EP0246041A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Microwave container
Assignee: Rio Tinto Alcan International Ltd
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Filing: 1987-05-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-05-08
Abstract
Abstract A container which holds material for heating or cooking in a microwave oven. Cold spots in the food are reduced by generating higher order modes of microwave energy within the microwave container. This is achieved by providing a structure (26) or structures on a surface, for example the bottom (24), of the container. In the illustrated embodiment the structure is a raised structure having side walls (32), (34) and a top wall (36). Higher order modes propagate within the container as a result of boundary conditions defined by the sidewalls (14, 16, 18, 20) of the container and sidewalls (28, 30, 32, 34) of the structure (26).
Inventors
- 👤 Richard M. Keefer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 14:16
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D81/00; B65D81/34; B65D81/3446; B65D81/3453; B65D2581/00; B65D2581/34; B65D2581/3437; B65D2581/3439; B65D2581/344; B65D2581/3441; B65D2581/3471; B65D2581/3472; B65D2581/3486; B65D2581/3487; B65D2581/3489; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S99/00; Y10S99/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
101 words
1 . A container for containing a material to be heated in a microwave oven, said container including a sidewall or sidewalls and a bottom, and being formed with means for generating a microwave field pattern within the container having a higher order than that of the fundamental mode of the container, said container being characterised in that said higher order mode generating means comprises at least one stepped structure protruding into or out of said container from a surface thereof, said structure including a sidewall or sidewalls that define boundary conditions that generate said higher order mode of microwave energy.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
101 words
1 . A container for containing a material to be heated in a microwave oven, said container including a sidewall or sidewalls and a bottom, and being formed with means for generating a microwave field pattern within the container having a higher order than that of the fundamental mode of the container, said container being characterised in that said higher order mode generating means comprises at least one stepped structure protruding into or out of said container from a surface thereof, said structure including a sidewall or sidewalls that define boundary conditions that generate said higher order mode of microwave energy.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stepped structure protrudes inwardly into said container, and wherein said sidewall or sidewalls provide, in conjunction with the sidewalls of the container, boundary conditions that generate a said higher order mode of microwave energy.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stepped structure protrudes outwardly from said container thus forming a subsidiary container, and wherein the sidewall or sidewalls of the subsidiary container provide boundary conditions that generate a said higher order mode of microwave energy.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
98 words
A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stepped structure protrudes both into and outwardly from said container, the portion of said stepped structure that protrudes into the container including a sidewall or sidewalls that provide, in conjunction with the sidewall or sidewalls of the container, boundary conditions that generate a said higher order mode of microwave energy, and the portion of said stepped structure that protrudes outwardly from said container forming a subsidiary container, said subsidiary container having a sidewall or sidewalls that provide boundary conditions that generate a said higher order mode of microwave energy.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A container as claimed in any one of claims I to 4 wherein said structure comprises a substantially flat top surrounded and supported by the sidewall or sidewalls of said structure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A container as claimed in any one of claims I to 5 wherein the sidewall or sidewalls of the structure are oriented substantially at right angles to the surface from which they depend.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A container as claimed in any one of claims I to 6 wherein at least some of the sidewalls of the structure leave said surface at an angle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
A container as claimed in claim 7 wherein said angle is at least 45°.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said structure is so configured and positioned on said surface as to generate or amplify higher order modes which are natural to the container and dictated by its boundary conditions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said structure is so configured and positioned on its surface as to generate a mode of higher order than that of the fundamental of the container but is not otherwise dictated by the boundary conditions of the container and would not normally exist therein.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said structure is hollow.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said structure is solid and is integral with the surface from which it depends.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said structure is solid and is not integral with the material of the container, being attached to the surface from which it depends.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
14 . A container as claimed in any one of claims I to I1, said container comprising an open-topped tray for carrying said material, and wherein at least the tray portion of said container, and including said structure, is made of metallic material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
1 5. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, said container comprising an open-topped tray for carrying said material, and wherein at least the tray portion of said container, and including said structure, is made of microwave transparent or semitransparent material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
A container as claimed in either one of claims 14 or 15 further comprising a lid covering said tray to form a closed cavity therewith.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the stepped structure protrudes from the bottom surface of the container.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
42 words
A container as claimed in claim 17 and containing a material to be heated, wherein the ratio of the height of said stepped structure to the height of the fill depth of the material within the container is between 0.3 and 0.7.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stepped structure is filled with a filler material having a dielectric constant of at least 5.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
A container as claimed in claim 10, wherein said dielectric constant is at least 10.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
A container as claimed in claim 19, wherein said dielectric constant is between 10 and 30.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
A container as claimed in claim 19, wherein the container is made of the same material as said filler material and is moulded as a unitary structure therewith.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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