Microwave heating device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microwave heating devices face challenges in simultaneously improving heating efficiency and maintaining even heating, as controlling the stop location of a rotating antenna can lead to uneven heating due to prolonged exposure in efficient heating directions.
Innovation Solution
A microwave heating device that includes a heating chamber, a microwave generator, a waveguide, a radiation antenna, a rotary driver, a reflected wave detector, and a controller. The controller adjusts the radiation antenna's direction based on detected reflected wave amounts, stopping its rotation when facing in directions with minimized reflected wave detection, and alternating directions to balance heating efficiency and evenness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the rotating antenna stops at the location with minimized reflected wave detection to improve heating efficiency, then heating efficiency is improved, but uneven heating occurs due to prolonged exposure in the same direction
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna rotation is controlled to stop periodically at multiple locations including both the first location with minimized reflected wave detection and a second different location. This periodic stopping pattern allows the system to achieve efficient heating at the optimal location while preventing uneven heating by alternating to a different location, thus resolving the contradiction between heating efficiency and even heating distribution.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If a directional coupler is used to detect incident and reflected waves, then wave detection capability is improved, but the device size becomes considerably large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary detection function by using a reflected wave detector that detects only the reflected wave inside the waveguide, rather than using a complete directional coupler that would detect both incident and reflected waves. This extraction of the essential detection capability allows for a more compact device size while maintaining the necessary wave detection functionality for controlling antenna rotation.
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 configuration enhances heating efficiency by maintaining extended exposure in optimal heating directions while minimizing uneven heating by balancing the effects of different directional exposures, thus achieving both efficient and even heating.
Implementation Method 1
a reflected wave detector that detects at least part of a reflected wave inside the waveguide
Implementation Method 2
a radiation antenna that radiates the microwave propagating inside the waveguide to the heating chamber
Implementation Method 3
a microwave generator that generates a microwave to be supplied to the heating chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention has a configuration of controlling a motor so as to stop a radiation antenna when the radiation antenna faces in a direction in which a reflected wave detection amount is minimized and to stop the radiation antenna when the radiation antenna faces in a different direction different from the direction in which the reflected wave detection amount is minimized. According to this configuration, first, the radiation antenna stops when facing in the direction in which the reflected wave detection amount is minimized. This extends a heating time under the most efficient condition, improving a heating efficiency in comparison with when the radiation antenna constantly rotates. Second, the radiation antenna stops when facing in the different directions. This causes uneven heating when the radiation antenna faces in the direction in which the reflected wave detection amount is minimized as well as when the radiation antenna faces in the different directions. As a result, the uneven heating is cancelled out by the uneven heating each other caused at different locations. In this way, it is possible to achieve the even heating.