Weight Patents (Class 219/708)
  • Patent number: 10524318
    Abstract: A microwave oven has a magnetron (11) which generates microwaves to heat a heating object, and a control unit (100) which controls the magnetron (11). During heating operation in which the heating object is heated with microwaves generated from the magnetron (11), the control unit (100) controls the magnetron (11) so as to suppress abnormal operations of the magnetron (11) in response to a status of power supply supplied from outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiichi Hirano, Tatsuhiko Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9459346
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for applying electromagnetic energy in a radio frequency (RF) range to an object in an energy application zone via at least one radiating element. At least one processor may be configured to determine locations of a first region and a second region in the energy application zone. In addition, the processor may be configured to regulate a source in order to apply a first predetermined amount of RF energy to the first region in the energy application zone and a second predetermined amount of RF energy to the second region in the energy application zone. The first predetermined amount of energy may be different from the second predetermined amount of energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: GOJI LIMITED
    Inventors: Pinchas Einziger, Eran Ben-Shmuel, Alexander Bilchinsky, Amit Rappel, Denis Dikarov, Michael Sigalov, Yoel Biberman
  • Patent number: 9040881
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooking control method performed by a cooking apparatus for a food item. The method comprises obtaining a unique identifier and cooking data for the food item, and checking for a record of the unique identifier in a memory of the cooking apparatus. If a record of the unique identifier is located in the memory, then the cooking apparatus will not cook the food item. Otherwise a cooking process based on the cooking data to cook the food item is performed. Accordingly, cooking data for a given instance of a food item can only be used once in order to activate a cooking process performed by the cooking apparatus. The present invention also features product recall as well as the ability to track food item sales via a cooking data communications system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: OVENFEAST LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael James McIntyre, Richard Anthony Devlin
  • Patent number: 8835816
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooking control method performed by a cooking apparatus for a food item. The method comprises obtaining a unique identifier and cooking data for the food item, and checking for a record of the unique identifier in a memory of the cooking apparatus. If a record of the unique identifier is located in the memory, then the cooking apparatus will not cook the food item. Otherwise a cooking process based on the cooking data to cook the food item is performed. Accordingly, cooking data for a given instance of a food item can only be used once in order to activate a cooking process performed by the cooking apparatus. The present invention also features product recall as well as the ability to track food item sales via a cooking data communications system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Ovenfeast Limited
    Inventors: Micahel James McIntyre, Richard Anthony Devlin
  • Patent number: 8766151
    Abstract: A microwave oven which accepts user-placement of a cook item on a turntable accessed through a usually front-facing door. The turntable is rotated during a preset cook-time. The turntable returns to the original user-placement situation near the door and concurrently stops at the end of the cook-time. This results in a simultaneous end of turntable rotation and an end of cooking, enabling the cook-item to be conveniently reparked adjacent with the access door thereby enabling safe and convenient removal immediately upon completion of the cook-time. The cook-time and the turntable operational and reparking parameters are factored to enable a maximum extent of turntable rotation during the cook time and still assure the return to the original starting location concurrent with cook-time completion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Savvy Stuff Property Trust
    Inventor: Harold J. Weber
  • Patent number: 8574649
    Abstract: A stove and a method for preventing a cooked material from being burnt dry are provided. The stove includes a stove body for heating the cooked material, a weighing unit for generating a weighing signal of the cooked material, a monitoring unit for judging whether the user is managing the cooked material, and a computing unit. The weighing signal is changed with time. A plurality of weighing signal change amounts respectively generated within a plurality of time intervals are calculate by the computing unit. According to the weighing signal change amounts, the heat source of the stove body is adjusted. Consequently, the function of preventing the cooked material from being burnt dry will be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Inventor: Yu-Chien Lin
  • Patent number: 8530806
