JPS63286622A - Microwave oven - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Prior Art) A well-known drawback of household countertop microwave ovens is that they take up a significant portion of available countertop space. In fact, many homes simply do not have enough countertops to accommodate a microwave oven large enough for cooking.

Some ways to solve this problem are to use a stand or other piece of furniture to support the microwave oven separately, or to make it small enough for the home user to only hold soup cans or similar small items. The best thing to do is to buy a countertop microwave oven. Some manufacturers have had great success selling microwave ovens that are mounted under overhead cabinets and suspended above a counter or range. Generally, these cabinet-mounted microwave ovens are considered smaller than normal size and somewhat difficult to access, reducing the effectiveness of the counter space beneath them and giving a somewhat cluttered appearance. Additionally, there is equal competition for this space by many other items such as can openers, toasters, etc. that are mounted below the overhead cabinet.

Small countertop microwave ovens found in some countries such as Japan are dome-shaped microwave ovens. Dome ovens typically include a microwave energy generator disposed therein and operating controls along the leading edge. A dome-shaped cover is attached to the base via a rear hinge member. Sometimes it is necessary to hold the base member with one hand while opening the dome with the other hand. Venting this oven has proven difficult.

Vent holes cannot be placed in the dome because external objects, such as metal wires, may be accidentally or intentionally inserted into the cavity, leading to leakage of microwave energy. Additionally, if vent holes are placed in the base member, the vent holes tend to become clogged with spilled food. Dome covers require bending of material along several axes during fabrication and are therefore expensive to fabricate. The Tuck Capsule RE-1 sold by Sharp Corporation is a dome microwave oven.

Conventional thermal openings are typically mounted below countertop level in freestanding or built-in construction. Also, some of these thermal ovens have microwave and simultaneous cooking capabilities and are referred to as common cavity or combination ovens. These ovens generally have bottom-hinged doors that open downwardly.

Objects and Arrangements of the Invention Objects of the invention include providing an easy-to-use microwave oven that can be placed under a kitchen counter; the oven can also be placed completely out of sight if desired; , should be aesthetically pleasing if it is desired to remain visible. This oven can cook large items. It is desirable that the oven require only one hand to open it, insert the food, and set the operating controls, which allows maximum visibility of the food while cooking without bending over or interrupting operation. It should be done as follows. The oven should be easy to construct and safe to use.

These and other objects are provided by a microwave oven characterized by a bottom member, a top member configured to complete the cavity with the bottom member, and means for slidably attaching the top and bottom members. Ru.

The top member can be embodied as a canopy-shaped cover that allows maximum access to the cavity when inserting the food product. It can be made light transparent on three or more sides to maximize visibility of cooked food.

Also, the cover can be hinged to the bottom member. The bottom member can include a recessed food holding tray to help contain spills.

The oven can be variously adapted to fit under a kitchen counter. One approach is to provide a slider that connects to the interior wall of the under-counter cabinet. The top or bottom member remains fixed while the other member slides out.A normal cabinet drawer is pulled out, but
The oven is opened by pulling on the sliding member. Also, the fixing member can be mounted on a platform mounted on the floor.

In this way, there is a large width difference because the unit is supported from the floor on the underside of the cabinet rather than lying on its side.

The oven can also be adapted to fit into the top drawer or other drawer of an existing kitchen cabinet;
Alternatively, it can be sold as a free-standing unit with the bottom member and connected front member pulled out horizontally to provide access to the cavity.

Also, the cover can be hinged to the bottom member or formed in several pieces.

There are many advantages to the invention. By simply pulling out the sliding member, the cavity opens on several sides. This provides good access and the cooking cavity is easily visible. The sliding member is easily returned to the closed position to provide a sealed cavity without leakage of microwave energy. When the sliding member is opened, the cover slides back under the counter so there is no need to look for a place to place the cover. Also, there is no need to hold down the bottom unit when opening the canopy. The unit can be placed under the counter in the kitchen. Rigidly attached to a cabinet or other securely attached enclosure.

Illumination and ventilation of the cavity is simpler and more effective because none of these functions need to be associated with a dome, cover, or cooking surface. The recessed tray provides a means to contain spills.

The transparent canopy-shaped cover allows full visibility and improves on traditional countertop microwave ovens that only have a windowed door in the front. In particular, the door only allows the food to be viewed from the front, whereas the transparent canopy allows the food to be viewed from above and from both sides.

