Back to results
US 4,916,386 AGranted
Microwave wattage indicator
OwnerJames E. Schulzinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microwave oven wattage detector having a visually and microwave transparent container holding a thermally homogeneous fluid having a wattage-indicating strip contained in the fluid with a plurality of different temperature-sensitive areas on the strip with indicia associated with each of the areas to indicate power levels when such container is heated within a microwave oven for a set time and one of such temperature-sensitive areas changes color to denote the indicia indicating the power level of the microwave oven.
Claims11
A microwave oven wattage detector comprising:
- a microwave transparent container;
- a predetermined quantity M of thermally homogenous fluid at an initial temperature T.sub.1 held within said container heated by said microwave oven for a fixed time t;
- a wattage indicating strip heated to a final temperature T.sub.2 by said fluid, said strip including a plurality of temperature-sensitive members, each to be activated and change color at a different temperature, such strip having indicia associated with each member corresponding to power levels to determine, for a particular temperature T.sub.2 when the formula:
- C.sub.p (T.sub.2 -T.sub.1)(M)(1/t)=energy/time=power
- where
- C.sub.p =heat capacity;
- units of joules/gram degrees F.
- T.sub.1 =temperature initial;
- units of degrees F.
- T.sub.2 =temperature final;
- units of degrees F.
- M=mass of compound being heated;
- units of grams
- t=time of energy exposure;
- units of seconds
- is utilized, the power level of said microwave oven.
13 more elements
A method for determining wattage of a microwave oven comprising the steps of:
- providing a microwave-transparent container of a predetermined quantity M of thermally homogenous fluid;
- providing a plurality of temperature-sensitive members, each to change color al a plurality of different ascending temperatures;
- providing indicia indicating power levels associated with each of said temperature-sensitive members, said indicia associated with the temperature-sensitive member that changes color upon heating in said microwave oven corresponding to the T.sub.2 in the formula:
- C.sub.p (T.sub.2 -T.sub.1)(M)(1/t)=energy/time=power
- where
- C.sub.p =heat capacity;
- units of joules/gram degrees F.
- T.sub.1 =temperature initial;
- units of degrees F.
- T.sub.2 =temperature final;
- units of degrees F.
- M=mass of compound being heated;
- units of grams
- t=time of energy exposure;
- units of seconds
- for determining the power level of a particular microwave oven;
- cooling said container to an initial temperature T.sub.1 ;
- exposing said container to microwave radiation in said oven for a preset period of time t;
- determining by visual observation which of the temperature-sensitive members is visible;
- and
- associated indicia of said member which indicates the power level of said microwave oven.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.