    Abstract: The electrical power supply to a magnetron (M) is regulated as a function of an instantaneous microwave power setpoint by: predetermining and storing (20) a value (?) for the electrical efficiency of the magnetron; inputting (19) a setpoint mean microwave power value, and converting it into a low frequency setpoint instantaneous power signal that is sampled at high frequency; measuring (8, 9) and sampling the instantaneous values of anode current and of the high voltage fed to the magnetron; calculating (10) the difference at a sampling instant (n) between the setpoint instantaneous microwave power and the product of the current multiplied by the high voltage multiplied by the efficiency; determining an instantaneous microwave power value at the consecutive sampling instant (n+1) that is corrected as a function of a predetermined regulation relationship that is valid at said instant (n+1); and converting it into an analog signal representative of the corrected instantaneous microwave power for powering the ma
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Sidel Participations
    Inventors: Ertan Cetinel, Nicolas Chomel
  • Patent number: 8124920
    Abstract: A microwave cooking oven return of a food item to an original placement parking of the oven's rotating table concurrent with the end of a selected cook-time. The cooked foodstuff ends-up parked at the same frontward facing turntable orientation that existed at the onset of the oven's overall operating cycle by synchronizing overall turntable circumrotation time with a preferred cook time. This absolute concurrency of return-parking and selected cook-time completion safely provides for unencumbered open-door access enabling immediate removal of the foodstuff from the turntable at the very moment of cooking completion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Savvy Stuff Property Trust
    Inventor: Harold J. Weber
  • Publication number: 20100107435
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for drying ceramic green bodies include providing one or more ceramic green bodies in a microwave heating chamber operatively connected to a microwave source and a PLC. The total mass of the ceramic green bodies present in the microwave heating chamber is determined. Microwave energy is generated with the microwave source and transmitted from the microwave source to the microwave heating chamber. A transmitted power of the microwave energy transmitted from the microwave source to the microwave heating chamber is measured with power sensors. The reflected power of reflected microwave energy reflected back from the microwave heating chamber is also measured. The power of the microwave energy transmitted from the microwave source to the microwave heating chamber is adjusted based on the total mass of ceramic green bodies present in the microwave heating chamber, the measured transmitted power and the measured reflected power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Jacob George, Parasuram Padmanabhan Harihara, Min Shen
  • Patent number: 7581876
    Abstract: An instrument and associated method are disclosed for the loss-on-drying determination of the volatile content of a wide variety of samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: CEM Corporation
    Inventors: Robert N. Revesz, Michael J. Collins, Sr.
  • Patent number: 7501608
    Abstract: The present invention provides a microwave oven and a method of operating a microwave oven, which minimises user involvement when heating a food item to a desired target temperature. According to the invention, the initial temperature of the food item is measured prior to the heating process, and the required heating time is determined automatically based on the initial temperature, the target temperature, and the amount of food as entered by the user. In order to heat a food item to a desired target temperature, the user only needs to position a container for temperature measurement and enter the amount of food. In particular, the present invention is preferably adapted for heating of baby food, such as baby milk contained in a baby bottle, and in such case the target temperature is preferably preset to about 37° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Fredrik Hallgren, Patrik Rydin, Per Torngren
  • Publication number: 20080121636
    Abstract: The present invention provides a microwave oven and a method of operating a microwave oven, which minimises user involvement when heating a food item to a desired target temperature. According to the invention, the initial temperature of the food item is measured prior to the heating process, and the required heating time is determined automatically based on the initial temperature, the target temperature, and the amount of food as entered by the user. In order to heat a food item to a desired target temperature, the user only needs to position a container for temperature measurement and enter the amount of food. In particular, the present invention is preferably adapted for heating of baby food, such as baby milk contained in a baby bottle, and in such case the target temperature is preferably preset to about 37° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: FREDRIK HALLGREN, PATRIK RYDIN, PER TORNGREN
  • Patent number: 7361303
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing organic waste. The apparatus comprises a conveyor to move waste to a first chamber for weighing waste and purging oxygen, a second chamber for treating, sterilizing and reducing waste by reverse polymerization, and a third chamber for cooling reduced and sterilized waste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Environmental Waste International Inc.
