Microwave Oven Back Wall Protrusions for Uniform Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
The heating effect in commercial microwave ovens is uneven due to the fixed reflection angle of microwaves, resulting in some parts of the food not being heated sufficiently because of the uneven distribution of microwaves within the heating chamber.
Innovation Solution
The microwave oven features a back wall with multiple protrusions, each having multiple reflecting surfaces that protrude inward, allowing for even distribution of microwaves through controlled reflection, ensuring consistent heating across the chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flat plate walls are used in the heating chamber, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the microwave distribution is uneven resulting in poor heating effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing flat plate walls with protrusions that have curved or angled reflecting surfaces. Each protrusion features multiple reflecting surfaces (first, second, and third reflecting surfaces) with different orientations, creating a non-planar geometry that scatters microwaves in multiple directions rather than reflecting them at a single fixed angle, thereby improving microwave distribution and heating efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The back wall is segmented into multiple protrusions rather than being a single flat surface. Each protrusion is further segmented into multiple reflecting surfaces (first reflecting surface, second reflecting surface, third reflecting surface), creating a divided structure that redirects microwaves to different areas of the heating chamber, solving the uneven distribution problem while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
2Device complexity
If flat plate walls are used in the heating chamber, then the structure is simple, but the microwave reflection angle is fixed causing uneven microwave distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions are designed with asymmetric geometries featuring multiple reflecting surfaces at different angles and orientations. The first, second, and third reflecting surfaces are arranged asymmetrically on each protrusion, allowing microwaves to be reflected at various angles to different locations in the heating chamber, thereby achieving uniform microwave distribution without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms
3Productivity
If a rotating tray is used to improve heating uniformity, then some heating improvement is achieved, but some parts of the food still cannot be heated sufficiently due to uneven microwave distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions with multiple reflecting surfaces are pre-installed on the back wall to create favorable microwave distribution conditions before the heating process begins. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that microwaves are naturally distributed more evenly throughout the heating chamber, reducing the reliance on rotating trays and achieving better heating uniformity from the start
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
This design ensures that microwaves are distributed evenly and consistently within the heating chamber, leading to more rapid and uniform heating of food.
Implementation Method 1
each of the protrusions has more than three reflecting surfaces and protrudes toward an inside of the heating chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a microwave oven including an oven door and a heating chamber with a back wall, and the oven door is installed in the front of the heating chamber. There are more than one protrusion disposed on the back wall, and each of the protrusions has more than three reflecting surfaces and protrudes toward an inside of the heating chamber. The back wall of the heating chamber in the microwave oven has the structure of a plurality of reflecting surfaces, which makes the microwave emitted by a magnetron reach every position of the heating chamber by reflection of the multiple reflecting surfaces, thereby the microwave distributes more evenly and consistently, thus the food may be heated more rapidly and uniformly.