The cover can be made removable and therefore easily cleaned. The cover can be formed with a single gradual bend or with only two bends along parallel axes and is therefore simpler and cheaper to manufacture than a dome. Since the front wall of the cavity is spaced from the cooking surface, the ventilation holes can conveniently be placed there out of reach.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With particular reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the drawings, the present invention depicts a microwave oven 10.
is shown in FIG. 1 as a microwave oven 10.
comprises a horizontal bottom member 12, a top member embodied as a cover 14, and slidable attachment means 16 arranged between the bottom member 12 and the cover 14. When cover 14 is placed in the closed position relative to vertical front member 18, cover 14, front member 18, and bottom member 12 form an enclosed conductive cavity 20 sufficient to confine microwave radiation.

Bottom member 12 is preferably box-shaped and includes components for delivering microwave energy into cavity 20, as will be described in detail in connection with FIG.

The bottom member 12 includes a tray 22, sides 24a and 24d, a bottom panel 24c and a back 24b, the tray 22 serving to hold the food being cooked and to contain spills. The central portion of the tray 22 has side portions 24a and 24d.
and can be recessed by forming it with an upwardly curved peripheral edge that contacts rear portion 24b. Tray 22 is made of a microwave transparent material, such as ceramic, so that microwave energy can be supplied upward through tray 22 from the bottom. Metal side parts 24a, 24
d, and rear portion 24b are strong enough to support tray 22 and cover 14; slider 16 is provided with side portions 24a and 24d
and is connected to the cover 14. In order to provide sufficient security against leakage of microwave radiation as required by regulatory authorities, microwave seals or chokes 30, as designated by numerals 30a, 30b and 30c, are provided between the top 14 and the bottom member 12. and along the area contacting the front member 18. Microwave seal 30 can be continuous or formed in separate pieces. Microwave seal 30 is illustrated in detail in FIG. A seal liner 32, preferably made of microwave transparent plastic, is a microwave seal 3.
0 to provide a smooth bearing surface for the cover 14, adjust the spacing between the seal 30 and the cover 14, and inhibit food particles from falling into the seal 30. Seal liner 32 also acts to cover seal 30;
This makes microwave oven 10 more aesthetically pleasing.

Cover 14 is preferably shown shaped like a canopy that includes a laminated transparent radio frequency shield 34 .

The shield 34 is a perforated metal sheet having sufficient hole spacing to allow viewing of food placed within the cavity 20 and providing a solid metal surface against microwave radiation trapped within the cavity 20. Or made from a screen.

The inner and outer layers of the screen are covered with transparent plastic sheets such as polycarbonate.

The plastic sheet has sufficient internal resiliency to withstand rough handling during use and the properties of the cavity 20 to withstand elevated temperatures during cooking operations. Furthermore, here cover 14
is a metal frame 3G that surrounds and includes the transparent shield 34.
including. Preferably, the frame 36 and the transparent shield 34 are arched in cross section. The arcuate cross-section can be created by making two bends in the transparent shield 34 and frame 36 along opposite axes 37a and 37b, or by making one continuous bend along a solid axis to create a semi-circular cross-section. Can be formed by making.

A metal rear part 38 completes the cover 14 in the illustrated embodiment. The pull or handle 39 is preferably attached to the frame 36
The cover 14 is attached to the upper portion of the front portion of the slider 16 to assist in sliding the cover 14 back and forth along the slider 16.

The box-like front member 18 or tower section, which is disposed at right angles to the bottom member 12, includes at least an inner rearward facing wall D1 and an outer forward facing wall 42. Inner wall 40 may integrally form one or more portions of bottom member 12 . Front member 18 also includes a top surface 44 . Control panel and display 46
is shown positioned on top surface 44 for convenient access by the user. Control panel and display 46 is coupled to control electronics; η (not shown) used to control the components that provide microwave energy to cavity 20. A ridge 43 is preferably formed near the top surface 44 and side surfaces of the front member 18.

The ridge 43 is formed to engage the inner front portion of the downward facing cavity 2 (12).

Other features of microwave oven IO are interlocking switch 50
Two interlocking switches 50 are shown proximate opposite side portions of the ridge 43 of the front member 18, including a pair of interlocking switches 50. Additionally, the interlock switch 50 is shown adjacent to the side 24a of the bottom member 12. Another possible position for the interlock switch 5 (12) is illustrated on the rear wall 24b of the bottom member 12. Interlock switch 50 creates an electrical open circuit when cover 14 is slid away from front member 18 and closes cover 14 .
forms an electrically closed circuit when slid forward in close proximity to the front member 18. The interlock switches 50 are electrically coupled to the control electronics so that they are all closed before power is applied to the microwave energy supply (not shown). Regulatory agency regulations typically require the placement of at least three interlock switches to ensure that the open IO will not operate unless the cavity 20 is sealed; It may be configured to cut off power to the microwave supplier in the event of a failure.