    Inventors: Steven L. Kantor, Michael Griffin, Roman Ruginets, Douglas Norton
  • Patent number: 7326888
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cooking apparatus and cooking system which allows a user to change cooking information that is suitable to the preferences of the user and the amount of food when cooking food using automatic cooking information, and a cooking control method using the same. The cooking apparatus using automatic cooking information includes an automatic cooking information acquisition unit for acquiring the automatic cooking information; an automatic cooking information change unit for allowing a user to change the acquired automatic cooking information; and a control unit for controlling a series of cooking operations on the basis of the changed cooking information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun Bong Chun, Kwang Keun Kim, Sook Young Ji
  • Patent number: 7238923
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus and method thereof capable of performing a cooking process based upon a cooking condition corresponding to the amount of food introduced into a cooking chamber when the cooking process is performed using a bar code printed on a food package to be cooked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwang Keun Kim, Seok Weon Hong, Yu Jeub Ha, Hyun Suk Kim
  • Patent number: 7223951
    Abstract: A method for controlling microwave output depending upon food weight and food position so as to implement optimized cooking performance in a microwave oven and an apparatus for performing the same. According to the control method for cooking food placed on a turntable in a microwave oven, the control method includes detecting a plurality of sensing values generated based on the food weight during the rotation of the turntable, detecting a food position by comparing the detected sensing values, and controlling the microwave output based on the detected food position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin Hee Jung
  • Patent number: 6946632
    Abstract: A weight measuring device having a lever structure, a cooking apparatus equipped with the weight measuring device, and a mounting structure of the weight measuring device. A weight sensor pushed by a lever is disposed on an outer bottom surface of a cooking cavity. The lever is extended from the weight sensor to a lever passing hole to perform a lever action with a first end of the lever protruded to an inside of the cooking cavity through the lever passing hole, and a second end of the lever inserted into a lever receiving hole of a sensor housing that accommodates the weight sensor. The lever transmits pressure, which is generated when rollers pass over the protruded first end of the lever, to the weight sensor through the lever action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong Chull Shon, Young Hoon Kang, Han Jun Sung
  • Patent number: 6911634
    Abstract: A weight detecting device for microwave ovens is used to detect a weight of food placed on an exterior casing to minimize a space to install a weight sensor and to prevent heat from being transmitted from an interior casing through a top plate of the interior casing to the weight sensor. The weight detecting device includes a weight detecting unit and a support unit. The weight detecting unit is supported at an end thereof, and detects a weight according to a force applied to a free end thereof. The support unit supports the weight detecting unit at a position spaced apart from a top plate of an interior casing of a microwave oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoung Ho Kim, Jae Man Cho
  • Patent number: 6911635
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity to accommodate food to be cooked therein and a rotating unit to rotate while supporting the food. The rotating unit is installed within the cooking cavity to rotate by at least one roller which is in rolling contact with a bottom surface of the cooking cavity. A weight sensor is installed at a portion of the cooking cavity on a movement path of the roller to be temporarily pressurized by the roller when the rotating unit rotates. The weight sensor generates a load output signal according to a pressurized degree when the weight sensor is pressured by the roller, and generates a no-load output signal when the weight sensor is not pressurized by the roller. A control unit calculates a difference between the load output signal and the no-load output signal, and converts the difference to a weight of the food.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-Chull Shon
  • 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20040245245
    Abstract: A weight measuring device having a lever structure, a cooking apparatus equipped with the weight measuring device, and a mounting structure of the weight measuring device. A weight sensor pushed by a lever is disposed on an outer bottom surface of a cooking cavity. The lever is extended from the weight sensor to a lever passing hole to perform a lever action with a first end of the lever protruded to an inside of the cooking cavity through the lever passing hole, and a second end of the lever inserted into a lever receiving hole of a sensor housing that accommodates the weight sensor. The lever transmits pressure, which is generated when rollers pass over the protruded first end of the lever, to the weight sensor through the lever action.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Jong Chull Shon, Young Hoon Kang, Han Jun Sung
