Electrode apparatus for stray field radio frequency heating
AssigneeCodaco, Inc.
InventorTimothy D. Gorbold
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An RF heating system for generating precision stray RF fields that can be used to heat materials. The RF heating system includes an RF power supply for generating RF signals and an electrode apparatus that is coupled to the RF power supply. An electrode apparatus according to the present invention has many advantages over existing electrode apparatuses. For example, the electrode apparatus is easier to manufacture, easier to duplicate, easier to control the manufacturing tolerances on the electrode system, and easier to correctly place and design the resulting RF stray field.
Claims23
An electrode apparatus for generating stray fields, comprising:
- a first element;
- and
- a second element, wherein
- the first element comprises an elongated member and an elongated electrode, the elongated electrode having one end connected to the elongated member,
- the second element comprises a base and an electrode plate that is connected to and extends outwardly from a surface of the base,
- the first element and the second element are positioned such that the elongated electrode is spaced from a top portion of a face of the electrode plate and such that a bottom surface of the elongated electrode is not directly over a distal side of the electrode plate, but is directly over at least a portion of the base, and
- the distance from the top surface of the base to the bottom surface of the elongated electrode is greater than or equal to twice the distance between the top portion of the face of the electrode plate and the elongated electrode.
An electrode system for generating stray fields, comprising:
- an elongated electrode;
- and
- an electrode plate having a first face and a second face, wherein
- the first face of the electrode plate faces in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated electrode,
- the elongated electrode is spaced apart from the first face of the electrode plate,
- the height of the electrode plate is greater than the thickness of the elongated electrode,
- the length of the electrode plate is shorter than the length of the elongated electrode,
- a top surface of the elongated electrode is co-planar or substantially co-planar with a distal side surface of the electrode plate, and
- the elongated electrode is spaced apart from the electrode plate by a distance of X, and the difference between the height of the electrode plate and the thickness of the elongated electrode is about greater than or equal to 2X.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.