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US5019681A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Reflective temperature compensating microwave susceptors

Assignee: General Mills Marketing Inc
•
Filing: 1990-02-14
•
Granted: 1991-05-28
•
Expires: 2010-02-14
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Abstract

Abstract A microwave interactive heater element for heating a food item in a microwave oven, the heater element having a substrate, and a microwave interactive heating layer deposited on the substrate. The microwave interactive heating layer is operable to heat responsive to an electric field component of microwave radiation at a predetermined microwave frequency, the microwave interactive heating layer being operable to provide a temperature compensating heating performance during exposure to microwave radiation at the predetermined microwave frequency so that when the temperature of the microwave interactive heating layer increases between 23 DEG C and 250 DEG C, the rate of heating will generally decrease. <IMAGE>

Inventors

  • 👤 Matthew W. Lorence
  • 👤 Michael J. Rice
  • 👤 Ronald R. Lentz
  • 👤 Peter S. Pesheck
  • 👤 Michael R. Perry

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 01:07
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D81/00; B65D81/34; B65D81/3446; B65D2581/00; B65D2581/34; B65D2581/3437; B65D2581/3439; B65D2581/3447; B65D2581/3463; B65D2581/3468; B65D2581/3471; B65D2581/3472; B65D2581/3474; B65D2581/3479; B65D2581/3481; B65D2581/3486; B65D2581/3487; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S99/00; Y10S99/14

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim 63 words
A susceptor having a reflectance at a predetermined microwave frequency, comprising: a microwave interactive heating layer which is operable to heat responsive to an electric field component of microwave radiation at the predetermined microwave frequency, the microwave interactive heating layer being operable to provide an increase in reflectance by a factor of at least three during heating from 23° C. to 250° C.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 63 words
A susceptor having a reflectance at a predetermined microwave frequency, comprising: a microwave interactive heating layer which is operable to heat responsive to an electric field component of microwave radiation at the predetermined microwave frequency, the microwave interactive heating layer being operable to provide an increase in reflectance by a factor of at least three during heating from 23° C. to 250° C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 33 words
The susceptor according to claim 1, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer is formed on a substrate which has a transmittance greater than 80 percent when measured alone at the predetermined microwave frequency.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 33 words
The susceptor according to claim 2, wherein: the susceptor has a transmittance greater than 0.1 percent when the substrate and microwave interactive heating layer are measured together at 23° C. prior to heating.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 25 words
A susceptor according to claim 3, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer comprises TiO x , where x has a value between two and one.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 25 words
A susceptor according to claim 2, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer comprises TiO x , where x has a value between two and one.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 35 words
A susceptor according to claim 1, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer is operable to provide an increase in reflectance by a factor of at least ten during heating from 23° C. to 250° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 25 words
A susceptor according to claim 6, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer comprises TiO x , where x has a value between two and one.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
A susceptor according to claim 1, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer comprises TiO x , where x has a value between two and one.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 19 words
A susceptor according to claim 1, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer predominately comprises Ti 2 O 3 .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 55 words
A susceptor for heating in a microwave oven, comprising: a microwave interactive heating layer, the microwave interactive heating layer having a first surface resistance at 23° C., the microwave interactive heating layer having a second surface resistance at 250° C., the second surface resistance being at least three times less than the first surface resistance.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 55 words
A susceptor for heating in a microwave oven, comprising: a microwave interactive heating layer, the microwave interactive heating layer having a first surface resistance at 23° C., the microwave interactive heating layer having a second surface resistance at 250° C., the second surface resistance being at least three times less than the first surface resistance.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 18 words
The susceptor according to claim 10, wherein: the susceptor heats responsive to an electric component of microwave radiation.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 22 words
The susceptor according to claim 10, wherein: the second surface resistance is at least ten times less than the first surface resistance.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 22 words
The susceptor according to claim 10, wherein: the second surface resistance is at least 100 times less than the first surface resistance.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 55 words
A susceptor for heating in a microwave oven, comprising: a microwave interactive heating layer, the microwave interactive heating layer having a first electrical conductivity at 23° C., the microwave interactive heating layer having a second electrical conductivity at 250° C., the second electrical conductivity being at least three times more than the first electrical conductivity.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 55 words
A susceptor for heating in a microwave oven, comprising: a microwave interactive heating layer, the microwave interactive heating layer having a first electrical conductivity at 23° C., the microwave interactive heating layer having a second electrical conductivity at 250° C., the second electrical conductivity being at least three times more than the first electrical conductivity.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 22 words
The susceptor according to claim 14, wherein: the second electrical conductivity being at least ten times more than the first electrical conductivity.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 19 words
A susceptor according to claim 15, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer predominately comprises Ti 2 O 3 .
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 17 words
A susceptor according to claim 15, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer predominately comprises a semiconductor material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 22 words
The susceptor according to claim 14, wherein: the second electrical conductivity being at least 100 times more than the first electrical conductivity.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 19 words
A susceptor according to claim 14, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer predominately comprises Ti 2 O 3 .
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 24 words
A susceptor according to claim 14, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer comprises a microwave interactive material loaded with a plurality of conductive plates.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 29 words
A susceptor according to claim 20, wherein: the conductive plates comprise thin flat plates randomly oriented in planes substantially parallel to the plane of the microwave interactive heating layer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 91 words
A temperature compensating thin film susceptor for heating a food item in a microwave oven, the susceptor having a reflectance at a predetermined microwave frequency, comprising: a substrate; and, a thin film microwave interactive heating layer deposited on the substrate, the microwave interactive heating layer being operable to heat responsive to an electric field component of microwave radiation at the predetermined microwave frequency, the microwave interactive heating layer being operable to provide an increase in reflectance by a factor of at least three during heating from 23° C. to 250° C.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 91 words
A temperature compensating thin film susceptor for heating a food item in a microwave oven, the susceptor having a reflectance at a predetermined microwave frequency, comprising: a substrate; and, a thin film microwave interactive heating layer deposited on the substrate, the microwave interactive heating layer being operable to heat responsive to an electric field component of microwave radiation at the predetermined microwave frequency, the microwave interactive heating layer being operable to provide an increase in reflectance by a factor of at least three during heating from 23° C. to 250° C.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 34 words
The thin film susceptor according to claim 22, wherein: the susceptor allows a portion of said microwave radiation at the predetermined microwave frequency to transmit through the susceptor to heat a food item directly.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 27 words
The thin film susceptor according to claim 23, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer comprises TiO x , where x has a value between two and one.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 21 words
The thin film susceptor according to claim 23, wherein: the microwave interactive heating layer predominately comprises Ti 2 O 3 .

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2856497A Cited
US3941967A Cited
US4190757A Cited
US4266108A Cited
US4808780A Cited
US4927991A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-05-27 1994-11-26 1995-05-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-05-27 1998-11-26 1999-05-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-05-27 2002-11-26 2003-05-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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