An electromagnetic cooking device includes a cavity in which a food load is placed, a plurality of RF feeds for introducing electromagnetic radiation into the enclosed cavity, and a controller configured to detect asymmetries and select rotations that compensate for the asymmetries; select a heating target including a plurality of resonant modes that are rotated using the selected rotations in the preceding step; generate a heating strategy based on the heating target to determine a sequence of desired heating patterns; cause the RF feeds to output a radio frequency signal to thereby excite the enclosed cavity with a selected set of phasors for a set of frequencies; and monitor the created heating patterns based on the forward and backward power measurements at the RF feeds to use closed-loop regulation to selectively modify the sequence of resonant modes into the enclosed cavity based on the desired heating patterns as monitored.

A stirrer shaft for a microwave oven includes a shaft body configured to connect between a stirrer motor on a first end of the shaft body, and a set of stirrer blades spaced apart from the stirrer motor. The stirrer body includes a flow passage therethrough for equalizing pressure in a sealed stirrer cavity of the microwave oven.

A stirring assembly includes a turntable configured to rotate about a central axis. A cooking vessel is configured to engage a top surface of the turntable. A bar is disposed proximate a bottom surface of the turntable. The bar maintains a fixed position relative to the turntable. A stirrer is magnetically attracted to the bar. The stirrer is configured to generally maintain a fixed orientation within the cooking vessel as the cooking vessel rotates with the turntable.

A stirring assembly includes a turntable configured to rotate about a central axis. A cooking vessel is configured to engage a top surface of the turntable. A bar is disposed proximate a bottom surface of the turntable. The bar maintains a fixed position relative to the turntable. A stirrer is magnetically attracted to the bar. The stirrer is configured to generally maintain a fixed orientation within the cooking vessel as the cooking vessel rotates with the turntable.

Systems and methods for facilitating substantially uniform dielectric heating capacities. In one aspect, a microwave device comprises a microwave power source and a microwave cavity. The microwave cavity comprises a plurality of surfaces, an empty domain, and a feed connected to the microwave power source for receiving microwave energy from the microwave power source to create a microwave field distribution within the microwave cavity. The microwave device also comprises a plurality of electromagnetic metamaterial layers disposed at different orientations with respect to a surface of the microwave cavity. The plurality of electromagnetic metamaterial layers affect the microwave field distribution and forming a substantially spatially uniform, time-averaged electric field intensity throughout the empty domain of the microwave cavity from the microwave energy.

Systems and methods for facilitating substantially uniform dielectric heating capacities. In one aspect, a microwave device comprises a microwave power source and a microwave cavity. The microwave cavity comprises a plurality of surfaces, an empty domain, and a feed connected to the microwave power source for receiving microwave energy from the microwave power source to create a microwave field distribution within the microwave cavity. The microwave device also comprises a plurality of electromagnetic metamaterial layers disposed at different orientations with respect to a surface of the microwave cavity. The plurality of electromagnetic metamaterial layers affect the microwave field distribution and forming a substantially spatially uniform, time-averaged electric field intensity throughout the empty domain of the microwave cavity from the microwave energy.

A microwave processing apparatus includes a cavity that has a cylinder-like shape, is rotatably supported, and includes an internal space for accommodating a microwave irradiation object, the cavity including at least one microwave transmission area in a partial region of the cavity in an axial direction; a rotary drive unit configured to rotate the cavity about the axis thereof; a cover member that is provided on an outer circumferential side of the at least one microwave transmission area while covering the entire portion of the cavity in a circumferential direction, the cover member forming a wave guidepath for microwaves and being fixed to a side of the base; and a microwave generator. Microwaves from the microwave generator are introduced into the internal space from a circumferential surface of the cavity via the wave guidepath.

A microwave processing apparatus includes a cavity that has a cylinder-like shape, is rotatably supported, and includes an internal space for accommodating a microwave irradiation object, the cavity including at least one microwave transmission area in a partial region of the cavity in an axial direction; a rotary drive unit configured to rotate the cavity about the axis thereof; a cover member that is provided on an outer circumferential side of the at least one microwave transmission area while covering the entire portion of the cavity in a circumferential direction, the cover member forming a wave guidepath for microwaves and being fixed to a side of the base; and a microwave generator. Microwaves from the microwave generator are introduced into the internal space from a circumferential surface of the cavity via the wave guidepath.

A household microwave appliance includes a cooking chamber exposable to microwaves. A mode variation apparatus modifies a field distribution of the microwaves in the cooking chamber, and a microwave leakage sensor detects a microwave leakage radiation exiting from the cooking chamber. The household microwave appliance is designed to vary setting values of the mode variation apparatus, and to set an operating point of the mode variation apparatus based on a quantity of measurement data of the detected microwave leakage radiation resulting from a variation.

A microwave heating device includes a heating chamber that accommodates an object to be heated, a microwave generator configured to generate microwaves, a wave guide tube configured to guide the microwaves to the heating chamber, and an electromagnetic field distribution adjustment device provided in a predetermined two-dimensional region within the heating chamber. The electromagnetic field distribution adjustment device has a plurality of metal pieces and a plurality of switches. The plurality of metal pieces are arranged to fill the predetermined two-dimensional region. The plurality of switches connect the plurality of metal pieces with one another. A serially connected row of metal pieces is configured by connecting one metal piece among the plurality of metal pieces to at most two metal pieces adjacent to the one metal piece through at least two of the plurality of switches. The present exemplary embodiment can achieve a low-cost electromagnetic field distribution adjustment device that heats an object to be heated more uniformly, while preventing a drop in heating efficiency.