Method and apparatus for heating and drying moist articles
AssigneeMicro Dry, Inc.
InventorsRobert D. Strattan, Mary E. O'Connor, James R. Sorem, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a microwave heating method and apparatus utilizing a multiplicity of microwave propagating sources positioned about a heating chamber. The microwave energies are optimized to provide a greater uniformity in the heating of articles disposed in the heating chamber, while preventing interference of the wave propagations. The microwave pulses are cross-polarized and time-multiplexed. Also, the focusing and spread angles are controlled.
Claims25
A method of improving the uniformity of heating and drying of an article or articles of moist fabric being heated and dried by microwaves within a heating and drying chamber having a plurality of magnetrons disposed about the chamber in at least two substantially oppositely planar positions for generating non-interfering waves of energy, a tumbler for tumbling said moist fabric, said tumbler disposed within said heating and drying chamber, and means for providing a flow of air through said tumbler for carrying away the moisture, said method comprising the steps of generating and directing microwaves into said heating and drying chamber from said at least two magnetrons disposed in said substantially oppositely planar positions about said heating and drying chamber, said microwaves from said at least two positions being cross-polarized with respect to each other for minimizing interference therebetween, tumbling said fabric article or articles in conjunction with said microwave generation, and causing a flow of air through said tumbler for drying said fabric article or articles.
An apparatus for substantially uniformly heating and drying an article or articles of moist fabric by microwaves, comprising:
- a heating and drying chamber having at least two microwave generating magnetrons for generating microwaves from at least two substantially oppositely planar positions disposed about said chamber, said magnetrons being positioned such that said microwaves are cross-polarized with respect to each other when directed into said heating and drying chamber from said at least two substantially oppositely planar positions for minimizing interference therebetween, a tumbler disposed within said heating and drying chamber for containing and tumbling said moist fabric article or articles, and means for forcing air through said tumbler for the purpose of carrying away the moisture.
A method of improving the uniformity of heating and drying an article or articles of moist fabric in a chamber using microwaves to heat and dry the moist fabric article or articles, comprising the steps of:
- generating microwaves and directing them into said heating and drying chamber, tumbling said moist fabric article or articles in conjunction with said microwave generation, said microwave generation being accomplished by magnetrons disposed about said chamber at substantially oppositely planar positions, said microwaves being independently generated by means of time-multiplexing, and passing air through said moist fabric article or articles for carrying away moisture.
An apparatus for substantially uniformly heating and drying an article or articles of moist fabric by microwaves, comprising:
- a heating and drying chamber having at least two microwave generating magnetrons for generating microwaves independently of each other, and means for time-multiplexing said magnetrons, said magnetrons being disposed about said chamber at substantially oppositely planar positions, means for tumbling said moist fabric article or articles in conjunction with the generation of said microwaves, and means for passing air through said means for tumbling said moist fabric article or articles for carrying away moisture therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.