A microwave heating system includes: a power supply; a first semiconductor module configured to receive power from the power supply and to generate a first microwave; a second semiconductor module configured to receive power from the power supply and to generate a second microwave; a heating chamber that is configured to accommodate an object at an inside of the heating chamber and that allows transmission of the first microwave and the second microwave to the inside of the heating chamber; and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control operation of each of the first semiconductor module and the second semiconductor module, and to control at least one of a frequency, a phase, or a magnitude of each of the first microwave and the second microwave to increase a heating uniformity of the object.

A household appliance device includes a first structural unit, a second structural unit, and an insulation unit configured to provide an insulation between the first and second structural units. The insulation unit includes a placement assist element configured to tailor an exterior shape of the insulation unit to the first structural unit for placement of the insulation unit, and an expansion compensation element configured to compensate at least substantially a thermal expansion of at least one subregion of the insulation unit.

Apparatuses and methods for applying EM energy to a load are provided. The apparatuses and methods may include at least one processor configured to receive information indicative of energy dissipated by the load for each of a plurality of modulation space elements. The processor may also be configured to associate each of the plurality of modulation space elements with a corresponding time duration of power application, based on the received information. The processor may be further configured to regulate energy applied to the load such that for each of the plurality of modulation space elements, power is applied to the load at the corresponding time duration of power application.

An oven includes a cooking chamber configured to receive a load and an RF heating system configured to provide RF energy into the cooking chamber using solid state electronic components. The solid state electronic components include power amplifier electronics configured to provide a signal into the cooking chamber via an antenna assembly. The power amplifier electronics include at least a first power amplifier and a second power amplifier operably coupled to the cooking chamber by respective ones of a first antenna and second antenna of the antenna assembly. The first and second antennas are operably coupled to respective ones of the first and second power amplifiers via a first coupling structure and a second coupling structure, respectively. A directional coupler provided at a port section defined for at least one of the first and second coupling structures. The directional coupler is configured to provide a forward wave parameter and a reflected wave parameter to a measurement assembly configured to calculate modified S parameters at the port section.

An interrupting circuit is configured to monitor for and detect a fault in a device for generating a field of electromagnetic radiation (e-field) from a radio frequency (RF) generator configured to convert low voltage direct current (DC) into the e-field for application to an article in the e-field. If a fault is detected, the interrupting circuit interrupts low voltage DC between an energy reserve and the RF generator within a predetermined time less than the time to dissipate energy stored in the energy reserve.

A solid-state radio frequency (RF) microwave oven for an aircraft galley is dimensioned to fit the galley and includes within the oven cavity an array of RF modules disposed on the upper interior surface of the cavity. Each RF module includes one or more RF emitters programmable to heat meals placed within the oven cavity by emitting tunable RF signals. The RF modules may monitor the internal temperature and doneness of the food by detecting returned unabsorbed energy. An oven control module (OCM) may communicate with the aircraft galley network, selectively manage the activation and deactivation of RF modules depending on the food being cooked and its changing internal temperature, and tune emitted RF signals to avoid interference with aircraft communication systems. Compact heat sinks may be located within the rear of the oven cavity for the removal of excess energy from the oven.

A household appliance device includes a first structural unit, a second structural unit, and an insulation unit configured to provide an insulation between the first and second structural units. The insulation unit includes a placement assist element configured to tailor an exterior shape of the insulation unit to the first structural unit for placement of the insulation unit, and an expansion compensation element configured to compensate at least substantially a thermal expansion of at least one subregion of the insulation unit.

To provide a dielectric constant estimation device which can estimate a dielectric constant of an object with high accuracy in a non-contact state even when a shape of the object is indefinite, and a microwave heating device equipped with the dielectric constant estimation device. The dielectric constant estimation device includes a transmitting antenna (4) and a receiving antenna (6) which can switch a polarized wave of an electromagnetic wave between a TE wave and a TM wave. Based on a reflected wave of the TE wave and a reflected wave of the TM wave from the object, the dielectric constant estimation device calculates a TM/TE reflection ratio, and compares the calculated TM/TE reflection ratio and dielectric constant data of theoretical values stored in a memory part (10) in advance in the form of database with each other so that a dielectric constant of the object is estimated.

A heating device for an exhaust catalyst includes a first antenna and a second antenna. The heating device executes a specific radiation control for controlling operation of an electromagnetic wave generator to set a radiation state of an electromagnetic wave from the first antenna to be a different state from a radiation state of an electromagnetic wave from the second antenna. In such a case, the heating device acquires an intensity of an electromagnetic wave, of electromagnetic waves incident on the first antenna, and acquires an intensity of an electromagnetic wave, of electromagnetic waves incident on the second antenna. The heating device acquires a first temperature-correlated value for the first part based on the first electromagnetic wave intensity, and acquires a second temperature-correlated value for the second part based on the second electromagnetic wave intensity.

A molding apparatus is provided that can appropriately mold a molding material to which microwaves have been applied using a mold. The molding apparatus includes: a mold including a first mold member and a second mold member that form a molding cavity, the first mold member including communication holes that bring the outside of the mold and the cavity into communication with each other; coaxial cables for transmitting microwaves, first ends of the coaxial cables being attached to the communication holes; and a microwave application unit for applying microwaves into the cavity via the coaxial cables, the microwave application unit being connected to second end portions of the coaxial cables.