Enclosed Cavity Structure Patents (Class 219/756)
  • Patent number: 7189950
    Abstract: An electric oven capable of cooking food in a cook-top way. The electric oven according to the present invention includes a cabinet which forms an appearance of the electric oven, a cooking cavity defined inside the cabinet and having an opening front part to contain food therein, and a heater movably mounted in the cooking cavity and moves forward from the cooking cavity through the opening front part so as to cook food in cook-top way. The heater may heat the inner part of the cooking cavity also so as to cook food in a conventional oven-cooking manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yeong Cheol Ko
  • Patent number: 7170039
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jong Woog Lee, Young Choi
  • Patent number: 7161125
    Abstract: A cooking appliance has a configuration that allows the heating item mounting unit of a heating chamber to be pulled out, and that can prevent generation of discharge failure by microwaves, without having to form a slide mechanism with a component or material that has high heat-resistance and fire-resistance. The cooking appliance includes a main unit with a heating chamber, a drawer unit arranged movable in the main unit so as to be pulled out from the heating chamber of the main unit, and a slide rail for moving the drawer unit in the main unit. The slide rail is provided outside the heating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiro Yoshidome, Mitsuo Hirooka
  • Patent number: 7155842
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microwave mixer/dryer/reactor for industrial use. The inventive machine has a three-fold purpose, namely to: a) mix solid products with solids, solids with liquids and solids with very viscous fluids; b) dry aforementioned products; and c) initiate reaction between said products by means of suitable microwave discharge from a generator which is specially connected to the shaft of the machine. Said machine can be used to perform one or two of said functions or all the functions together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Inventor: Ralf Oliver Petri
  • Patent number: 7148455
    Abstract: The invention includes 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 the power supply and the magnetron for driving the magnetron, a wave guide communicating with the magnetron and with a microwave containment chamber for delivering energy, and at least one microwave energy sensor for sensing microwave energy or magnetic and/or electric field strengths 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. A processing unit provides for data acquisition, processing and storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Denver Instrument Company
    Inventors: Robert F. Scalese, Thomas B. Taylor, Tim Holzschuh, Douglas E. Harbert, Thomas G. Plaven, Martin L. Maple, Jan Claesson
  • Patent number: 7148457
    Abstract: A microwave water heating system includes a metal casing having an outer wall defining an interior casing chamber. An inner housing is positioned within the casing and includes an outer wall displaced from the casing outer wall to form an insulating vacuum space. The inner housing includes an inlet port connected to an upstream water source and an outlet port connected to a downstream conduit. The casing and inner housing include generally spherical configurations. The inner housing is configured to induce a vortex of a water stream flowing between inlet and outlet ports. At least one magnetron is mounted to the casing for transmitting microwaves into the inner housing for heating the water stream at the vortex. A float valve in the inner housing allows the water stream to flow and be heated upon demand as the valve operates according to upstream and downstream pressure differentials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Inventors: William B. Cotten, Caleob King
  • Patent number: 7145120
    Abstract: A guided heating apparatus and a method for using the same is provided. The apparatus includes a guiding enclosure, a supporting piece, and an absorbing piece. The guiding enclosure guides and keeps energy from an energy source within the guiding enclosure. The guiding enclosure is made of a material reflective of the energy. The energy source is either one of a microwave source and an infrared source. The supporting piece is detachably coupled with the guiding enclosure and is made of a material transparent to the energy. The absorbing piece is coupled to and supported by the supporting piece within the guiding enclosure. The absorbing piece is made of at least one material that absorbs the energy and transfers the energy to an object to be heated. The absorbing piece has a predetermined composition that controls an energy absorption rate of the absorbing piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Song-Hua Shi, Bob Sankman
  • Patent number: 7144739
