A microwave oven is provided herein having a cooking cavity, a dividing shelf for dividing the cooking cavity into at least two sub-cavities, and a door movable between an open and closed position for selectively providing and preventing access to the sub-cavities respectively. The door is provided with a choke frame configured to communicate with the dividing shelf in the closed position so as to attenuate microwave transmission between the sub-cavities.

A microwave oven includes a cooking cavity having an opening, a source of microwave radiation that transmits microwaves into the cooking cavity, a door positioned adjacent the opening and movable between an open position where the cooking cavity can be accessed through the opening and a closed position where the cooking cavity is inaccessible through the opening. The door further includes a transparent glass panel where the cooking cavity is viewable through the door when the door is in the closed position. A conductive metal transparent coating on at least one surface of the transparent glass panel attenuates microwave transmission from the cooking cavity through the door. The conductive metal transparent coating has a sheet resistance and is electrically grounded. A circuit is connected to the transparent coating that measures the sheet resistance of the transparent coating.

A microwave cooking appliance for increasing visibility into the cooking cavity. The microwave cooking appliance may include a door. The door may include a conductive mesh layer. The door may include a frame supporting the conductive mesh layer. The door may include a conductive and/or sealing engagement between the conductive mesh layer and the frame.

A vending machine adapted for dispensing at least one pre-packaged food product includes a microwave oven. The microwave oven includes a magnetron that emits microwave electromagnetic radiation, a housing that defines a microwave cavity for receiving the food product. The housing defines a first opening to allow passage of the pre-packaged food product between outside of the microwave cavity and inside of the microwave cavity. The microwave oven also includes a first chain door that selectively covers the first opening so as to prevent the microwave electromagnetic radiation from escaping the housing through the first opening.

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 microwave oven (2) with a full glass door (12) for preventing microwave leakage from the cooking cavity (6) of the microwave oven (2) is provided. The front plate (8) of the cooking cavity (6) has a conductive material (10), such as a rubber with conductive filler. The inner glass surface (16) of the door (12) has a conductive coating that creates a ground loop with the conductive material (10) on the front plate (8) of the cooking cavity (6) to prevent microwave leakage from the cooking cavity (6).

A vending machine adapted for dispensing at least one pre-packaged food product includes a microwave oven. The microwave oven includes a magnetron that emits microwave electromagnetic radiation, a housing that defines a microwave cavity for receiving the food product. The housing defines a first opening to allow passage of the pre-packaged food product between outside of the microwave cavity and inside of the microwave cavity. The microwave oven also includes a first chain door that selectively covers the first opening so as to prevent the microwave electromagnetic radiation from escaping the housing through the first opening.

A divider assembly is provided for dividing a cooking cavity of a microwave oven into two cooking subcavities. The divider assembly includes a first tempered glass panel, a metal frame extending around the periphery of the first tempered glass panel to support the first tempered glass panel, a honeycomb core positioned above the first tempered glass panel, a second tempered glass panel positioned above the honeycomb core, and a gasket extending around the periphery of the metal frame for engaging metal walls of the microwave oven, wherein the gasket includes small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes.

A door (100) for a microwave oven (200) is provided that includes: a door frame (102); a substantially transparent, glass or polymeric substrate (10) arranged within the frame (102) to define a viewing window (50); and an electrically conductive mesh (90) spanning the viewing window (50). Further, the mesh (90) comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes and is embedded in the substrate (10) to shield the microwave radiation generated in the oven (200) from reaching an exterior of the door frame (102).

A vending machine adapted for dispensing at least one pre-packaged food product includes a microwave oven. The microwave oven includes a magnetron that emits microwave electromagnetic radiation, a housing that defines a microwave cavity for receiving the food product. The housing defines a first opening to allow passage of the pre-packaged food product between outside of the microwave cavity and inside of the microwave cavity. The microwave oven also includes a first chain door that selectively covers the first opening so as to prevent the microwave electromagnetic radiation from escaping the housing through the first opening.