  • Publication number: 20040226943
    Abstract: A cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity to accommodate food to be cooked therein and a rotating unit to rotate while supporting the food. The rotating unit is installed within the cooking cavity to rotate by at least one roller which is in rolling contact with a bottom surface of the cooking cavity. A weight sensor is installed at a portion of the cooking cavity on a movement path of the roller to be temporarily pressurized by the roller when the rotating unit rotates. The weight sensor generates a load output signal according to a pressurized degree when the weight sensor is pressured by the roller, and generates a no-load output signal when the weight sensor is not pressurized by the roller. A control unit calculates a difference between the load output signal and the no-load output signal, and converts the difference to a weight of the food.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-Chull Shon
  • Patent number: 6764702
    Abstract: A microwave oven and a method of processing frozen food in a microwave oven (1), which microwave oven comprises a microwave source (3), an oven cavity (2), and a control unit (5). The control unit is provided with an input signal containing information about the weight of the food, and causes the microwave source to feed microwaves at high average power into the oven cavity during a first time interval as well as a second time interval, which are separated by a waiting period, so that the foodstuff will be essentially thawed by the end of the second time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Per Åke Tõrngren, Birgitta Jna Kidblad
  • Publication number: 20040134902
    Abstract: A weight detecting device for microwave ovens is used to detect a weight of food placed on an exterior casing to minimize a space to install a weight sensor and to prevent heat from being transmitted from an interior casing through a top plate of the interior casing to the weight sensor. The weight detecting device includes a weight detecting unit and a support unit. The weight detecting unit is supported at an end thereof, and detects a weight according to a force applied to a free end thereof. The support unit supports the weight detecting unit at a position spaced apart from a top plate of an interior casing of a microwave oven.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics, Co. Ltd
    Inventors: Kyoung Ho Kim, Jae Man Cho
  • Publication number: 20040134903
    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: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co.,Ltd
    Inventor: Yun-Bong Chun
  • Patent number: 6566637
    Abstract: A method and associated apparatus are disclosed for microwave assisted content analysis. The method includes the steps of applying microwave radiation to a sample while concurrently rotating the sample while the microwave radiation is being applied and while concurrently weighing the sample and while measuring the temperature of the sample and controlling or moderating the microwaves applied to the sample based upon the measured temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: CEM Corporation
    Inventors: Robert N. Revesz, James E. Thomas, Wyatt P. Hargett, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6489596
    Abstract: Quantitative cooking device including an electronic scale, a heater disposed on the electronic scale and a container to be heated by the heater. The heater is electrically connected with the electronic scale which controls powering on/off of the heater. The electronic scale compares the measured actual weight with the preset value. When the measured actual weight is equal to the preset value, the heater is powered off to stop heating the container. Therefore, the cooking will be stopped in accordance with the preset value and a quantitative cooking effect is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Inventor: Li-Tsan Chu
  • Patent number: 6472650
    Abstract: A food amount detector for automatically detecting the amount of a food placed in a cooking chamber of a microwave oven, a microwave oven employing the food amount detector, and control method thereof. Output voltage of a microwave generator is detected while the microwave oven is driven, and the amount of the food placed in the cooking chamber of the microwave oven is determined based on the output voltage such detected. In accordance with the amount of the food such determined, the food is cooked under the appropriate driving conditions of the microwave oven. Accordingly, the user does not need to determine the amount of the food by himself, or set the driving conditions of the microwave oven such as cooking time, level of microwave energy, etc. As a result, the user finds it convenient when using this microwave oven, and the food is cooked under the exact driving conditions set by the microwave oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chul Kim, Tae-soo Park, Kwang-seok Kang, Won-woo Lee
  • Patent number: 6396035
    Abstract: A data obtaining method for a microwave oven for processing a cooking status of food detected by a sensor into data, including the steps of: detecting data from food for a predetermined time period; calculating a summation of the detected data; and subtracting data about characteristics of the microwave oven which are prestored in the microwave oven from the detected data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: SamSung Electronics, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-chull Shon, Won-woo Lee, Tae-soo Park, Joon-young Jeong