    Abstract: A pressure-sealing, pressure-monitoring closure for non-invasively sealing a reaction vessel to a defined release pressure in microwave-assisted chemistry is disclosed. The closure includes a pressure-resistant, microwave-transparent reaction vessel, one portion of which defines a mouth, a flexible pressure-transmitting releasable cover assembly on the mouth of the vessel, a pressure transducer on the cover and external to the vessel for monitoring the pressure in the vessel as exerted against the flexible cover, and a clamp for urging the vessel, the cover and the transducer together under a defined force so that when the pressure in the vessel exceeds the defined force, the cover can flex and release the pressure from the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: CEM Corporation
    Inventor: William E. Jennings
  • Patent number: 7135820
    Abstract: A magnetron includes semi-circularly shaped electric field adjusting grooves provided on surfaces of outer ends of vanes brought into contact with an inner surface of a positive polar body to make distribution of an electric field uniform on the surfaces of the outer ends of the vanes. Accordingly, the electric field becomes uniform by the electric field adjusting grooves provided on the surfaces of the outer ends of the vanes, so that generation of undesirable harmonics is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Boris V. Rayskiy, Hyun-Jun Ha
  • Patent number: 7129452
    Abstract: A wall-mounted microwave oven including a fixing member having an improved structure for fixing an oven body to a vertical wall. The wall-mounted microwave oven achieves a reduction in manufacturing costs and convenient and simple manufacturing, transporting and installing processes. The wall-mounted microwave oven also includes a sheet adapted to set an accurate mounting position for the fixing member, in which the sheet has a size corresponding to that of the oven body and is made of paper or a similar material. The fixing member is provided with fixing holes. The sheet is provided with fixing position marks indicating fixing positions where screws have to be fastened to the wall through respective fixing holes. The fixing member is also provided with hooks respectively engaged with hook holes formed at a lower end of the oven body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung Wook Cho
  • Patent number: 7122772
    Abstract: In an even numbered polygonal microwave resonator wherein a high mode microwave mode is formed and in the resonator volume a homogeneous field distribution is established for the thermal processing of workpieces, a microwave in-coupling structure pair is provided along a joining edge of two wall segments alternately at opposite sides and the in-coupling structure pairs or in communication, via a rectangular microwave guide channel, with a microwave sources supplying microwaves to the in-coupling structure pairs so that the microwaves entering the resonator from each in-coupling structure are directed toward an opposite corner area of the resonator and are reflected from the opposite corner area back into the center area of the resonator in the form of separate beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH
    Inventors: Lambert Feher, Volker Nuss, Thomas Seitz
  • Patent number: 7119312
    Abstract: A microwave energy emitter (108) is positioned in a microwave transparent chamber (123) within a fluid holding vessel (106) of a microwave containment vessel (122). The fluid holding vessel (106) may be transparent to microwave energy and is further provided with a microwave reflective component outward, on, or beyond an exterior surface (121) of the wall of the fluid holding vessel (106). The microwave reflective component reflects microwaves back into the fluid holding vessel (106). The fluid holding vessel (106) encloses a material that absorbs microwave energy. An inlet path (116) and outlet path (112) is provided for material to flow in and out of the holding vessel upon predetermined conditions. Heated material can be condensed via a condenser (124) into a collection vessel (120). A controller (126) is provided to send control signals to a switching device (100) for controlling the material flow and receiving sensing signals for decision generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Inventor: Steven R. Sedlmayr
  • Patent number: 7105785
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a high-frequency heating apparatus which has simple configuration, in which leakage into the apparatus from a water tank is prevented without large-sizing the apparatus, which is not influenced by heat from a heating chamber and which is sanitary and provides ease of use. To achieve the object, the high-frequency heating apparatus 100 provided with a high frequency generator that supplies a high frequency to the heating chamber for housing an object to be heated and a steam generator that generates steam in the heating chamber for supplying at least either a high frequency or steam to the heating chamber and heating the object to be heated is provided and the water tank for supplying water to the steam generator is arranged in any position on the outside face of the high-frequency heating apparatus 100 so that the water tank can be detached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouji Kanzaki, Yuji Hayakawa, Masaharu Tsujimoto, Toshifumi Kamiya
  • Patent number: 7094999
    Abstract: An apparatus for sterilizing objects has a sterilization chamber and a microwave source for applying microwave radiation to objects inside the sterilization chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Inventors: Manfred Zapf, Detlef Schiller
