Optimized allocation of microwave power in multi-launcher systems
First Claim
1. A microwave system for heating a plurality of articles, said system comprising:
- at least one microwave generator for generating microwave energy;
a microwave chamber;
a conveyance system for conveying said articles through said microwave chamber; and
a microwave distribution system for directing at least a portion of said microwave energy from said microwave generator to said microwave chamber,wherein said microwave distribution system comprisesa microwave distribution manifold,n microwave launchers serially connected to said microwave distribution manifold along the length of said microwave distribution manifold and operable to discharge microwave energy into said microwave chamber, wherein n is at least three,(n−
1) microwave allocation devices connected to said distribution manifold along the length of said microwave distribution manifold and each configured to divide microwave energy received from said distribution manifold into a launch fraction to be discharged into said microwave chamber by an associated one of said microwave launchers and a distribution fraction that continues to pass through said distribution manifold toward the next microwave launcher, wherein each microwave allocation device comprises at least one inductive iris,wherein at least one of said microwave allocation devices is configured to divide said microwave energy according to an unequal predetermined power ratio,wherein at least one of said microwave allocation devices is configured to divide said microwave energy according to a substantially equal predetermined power ratio.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A microwave system for heating a plurality of articles and a method of using the same is provided. The microwave heating system comprises at least three microwave launchers and at least three microwave allocation devices for dividing the microwave energy into at least three separate portions. Each allocation device is configured to divide the microwave energy passing therethrough according to a predetermined ratio, and at least one of the allocation devices is configured to divide the microwave energy according to a predetermined ratio that is not 1:1. The resulting energy portions can then be discharged into the microwave heating chamber via the launchers and used to heat a plurality of articles, including foodstuffs, medical fluids, or medical instruments, disposed within the heating chamber.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A microwave system for heating a plurality of articles, said system comprising:
-
at least one microwave generator for generating microwave energy; a microwave chamber; a conveyance system for conveying said articles through said microwave chamber; and a microwave distribution system for directing at least a portion of said microwave energy from said microwave generator to said microwave chamber, wherein said microwave distribution system comprises a microwave distribution manifold, n microwave launchers serially connected to said microwave distribution manifold along the length of said microwave distribution manifold and operable to discharge microwave energy into said microwave chamber, wherein n is at least three, (n−
1) microwave allocation devices connected to said distribution manifold along the length of said microwave distribution manifold and each configured to divide microwave energy received from said distribution manifold into a launch fraction to be discharged into said microwave chamber by an associated one of said microwave launchers and a distribution fraction that continues to pass through said distribution manifold toward the next microwave launcher, wherein each microwave allocation device comprises at least one inductive iris,wherein at least one of said microwave allocation devices is configured to divide said microwave energy according to an unequal predetermined power ratio, wherein at least one of said microwave allocation devices is configured to divide said microwave energy according to a substantially equal predetermined power ratio. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
Specification