A door assembly for a microwave reactor including a microwave waveguide to direct microwaves from an external microwave source to inside the microwave reactor, and having a waveguide interface for preventing backflow of a process gas into the waveguide; an inlet for entry of matter to be treated in the microwave reactor; a first seal at the periphery of the door assembly to sealably interface with a static front of the microwave reactor; a second seal inserted into a groove on an inside face of the door assembly to sealably interface with an opening of a microwave reactor drum, the groove having a width of about 12.9 inches (32.766 cm) divided by an integer, and the second seal configured to prevent solids and liquids from flowing outside of the reactor drum; and a ring choke to contact a choke arranged on the periphery of the opening of the reactor drum.

A microwave heating cooker (1) is an example of a dielectric heating apparatus. The microwave heating cooker (1) includes a door that opens and closes a heating chamber, and a high-frequency power supply (10). The high-frequency power supply (10) includes: a high-frequency oscillation circuit (6); at least one semiconductor amplifier (3, 4) for amplifying a high-frequency signal from the high-frequency oscillation circuit (6); a door switch (9) (open/close detection unit) for detecting whether the door is open or closed; and a control unit (20) that stops the high-frequency oscillation circuit (6) when the door is opened.

A microwave oven and a method of operating the same is provided herein. The method includes the steps of: sensing that a door of the microwave is in an open state; interrupting a power input to a generator power supply unit comprising a first converter, a first energy reserve, a second energy reserve located downstream from the first energy reserve, and a second converter located between the first and second energy reserves; detecting an input voltage; and disabling the second converter if the detected input voltage is less than a threshold voltage that is proportional to the detected input voltage, wherein disabling the second converter triggers the second energy reserve to discharge, and wherein the time necessary to discharge the second energy reserve is free of influence from the first energy reserve and is independent of the detected input voltage.

A drawer-type microwave oven (200), and a door opening and closing control method for the drawer-type microwave oven (200). The drawer-type microwave oven (200) comprises: a cavity assembly; a drawer assembly, provided in the cavity assembly and used for containing food to be processed; a push rod assembly (2062), provided at the bottom of the cavity assembly and capable of pushing the drawer assembly out of or into the cavity assembly; a control panel (220), disposed on the cavity assembly, and provided with an on/off button for controlling the drawer assembly to be opened or closed; and a microprocessor (202), connected to the push rod assembly (2062) and/or the control panel (220) and used for controlling the operating state of the push rod assembly (2062) according to an instruction of the control panel (220). Automatic door opening and closing of the drawer-type microwave oven (200) can be controlled with one button. Moreover, when the drawer (2044) is moving, the button can be pressed for emergency braking. Thus, a plurality of operations can be implemented using only one button. The present invention is easy to operate and safe to use.

An electronic door opening system for an appliance is provided. The door opening system includes a resilient member having a pin that moves in a linear direction to urge an appliance door open. The door opening system further includes a toothed gear member configured to engage with the resilient member. The gear member may be driven by a motor to move the resilient member to urge the door from a closed position to an open position. Accordingly, upon receipt of a door opening command received from a user interface, the motor drives the gear to engage with the resilient member and open the door. The door opening mechanism includes components that are free from contact with other systems of the appliance. For example, in a microwave oven, the door opening system components may be free from contact with a door latch and an interlock switch system.

A damped closure assembly for a microwave oven includes a catch element mounted to a cabinet of the microwave oven. A striker defined on a door of the microwave oven engages the catch element which is rotatable between an open position and a closed position. A spring mechanism and a damping element are operably coupled to the catch element to slowly urge the catch element and the door toward the closed position to prevent slamming, loud noises, and potential wear on one or more components of the microwave oven when the door is closed.

Novel microwave ovens and methods of using and manufacturing the same. Some microwave ovens include multiple doors and/or control keypads.

A double-cavity microwave oven is disclosed that includes a first and a second cooking cavity, a moveable barrier disposed between the first and the second cavity, a first and a second magnetron, and a first and a second waveguide corresponding to the first and the second magnetron, respectively. The first cavity is electromagnetically isolated from the second cavity, and, as the barrier moves, the size of the first cavity relative to the second cavity changes. As the barrier is in a first position, the first waveguide directs microwaves from the first magnetron to the first cavity and the second waveguide directs microwaves from the second magnetron to the second cavity. As the barrier is in a second position, the first and the second waveguide direct microwaves from the first and the second magnetron to the first cavity. Various embodiments are also disclosed including additional features.

A cooking appliance includes an outer housing defining a receiving opening and an interlock system disposed within the outer housing proximate to the interlock opening. The interlock system includes a rotating cam and an interlock switch. A door assembly is operably coupled to the outer housing. The door assembly includes an inner panel defining an access aperture and a base operably coupled to the inner panel. The base defines an upper opening. The door assembly also includes a door hook disposed in the upper opening of the base and an adjustment assembly operably coupled to the door hook. The adjustment assembly is configured to linearly translate the door hook relative to the inner panel to adjust a position of the door hook. The position of the door hook adjusts an engagement between the door hook and the interlock system.

Several embodiments include a cooking appliance/instrument (e.g., oven). The cooking appliance/instrument can include a cooking chamber, a support tray adapted to hold food in the cooking chamber; and a heating system comprised of at least a heating element. The heating system is adapted to emit waves according to a particular configuration such that the emitted waves is substantially transparent or substantially opaque to the support tray and thus enabling the cooking instrument to select what to heat.