A front panel 52 that receives light from a light source (not shown) mounted inside the front member 18 and illuminates the cavity 20 is attached to the inner wall 40.
Illustrated inside. Pre-inlet 52 is large enough to pass light but small enough to prevent microwave radiation inside cavity 2 (12) from entering front member 18. A similarly sized vent hole 54, preferably located on one side of the entry 52, provides access to the cavity 20 for ventilation.

The inner wall 4 (12) section is broken away in the drawing to reveal an intake duct 56a and an exhaust duct 56b, which respectively provide air to and from the cavity 20 when the microwave oven 10 is in operation. remove from A temperature probe connector 58 may be disposed in the inner wall 40 to provide a path for coupling the temperature probe between the food product and the control electronics.

In operation, the user typically opens the cavity 20 by grasping the cover 14 at its handle 39 and pushing it back along the slider 16. Next, when the food is placed on the tray 22 inside the cavity 2 (12), the cover 14 is moved from the ridge 4 sufficiently to close the interlock switch 50.
The cavity 20 is closed by sliding along the slider 16 over the 300°C.Then the cooking time, temperature and power level are selected through the control panel and display 460. It can be observed without bending down or interrupting microwave oven 1 (12) operation by viewing through the shield 34 from its top or side.

FIG. 2 shows an isometric cutaway view of portions of bottom member 12, cover 14, and slider 16 looking along side wall 24a. This figure shows the cavity 20 appearing above and to the right of the illustrated part. Side wall 24a of bottom member 12 is shown having several 90° bends formed along its upper portion. These serve to house the slider 16 and provide structure for forming the microwave seal 30. As shown, a portion of frame 36 extends downwardly from cavity 20 to an intermediate portion of side wall 24a.

The transparent shield 34 is a perforated metal sheet or screen 6
outer and inner plastic sheets 60 and 6 surrounding 4;
2 and is shown in the figure.

The transparent shield 34 may be formed by laminating and pouring plastic onto and within the screen 64 by insert molding, layamping, or other suitable techniques. The transparent shield 3.4 may be attached to the frame 36 by engagement slots 66 formed along the inner perimeter of the frame 36.

Slider 16 is conveniently of the type having two rail members 68 and 69. One rail member 68 is attached along the lower edge of the frame 36. The other rail member 69 is attached along the middle portion of side portion 24a. Various other types of sliders with roller or ball bearings may also be used. As shown, side portion 24a has a rail 69 attached thereto to provide an appropriate spacing between side portion 24a and frame 36 and/or may be adjusted using shims (not shown) during installation. It looks like this.

The microwave seal or choke 30a is formed by appropriately bending and cutting the wall 24a or
It may be formed as a separate metal piece attached to the. Also, the microwave choke 30a can be formed in the wall of the canopy 14 rather than in the bottom member 12. here,
The choke 30a is shown as having a reentrant choke cavity 70, which is well known in the art. This concave corner choke has a choke space 70 and an energy space 2.
It is characterized by a common wall 74 arranged between an input part 76 and an output part 77 formed at the place where it is to escape from zero. A choke liner 32, here shown disposed in the input section 76 and output section 77, may be used to fill the choke cavity 70. The choke cover or liner 32 is made of a material with a dielectric constant so that it does not interfere with the operation of the choke 30a.

During operation, microwave radiation is transmitted from the cavity 20 to the human powered part 76.
through the choke 30a and propagates downward until reaching the choke cavity 70. Choke cavity 70, which is approximately 174 wavelengths deep, transforms the open circuit in series between input section 76 and output section 77, thereby deflecting the microwave energy towards cavity 2 (12). common wall 7
Slots 72 located outwardly in the choke cavity 70 suppress orthogonal propagation so that all microwave energy propagates in a single manner that is effectively reflected by the choke cavity 70.

Tray 22 is also shown in more detail. It preferably has a ceramic plate 80 supported by a metal collar 82 or flange. Plate 80 is sealed and held fixed in place on collar 8'2 by high temperature silicone material (not shown). Collar 82 is the side wall 2
A lip 8 attached along the upper edge of side wall 24a and having several downward bends at a position below the upper edge of side wall 24a.
form 4. The lip portion 84 functions to recess the ceramic plate 80. Spills are thus contained by this collar 82 surrounding the ceramic plate 80.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the microwave oven 1 (12). The microwave conducting cavity 20 comprises a cover 14 with a perforated metal sheet 64 of a transparent shield 34 and a rear wall 38, a floor 65 with a bottom member 12 and an inner wall 40 of the front member 18.
The enclosure is formed by a conductive member including a conductive member. Control electronics 90 are mounted inside the front member 18 behind the outer wall 42 below the control panel and display 46 and are coupled to the control panel and display 46 . Control electronics 90 is also coupled to power supply and interlock switch 50 (FIG. 1) and transformer 92 (connections not shown for clarity). In operation, upon command from the user through the control panel and display 46, the control electronics 90 generates electrical signals that control the microwave supplier 91, thereby energizing the magnetron 94. Microwave supplier 91 includes a transformer 92, a magnetron 94, a waveguide 98, a probe 100, and a radiation antenna 102.

