GB2162728A - Cooking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A microwave oven cavity 1 has mounted therein a plate 3 for supporting food to be cooked. A drive mechanism 4 is arranged to provide reciprocal movement of the plate 3 and consists of a rotatably-driven disc 5 having a peg 6, which is constrained to slide in a slot 8 fixed to the underside of the plate 3. Appropriate gearing may be used to determine the speed of the reciprocal movement. The arrangement may also be used in an infra-red grill or a conventional oven. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cooking apparatus This invention relates to cooking apparatus, such as microwave ovens, infra-red grills, etc.

Some known cooking apparatus, and microwave ovens in particular, include a turntable arrangement mounted within the oven cavity to provide rotational movement of food placed thereon, thereby ensuring that the food is cooked evenly therewithin.

However, rotational movement of certain items of food, for example, turkeys, which are relatively large in comparison with the dimensions of the oven cavity, may be hindered by the extremities of such food items colliding with internal parts of the cavity.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide cooking apparatus which alleviates this problem.

According to the invention there is provided cooking apparatus including a cavity for accommodating food to be cooked by said apparatus and a plate member, for supporting said food, said plate member being mounted for reciprocal movement within said cavity, said apparatus further including a drive mechanism for providing said reciprocal movement of-said plate member.

Preferably, the drive mechanism is derived from a conventional rotary drive.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, the single Figure of which shows schematically one embodiment of the invention.

The Figure shows a microwave oven cavity 1, into which microwave energy generated by a magnetron (not shown) is emitted, during use, via a suitable waveguide 2.

A plate 3, of any suitable shape, is mounted within the oven cavity 1 and is provided for supporting items of food to be cooked by the microwave energy.

To ensure that the food is cooked throughout, it is advantageous to provide relative movement of the food within the cavity, with respect to the distribution of microwave energy therewithin.

To this end, the present invention provides reciprical movement of the plate 3 within the cavity 1, which movement is advantageous over conventional rotary movement thereof, which tends to hinder movement of relatively large items of food, such as turkeys, within the given dimensions of the oven cavity 1.

In the embodiment shown, a drive mechanism, show generally at 4, providing the reciprocal movement of the plate 3, consists of a disc 5, rotatably driven by a motor (not shown), upon which a peg 6 is fixed, so that rotational movement of the disc 5 about axis 7 causes the peg 6 to rotate. The peg 6 is however constrained to move within a slot 8, which is fixed to the underside of the plate 3. It can thus be envisaged that rotational movement of the disc 5 about the axis 7 causes reciprocal movement of the plate 3, as shown by the dotted lines in the Figure, due to the constraint of the peg 6 to move within the slot 8, which is fixed to the plate 3.

The rotational speed of the disc 5, and thus of the reciprocal movement of the plate 3, may be determined by appropriate gearing (not shown) coupled to the motor.

Any other suitable drive mechanism, including, for example appropriate gearing and cams, which provides reciprocal movement of the plate 3 may of course be used.

Although the embodiment, which has been described, relates to a microwave oven, the present invention may be employed in any other suitable cooking apparatus, such as an infra-red grill, a conventional oven, a microwave oven including infrared heating units for browning, etc.

1. Cooking apparatus including a cavity for accommodating food to be cooked, a support, mounted within said cavity, for supporting said food, and a drive mechanism arranged to provide reciprocal movement of said support within said cavity.

2. Cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drive mechanism is derived from a motor-driven rotary drive.

3. Cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said drive mechanism includes a rotarydriven disc provided with a projection, said projection being constrained to slide in a generally vertical slot fixed to said support, so as to effect generally horizontal reciprocal movement of said support.

4. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim and including gearing means for providing a predetermined speed of said reciprocal movement.

5. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said support comprises a horizontally-disposed plate.

6. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim and including a magnetron for generating microwave energy for cooking.

7. Cooking apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Cooking apparatus This invention relates to cooking apparatus, such as microwave ovens, infra-red grills, etc. Some known cooking apparatus, and microwave ovens in particular, include a turntable arrangement mounted within the oven cavity to provide rotational movement of food placed thereon, thereby ensuring that the food is cooked evenly therewithin. However, rotational movement of certain items of food, for example, turkeys, which are relatively large in comparison with the dimensions of the oven cavity, may be hindered by the extremities of such food items colliding with internal parts of the cavity. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide cooking apparatus which alleviates this problem. According to the invention there is provided cooking apparatus including a cavity for accommodating food to be cooked by said apparatus and a plate member, for supporting said food, said plate member being mounted for reciprocal movement within said cavity, said apparatus further including a drive mechanism for providing said reciprocal movement of-said plate member. Preferably, the drive mechanism is derived from a conventional rotary drive. The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, the single Figure of which shows schematically one embodiment of the invention. The Figure shows a microwave oven cavity 1, into which microwave energy generated by a magnetron (not shown) is emitted, during use, via a suitable waveguide 2. A plate 3, of any suitable shape, is mounted within the oven cavity 1 and is provided for supporting items of food to be cooked by the microwave energy. To ensure that the food is cooked throughout, it is advantageous to provide relative movement of the food within the cavity, with respect to the distribution of microwave energy therewithin. To this end, the present invention provides reciprical movement of the plate 3 within the cavity 1, which movement is advantageous over conventional rotary movement thereof, which tends to hinder movement of relatively large items of food, such as turkeys, within the given dimensions of the oven cavity 1. In the embodiment shown, a drive mechanism, show generally at 4, providing the reciprocal movement of the plate 3, consists of a disc 5, rotatably driven by a motor (not shown), upon which a peg 6 is fixed, so that rotational movement of the disc 5 about axis 7 causes the peg 6 to rotate. The peg 6 is however constrained to move within a slot 8, which is fixed to the underside of the plate 3. It can thus be envisaged that rotational movement of the disc 5 about the axis 7 causes reciprocal movement of the plate 3, as shown by the dotted lines in the Figure, due to the constraint of the peg 6 to move within the slot 8, which is fixed to the plate 3. The rotational speed of the disc 5, and thus of the reciprocal movement of the plate 3, may be determined by appropriate gearing (not shown) coupled to the motor. Any other suitable drive mechanism, including, for example appropriate gearing and cams, which provides reciprocal movement of the plate 3 may of course be used. Although the embodiment, which has been described, relates to a microwave oven, the present invention may be employed in any other suitable cooking apparatus, such as an infra-red grill, a conventional oven, a microwave oven including infrared heating units for browning, etc. CLAIMS

1. Cooking apparatus including a cavity for accommodating food to be cooked, a support, mounted within said cavity, for supporting said food, and a drive mechanism arranged to provide reciprocal movement of said support within said cavity.

2. Cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drive mechanism is derived from a motor-driven rotary drive.

3. Cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said drive mechanism includes a rotarydriven disc provided with a projection, said projection being constrained to slide in a generally vertical slot fixed to said support, so as to effect generally horizontal reciprocal movement of said support.

4. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim and including gearing means for providing a predetermined speed of said reciprocal movement.

5. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said support comprises a horizontally-disposed plate.

6. Cooking apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim and including a magnetron for generating microwave energy for cooking.

7. Cooking apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.