplied by eliminating the influence of noise. A blocking period is set in which generation of interrupts is deferred until a timer count reaches a predetermined set value, and interrupts are generated if the blocking period elapses. Accordingly, the microwave oven and method of the controlling the microwave oven recognize a power supply frequency without the influence of noise at the time of the power supply, thereby improving reliability of the microwave oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joo-Hyun Do
  • Patent number: 6852960
    Abstract: A microwave oven and a method of controlling the same determine if a plurality of buttons causing specific functions of the microwave oven to be executed have been pressed to set buttons for desired functions in a memory unit. If the desired functions have not been set, a control unit reads out the functions stored in the memory unit, causes the functions to be displayed on the display unit, allows a user to select the desired functions, and correspondingly sets the desired functions to the buttons. Meanwhile, if the desired functions have been set, the control unit deletes or executes the desired functions corresponding to the buttons on the basis of a continuous pressing time of the buttons. Accordingly, the microwave oven and the method may selectively set various functions of the microwave oven to a predetermined number of function buttons, allowing execution of desired functions rapidly and easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yun-Bong Chun
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20040251253
    Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for extracting solvents in a microwave field, having a microwave oven (11) which comprises at least one microwave generator (12), a control unit (13) and at least one microwaving chamber (14), said chamber being fitted with venting apertures (23) and at least one suction exhaust aperture (24) which is connected by an exhaust air line (25) to a source of partial vacuum (26), further comprising a rotor (16) rotatably mounted in said chamber and fitted with several specimen receptacles (18) that may be loaded with solvent. The apparatus is characterized in that a flow detector (28) is mounted downstream of the suction exhaust aperture (24), said detector reducing or preferably shutting off the power output of the microwave generator (12) when detecting a flow of air which is less than a predetermined limit value, said airflow limit value being selected in a manner precluding forming an explosive mixture of solvent and air in said chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Rainer Zenter, Johannes Zach, Markus Lafer, Peter Kettlsch
  • Patent number: 6828696
    Abstract: A system and method are provided to power a plurality of magnetrons devices. The system may include a power supply device to power a first magnetron device, a second magnetron device and a third magnetron device. A control device may control (or apportion) an amount of current to each of the second and third magnetron devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Fusion UV Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Barry, Ta Hai Yoh, Moossa Joseph Arman
  • Patent number: 6825453
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a microwave oven and method for controlling the same. The microwave oven is used to heat and cook food using high frequency waves generated by high frequency generating means provided in an oven body. The microwave oven includes body sensing means for detecting the presence of a user in a sensing area extended over a certain area in front of the oven body, first operating means for operating the high frequency generating means, and control means for controlling the first operating means to selectively start, stop and resume the operation of the high frequency wave generating means according to the presence of a user in the sensing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwang-Seok Kang, Yong-Woon Han, Chul Kim
  • Publication number: 20040226942
    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: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Inventors: Knut Behnke, Frank-Michael Morgenweck, Domingo Rohde, Lars Seimetz, Jose Manuel Catala-Civera
  • Patent number: 6812443
    Abstract: A microwave oven has a heating chamber formed inside a body frame. A radiation antenna is provided below the heating chamber. The radiation antenna is structured in such a way that a member housed in an antenna drive box appropriately operates to change the distance between a bottom surface of the body frame and the radiation antenna. Microwaves generated by a magnetron are supplied through a waveguide and the radiation antenna into the heating chamber. When the level at which the radiation antenna is positioned is changed, the way to supply microwaves from the radiation antenna into the heating chamber is accordingly changed. Specifically, microwaves are locally supplied into the heating chamber or supplied uniformly into the whole of the heating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Noda, Eiji Fukunaga, Katsunao Takahashi, Katsuaki Hayami
  • Patent number: 6812441
    Abstract: An apparatus (10) for the development of transparent alumina ceramics using microwave energy at the frequency between 0.915 and 2.45 GHz inclusive in hydrogen atmosphere at ambient pressure comprises an enclosed, insulated chamber (14) to retain a workpiece (12) for the application of microwave energy. The chamber comprises a TE103 single mode or a multimode microwave cavity into which is mounted a quartz tube (18). An insulation material (20), transparent to microwave energy, is positioned within the quartz tube. A port (28) for the introduction of hydrogen penetrates the cavity so that the microwave sintering of the workpiece is performed in an ultra-pure hydrogen atmosphere. The workpiece is preferably mounted on a refractory ceramic such as alumina tube for the microwave sintering process. A method, preferably using the apparatus, develops transparent alumina ceramics and single crystal sapphire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: Jiping Cheng, Dinesh Agrawal, Rustum Roy
  • Patent number: 6800834
    Abstract: A part of a body of a high-voltage condenser (28) is arranged between a lower plate (23) constituting a heating chamber (21), and a bottom plate (27) thereby to reduce attachment dimension of the high-voltage condenser (28), whereby size-reduction and space-reduction of the high-frequency heating apparatus becomes possible, and an insulation distance between the high-voltage condenser (28) and metal-made parts constituting the high-frequency heating apparatus can be secured easily, so that the number of the parts can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to provide the high-frequency heating apparatus which is advantageous also in resources-reduction, assembly efficiency, and price.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Kawai
  • Publication number: 20040178192
    Abstract: A method for operating an oven including a microcomputer includes receiving in a microprocessor of an oven, a plurality of inputs from a user indicative of a conventional cooking time, a conventional cooking temperature, and a food category, wherein the oven includes an RF generation module, an upper heater module, a lower heater module, and a convection fan, and converting at least one of the conventional cooking time to a speedcooking time different than the conventional cooking time, and the conventional cooking temperature to a speedcooking temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Coleen Judith Muegge, Jennifer Elizabeth Rael, Karen Edberg, Alicia A. Doligale, Larry R. Harmon, Cecilia Maria Blanchard
  • Publication number: 20040164073
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus including an audio player; a body with a player seat to which the audio player is attached and from which the audio player is detached; and at least one speaker to output sound signals reproduced by the audio player. The cooking apparatus of the present invention improves installation/removal and operation of the audio player, and expands the range of use thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sei Jeon
  • Patent number: 6772678
    Abstract: Disclosed is a microwave oven having a toaster, in which slices of bread can be baked. The microwave oven has a heating chamber for heating food therein; an instrument compartment containing electric components for generating microwave oven supplied to the heating chamber; a toaster casing disposed in front of the instrument compartment with its front open; a toaster door for opening and closing the open front of the toaster casing; and at least a heater disposed in the toaster casing so as to heat bread. In the microwave oven, the toaster section is arranged in front of the instrument compartment, so that the space in the microwave oven is most effectively utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Seong-Soo Choi, Sang-Jin Oh, Yoon-Gun Baek
  • Publication number: 20040149743
    Abstract: A microwave oven designed to open or close a front of a control panel, and to either supply power to the microwave oven or shut off power, depending on whether the front of the control panel is opened or closed. The microwave oven includes a control panel provided with a plurality of control buttons. A cover unit is mounted to the control panel to open or close a predetermined portion of the control panel in which the control buttons are provided. A power switch either supplies power to the microwave oven or shuts off power, depending on whether the cover unit is opened or closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Han-Gyu Ryu
  • Publication number: 20040144775
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a control panel having a panel casing, a membrane board, and a cover sheet. The membrane board is mounted to a front surface of the panel casing. A membrane board seat is formed at a predetermined area of the front surface of the panel casing so as to seat the membrane board. The control panel further includes an air discharging channel which is provided on the membrane board seat, and discharges air existing between the membrane board seat and the membrane board. The air discharging channel may extend to a cover sheet-panel casing interface. Accordingly, air existing between the panel casing, the membrane board and the cover sheet is discharged to the outside as the panel casing, the membrane board and the cover sheet are attached to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyoung Ho Kim, Jae Man Cho
  • Publication number: 20040144776
    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: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Applicant: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sung Jin Han, Dong Myung Shin
  • Publication number: 20040134901