  • Patent number: 7087875
    Abstract: A wall-mounted microwave oven in which a bottom plate adapted to be mounted to a lower end of an oven body is easily detachable. The wall-mounted microwave oven includes a coupling unit for mounting the bottom plate to the lower end of the oven body. The coupling unit includes a plurality of engagement slots formed through the lower end of the oven body at positions spaced apart from one another, respectively, and a plurality of engagement hooks provided on the bottom plate at positions corresponding to the positions of the engagement slots, and adapted to be engaged with the engagement slots in a state of being inserted into the engagement slots, respectively. Since the mounting of the bottom plate to the oven body is achieved by engagement between the engagement hooks and the engagement slots, it is possible to mount and separate the bottom plate easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Wook Cho, Hong Man Jang
  • Patent number: 7087872
    Abstract: An oven, is provided that includes multiple heat transfer means, including convection and microwave heat transfer means. The oven includes a cooking chamber, a blower and at least a shelf disposed within the cooking chamber. The shelf is designed to act as a food support as well as a conduit through which heated air passes into the cooking chamber. The microwave heating means comprises a microwave source and wave guide through which microwaves travel. The wave guide includes a plurality of openings through which microwaves can pass into said cooking chamber. In the preferred embodiment, the openings in the wave guide are positioned to correspond with the predetermined minima or maxima for the microwave wavelength propagating within the wave guide. An electric heating element may also be disposed within the cooking chamber to provide an alternative heating source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Enersyst Development Center, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Michael J. Dobie, John Robert Norris, Neal S. Cooper, Carlos Bacigalupe, Robert W. Foreman
  • Patent number: 7078662
    Abstract: A drawer-type heat cooker is provided in which a sliding mechanism for drawing out and pushing in a drawer body in a cooker body and a drive mechanism for driving the sliding mechanism are arranged separately from the heat chamber. As a result, these mechanisms can be prevented from being exposed to microwave in the heat chamber and leavings of food. The drawer body can be moved on the outside of the heat chamber with respect to the cooker body via left and right slide rails as a sliding mechanism and a slide rail at a center provided with the drive mechanism. The respective slide rails and the drive mechanism are prevented from being affected by high temperature, microwave, or leavings of food which may cause breakdown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Yoshidome
  • Patent number: 7053556
    Abstract: In a magnetron 41, when a radius of a flat portion 45b of a pole piece 45 is Rp, a radius of the inner circumference of a large-diameter equalizing ring 51 is Rs2, Rp?Rs2, a radius of the outer circumference of a small-diameter equalizing ring is Rs1, a radius of a circle inscribed in a leading edge of an anode vane is Ra, and a minimum length between the pole pieces in the axial direction is Lg, the values of Ra, Rs1, Rs2, and Lg are set such that the following Expressions 1 and 2 are established: 1.85Ra?(Rs1+Rs2)/2?1.96Ra, and[Expression 1] 2.84Ra?Lg?3.0Ra.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Yoshihara, Hiroshi Ochiai, Etsuo Saitou, Hideki Ohguri
  • Patent number: 7041948
    Abstract: A microwave oven with a toaster includes a toaster casing, a heating chamber inserted in the toaster casing, a bread receiver slidably inserted in the toaster casing, and a toaster door attached to a front side of the bread receiver. The bread receiver is selectively placed in the heating chamber. The microwave oven further includes a crumb tray slidably inserted in the toaster casing for collecting crumbs of bread and a holding unit for holding bread put in the bread receiver. The crumb tray is placed under the bread receiver. Further, there is provided a process for controlling a heater of the toaster, which is capable of properly baking bread even when the toaster is continually operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Jae Hyun Lee, Gil Ju Jung, Yun Ho Cho
  • Patent number: 7034266
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for tuning a microwave apparatus. The chamber volume of the microwave apparatus can be changed by moving a flexible portion of a flexible wall while a perimeter portion of the flexible wall remains fixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis J. DeGroot, James A. Boldra, Keith R. Haen
  • Patent number: 7034269
    Abstract: A wall-mounted microwave oven is provided capable of performing an exhaust function irrespective of a folded state or an unfolded state of a guide plate while achieving an improvement in the exhaust function. The wall-mounted microwave oven includes an oven body, and the guide plate to guide fumes or smoke rising toward the oven body to an exhaust suction port formed at a bottom wall of the oven body. The guide plate is hingeably mounted to a front wall of the oven body to hinge upwardly to a folded position thereof or hinging downwardly to an unfolded position thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: San-Jin Jeong
