Electric heating – Microwave heating – With diverse-type heating
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-02
2001-05-15
Leung, Philip H. (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Microwave heating
With diverse-type heating
C219S702000, C219S710000, C219S688000, C219S759000, C219S401000, C219S629000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06232587
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a microwave heating apparatus for quickly heating and cooking food while maintaining the quality of the food.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 22
shows a structure of a conventional microwave heating apparatus including a vapor generator.
A main body
1
of the microwave heating apparatus (hereinafter, referred to simply as the “main body
1
”) includes a heating chamber
3
for accommodating an item
2
to be heated (hereinafter, referred to simply as the “item
2
”), a magnetron
4
provided outside the heating chamber
3
, and a vapor generator
5
for generating vapor
10
to be supplied to the heating chamber
3
. The vapor generator
5
includes a vapor generating chamber
6
and a water supply tank
7
in communication with the vapor generating chamber
6
.
The item
2
is heated for cooking by microwaves
8
generated by the magnetron
4
and the vapor
10
supplied to the heating chamber
3
from the vapor generating chamber
6
. The vapor generating chamber
6
generates heat by an electric current induced by an induction heating coil
9
and thus generates the vapor
10
.
By heating the item
2
using both the microwaves
8
and the vapor
10
, the moisture is maintained in the item
2
more than in the case where only the microwaves
8
is used for heating. Moreover, the vapor
10
heats the item
2
uniformly and thus more satisfactorily.
However, the conventional microwave heating apparatus has the following problems.
The microwave heating apparatus requires 2 to 4 minutes to start up, i.e., from the time the induction heating coil
9
is activated until the vapor
10
is generated, as shown in FIG.
23
. This prolongs the cooking time. For 1 to 2 minutes after the induction heating coil
9
is deactivated, the vapor
10
is still being supplied to the heating chamber
3
. This can cause some danger when taking the cooked item
2
out from the heating chamber
3
.
Furthermore, when the vapor
10
is supplied to the heating chamber
3
, the vapor
10
contacts the walls of the heating chamber
3
and thus generates dew condensation. The microwaves
8
are absorbed by the dew condensation, thereby causing non-uniformity in the electric wave distribution in the heating chamber
3
. Thus, uniform heating by the microwaves
8
is not realized.
The dew condensation also tends to de-sanitize the heating chamber
3
.
The present invention has an objective of providing a microwave heating apparatus for heating and cooking an item by reducing the dew condensation in a heating chamber.
The present invention has another objective of providing a microwave heating apparatus for heating and cooking an item, which supplies high-speed vapor corresponding to the microwaves so as to realize quicker cooking, more safety in removing the cooked item with no vapor remaining in the heating chamber, and a reduction in dew condensation in the heating chamber.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, a microwave heating apparatus includes a heating chamber for accommodating an item to be heated; a microwave generator for radiating microwaves to the heating chamber, and a vapor generator for supplying vapor to the heating chamber. The heating chamber includes a regenerating plate for generating and regenerating heat when radiated by the microwaves from the microwave generator, thereby reducing dew condensation caused by the vapor in the heating chamber.
In one embodiment of the invention, the vapor generator includes an excitation coil provided outside a vapor generating chamber and a metal body provided inside the vapor generating chamber which is made of one of foam and fiber. Water from a water supply tank is drip-fed onto a top end of the metal body.
In one embodiment of the invention, the regenerating plate is provided on at least one of top, bottom, left, right and inner rear walls included in the heating chamber.
In one embodiment of the invention, the regenerating plate is on at least one of an upper position and a lower position with respect to a position at which the item to be heated is located in the heating chamber.
In one embodiment of the invention, a microwave heating apparatus further includes a control section for pre-heating the regenerating plate to a prescribed temperature by operating the microwave generator prior to a supply of the vapor to the heating chamber from the vapor generator.
In one embodiment of the invention, a vapor spraying outlet is provided for releasing the vapor upward from a lower position in the heating chamber.
In one embodiment of the invention, supporting plate is provided for covering a side wall of the heating chamber and supporting ends of the regenerating plate, and the regenerating plate has a vapor direction guide formed thereon for releasing the vapor upward to a position corresponding to a vapor spraying outlet formed at a lower position of the side wall of the heating chamber.
In one embodiment of the invention, a length of the regenerating plate in a depth direction is shorter than a length of the heating chamber in the depth direction, and the heating chamber is structured so that air warmed by cooling a magnetron of a microwave generator flows in through a gap between at least one of the walls of the heating chamber and the regenerating plate which is set in the heating chamber.
In one embodiment of the invention, a vapor spraying outlet formed at the lower position on a side wall of the heating chamber is connected to an outlet of a boiler of the vapor generator, and a lower level of the vapor spraying outlet is lower than a lower level of the outlet of the boiler.
In one embodiment of the invention, the regenerating plate includes a plate formed of one of ceramics or porcelain and a glaze layer formed on a surface of the plate, the glaze layer generates heat when radiated by the microwaves, and the plate regenerates the heat which is generated by the glaze layer.
In one embodiment of the invention, a microwave heating apparatus further includes a control section for pre-heating the heating chamber to a first target temperature by operating the microwave generator prior to the generation of the vapor generator when detecting a pre-heating start instruction while being in a wait state, and also for pre-heating the heating chamber to a second target temperature which is lower than the first target temperature when not detecting any action during a prescribed time period.
In one embodiment of the invention, the vapor generating chamber includes a diffusive member for diffusing water drip-fed from the water supply tank.
In one embodiment of the invention, the diffusive member includes an end surface diffusive member provided at an end surface of the metal body and an outer peripheral wall diffusive member provided on an outer peripheral wall of the metal body.
In one embodiment of the invention, the outer peripheral wall diffusive member is formed of long-fiber assembly having an ability of absorbing liquid and an ability of retaining liquid.
In one embodiment of the invention, the metal body includes a hollow space. A shaft member is inserted into the hollow space for preventing water drip-fed from the water supply tank from flowing down from the hollow space without being vaporized.
In one embodiment of the invention, the shaft member is a rolled cylindrical member which has a sufficient spring property to vary an outer diameter thereof.
In one embodiment of the invention, the vapor generator is structured so as to pump the water up into the water supply tank by a pump through a water processing material cartridge attached to the water supply tank.
In one embodiment of the invention, a microwave heating apparatus further includes a control section for determining time to exchange the water processing material cartridge based on the operation time of the vapor generator or the operation time of the pump for pumping up the water from the water supply tank, or the result of accumulation of amount of supplied water, and for notifying the time to exchange.
In one embodiment
Inada Ikuhiro
Kunimoto Keijirou
Kurita Hitoshi
Takahashi Yutaka
Uchiyama Satomi
Kelly Michael K.
Leung Philip H.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Snell & Wilmer L.L.P.
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