Microwave Heating Tray Compartments for Uniform Frozen Meal Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Microwave heating trays often result in uneven heating when different types of food are heated simultaneously due to varying densities and microwave energy distribution, leading to hot and cold spots, and existing solutions fail to adequately address this issue.
Innovation Solution
A microwave heating tray with a smoothly contoured peripheral shape and multiple compartments, where one compartment has an upwardly convex bottom and is thermally isolated from another by a land, along with a microwave energy limiting structure to control energy distribution, ensuring uniform heating of different food types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple different types of food are heated in the same heating tray simultaneously, then heating efficiency is improved, but heating uniformity deteriorates due to varying densities and microwave energy distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The heating tray is divided into multiple separate compartments that are thermally isolated from each other by land portions. This segmentation allows different types of food with varying densities to be heated simultaneously while maintaining uniform heating in each compartment, resolving the contradiction between heating efficiency and heating uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each compartment is designed with specific local characteristics including upwardly convex bottoms and varying depths to optimize microwave energy distribution for different food types. The land portions between compartments create localized thermal isolation zones, allowing each compartment to be optimized for its specific food type while maintaining overall heating efficiency.
2Speed
If microwave energy is increased to heat dense food faster, then heating speed is improved, but overheating of less dense food occurs
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the tray into thermally isolated compartments, each compartment can receive appropriate microwave energy levels for its specific food type without affecting other compartments. This prevents overheating of less dense food while allowing faster heating of dense food in separate compartments.
Solution Approach 2:
The compartments are designed with varying parameters including depth, bottom curvature, and surface area to optimize heating for different food densities. These parameter changes allow each compartment to be tuned for specific heating requirements, preventing overheating while maintaining heating speed.
3Area of stationary object
If compartments are placed close together to maximize tray utilization, then space efficiency is improved, but thermal isolation between compartments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The land portions between compartments are designed with specific local qualities including adequate width and thermal barrier properties to maintain thermal isolation even when compartments are placed close together. This allows maximum tray utilization while preserving the thermal isolation necessary for uniform heating of different food types.
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
The tray achieves uniform heating of multiple food items by thermally isolating compartments and using a microwave energy limiting structure, reducing energy exposure to prevent overheating and ensuring consistent temperature across food types.
Implementation Method 1
A microwave heating tray with a smoothly contoured peripheral shape and multiple compartments, where one compartment has an upwardly convex bottom
Implementation Method 2
The first compartment is separated from the second compartment by a land that thermally insulates the first compartment from the second compartment
Implementation Method 3
a microwave energy limiting structure to control energy distribution, ensuring uniform heating of different food types
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-temperature and multi-texture frozen food microwave heating tray includes a first integral compartment defined by at least one sidewall and an upwardly convex bottom, and a second integral compartment defined by at least one sidewall and a bottom and comprising a microwave energy access modulating structure for one of the first and second compartments.