  • Patent number: 7030348
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lifting device for lifting a microwave oven installed at a position right below kitchen furniture. According to the present invention, an end of a cord 30 is fixed in the microwave oven 20. Further, the cord 30 sequentially passes through a hole 23 formed in a top plate 22 of the microwave oven 20 and a through-hole 14 formed in a bottom plate 12 of the kitchen furniture 10. A stopper 40 or 50 with a center hole 42a or 52a formed therethrough is installed in the through-hole 14 of the kitchen furniture 10. That is, the cord 30 passes through the bottom plate 12 of the kitchen furniture 10 via the center hole 42a or 52a of the stopper 40 or 50. At this time, the stopper 40 or 50 limits a one-way motion of the cord 30 through the center hole 42a or 52a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Seog Tae Kim
  • Patent number: 7022953
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for efficient heating fluid by using electromagnetic energy, the fluid is passed into a channeling structure within a region of space illuminated with electromagnetic energy uniformly, equally and simultaneously for rapid heating. Electromagnetic energy penetrates the fluid and causes it to heat. Structure in close proximity to the fluid in the channeling structure efficiently converts electromagnetic energy to heat to further heat the fluid to obtain a substantially homogeneous final desired temperature. The fluid is moved through the channeling structure creating turbulent to maximize the transfer of electromagnetic energy to the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Fyne Industries, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Khanh Kim Nguyen, Thanh Van Pham
  • Patent number: 7015440
    Abstract: A microwave oven and a method of controlling the same, in which a cooking unit disposed in a cooking cavity is moved from an initial position to a cooking position. In the microwave oven, a magnetron is operated after heaters are moved to respective cooking positions where a rotating unit to move the heaters and the magnetron are operated. Accordingly, microwaves are radiated into the cooking cavity while the heaters are not being moved by the rotating unit, so a generation of heat and sparks resulting from a concentration of the microwaves into spaces between a moving unit including the rotating unit and the cooking unit and between the moving unit and a wall of the cooking cavity is preventable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Han-Gyu Ryu
  • Patent number: 7012230
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a microwave oven. The microwave oven of the present invention comprises a cavity assembly which defines a cooking chamber therein and functions as a framework of the microwave oven, an outer casing which includes a top portion and side portions formed at both ends of the top portion to enclose the cavity assembly and interior parts and is provided with convexo-concave reinforcements at the top portion and at least one side portion, a door of which one side is connected to the cavity assembly to be a pivot center and which selectively causes the cooking chamber to be open and close, and a back plate which defines a rear face of the cavity assembly and is provided with a convexo-concave reinforcement formed along at least one edge portion thereof. According to the present invention constructed as such, there is an advantage in that external rigidity of the microwave oven is increased, whereby deformation of the microwave oven due to an impact or operating force can be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yong-yeon Kim, Dong-yool Lee, Boo-youn Lee, Sang-hu Park, Soo-kil Park, Woon-jin Kim, Hyung-do Kim, Sang-dong Park, Gyu-ho Oh
  • Patent number: 7012231
    Abstract: A system and method for thermally expanding a product submerged in heating medium located in an internal compartment of a microwave oven. The heating medium is subjected to low doses of micro-radiation in order to become heated and thermally expand the encapsulated product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: SPX Corporation
    Inventor: Anthony Reale
  • Patent number: 7005613
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a method for cleaning an oven. The method includes placing an oven liner in an oven. The oven liner has a first major surface formed of silicone elastomer and has a second major surface formed of fluorinated polymer. The method further includes cooking food items in the oven and over the oven liner and removing the oven liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation
    Inventor: Peter D. Spohn
  • Patent number: 7002122
    Abstract: A continuous feed microwave applicator having a choke formed along a longitudinal gap. A conveyor may be fit to run along the length of the applicator, within the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: The Ferrite Company, Inc.
