Ovens with metallic belts and microwave launch box assemblies for processing food products

A food processing machine for processing a food product, the food processing machine comprising:

• a housing defining a cavity;
• a conveyor with a belt comprising metal for conveying the food product through the cavity in a longitudinal direction, wherein the belt is a continuous belt that is continuously conveyed through the cavity;
• a convection heating system for heating air in the cavity such that heated air heats the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• and
• a microwave launch box system configured to emit microwave energy into the cavity in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction to thereby further heat the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• a microwave launch box section into which the microwave launch box system emits microwave energy to thereby heat the food product;
• wherein the housing has a first sidewall and a second opposite sidewall that each extend in the longitudinal direction along the conveyor;
• wherein the microwave launch box system includes a first launch box assembly that is coupled to the first sidewall and directs microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the second sidewall and a second launch box assembly that is coupled to the second sidewall and directs microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the first sidewall;
• wherein the first launch box assembly is aligned with the second launch box assembly in the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the first launch box assembly has a match plate coupled to the first sidewall and positioned in the cavity to thereby couple resonant modes of the microwave energy emitting from the first launch box assembly;
• wherein the second launch box assembly has a match plate coupled to the second sidewall and positioned in the cavity to thereby couple resonant modes of the microwave energy emitting from the second launch box assembly;
• and
• wherein the match plate of the first launch box assembly is spaced apart from the match plate of the second first launch box assembly by a first lateral distance to thereby minimize cross-coupling effects of the microwave energy emitted by the first launch box assembly and the second launch box assembly.

A food processing machine for processing a food product, the food processing machine comprising:

• a housing defining a cavity;
• a conveyor with a belt comprising metal for conveying the food product through the cavity in a longitudinal direction, wherein the belt is a continuous belt that is continuously conveyed through the cavity;
• a convection heating system for heating air in the cavity such that heated air heats the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• a microwave launch box system configured to emit microwave energy into the cavity in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction to thereby further heat the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• a microwave launch box section into which the microwave launch box system emits microwave energy to thereby heat the food product;
• wherein the housing has a first sidewall and a second opposite sidewall that each extend in the longitudinal direction along the conveyor;
• wherein the microwave launch box system includes a first launch box assembly that is coupled to the first sidewall and directs microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the second sidewall and a second launch box assembly that is coupled to the second sidewall and directs microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the first sidewall;
• wherein the first launch box assembly is aligned with the second launch box assembly in the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the first sidewall has a first opening and the second sidewall has a second opening;
• and wherein the first launch box assembly emits microwave energy through the first opening into the cavity and the second launch box assembly emits microwave energy through the second opening into the cavity;
• wherein the first launch box assembly and the second launch box assembly each have four identical waveguides and a magnetron coupled to each waveguide, and wherein the magnetrons produce the microwave energy and the waveguides direct the microwave energy into the cavity.

A food processing machine for processing a food product, the food processing machine comprising:

• a housing defining a cavity,
• a conveyor with a belt comprising metal for conveying the food product through the cavity in a longitudinal direction, wherein the belt is a continuous belt that is continuously conveyed through the cavity;
• a convection heating system for heating air in the cavity such that heated air heats the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• a microwave launch box system configured to emit microwave energy into the cavity in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction to thereby further heat the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• wherein the food processing machine has a microwave launch box section into which the microwave launch box system emits microwave energy to thereby heat the food product;
• wherein the housing has a first sidewall and a second opposite sidewall that each extend in the longitudinal direction along the conveyor;
• wherein the microwave launch box system includes a first launch box assembly that is coupled to the first sidewall and directs microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the second sidewall and a second launch box assembly that is coupled to the second sidewall and directs microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the first sidewall;
• wherein the first launch box assembly is aligned with the second launch box assembly in the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the first sidewall has a first opening and the second sidewall has a second opening;
• and wherein the first launch box assembly emits microwave energy through the first opening into the cavity and the second launch box assembly emits microwave energy through the second opening into the cavity;
• and
• wherein the housing has an upstream endwall with an opening through which the belt extends and the food product is received into the cavity and a downstream endwall with an opening through which the belt extends and the food product is dispensed from the cavity;
• and the food processing machine further comprises:
• an upper choke assembly vertically above the belt and a lower choke assembly vertically below the belt at the opening in the upstream endwall and the opening in the downstream endwall to thereby prevent the microwave energy from leaking through the opening in the upstream endwall and the opening in the downstream endwall.

A food processing machine for processing a food product, the food processing machine comprising:

• a housing defining a cavity,
• a conveyor with a belt comprising metal for conveying the food product through the cavity in a longitudinal direction, wherein the belt is a continuous belt that is continuously conveyed through the cavity;
• a convection heating system for heating air in the cavity such that heated air heats the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• a microwave launch box system configured to emit microwave energy into the cavity in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction to thereby further heat the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• wherein the food processing machine has a microwave launch box section into which the microwave launch box system emits microwave energy to thereby heat the food product;
• wherein the housing has a first sidewall and a second opposite sidewall that each extend in the longitudinal direction along the conveyor;
• and
• wherein the microwave launch box system includes a first launch box assembly that is coupled to the first sidewall and directs microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the second sidewall and a second launch box assembly that is coupled to the second sidewall and directs microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the first sidewall;
• wherein the first launch box assembly is aligned with the second launch box assembly in the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the first sidewall has a first opening and the second sidewall has a second opening;
• and wherein the first launch box assembly emits microwave energy through the first opening into the cavity and the second launch box assembly emits microwave energy through the second opening into the cavity;
• and
• wherein the microwave launch box system further includes:
• a third launch box assembly coupled to the first sidewall for emitting microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the second sidewall, the third launch box assembly has a match plate spaced apart from the match plate of the first launch box assembly by a first longitudinal distance to thereby minimize cross-coupling effects of the microwave energy emitted by the third launch box assembly and the first launch box assembly;
• and
• a fourth launch box assembly coupled to the second sidewall for emitting microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the first sidewall, the fourth launch box assembly has a match plate spaced apart from the match plate of the second launch box assembly by the first longitudinal distance to thereby minimize cross-coupling effects of the microwave energy emitted by the fourth launch box assembly and the second launch box assembly.

A food processing machine for processing a food product, the food processing machine comprising:

• a housing defining a cavity;
• a conveyor with a belt comprising metal for conveying the food product through the cavity in a longitudinal direction, wherein the belt is a continuous belt that is continuously conveyed through the cavity;
• a convection heating system for heating air in the cavity such that heated air heats the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• and
• a microwave launch box system configured to emit microwave energy into the cavity in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction to thereby further heat the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• a microwave launch box section into which the microwave launch box system emits microwave energy to thereby heat the food product;
• wherein the housing has a first sidewall and a second opposite sidewall that each extend in the longitudinal direction along the conveyor;
• wherein the microwave launch box system includes a first launch box assembly that is coupled to the first sidewall and directs microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the second sidewall and a second launch box assembly that is coupled to the second sidewall and directs microwave energy in the lateral direction toward the first sidewall;
• wherein the first launch box assembly has a magnetron for producing the microwave energy emitted into the cavity, and the second launch box assembly has a magnetron for producing the microwave energy emitted into the cavity;
• and
• a controller in communication with and for controlling the magnetron of the first launch box assembly and the magnetron of the second launch box assembly such that the controller can selectively activate the magnetron of the first launch box assembly and the magnetron of the second launch box;
• and
• a microwave monitoring detector for detecting microwave energy leaking from the oven;
• and
• wherein the controller is in communication with the microwave monitoring detector and is configured to shut off at least one of the launch box assemblies or magnetrons when the microwave energy detected by the microwave monitoring detector is equal to or greater than a maximum allowable microwave energy leakage value.

A food processing machine for processing a food product, the food processing machine comprising:

• a housing including:
• a cavity;
• a first sidewall extending in a longitudinal direction and having a first opening therein;
• a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall and extending in the longitudinal direction and having a second opening therein;
• an upstream endwall with an opening through which the food product is received into the cavity;
• a downstream endwall with an opening through the food product is dispensed from the cavity, the upstream endwall and the downstream endwall each extend in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction;
• a conveyor with a belt comprising metal extends through the opening in the upstream endwall and the opening in the downstream endwall and is for conveying the food product through the cavity in the longitudinal direction;
• a convection heating system heats air in the cavity such that the heated air cooks the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity;
• and
• a microwave launch box system emits microwave energy into the cavity to thereby further heat the food product as the food product is conveyed through the cavity, the microwave launch box system has:
• a first launch box assembly coupled to the first sidewall that directs microwave energy in a lateral direction through the first opening toward the second sidewall, the first launch box assembly has a choke plate coupled to the first sidewall that prevents leakage of the microwave energy from the first opening;
• a second launch box assembly coupled to the second sidewall for directing microwave energy in a lateral direction through the second opening and toward the first sidewall, the second launch box assembly has a choke plate coupled to the second sidewall that prevents leakage of the microwave energy from the second opening;
• wherein the choke plate of the first launch box assembly has a choke channel encircling the first opening, the choke channel has a centerline spaced apart from the first opening at a distance of one-quarter wavelength to thereby form an impedance suppression that prevents leakage of the microwave energy from the first opening;
• and
• wherein the choke plate of the second launch box assembly has a choke channel encircling the second opening, the choke channel has a centerline spaced apart from the second opening at a distance of one-quarter wavelength to thereby form an impedance suppression that prevents leakage of the microwave energy from the second opening.