    Abstract: A wall-mounted type microwave oven includes an outer cabinet defining an outer appearance thereof, an inner cabinet disposed in the outer cabinet to define a flow path therebetween, a sensor disposed in the flow path to check conditions of air flowing in the flow path, and a terminal unit connected to the sensor to transmit electric power and control signals to the sensor. The flow path includes a fitting hole to hold the sensor and the terminal unit. A sensor holder receives the sensor and the terminal unit, and is detachably fitted in the fitting hole. Only an operation of separating the sensor holder from a guide duct is performed in the guide duct, and an operation of pulling the sensor and the terminal unit out of the sensor holder and detaching the sensor from the terminal unit is performed outside the guide duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-Jin Jeong
  • Publication number: 20040134900
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a widely applicable and extensible Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) microprocessor, allowing a control panel to be easily included, and which controls various functions using a single microprocessor, reducing a size of the control panel. The microwave oven also includes a control panel in which soft touch switches using electrostatic capacity are substituted for membrane switches, allowing the control panel to be formed in various forms including a curved form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yun-Bong Chun
  • Publication number: 20040134905
    Abstract: A microwave oven has a heating chamber formed inside a body frame. A radiation antenna is provided below the heating chamber. The radiation antenna is structured in such a way that a member housed in an antenna drive box appropriately operates to change the distance between a bottom surface of the body frame and the radiation antenna. Microwaves generated by a magnetron are supplied through a waveguide and the radiation antenna into the heating chamber. When the level at which the radiation antenna is positioned is changed, the way to supply microwaves from the radiation antenna into the heating chamber is accordingly changed. Specifically, microwaves are locally supplied into the heating chamber or supplied uniformly into the whole of the heating chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Noda, Eiji Fukunaga, Katsunao Takahashi, Katsuaki Hayami
  • Patent number: 6759637
    Abstract: A device and method for inputting recipe data in a microwave oven is provided by which when a user adds a new recipe menu to the microwave oven, the user can input a recipe name suitable for the added recipe menu. The user inputs data for a new recipe in order to perform a new cooking in the microwave oven, and the data, including a cooking period of time and cooking power set by the user, are stored in a recipe storage unit of the device. Further, when the user inputs a new recipe name for the recipe data by inputting characters or alphabets into a display screen, the recipe name is stored in a recipe name storage unit of the device so that the user can conveniently perform the same cooking operation again in the future.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Tae-Sung Kim
  • Patent number: 6759639
    Abstract: A magnetron for use in, for example, microwave ovens, includes a positive polar cylinder, a plurality of vanes, and large-diameter and small-diameter strip rings. The vanes constitute a positive polar section, along with the positive polar cylinder. The large-diameter and small-diameter strip rings are disposed on an upper portion and a lower portion of the vanes, respectively, to alternatively and electrically connect the vanes to one another. The inside and outside diameters of the large-diameter strip ring are in a range of 17.1 mm to 18.01 mm and 18.6 mm to 19.6 mm, respectively. The inside and outside diameters of the small-diameter strip ring are in a range of 13.4 mm to 14.4 mm and 14.9 mm to 15.9 mm, respectively. The height of the large-diameter and small-diameter strip rings is in a range of 1.50 mm to 1.60 mm. The distance between the large-diameter strip ring and the small-diameter strip ring is maintained in an error range of 2.20 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Boris V. Rayskiy
  • Publication number: 20040104220
    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: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Han-Gyu Ryu
  • Publication number: 20040104219
    Abstract: A microwave oven and a method of controlling the same that is capable of detecting the respective positions of heaters using detectors for which a number thereof is less than a number of cooking modes. Cooking is performed with the heaters in respective horizontal positions in a cooking mode in which cooking requiring the heaters to heat food is performed, while cooking is performed with the heaters positioned in the respective initial positions in a cooking mode in which the cooking not requiring the heaters to heat the food is performed. Each of the detectors is a micro switch operated by a cam. Accordingly, in the microwave oven and in the method of controlling the same, the number of the detectors to detect the respective positions of the heaters is decreased. Further, an electrical wire is connected to a single micro switch to detect the respective positions of the heaters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kwang-Keun Kim
  • Patent number: 6744209