    Inventors: E. Eugene Eves, II, Bruce Secovich
  • Patent number: 6998590
    Abstract: A system and method for thermally expanding a product submerged in heating medium located in an internal compartment of a microwave oven. The heating medium is subjected to low doses of micro-radiation in order to become heated and thermally expand the encapsulated product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: SPX Corporation
    Inventor: Anthony Reale
  • Patent number: 6987254
    Abstract: A microwave oven to prevent a side plate of a cabinet from vibrating due to an electromagnetic field which is generated around a high-voltage transformer installed in a machine room. An anti-vibration plate is provided at a predetermined position inside the side plate of the cabinet so as to prevent the side plate from vibrating due to the electromagnetic field. The anti-vibration plate extends from a rear wall of the machine room so as to be adjacent to the side plate at a position between the high-voltage transformer and the side plate. Further, the anti-vibration plate is integrated with the rear wall of the machine room, and is screwed to the side plate. The anti-vibration plate has a rectangular shape. An embossment is formed on the anti-vibration plate to reinforce a strength of the anti-vibration plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang Jin Jeong
  • Patent number: 6984811
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a door. The door includes a door unit for selectively opening/closing a cooking chamber and a control unit, for controlling an operation of the microwave oven, is arranged at a predetermined part of the door unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Seung Ryong Lee
  • Patent number: 6965101
    Abstract: A cooling structure for an oven door of a microwave oven usable as a pizza oven, which includes air inlet perforations formed through a portion of a chamber partition wall contacting one side section of the oven door to communicate with an electric device installation chamber, and thus, to receive ambient air, air inlet perforations formed through the side section of the oven door, the inlet perforations having the same shape as the first air inlet perforations such that the second air inlet perforations are aligned with the first air inlet perforations to introduce the air into the interior of the oven door, and air outlet perforations formed through the other side and top sections of the oven door to outwardly exhaust the air introduced into the interior of the oven door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Daewoo Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Seung Hoc Kim, Kyung Hoi Yang
  • Patent number: 6956191
    Abstract: A microwave oven includes a cooking chamber and a door. The cooking chamber includes a front opening and a bottom plate. The bottom plate is projected forward from the cooking chamber. The door selectively opens and closes the cooking chamber, and is projected forward to form a cooking space extending from the cooking chamber, together with the projected bottom plate of the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-Sung Han, Yong-Woon Han, Han-Seong Kang, Joo-Yong Yeo, Seong-Deog Jang
  • Patent number: 6956190
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a water supply controlling method of a high-frequency heating apparatus and the high-frequency heating apparatus wherein water supplied to a heating chamber as steam is controlled in the quantity and the quality and power can be saved. To achieve the object, it is judged whether there is the required quantity of water supplied as steam in cooking in a water tank or not and in case it is judged that the water is short, request for replacing water in the water tank is annunciated. Elapsed time since water in the water tank was last replaced is monitored and in case the elapsed time exceeds predetermined time, request for replacing the water is annunciated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Sano, Nobuhiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6949730
    Abstract: A wall-mounted type microwave oven has an improved assembling structure of a lighting device to afford reduction of manufacturing cost and ease of assembly. The lighting device includes an opening formed at a bottom panel of the microwave oven, a lamp housing mounted on the bottom panel to cover the opening and having a lamp therein, a window bracket provided at the opening and having a transparent window thereon, support pieces provided at the bottom panel and extended toward the lamp housing, hooks formed at either the support pieces or the lamp housing, and hook holes formed at another of the support pieces and the lamp housing, coupling plates provided at the lamp housing and the window bracket, coupling holes formed at the coupling plates of the lamp housing and the window bracket, and a screw to be tightened into the coupling holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Se-Hun Lee, Kwang-il Yang
  • Patent number: 6946631