  • Patent number: 6348680
    Abstract: A food amount detector for automatically detecting the amount of a food placed in a cooking chamber of a microwave oven, a microwave oven employing the food amount detector, and control method thereof. Output voltage of a microwave generator is detected while the microwave oven is driven, and the amount of the food placed in the cooking chamber of the microwave oven is determined based on the output voltage such detected. In accordance with the amount of the food such determined, the food is cooked under the appropriate driving conditions of the microwave oven. Accordingly, the user does not need to determine the amount of the food by himself, or set the driving conditions of the microwave oven such as cooking time, level of microwave energy, etc. As a result, the user finds it convenient when using this microwave oven, and the food is cooked under the exact driving conditions set by the microwave oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Samsung Electonics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chul Kim, Tae-soo Park, Kwang-seok Kang, Won-woo Lee
  • Patent number: 6320170
    Abstract: A volatiles analyzer is disclosed that includes a source of microwave radiation that can selectively produce at least one predetermined frequency of microwave radiation. A cavity is in communication with the source. The analyzer includes an analytical pan balance with at least its balance pan in the cavity. The walls of the cavity form a polyhedron that focuses microwave energy of the predetermined frequency on the balance pan while supporting a plurality of TM and TE modes in the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Cem Corporation
    Inventors: William Edward Jennings, Matthew Donald Barrett, Edward Earl King
  • Patent number: 6268593
    Abstract: In a microwave oven, a turn table rotates once in a period TX. During one rotation of turn table, a control circuit usually detects six pulse signals. Control circuit detects a weight of food placed on turn table based on detected intervals TA, TB, and TC of pulse signals. Note that, if six pulse signals are not detected during one rotation of turn table, the control circuit retries detection of the pulse signals and detects the weight of food placed on turn table based on TA, TB, and TC for a subsequent rotation of turn table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Haruo Sakai
  • Patent number: 6247246
    Abstract: A toploading weighing instrumentality which determines loss on drying by a cylindrical microwave. The cylindrical cavity of the microwave includes a power supply, a magnetron, a power module operatively coupled between said power supply and said magnetron for driving said magnetron, a wave guide communicating with the magnetron and with a microwave containment chamber for delivering energy thereto, at least one microwave energy sensor for sensing microwave energy or magnetic and/or electric field strength within the chamber for controlling, inter alia, the loss on drying process of the sample being assayed and determining when the drying process is complete. A precision electronic balance is operatively disposed within the microwave chamber for allowing a specimen being assayed to be weighed. In addition, a ventilation chamber is provided for venting moisture from the microwave chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Denver Instrument Company
    Inventors: Robert F. Scalese, Thomas B. Taylor, Tim Holzschuh, Douglas E. Harbert, Thomas G. Playen, Martin L. Maple, Jan Claesson
  • Patent number: 6215112
    Abstract: A food amount detector for automatically detecting the amount of a food placed in a cooking chamber of a microwave oven, a microwave oven employing the food amount detector, and control method thereof. Output voltage of a microwave generator is detected while the microwave oven is driven, and the amount of the food placed in the cooking chamber of the microwave oven is determined based on the output voltage such detected. In accordance with the amount of the food such determined, the food is cooked under the appropriate driving conditions of the microwave oven. Accordingly, the user does not need to determine the amount of the food by himself, or set the driving conditions of the microwave oven such as cooking time, level of microwave energy, etc. As a result, the user finds it convenient when using this microwave oven, and the food is cooked under the exact driving conditions set by the microwave oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chul Kim, Tae-soo Park, Kwang-seok Kang, Won-woo Lee
  • Patent number: 6091029
    Abstract: A weight sensing device for a microwave oven. The device has a fixing bracket having a bottom wall defined by a depress portion and a pair of protuberance portions which are provided at both ends of the depress portion and vertically ascending therefrom, and a pair of side walls which are integrally formed with side ends of the pair of protuberance portions and upwardly extending therefrom, a printed circuit board rested on the depress portion of the fixing bracket and provided at an upper surface thereof with a fixed electrode plate, an elastically movable electrode plate which is supported on the protuberance portions in a form of a fixed beam such that a predetermined gap is formed between the fixed electrode plate and the elastically movable electrode plate, a motor assembly which is mounted on an upper portion of the fixing bracket and is rotatably supporting a tray in which articles are placed, and a microcomputer determining the weight of articles based on the capacitance value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-Cheol Lee
