# US 10,368,692 B2 · Dynamic capacitive RF food heating tunnel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,368,692 B2 - Document ID: US10368692B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/842,219 - Filed: 2015-09-01 - Published: 2017-03-02 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-01 - Assignees: Husqvarna AB - Applicants: Illinois Tool Works, Inc. - Inventors: Giorgio Grimaldi; Joshua M. Linton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10368692B2 ## CPC - A47J 37/015: {electrically heated} - A23L 5/15: {using wave energy, irradiation, electrical means or magnetic fields, e.g. oven cooking or roasting using radiant dry heat} - H05B 6/60: Arrangements for continuous movement of material - A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION ## Abstract A food preparation device may include a tunnel cavity having a prep portion and a cooking portion, a conveyor belt extending through a length of the tunnel cavity, a cooking controller operably coupled to the prep portion and the cooking portion to selectively distribute power to at least a radio frequency (RF) capacitive heating source and a cold air source in the prep portion and at least a heat source in the cooking portion, and an interface panel. The prep portion and the cooking portion are positioned in a linear series in the tunnel cavity. The RF capacitive heating source comprises a ground plate and an anode plate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A food preparation device comprising: a tunnel cavity having a prep portion configured to thaw a frozen food product to generate a thawed food product and a cooking portion configured to cook the thawed food product; a conveyor belt extending through a length of the tunnel cavity; a radio frequency (RF) capacitive heating source; a cold air source; a cooking controller operably coupled to the prep portion and the cooking portion to selectively distribute power to at least the RF capacitive heating source and the cold air source in the prep portion and at least a heat source in the cooking portion; and an interface panel, wherein the prep portion and the cooking portion are positioned in a linear series in the tunnel cavity, wherein the RF capacitive heating source comprises a ground plate and an anode plate, wherein the food preparation device further comprises a proximity sensor to sense a distance between the ground plate and the anode plate, wherein the cooking controller is configured to automatically mechanically position at least one of the ground plate or the anode plate, and wherein the cooking portion is separate from the prep portion and the cooking portion does not include the cold air source. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The food preparation device of claim 1, wherein the ground plate is disposed under the conveyor belt, and the anode plate is mobile to change a distance between the anode plate and the ground plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The food preparation device of claim 1, wherein the ground plate and the anode plate are disposed on opposing sides of the conveyor belt. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The food preparation of device of claim 1, wherein the RF capacitive heating source transmits RF energy from about 10 MHz to about 50 MHz. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The food preparation device of claim 1, wherein the prep portion is configured to thaw the frozen food product by utilizing the RF capacitive heating source to apply heat to the frozen food product while cold air is applied to an exterior surface of the frozen food product by the cold air source. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The food preparation device of claim 1, wherein each of the cold air source and the heat source comprises an air flow generator, the cold air source further comprising a chilling element, and the heat source further comprising a heating element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The food preparation device of claim 6, wherein the heat source comprises at least one of magnetic induction, infrared light, hot convection air, steam, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The food preparation device of claim 1, wherein the cooking portion comprises the heat source and a second RF capacitive heating source. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The food preparation device of claim 8, wherein the cooking portion is configured to heat a food product interior core of the thawed food product and also brown an exterior surface of the thawed food product. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The food preparation device of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt conveys a food product from the prep portion to the cooking portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The food preparation device of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt operates continuously or pauses for a predetermined amount of time in each of the prep portion and the cooking portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The food preparation device of claim 1, wherein the cooking controller monitors at least one of humidity, temperature, time, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The food preparation device of claim 1, wherein the cooking controller is configured to control volumetric thermal conditions of the thawed food product having an interior core and an exterior surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The food preparation device of claim 1, wherein the cooking controller is configured to automatically mechanically position at least one of the ground plate or the anode plate based on settings pre-programmed into the cooking controller. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The food preparation device of claim 14, wherein the settings pre-programmed into the cooking controller comprise a shape, a size, or a physical location of the frozen food product.