Microwave plant press
OwnerWilliam Robert Beecroft, Jennifer Leslie Beecroftinventors
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Abstract
A plant drying press for use in a microwave oven wherein plant material is held between absorbent sheets (14) backed by vapour permeable pads (12) with the assembly clamped between plattens (11) held by clips (15). The permeable pads (12) are ideally resilient. The plattens (11) are plate-like, ideally with ribs (17-20) and perforated (13, 21). The platens (11), pads (12) and sheets (14) are ideally microwave transparent.
Claims23
A press for drying plants, plant parts, flowers and the like utilizing microwave energy comprising:
- at least two support elements between which items to be dried are sandwiched, in use;
- and
- support means by which to hold the support elements together;
- characterised in that
- said support elements and said support means being microwave permeable, or substantially transparent to microwaves, to expose, in use, said items to microwave heating;
- and
- said support elements are substantially permeable to vapour caused by the heating.
A microwaveable plant drying press for drying plant material utilizing microwave energy characterised in that said press comprises:
- porous absorbent sheet material for sandwiching plant material therebetween;
- resilient vapour permeable pads for supporting said porous absorbent sheet material and sandwiched plant material therebetween.
A system for drying plant material, such as flowers and the like, using microwave energy:
- (A) a plant press, said plant press comprising:
- (a) at least two platens, said platens being adapted to be at least partially vapor permeable and substantially microwave transparent and to support plant material when the plant material is placed between said platens;
- (b) a clamping device, said clamping device being adapted to be substantially microwave transparent and to provide a clamping force on said platens when plant material is placed between said platens;
- and
- (B) a microwave energy source, said microwave energy source being adapted to direct microwave energy onto said plant press, whereby plant material in said plant press is subjected to microwave energy and heated thereby causing drying in the plant material.
A method of drying plant material, the method comprising the following steps:
- (A) providing a plant press, the plant press comprising:
- (a) at least two platens, the platens being adapted to be at least partially vapor permeable and substantially microwave transparent and to support plant material when the plant material is placed between said platens;
- (b) a clamping device, the clamping device being adapted to be substantially microwave transparent and to provide a clamping force on said platens when plant material is placed between said platens;
- (B) placing plant material between the platens;
- (C) engaging the clamping device with the platens when the plant material is in between the platens;
- and
- (D) exposing the plant press with the plant material to microwave energy, wherein the plant material is heated by the microwave energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.