    Abstract: A browning device for use in a microwave oven. The browning device can include an infrared generator for generating infrared radiation. The browning device being formed such that it has a hollow space. The interior surface of the hollow space facing the microwave oven cavity having an infrared absorbing material for absorbing infrared radiation from an infrared generator. The infrared absorbing material is constructed such that it is able to reach a temperature of 500° C. at which soot is vaporized or ignited. Quartz tubes may be utilized as the infrared generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Eckart Braunisch, Gunnar Nyren
  • 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: 6921887
    Abstract: Disclosed is a microwave oven having a toasting function and compact dimensions. The microwave oven comprises a cavity and a component chamber; a toaster case at a front of the component chamber and having an opening at a front thereof; a toaster door at a front of the toaster case for opening/closing the opening; a tray assembly installed in an interior of the toaster case for supporting at least one slice of bread; and a heater assembly installed in an interior of the toaster case, for heating the bread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronic Inc.
    Inventors: Yoon Gun Back, Sang Jin Oh
  • 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: 6909078
    Abstract: A cooking chamber assembly in a microwave oven for improved which improves air tightness in the cooking chamber, and reduces assembly complexity, time, and cost. A tray which essentially forms a bottom surface of a cooking chamber of the microwave oven is surrounded by a unitary gasket. A groove formed in an inner edge of the unitary gasket is designed to receive an outer edge of the tray, and a lip formed on an outer edge of the unitary gasket is designed to provide an air tight seal with an inner surface of a case of the cooking chamber. An air duct which guides circulating air is attached to an inner portion of the case with a series of hooks, allowing the air duct to be attached without separate fastening members such as screws or bolts, thus further reducing manufacturing time and cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Sang Ryul Lee, Duck Gil 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: 6906301
    Abstract: A high-frequency heating apparatus includes a magnetron (1), a magnetron holding plate (2), a waveguide (3), a heating chamber (4), and screws (5), and the magnetron (1) is attached to the magnetron holding plate (2) with two screws. Hereby, attachment of the magnetron is facilitated, speed-up of the manufacturing process of the high-frequency heating apparatus can be realized, and production efficiency can be improved. Further, in the breakdown repair requiring exchange of the magnetron, working time can be also reduced, so that service to customers can be also improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahide Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6900424
    Abstract: A microwave delivery system for a cooking appliance includes a toroidal waveguide, a launching zone and a waveguide cover. The launching zone includes opposing top, bottom and side walls that form a pathway for a microwave energy field to travel from a magnetron through the waveguide and into a cooking chamber. In accordance with one aspect of the overall invention, the bottom wall of the launching zone is aligned with a bottom surface of the waveguide to establish a direct conducting surface for the microwave energy field. The waveguide cover shields a hollow interior portion of the waveguide from cooking byproducts generated in the cooking chamber during a cooking process. The waveguide cover is preferably constituted by a metallic conductor having a finish that enhances the microwave energy field distribution in the cooking chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Maytag Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Arntz, Dennis Michael Brandon Burns, Damien L. Esprit, Trieu Huynh, Sondra Denice Proffitt, Robert Z. Whipple, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6894259
    Abstract: A wall-mounted type microwave oven to prevent deformation and drooping of an outer cabinet thereof. The microwave oven includes an outer cabinet defining an outer appearance of the wall-mounted type microwave oven, and an inner cabinet disposed in the outer cabinet with a predetermined spacing therebetween. The inner cabinet includes a hanger member extending from the inner cabinet to allow the inner cabinet to be secured to an installation base, and a fastening device to secure the hanger member to the installation base. The hanger member secures the inner cabinet as well as the outer cabinet to the installation base. A weight of the wall-mounted type microwave oven is distributed to the outer cabinet and the inner cabinet, thereby preventing deformation of the outer cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Se-Hun Lee
  • Patent number: 6872928
