Microwave Oven Insulated Divider With Corrugated Rail
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional microwave ovens with a single cooking cavity limit the simultaneous preparation of multiple food items with different cooking parameters, as microwaves emitted in one cavity can interfere with those in another, requiring sequential cooking.
Innovation Solution
A microwave oven with a cavity that can be divided into multiple sub-cavities using a removable, thermally insulating partition supported by a corrugated rail, which attenuates microwave transmission between sub-cavities, allowing independent cooking of food items with microwaves from separate generators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single cooking cavity is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity decreases due to sequential cooking requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The single cooking cavity is segmented into multiple sub-cavities using a removable partition wall. This allows simultaneous cooking of multiple food items with different cooking parameters in separate sub-cavities, thereby improving productivity without requiring multiple separate microwave ovens.
2Productivity
If multiple cooking cavities are created, then the productivity increases, but harmful factors increase due to microwave interference between cavities
Solution Approach 1:
A removable partition wall with corrugated surfaces is introduced as an intermediary structure between multiple cooking sub-cavities. The corrugated surfaces act as microwave reflectors and thermal insulators, preventing microwave energy from one sub-cavity from interfering with another, thus eliminating the harmful interference effect while maintaining multiple cavity functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a removable partition is added to divide cavities, then the adaptability increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall is designed to be removable and reconfigurable, allowing users to dynamically change the cavity configuration based on cooking needs. The partition can be inserted to create separate sub-cavities for different cooking parameters or removed to create a single large cavity, providing adaptability without permanent structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable partition serves multiple functions: it acts as a physical divider for separate cooking zones, a thermal insulator to maintain temperature differences, a microwave reflector through its corrugated surface, and a support structure via integration with the rail system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If corrugated surfaces are added to the partition or rail, then harmful factors are reduced by minimizing microwave transmission, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugation dimensions (depth, width, spacing) of the partition or rail surfaces are specifically designed and optimized to create electromagnetic bandgaps at microwave frequencies. By controlling these geometric parameters, the structure reflects microwave energy effectively, minimizing transmission between sub-cavities while providing a manufacturable solution.
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
Enables simultaneous and independent cooking of multiple food items with reduced cooking time and improved evenness, by minimizing microwave interference between sub-cavities.
Implementation Method 1
The rail or a perimeter of the partition is corrugated with a set of grooves or ridges. The dimensions of the corrugations are selected based on the frequency of transmitted radio frequency radiation between the two sub-cavities.
Implementation Method 2
a removable partition for thermally insulating the at least two sub-cavities
Data Source
AI summary
A radio frequency heating apparatus (100) having a cooking cavity (112) dividable into at least two sub-cavities (116, 118), a removable partition (114) for thermally insulating the at least two sub-cavities (116, 118), a rail (128) provided along a boundary of the cavity (112) for supporting the removable partition (114), and at least one radio frequency generator configured to transmit radio frequency radiation into at least one of the at least two sub-cavities (116, 118). The rail (128) is corrugated with a set of grooves or ridges (138), and a perimeter of the partition (114) is corrugated with a set of grooves or ridges (136) complementary to the grooves or ridges (138) of the rail (128).