Dual-Sided Cooking Chamber With Waveguide Microwave Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooking apparatuses with microwave and heating surfaces suffer from inefficient microwave distribution and electromagnetic interference due to suboptimal shielding and parallel microwave emission, leading to uneven cooking and reduced effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A cooking apparatus with a base member featuring a microwave-transparent food-support surface, an electric heating device, and a pivotally connected upper member forming a cooking chamber that uses a partition element and microwave launch aperture to direct microwaves from the waveguide cavity through a shielded resistor and food-support surface for uniform heating, while preventing interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a reflector with slots is used to direct microwaves through the bottom heating surface, then microwave emission is achieved, but electromagnetic shielding effectiveness is reduced and interference problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the microwave emission function from the reflector with slots and relocates it to a dedicated waveguide cavity with a controlled aperture. This separation allows the reflector to be removed entirely, eliminating the source of electromagnetic interference while preserving microwave emission through the optimized waveguide structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The waveguide cavity acts as an intermediary structure between the microwave source and the food product. It controls microwave propagation through a precisely designed aperture, providing a balanced solution that enables effective microwave emission while maintaining electromagnetic shielding integrity.
2Device complexity
If microwaves are emitted parallel to the heating surfaces, then the cooking apparatus can be simple in structure, but uneven microwave distribution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the microwave emission direction from parallel to perpendicular relative to the heating surfaces. The waveguide cavity is positioned below the bottom heating surface with its aperture facing upward, directing microwaves vertically through the heating surface and food product, ensuring uniform distribution while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Productivity
If the upper member is positioned close to the bottom heating surface, then cooking efficiency is improved, but electromagnetic shielding is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the reflector with slots that caused electromagnetic interference when positioned close to the heating surface. Instead, it uses a waveguide cavity with a controlled aperture that maintains effective electromagnetic shielding even when the upper member is positioned close to the bottom heating surface for efficient cooking.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures efficient and uniform microwave distribution for rapid cooking on both sides of food products, reducing cooking time and preventing scorching, while allowing for adjustable cooking modes and easy cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
a base member (2) comprising a microwave-transparent food-support surface (3)... and at least one microwave generator (5) connected to a waveguide cavity (6) for irradiating the food products
Implementation Method 2
an electric heating device (4)
Implementation Method 3
a base member (2) comprising a microwave-transparent food-support surface (3)... an upper member (7) comprising a food-contact heating surface (8)
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for cooking food products on both sides which has a food-support surface that is transparent to both microwave and infrared radiation, an electric heating device, and a microwave generator. The microwave generator is connected to a waveguide cavity for irradiating the food products. The apparatus also has a food-contact heating surface that, together with the food-support surface, forms a cooking chamber capable of retaining the microwaves inside. The electric heating device has a shielded resistor with the external shield electrically connected to ground. The apparatus has a partition element made of thermal-insulating and microwave-transparent material, a portion of which is below the shielded resistor to separate the resistor from the microwave generator. The waveguide cavity has a microwave launch aperture underneath the partition element. The microwaves exit the cavity and pass through the partition element, the shielded resistor, and the food-support surface and radiate into the cooking chamber.