Apparatus for providing rf stirring with solid state components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017071036-A1
Application number	US-201514848640-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 9, 2015
Priority date	Sep 9, 2015
Publication date	Mar 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An oven may include a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product, an antenna assembly and a cooking controller. The antenna assembly may include a plurality of antennas provided in increments corresponding to respective zones of the cooking chamber. The cooking controller may be operably coupled to the antenna assembly to selectively distribute power to respective ones of the antennas of the antenna assembly to provide radio frequency energy into the respective zones in a selected pattern.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1 . An oven comprising:
a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product; an antenna assembly comprising a plurality of antennas provided in increments corresponding to respective zones of the cooking chamber; and a cooking controller operably coupled to the antenna assembly to selectively distribute power to respective ones of the antennas of the antenna assembly to provide radio frequency (RF) energy into the respective zones in a selected pattern.

2 . The oven of claim 1 , wherein the antenna assembly comprises:
a first antenna disposed to provide RF energy into a first zone of the cooking chamber; a second antenna disposed to provide RF energy into a second zone of the cooking chamber; a third antenna disposed to provide RF energy into a third zone of the cooking chamber; and a fourth antenna disposed to provide RF energy into a fourth zone of the cooking chamber.

3 . The oven of claim 2 , wherein the selected pattern comprises alternating power distribution to:
a combination of the first, second, third and fourth antennas; a combination of the first and third antennas; a combination of the second and fourth antennas; and any single one of the first, second, third and fourth antennas.

4 . The oven of claim 3 , wherein the selected pattern is a predetermined pattern.

5 . The oven of claim 3 , wherein the selected pattern is a pseudo-random pattern.

6 . The oven of claim 2 , further comprising a coupler array operably coupling a transmit array to the antenna assembly, and an antenna switch operably coupled to the coupler array to control antenna selection based on input from the cooking controller.

7 . The oven of claim 6 , wherein power amplifiers of the transmit array are each configured to generate between about 250 W and 1 KW of energy, and wherein, responsive to control by the cooking controller, power levels vary between 1 KW for selection of one of the first, second, third or fourth antenna to achieve 1 KW total power to 250 W for selection of all of the first, second, third and fourth antennas to achieve 1 KW total power.

8 . The oven of claim 6 , wherein the cooking controller is configured to store a power distribution algorithm that, when executed, controls the antenna switch to provide the RF energy to the respective zones in the selected pattern.

9 . The oven of claim 2 , wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth antennas are provided at 90 degree increments.

10 . The oven of claim 1 , wherein the RF energy comprises microwave energy between about 2.4 GHz and about 2.5 GHz.

11 . A power distribution system for an oven, the power distribution system comprising:
an antenna assembly comprising a plurality of antennas provided in increments corresponding to respective zones of a cooking chamber of the oven; and a cooking controller operably coupled to the antenna assembly to selectively distribute power to respective ones of the antennas of the antenna assembly to provide radio frequency (RF) energy into the respective zones in a selected pattern.

12 . The power distribution system of claim 11 , wherein the antenna assembly comprises:
a first antenna disposed to provide RF energy into a first zone of the cooking chamber; a second antenna disposed to provide RF energy into a second zone of the cooking chamber; a third antenna disposed to provide RF energy into a third zone of the cooking chamber; and a fourth antenna disposed to provide RF energy into a fourth zone of the cooking chamber.

13 . The power distribution system of claim 12 , wherein the selected pattern comprises alternating power distribution to:
a combination of the first, second, third and fourth antennas; a combination of the first and third antennas; a combination of the second and fourth antennas; and any single one of the first, second, third and fourth antennas.

14 . The power distribution system of claim 13 , wherein the selected pattern is a predetermined pattern.

15 . The power distribution system of claim 13 , wherein the selected pattern is a pseudo-random pattern.

16 . The power distribution system of claim 12 , further comprising a coupler array operably coupling a transmit array to the antenna assembly, and an antenna switch operably coupled to the coupler array to control antenna selection based on input from the cooking controller.

17 . The power distribution system of claim 16 , wherein power amplifiers of the transmit array are each configured to generate between about 250 W and 1 KW of energy, and wherein, responsive to control by the cooking controller, power levels vary between 1 KW for selection of one of the first, second, third or fourth antenna to achieve 1 KW total power to 250 W for selection of all of the first, second, third and fourth antennas to achieve 1 KW total power.

18 . The power distribution system of claim 16 , wherein the cooking controller is configured to store a power distribution algorithm that, when executed, controls the antenna switch to provide the RF energy to the respective zones in the selected pattern.

19 . The power distribution system of claim 12 , wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth antennas are provided at 90 degree increments.

20 . The power distribution system of claim 11 , wherein the RF energy comprises microwave energy between about 2.4 GHz and about 2.5 GHz.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Hunter Jr Richard E

Classifications

• H05B6/72 Primary

  Radiators or antennas · CPC title

• H05B6/70

  Feed lines · CPC title

• H05B6/686

  Circuits comprising a signal generator and power amplifier, e.g. using solid state oscillators · CPC title

• H05B6/687

  for cooking · CPC title