A combination microwave and refrigerator system is provided. The microwave oven is connected to a source of power and has a control circuit for controlling the operation of the microwave oven. A first power supply outlet is provided on the microwave oven. A refrigerator is connected to the source of power by connection to the first power supply outlet. The control circuit is configured to disable the cooling operation of the refrigerator, when the microwave oven demands cooking power, and enable the cooling operation of the refrigerator when the microwave oven is not drawing cooking power. A safety sensor is provided in the microwave oven, and is configured to cause cooking power to the microwave oven to be turned off upon the safety sensor sensing a dangerous condition.

A system for applying microwave energy to a product in which a conveyor extends through a central portion of a cavity having a pair of opposing sidewalls. The conveyor is supported directly or indirectly by a plurality of support elements attached to and between the sidewalls. The system includes top and bottom waveguides directing microwave energy toward the conveyor, and provides for attachment blocks surrounding the support elements and fastened to a support sheet on which the conveyor is conveyed. Contact strips can be used to reduce conveyor friction.

In a microwave treatment device according to the present disclosure, a controller selects a plurality of frequencies in a predetermined frequency band and causes a microwave generator to generate microwaves of a selected frequency. The controller causes the amplifier to change the output power level of the microwaves and to thereby supply the microwaves of one of a plurality of output power levels to the heating chamber. The controller measures a reflected wave frequency characteristic based on a radiated power and a reflected power. The controller calculates a linear component and a non-linear component of a power loss consumed by the heating chamber based on the reflected wave frequency characteristic. The controller estimates an amount of absorption power absorbed by a heating target based on the power loss obtained by combining the linear component and the non-linear component.

An apparatus and a method for heating a load using microwaves is disclosed. The apparatus includes a transmission line, configured to transmit microwaves from a microwave generator to a cavity. A sensing device configured to measure a standing wave for providing information about the phase and the amplitude of a reflection coefficient that represents a ratio between the amount of microwaves reflected back towards the microwave generator and the amount of microwaves transmitted in the transmission line from the microwave generator. A control unit configured to detect whether the measured standing wave correspond to a reflection coefficient having a phase within a certain interval of phases and an amplitude within a certain interval of amplitudes. Additionally, certain intervals of phases and amplitudes correspond to an operating region of the microwave generator. The control unit controls feeding of microwaves to the cavity based on this detection.

A food preparation appliance includes a housing, a conveyor, a thermal element, a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor. The housing defines an inlet, an outlet, and a processing zone between the inlet and the outlet. The conveyor is configured to move a food product from the inlet, through the processing zone, and to the outlet. The thermal element is positioned within the processing zone. The first sensor is positioned proximate the inlet of the housing and along a lateral side of the conveyor or along a first cantilever arm extending laterally across the conveyor. The second sensor is positioned within the processing zone. The third sensor is positioned proximate the outlet of the housing and along a lateral side of the conveyor or along a second cantilever arm extending laterally across the conveyor.

Systems and methods include a cooking appliance comprising a heating element disposed within a cooking chamber and operable to selectively emit waves at any of a plurality of powers and/or peak wavelengths, a camera operable to capture an image of the cooking chamber, and a computing device operable to supply power to the heating element to vary the power and/or peak wavelength of the emitted waves and generate heat within the cooking chamber, and instruct the camera to capture the image when the heating element is emitting at a stabilized power and/or peak wavelength. The computing device is operable to generate an adjusted captured image by adjusting the captured image with respect to the stabilized power and/or peak wavelength. The computing device comprises feedback components operable to receive the adjusted captured image, extract features, and analyze the one or more features to determine an event, property, measurement and/or status.

Disclosed herein is a cooking apparatus and a control method thereof. The cooking apparatus includes first and second coils arranged in a first column, third and fourth coils arranged in a second column, a plurality of inverters configured to supply a drive current to the first, second third and fourth coils, a plurality of rectifiers configured to supply direct current (DC) power to the plurality of inverters, a plurality of switches configured to connect each of the plurality of rectifiers to any one of a first external power supply and a second external power supply, and a controller configured to control the plurality of switches wherein the first external power supply supplies power to at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth coils and the second external power supply supplies power to at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth coils.

A combination microwave and refrigerator system is provided. The microwave oven is connected to a source of power and has a control circuit for controlling the operation of the microwave oven. A first power supply outlet is provided on the microwave oven. A refrigerator is connected to the source of power by connection to the first power supply outlet. The control circuit is configured to disable the cooling operation of the refrigerator, when the microwave oven demands cooking power, and enable the cooling operation of the refrigerator when the microwave oven is not drawing cooking power. A safety sensor is provided in the microwave oven, and is configured to cause cooking power to the microwave oven to be turned off upon the safety sensor sensing a level of smoke.

A microwave heating cooker (1) includes a high-frequency power source (10). The high-frequency power source (10) includes a first semiconductor amplification circuit (amplifier) (3), a second semiconductor amplification circuit (amplifier) (4), an antenna (power supply unit) (5), a high-frequency generation unit (6), a commercial power source (alternating current power source) (7), a first full-wave rectification circuit (11), and a switching converter (12). The high-frequency generation unit (6) is configured from a commercial transformer (20), a second full-wave rectification circuit (21), resistors (22 and 23), an amplifier (24), an analog multiplier (amplitude modulation unit) (25), and a high-frequency oscillator (oscillator) (26), among others. The analog multiplier (25) modulates the amplitude of the output voltage from the high-frequency oscillator (26) with a signal wave that is in synchronism with a half-period of the cycle of the commercial power source (7).

A microwave heating cooker (1) includes a high-frequency power source (10). The high-frequency power source (10) includes a first semiconductor amplification circuit (amplifier) (3), a second semiconductor amplification circuit (amplifier) (4), an antenna (power supply unit) (5), a high-frequency generation unit (6), a commercial power source (alternating current power source) (7), a first full-wave rectification circuit (11), and a switching converter (12). The high-frequency generation unit (6) is configured from a commercial transformer (20), a second full-wave rectification circuit (21), resistors (22 and 23), an amplifier (24), an analog multiplier (amplitude modulation unit) (25), and a high-frequency oscillator (oscillator) (26), among others. The analog multiplier (25) modulates the amplitude of the output voltage from the high-frequency oscillator (26) with a signal wave that is in synchronism with a half-period of the cycle of the commercial power source (7).