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a direct current (DC) power supply unit which supplies DC power to a magnetron so as to suppress noise induced in a high voltage line. The DC power supply unit includes at least one rectifying diode and a choke coil. The rectifying diode rectifies high frequency alternating current (AC) power generated by a heater coil into the DC power to suppress noise induced in the high voltage line of a high voltage transformer. The choke coil forms ripples in the DC power and effectively prevents a moding of the magnetron, which is generated where a constant DC voltage is supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-Deog Jang, Dae-Sung Han, Yong-Woon Han, Han-Seong Kang, Kwang-Seok Kang
  • Patent number: 6744026
    Abstract: Cooking information (CI) concerning different dishes is preliminarily registered as a standard in a mask ROM (11A) or the like of a microwave oven (1), to enable automatic cooking of a variety of dishes for every user. In practice, however, the dishes which each user cooks by a microwave oven is limited to a few of them. Then, the user selects and registers a standard recipe name (HN) of only his/her favorite dish in the mask ROM into a favorite menu in a non-volatile memory (11B). In order to execute cooking of a desired dish registered in the favorite menu, the standard recipe name of the desired dish is read not from the mask ROM but from the non-volatile memory and displayed on an LCD panel (13), so that the user needs only perform an operation to instruct start of heating through an input unit (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 6737621
    Abstract: A microwave oven having a high voltage control circuit which prevents an overheating of a high voltage transformer. The high voltage control circuit includes a thermostat which is turned on or off according to a temperature of the high voltage transformer. The thermostat is disposed between a first fixed terminal of a tap formed at a primary coil of the high voltage transformer and a second fixed terminal connected to a power stage, so as to allow the primary coil to have different numbers of turns. According, where the output of a magnetron of the microwave oven becomes high and the temperature of the high voltage transformer reaches a predetermined temperature, the thermostat is turned off, thus enabling the first and second fixed terminals to be disconnected from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., LTD
    Inventor: Chea-How Lee
  • Patent number: 6737622
    Abstract: A wall-mounted type microwave oven includes a casing defining an external appearance of the microwave oven. A power cord passes through an upper panel, which defines a top wall of the casing, to supply an external electrical power into the casing. A mounting hole is formed at the upper panel of the casing so as to be opened at a rear end of the upper panel, thus allowing the power cord to pass through the upper panel. A locking unit is provided at a predetermined portion of the power cord to engage with the mounting hole, thus locking the power cord to engage with the mounting hole, thus locking the power cord to upper panel. A rear panel defines a rear wall of the casing and supports a rear end of the locking unit. The wall-mounted type microwave oven is designed such that the locking unit is locked to the upper panel without additional components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Jin Jeong, Sang-Seok Seo
  • Publication number: 20040069778
    Abstract: A microwave oven and a method of controlling the same determine if a plurality of buttons causing specific functions of the microwave oven to be executed have been pressed to set buttons for desired functions in a memory unit. If the desired functions have not been set, a control unit reads out the functions stored in the memory unit, causes the functions to be displayed on the display unit, allows a user to select the desired functions, and correspondingly sets the desired functions to the buttons. Meanwhile, if the desired functions have been set, the control unit deletes or executes the desired functions corresponding to the buttons on the basis of a continuous pressing time of the buttons. Accordingly, the microwave oven and the method may selectively set various functions of the microwave oven to a predetermined number of function buttons, allowing execution of desired functions rapidly and easily.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Applicant: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yun-Bong Chun
  • Patent number: 6711380
    Abstract: A microwave appliance (10) designed to communicate with a plurality of communication devices (11,13, & 15) within a piconet (30) includes a transmitter (24) for communicating with the plurality of communication devices within the piconet; and a processor (22). The processor is programmed to communicate (102) to a master within the piconet about operating information of the microwave appliance, delay bias (104) to a microwave source within the microwave appliance for a predetermined time upon a user request for microwave appliance operation and then return (108) to a normal operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: Edgar Herbert Callaway, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20040050842
    Abstract: A microwave oven having a magnetron that generates microwaves, a magnetron driving circuit that supplies high voltage power to the magnetron and a machine room that accommodates the magnetron and the magnetron driving circuit. The microwave oven includes a single magnetron driving circuit board in which the magnetron and the electronic devices of the magnetron driving circuit are mounted thereon. The single magnetron driving circuit board is fixedly attached to the machine room by mounting members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-Sung Han, Yong-Woon Han, Young-Won Cho, Seong-Deog Jang, Joo-Yong Yeo