  • Patent number: 6091057
    Abstract: A broiler oven has a heating chamber 2, first and second movable heaters 61 and 62 formed out of tubular heaters and rotatably supported by the inner walls of the heating chamber 2 in such a way that their heating portions 61b and 62b and their shaft portions 61a and 62a joined together so as to be parallel to each other by their arm portions 61c and 62c are held at an equal level, a driving mechanism 12 for rotating the shaft portions 61a and 62a, and a control circuit 10 for controlling the first and second movable heaters 61 and 62 and the driving mechanism 12. The control circuit 10 controls the driving mechanism 12 to rotate the first and second movable heaters 61 and 62 between a non-heating position and a heating position, and energizes the first and second movable heaters 61 and 62 when they are in the heating positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Asami, Yasuhiro Sakoda, Yuzi Andoh, Tetsuichi Arita
  • Patent number: 6013906
    Abstract: A frequency of input power is selected with a first keypad, and a weight unit is selected with a second keypad provided on a microwave oven. A displaying unit is connected with the key inputting devices and displays operating conditions of the microwave oven that are set by the first and second keypads. A controller detects the operating conditions by checking whether the displaying means and each of the first and second keypads form closed loops by applying control signals to the loops and sets the detected operating conditions as preset operating conditions of the microwave oven. Then, the controller controls the cooking operation of the microwave oven according to the preset conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronic Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: You-Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 5859413
    Abstract: A microwave oven prevents an overcooking of small food portions. The oven includes a weight sensing device for sensing the weight of food to be cooked. If the sensed food weight is greater than a reference weight, then a cooking time is set, e.g., manually or automatically on the basis of a selected cooking mode and/or the sensed food weight. If the sensed food weight is less than the reference weight, then a maximum cooking time is automatically set which is the same, regardless of the amount by which the food weight is less than the reference weight. The cooking time cannot exceed that maximum time period, thereby ensuring that the food will not be overcooked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwang-Keun Kim, Seok-Weon Hong, Kwang-Seok Kang
  • Patent number: 5831253
    Abstract: A microwave oven wherein at least a microwave cooking mode and an electric resistance heater cooking mode can be selected by a user. A tray for supporting foodstuff can be raised and lowered and rotated about a vertical axis. A weight measuring mechanism determines the weight of foodstuff on the tray. During a cooking sequence, an operator selects a cooking mode, and the weight of foodstuff is measured. A controller determines a desired cooking elevation as a function of the cooking mode and weight of the foodstuff. A rotation mechanism begins to rotate the tray, and then the rotating tray is raised to the desired elevation, whereupon a cooking operation is performed while the tray is rotated at the desired elevation. At the end of the cooking operation, the tray is lowered to its initial position while still being rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-Sung Han, Seok-Weon Hong, Kwang-Seok Kang
  • Patent number: 5828042
    Abstract: A uniform heating apparatus for a microwave oven and a method thereof which are capable of more uniformly heating food by generating various resonant modes based on the kind of food. The apparatus includes an oscillator unit having a wave guide tube for guiding microwaves generated by a magnetron to a lower portion of a heating chamber formed in a microwave oven main body, a resonant mode conversion unit for converting the microwaves guided to the lower portion of the heating chamber to have various resonant modes, a plurality of sensors for detecting the characteristics of food when the microwaves, the resonant mode of which is converted by the resonant mode conversion unit, are supplied to the food in the heating chamber, and a controller for controlling the oscillator unit and the resonant mode conversion unit in accordance with the characteristics of the food detected by the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Joon Sik Choi, Yang Kyeong Kim
  • Patent number: 5780821
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a cooking chamber, a tray disposed in the cooking chamber upon which food can be placed, and a magnetron for supplying high frequency waves to the cooking chamber. The microwave oven has a food-thawing mode and a food-cooking mode. In the thawing mode, the oven is capable of bringing food to different states of thawing in response to the selection of a specific food-thawing key. In the food-cooking mode, various cooking levels can be selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-Woo Choi, Seok-Weon Hong
  • Patent number: 5736716
