MICROWAVE HEATING APPARATUS

• US 20130186887A1
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: HALLGREN, FREDRIK, PARACHINI, DAVIDE, SANTACATTERINA, GIANPIERO, DEVITO, DANIELE
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/702
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6447 Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/68 for monitoring or control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/686 Circuits comprising a signal generator and power amplifier, e.g. using solid state oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/688 for thawing
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/705 using microwave tuning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A microwave heating apparatus and a method of heating a load using microwaves is disclosed. The microwave heating apparatus comprises a cavity arranged to receive a load, a plurality of feeding ports for feeding microwaves from a plurality of microwave generators to the cavity, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to obtain a desired temperature pattern within the cavity based on information about a plurality of regions of the load. The control unit is also configured to determine a heating pattern comprising zones of different intensities corresponding to the desired temperature pattern, and control at least one of the plurality of microwave generators for providing the heating pattern within the cavity. The apparatus and method may provide heating of a load according to different desired temperatures in various parts of the load.

Claims

1. A microwave heating apparatus comprising:

a cavity arranged to receive a load;

a plurality of feeding ports configured to feed a plurality of microwaves from a plurality of microwave generators to said cavity, the microwaves generated by at least one of the plurality of microwave generator and fed to the cavity providing a mode field in the cavity; and

a control unit configured to;

obtain a desired temperature pattern within said cavity based on information about a plurality of regions of said load,

determine a heating pattern comprising zones of different intensities corresponding to said desired temperature pattern, wherein a zone of higher intensity in the determined heating pattern corresponds to a region of higher temperature in the desired temperature pattern; and

control at least some of said plurality of microwave generators for combining mode fields provided by said at least some of said plurality of microwave generators and thereby providing said heating pattern within said cavity.

2. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to obtain said desired temperature pattern based on information about a predetermined location/position of said regions of said load within said cavity and a food type corresponding to said regions of said load.

3. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a recognizing means for recognizing at least one of the location of said regions of said load within said cavity, a food type corresponding to said regions of said load, a weight of said regions of said load, a volume of said regions of said load and an instantaneous temperature of said regions of said load.

4. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an image capturing device arranged to acquire an image of the load arranged in said cavity, said control unit being configured to obtain said desired temperature pattern based on said image.

5. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 4, wherein said image capturing device includes a charge-coupled device whose sensitivity preferably extends into the infrared range.

6. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 1, wherein said desired temperature pattern represents a different desired finishing temperature for said regions of said load.

7. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an infrared sensor for capturing a temperature image of said regions of said load and/or for identifying the location and/or shape of the regions of said load within said cavity.

8. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an entry means for entry of information comprising at least one of a location of said regions of said load within said cavity, a type of food corresponding to said regions of said load, a weight of said regions of said load, a volume of said regions of said load, an instantaneous temperature of said regions of said load, a desired finishing temperature for said regions of said load, and a selected cooking program.

9. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control unit is configured to control a frequency, a phase and a amplitude of the microwaves of at least some of said microwave generators for providing the determined heating pattern.

10. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of microwave generators include at least one of a solid state microwave generator and a frequency-controllable microwave generator.

11. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control unit is configured to control some of said microwave generators for simultaneous feeding of microwaves to said cavity.

12. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of microwave generators include magnetrons, said control unit being configured to control some of said magnetrons for feeding of microwaves to said cavity during different time periods.

13. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control unit is configured to select some of the feeding ports and microwave generators based on the determined heating pattern.

14. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a display screen for displaying the load located in the cavity and entry means for selection of a cooking level for said regions of said load, said temperature pattern corresponding to the selected cooking level.

15. A method of heating a load in a cavity using microwaves, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a desired temperature pattern for a plurality of regions of said load;

determining a heating pattern with zones of different intensities corresponding to said desired temperature pattern, and

heating said load with the determined heating pattern in said cavity.

16. A microwave heating apparatus comprising:

a cavity configured to receive a load;

at least one microwave port configured to supply a signal from at least one signal generator to said cavity, the signal is generated by at least one of a solid state microwave generator and a frequency-controllable microwave generator, wherein the signal is configured to provide a mode field in the cavity; and

a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to obtain a desired temperature pattern within said cavity based on at least one sensed input in at least one region of said load to determine a heating pattern comprising a plurality of zones having different intensities, the intensities correspond to said desired temperature pattern, wherein a zone of higher intensity in the determined heating pattern corresponds to a region of higher temperature in the desired temperature pattern; and

wherein the control unit is configured to control at least one of a plurality of signals generated by the signal generator for combining mode fields provided by at least one of the signal generators thereby providing said heating pattern within said cavity.

17. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a recognizing means for recognizing at least one of a location of said regions, a food type corresponding to said regions, a weight of said regions of said load, a volume of said regions and an instantaneous temperature of said regions of said load within said cavity.

18. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 16, further comprising an image capturing device configured to acquire an image of the load arranged in said cavity, said control unit being configured to obtain said desired temperature pattern based on said image.

19. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 16, further comprising an infrared sensor for at least one of capturing a temperature image of said regions of said load and identifying the location and shape of the regions of said load within said cavity.

20. The microwave heating apparatus of claim 16, further comprising an entry means for entry of at least one of a location of said regions, a food type corresponding to said regions, a weight of said regions, a volume of said regions, an instantaneous temperature of said regions, a desired finishing temperature for said regions of said load within said cavity, and a selected cooking program from a set of cooking programs illustrated a display screen for displaying the load located in the cavity and entry means for selection of a cooking level for said regions of said load, said temperature pattern corresponding to the selected cooking level.