A microwave cooking appliance includes a cooking chamber delimited by a cooking chamber wall, and a microwave apparatus configured to introduce microwaves into the cooking chamber. The microwave apparatus includes a patch antenna having a planar base body and a planar emission body, which are electrically insulated from one another. The emission body is configured to cover the base body at a distance and capable of being fed with microwave energy, with the base body corresponding to a region of the cooking chamber wall.

The present invention provides an apparatus for heating an aerosolisable material to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user. The apparatus comprises a housing containing a first section for receiving an aerosolisable material and a heating arrangement comprising at least one patch antenna for generating a microwave signal for heating the aerosolisable material to generate an aerosol.

The present invention provides an apparatus for heating an aerosolisable material to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user. The apparatus comprises a housing containing a first section for receiving an aerosolisable material and a heating arrangement comprising at least one patch antenna for generating a microwave signal for heating the aerosolisable material to generate an aerosol.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for selective heating. In some implementations, a cooking device for selective heating includes a cavity, one or more waveguides coupled to the cavity, a power generation means coupled to the one or more waveguides and configured to generate an incident power, one or more apertures between the cavity and the one or more waveguides, and a controller configured to control one or more of the power generation means, the apertures, or a cavity geometry. A cooking device cavity geometry can be dynamically configurable. The cooking device can include one or more sensors coupled to the cavity.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for selective heating. In some implementations, a cooking device for selective heating includes a cavity, one or more waveguides coupled to the cavity, a power generation means coupled to the one or more waveguides and configured to generate an incident power, one or more apertures between the cavity and the one or more waveguides, and a controller configured to control one or more of the power generation means, the apertures, or a cavity geometry. A cooking device cavity geometry can be dynamically configurable. The cooking device can include one or more sensors coupled to the cavity.

An electromagnetic cooking device and method of controlling the same is provided herein. The cooking device has a cavity in which popcorn is placed and a plurality of RF feeds configured to introduce electromagnetic radiation into the cavity for popping the popcorn. A controller is provided and is configured to: analyze forward and backward power at the plurality of RF feeds to calculate efficiency; determine and monitor a coefficient of variation of the efficiency; detect a popping state of the popcorn based on changes in the coefficient of variation; and adjust a power level of the electromagnetic radiation in response to detection of the popping state.

An electromagnetic cooking device and method of controlling the same is provided herein. The cooking device has a cavity in which popcorn is placed and a plurality of RF feeds configured to introduce electromagnetic radiation into the cavity for popping the popcorn. A controller is provided and is configured to: analyze forward and backward power at the plurality of RF feeds to calculate efficiency; determine and monitor a coefficient of variation of the efficiency; detect a popping state of the popcorn based on changes in the coefficient of variation; and adjust a power level of the electromagnetic radiation in response to detection of the popping state.

A microwave heating device includes radiating portions adapted to radiate microwaves to the heating chamber and is operated according to operational configurations that differ in frequency or in phase shift(s) between the radiated microwaves. A learning procedure is executed by sequentially operating the radiating portions in several operational configurations. Energy efficiency data are calculated for those operational configurations. An operating frequency is selected based on energy efficiency data. An operational configuration with a maximum energy efficiency at the selected operating frequency is taken as a reference. A heating procedure is executed by sequentially operating the radiating portions in operational configurations having the selected operating frequency and respective phase shift(s) chosen around the respective phase shift(s) of the reference operational configuration. The phase shift(s) of each chosen operational configuration may have a phase shift distance from the respective phase shift(s) of the reference operational configuration, such that, in the space of the phase shifts, the reference operational configuration is surrounded by the chosen operational configurations.

A microwave heating device includes radiating portions adapted to radiate microwaves to the heating chamber and is operated according to operational configurations that differ in frequency or in phase shift(s) between the radiated microwaves. A learning procedure is executed by sequentially operating the radiating portions in several operational configurations. Energy efficiency data are calculated for those operational configurations. An operating frequency is selected based on energy efficiency data. An operational configuration with a maximum energy efficiency at the selected operating frequency is taken as a reference. A heating procedure is executed by sequentially operating the radiating portions in operational configurations having the selected operating frequency and respective phase shift(s) chosen around the respective phase shift(s) of the reference operational configuration. The phase shift(s) of each chosen operational configuration may have a phase shift distance from the respective phase shift(s) of the reference operational configuration, such that, in the space of the phase shifts, the reference operational configuration is surrounded by the chosen operational configurations.

A system and method for defrosting a load are presented. Radio frequency (RF) signals are supplied to a transmission path that is electrically coupled to one or more electrodes that are positioned proximate to a cavity to cause the one or more electrodes to radiate RF electromagnetic energy. An RF power value of the RF signal along the transmission path is periodically measured resulting in RF power values and a rate of change of the RF power values is determined. A low-loss indicator value is determined using the RF power values, wherein the low-loss indicator value is at least partially determined by a dielectric loss of a load in the cavity. A controller determines, using the rate of change of the RF power values and the low-loss indicator value, that the load is in a defrosted state and stops supplying the RF signals.