    Abstract: A microwave oven has a food tray which can be both rotated and elevated. A weight sensing unit senses the weight of the tray and any food thereon, for controlling the operation of a tray elevation/rotation mechanism. The tray is not elevated if the weight of the food is detected to be greater than a predetermined elevation weight, in order to prevent excessive pressure from being applied to the elevation/rotation mechanism and the weight sensing unit. If the weight of the food is detected to be greater than a maximum possible cooking weight, no cooking is performed, and an error signal is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwang-Keun Kim, Seok-Weon Hong
  • Patent number: 5698126
    Abstract: A heating apparatus such as a microwave oven includes a magnetron supplying microwaves into a heating chamber so that food accommodated in it is heated and a microcomputer-based control circuit. The control circuit discriminates the food among three conditions, that is, a first condition in which the food is not wrapped in a wrap film, a second condition in which the food is wrapped in a wrap film, and a third condition belonging neither to the first nor to the second condition. Based on the results of discrimination, the control circuit calculates a remaining heating time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Mika Morita, Akira Okada, Teruya Tanaka, Hitoshi Takimoto
  • Patent number: 5574261
    Abstract: The invention discloses a circuit for precisely measuring the weight of the cooking food in a microwave oven. The circuit is capable of reducing the variation of the weight-voltage converted value due to the existence of the tray during the measurement of the weight of the cooking stuff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong T. Kim
  • Patent number: 5565655
    Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of detecting a weight of a food in a microwave oven wherein a weight sensor is used which includes a pair of facing electrodes and an annular spacer interposed between the electrodes and is placed on a turning track of support rollers to be pressed by the support rollers so that the space between the electrodes can be varied when each of the support rollers presses the weight sensor, causing the weight sensor to linearly vary in capacitance and thus in frequency, thereby capable of accurately detecting the food weight by utilizing the frequency variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Goldstar Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyo S. Jeon
  • Patent number: 5548103
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a control section storing a long period pattern in which each period of on and off times is relatively long and a short period pattern in which each period is shorter than that in the long period pattern. A magnetron is controlled to be turned on and off in accordance with either period pattern. The short period pattern is selected when frozen food is thawed. Since the on time in each period of the short period pattern is short, the frozen food is exposed to microwave for a shortened period of time. As a result, unevenness in the thawing is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Mika Morita
  • Patent number: 5506390
    Abstract: A control apparatus and method for a microwave oven capable of fixing an optimum thawing time, coping with unexpected voltage variation of an input AC source. According to the aforesaid apparatus and method, a weight factor corresponding to an input source voltage variation is found, a thawing time proportional to weight of a food item to be thawed is determined, and as a result a final optimum thawing time is determined by multiplying the weight factor and the thawing time together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Goldstar Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young J. Seo
  • Patent number: 5495095
    Abstract: A combined oven for cooking foodstuffs having a control panel having, on the one hand, a selection device (11) for a heating sequence to be used, of a type of foodstuff and of its weight, and, on the other hand, a control device (8) connected to data processing device (9) which includes a principal computer (10) determining a heating time as a function of the selection device. The data processing device (9), on the one hand, is connected to a display device (12) and, on the other hand, includes a slave computer (13) connected to the principal computer (10) by a bidirectional bus (14) and to which are connected the selection device (11), a storage memory (15) containing information selectable by the selection device (11) and the display device (12) to display the selectable data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignee: Moulinex (Societe Anonyme)
    Inventors: Michel G. de Matteis, Jean-Louis M. R. Guilgue
  • Patent number: 5486685
    Abstract: An oven includes a chamber for locating food for heating. An indicator is provided for signalling the existence of food in the chamber. A sensor may react to the weight of the food on a support in the chamber, or a light beam directed in the chamber and interrupted by a food or receptacle for thereby indicating the existence of food. A time delay may be provided between the sensing of the existence of food and the activation of the indicator. In other situations the indicator system operates in other ovens, autoclaves, and furnaces having workpieces for science, technology, and industry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Inventor: W. Jean Dodds