In-Line Microwave Warming Apparatus
First Claim
1. Microwave warming apparatus comprisinga housing defining a heating waveguide having a pair of opposite electrically conductive end walls and electrically conductive longitudinal walls extending between the end walls, said walls enclosing a heating cavity;
- an integral electrically conductive ridge projecting from one of the longitudinal walls and extending along the waveguide between the end walls;
a slot having opposite ends and extending from the outside through said one longitudinal wall and said ridge into the heating cavity, said slot being adapted to receive a cartridge containing a tube so that the tube extends through the slot into the heating cavity;
means for coupling electromagnetic energy having a selected heating frequency into the heating waveguide to heat the contents of the tube;
a first receiving waveguide extending inside said ridge adjacent to the slot so that when a cartridge is received in the slot, the first receiving waveguide can pick up thermal radiation emanating from a first segment of the tube and produce a corresponding waveguide-generated signal, anda radiometer that operates at a selected detection frequency and is responsive to the waveguide-generated signal for producing a corresponding temperature signal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Microwave warming apparatus includes a housing defining a heating waveguide with a heating cavity. An integral internal electrically conductive ridge projects from one of the longitudinal waveguide walls and extends along the waveguide. A slot having opposite ends extends from the outside through the ridge into the heating cavity, the slot being adapted to receive a cartridge containing a tube so that the tube extends through the slot into the heating cavity. Electromagnetic energy is coupled into the heating waveguide to heat the contents of the tube. A transducer constituted by a first receiving waveguide inside the ridge is adjacent to the slot so that when a cartridge is received in the slot, the transducer can sense the thermal radiation emanating from a segment of the tube and produce a corresponding waveguide-generated signal. A radiometer in the housing is responsive to the waveguide-generated signal and produces a temperature indicating signal.
11 Citations
26 Claims
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1. Microwave warming apparatus comprising
a housing defining a heating waveguide having a pair of opposite electrically conductive end walls and electrically conductive longitudinal walls extending between the end walls, said walls enclosing a heating cavity; -
an integral electrically conductive ridge projecting from one of the longitudinal walls and extending along the waveguide between the end walls; a slot having opposite ends and extending from the outside through said one longitudinal wall and said ridge into the heating cavity, said slot being adapted to receive a cartridge containing a tube so that the tube extends through the slot into the heating cavity; means for coupling electromagnetic energy having a selected heating frequency into the heating waveguide to heat the contents of the tube; a first receiving waveguide extending inside said ridge adjacent to the slot so that when a cartridge is received in the slot, the first receiving waveguide can pick up thermal radiation emanating from a first segment of the tube and produce a corresponding waveguide-generated signal, and a radiometer that operates at a selected detection frequency and is responsive to the waveguide-generated signal for producing a corresponding temperature signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Microwave heating apparatus comprising a cartridge for placement in a housing defining a heating waveguide, said apparatus including
a tube loop having an inlet, an outlet and spaced-apart, parallel, coplanar legs connected by a connecting segment; -
a flat, relatively rigid support member having upper and lower ends and spaced-apart parallel side walls extending between said ends and being secured to said legs to maintain the shape of the tube loop; a pair of mirror-image notches in the side walls of the support member, said notches having walls which are electrically conductive. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification