Microwave seal for combination cooking apparatus
AssigneeLitton Systems, Inc.
InventorDavid A. Baron
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oven adapted to cook foods by the use of either conventional thermal heating or by microwave heating, or both simultaneously, is disclosed which includes a microwave seal for preventing the emission of microwave energy beyond the cooking cavity. The microwave seal can withstand temperatures in the pyrolytic cleaning range, does not deteriorate with repeated use and discourages soil accumulation.
Claims15
A cooking appliance comprising in combination:
- a frame;
- a cooking cavity having a front access portion, said cavity being supported in said frame;
- means for thermally heating said cavity;
- means providing microwave energy to said cavity at a preselected frequency;
- a door mounted on said frame adapted for movement between an open and a closed position and including an interior face portion, said interior face portion substantially covering said front access portion of said cavity when said door is in the closed position;
- said door including means defining an annular chamber extending around the periphery of said front access portion when said door is closed, said chamber including an entrance portion located outside of and faced away from said cavity, said entrance portion being spaced away from said interior face portion a distance approximately equal to one-half wavelength of the microwave energy at said preselected frequency, said chamber having a dimension measured from said entrance portion of the rear wall of said chamber approximately equal to one-fourth wavelength of the microwave energy at said preselected frequency.
In a domestic cooking appliance of the type including an oven having an oven door, wherein said oven can be heated by thermal energy to temperatures in the heat cleaning range, the improvement comprising:
- means providing microwave energy to said oven;
- sealing means to confine said microwave energy within said oven, said sealing means including an annular chamber of substantially rectangular cross-section and dimensioned to present a short circuited transmission line for said microwave energy located about the periphery of said oven when said door is in the closed position, said chamber having an entrance portion in one wall thereof, said entrance portion facing away from the entrance to said oven.
A domestic cooking appliance having a cooking cavity formed by a substantially box-shaped oven liner and a front opening access door, an outer oven cabinet surrounding said oven liner;
- heating means for supplying heat energy to said cooking cavity;
- microwave generating means for supplying microwave energy to said cooking cavity, said access door including microwave energy seal means comprising an annular chamber positioned to encircle said cooking cavity when said door is in the closed position, said chamber having an open, entrance portion faced toward the outer periphery of said door, said chamber being dimensioned to short circuit said microwave energy to substantially prevent its transmission from said cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.