    Abstract: A microwave oven is adapted to hingeably couple a door to an oven body, while preventing microwaves from leaking between a door frame and a shield plate included in the door. The microwave oven includes a door hinge bracket having a pair of door-side hinge members and a connecting member adapted to connect the door-side hinge members such they have an integral structure. At a front surface portion thereof, on which the door hinge bracket is fitted, the shield plate is provided with a stepped portion for receiving a portion of the door hinge bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoung Ho Kim, Jae Man Cho
  • Patent number: 6867405
    Abstract: A magnetron includes a positive polar cylinder, a plurality of vanes, a filament, upper and lower shields, and upper and lower pole pieces. The vanes are disposed in the positive polar cylinder to constitute a positive polar section. The filament is disposed on an axis of the positive polar cylinder to define an activating space. The upper and lower shields cover a top and bottom of the filament, respectively. The upper and lower pole pieces are disposed to induce magnetic flux into the activating space. The upper shield preferably has a diameter ranging from 6.95 mm to 7.10 mm. Additionally, the lower shield preferably has a diameter ranging from 6.95 mm to 7.10 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Chull Shon, Boris V. Rayskiy, Chul Kim, Hyun-Jun Ha
  • Patent number: 6867398
    Abstract: Microwave oven with a toaster comprising a main case forming an outer shape, a cavity in the main case for cooking food therein with a microwave, an electronic chamber in one side part of the main case having different electronic components for providing the microwave to an inside of the cavity, and a toaster comprising a toaster case in front of the electronic chamber having slits in opposite sides respectively, a tray assembly mounted on the slits of the toaster case for introducing/taking out pieces of bread into/out of the toaster, a heater assembly in the toaster case for heating the pieces of bread, a toaster door on the toaster case, a door lock for holding the door, and a power source device for supplying power to the heater assembly, thereby providing a cooking function with a microwave, and toasting function with a toaster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Jong Woog Lee
  • Patent number: 6867401
    Abstract: A waveguide system for passing microwave energy while blocking foreign particles from a moving gas passing through the system is provided. The system includes first and second waveguide sections and a low loss microwave window disposed between the waveguide sections to allow microwave energy to pass from the first waveguide section through the window to the second waveguide section. The system also includes a gas bypass filtration system having a first port in communication with the first waveguide section, a filter element in communication with the first port, and a second port in communication with the filter element and with the second waveguide section. The system of the invention having these features blocks, by means of the window, a gas flowing through the first waveguide section and forces that gas to flow through the gas bypass filtration system so that it enters the second waveguide section only after passing through the filter. A system designed to include a pillbox window is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Communications & Power Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: William Conway, Vincent Marini, Robert McGowan, Carlos Dantas, Timothy Smith
  • Patent number: 6864471
    Abstract: A plurality of slots are provided so as to be located between a thin plate flexible opening section screen member and a heating chamber wall surface 1 for allowing insertion of the opening section screen member. A gently-curved bulging surface exists in an area where the heating chamber wall surface 1 and the opening section screen member 5 are mated together. As a result, residual warpage which would otherwise remain when the opening section screen member is warped for attachment becomes invisible, thereby preventing occurrence of clearance, which would cause sparking or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Mitsumoto, Takahide Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6864470
    Abstract: A microwave oven incorporating toaster includes a tray provided on a tray support. The tray support moves forward and backward in inside the toaster. The tray support includes a bushing for moving within moving slots provided at both sidewalls of a toaster case. A connecting lever connects the bushing to a toaster door and translates a motion generated by operation of the toaster door when it opens and closes into a moving motion exhibited by the tray. A food item (e.g., a slice of bread, bagel, etc.) arranged on the tray may be inserted into, or removed from, the inside of the toaster by operating the toaster door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Yoon Gun Back