Microwave oven leakage detector and method of using same to test door seal leakage

A microwave oven door seal power density leakage detector for detecting power density of a beam of microwaves leaking through a seal along the perimeter of the oven door, said microwave leakage beam having a direction of maximum power density propagation, said leakage detector comprising:

• a plurality of microwave sensitive antennae, arranged in alignment with a segment of the perimeter of said door in a linear array and spaced therefrom a predetermined test distance at a predetermined test angle relative to said direction of maximum power density propagation, each of said antennae spaced from each adjacent antenna a spacing distance equal to or less than a beamwidth due to the highest mode of standing wave resonant energy in the oven emittable along said perimeter segment such that the narrowest beam of said microwave leakage will be sensed by at least one of said antennae;
• and
• measuring means for measuring the power density sensed by each of said antennae.

A cavity rf oscillator rf leakage detector for detecting the rf leakage from a substantially linear aperture therein, the rf energy oscillating therein having a predetermined substantially monochromatic frequency, and said cavity having a predetermined structure, said leakage detector comprising:

• a plurality of rf sensitive antennae, arranged in a linear array corresponding to said linear aperture and spaced therefrom a predetermined distance at a predetermined angle relative to the direction of maximum power density propagation from said aperture, each of said antennae spaced from each adjacent of said antennae a spacing distance such that the narrowest beam of rf emitting from said aperture comprised of two minimum and one maximum spatially displaced power density points will be sensed by at least of one said antennae at a power level no less than a predetermined ratio relative to the maximum power density of said beam.

A rf leakage detector for detecting rf leakage from one or more substantially linear apertures in a cavity rf oscillator containing a predetermined bandwidth of rf energy, said cavity having predetermined structure such that only a predetermined set of resonance modes can oscillate therein and cause beam emission therefrom, said leakage detector comprising:

• one or more linear arrays of antennae, a corresponding one for each of said apertures, each array having a plurality of antennae arranged in a line corresponding to the line of the corresponding aperture, each antenna spaced a predetermined distance from said corresponding aperture at a predetermined angle relative to the direction of maximum energy propagation therefrom, each antenna further spaced from each adjacent antenna a spacing distance such that every beam of rf energy comprising at least two minimum and one maximum spatially displaced power density points radiating from said corresponding aperture must be sensed by at least one of said antennae at no less than a predetermined minimum power density level relative to that beam's maximum power density level along the line of said array.