The magnetron 94 has an output of 24 at its output rope 96.
It produces microwave frequency energy that oscillates at a suitable frequency, such as 50 MHz. The energy provided by output probe 96 is contained by waveguide 98 and travels along waveguide 98 to probe 100 , which couples it through hole 99 in waveguide 98 to radiating antenna 102 . Energy radiating from antenna 102 is directed into and confined within cavity 20 . The energy thus supplied into the cavity 2o cooks the food placed on the ceramic plate 8o. This configuration of microwave radiating elements is exemplary as other configurations are known in the art.

A fan 106 is mounted to the rear or bottom of the bottom member 12. It will be appreciated that the cooling and venting air can flow in the opposite direction as described, but here the fan 106 draws air and blows the air under the floor 65 and bottom panel 24 of the cavity 2o.
Air 1 blowing air into the compartment 10B formed above c.
The air first flows across the transformer 92 and magnetron 94 to cool those components. The air then passes around and/or under the waveguide 9 and through the duct 56a in the front member 18. Rise. Duct 56 from fan 106
As an alternative or additional route to a, the air 103 can be routed to the floor 65
can flow through the holes to rotate the antenna 102 and provide more uniform heating of the food product. Antenna 102 may be motor driven. air 103 from duct) 56a
is formed in the upper part of the front member 1 and includes control electronics 90.
to the second compartment 112 where the The moving air then passes along control electronics 90 and enters cavity 20 through vent hole 54a. Air 103 passes from the cavity 20 through the exhaust duct 54b or through the ventilation hole 1 in the rear wall 38 of the canopy 14.
(can be discharged through 17; air 10 through cavity 20)
The flow No. 3 removes moisture. The ventilation hole protector 67 acts to prevent foreign matter from entering the hole No. 1 (17).

Figure 4 shows the microwave oven 10 on the kitchen counter 12.
(12) An under-counter kitchen cabinet 122 with a door 123 is shown as one example of the various installations suitable for placing the underside. Here, the sliding member 124
microwave oven 1 along sides 24a and 24d.
(12) Attached to the bottom. Sliding member 124 is engaged with a fixed member 126 suitably mounted to cabinet 122.

Given the weight of the microwave oven lO, it is preferred that said fixing member 126 is of the type with roller bearings 127.The kitchen cabinet is 60.9 &
, 76.2, and 91.44c stirrups (2, 2, 5, and 3
ft) width; however, many cabinets may be of different or non-standard dimensions, such that the securing member 126 is attached to the cabinet 122.
It is impractical to expect it to be conveniently mounted on the side of the vehicle.

To solve this problem, the fixing member can instead be fixed to a plate 128 made of a metal plate or other suitable material. Adapter plate 128 can then be attached to the side or bottom of cabinet 122.
In the illustrated embodiment, the wooden base 130 is connected to the adapter plate 12.
Used to support B. In another embodiment, platform 1
30 can be made of metal. Also, the platform 130 is illustrated here as an inverted U-shape, and a storage drawer (not shown) for items such as microwave cooking accessories may be suitably provided on its underside.

The microwave oven 10 is slid back into the cabinet 122 and the door 123 is closed when not in use. To use the microwave oven 1o, the door 123 is opened and the microwave oven 10 is opened by pulling the handle 119 of the 11 member 18 into the cabinet 122.
The oven 10 is slid along the sliding member 124 and the fixed member 126. Cover 14 is then slid off by pushing handle 39. At this time, the cover 14 is moved back inside the under-counter cabinet area 125 and the zero-order food, which is completely out of the user's range of action, is placed on the tray 22 inside the microwave oven 1 (12). As before, cover 14 is closed and the oven is energized. The oven can be activated in the open position, or it can be pushed back under the counter and activated after the cabinet door 123 is closed.

FIG. 5 shows a microwave oven 10 according to the present invention embodied as a stand-only under-counter appliance. This equipment consists of a kitchen counter 12 (similar to enclosures such as those used for dishwashers, waste compactors, and conventional heat ovens).
12) Includes a metal undercounter enclosure 140 adapted to be placed underneath. As before, the sliding member 124 is attached to the bottom or side of the microwave oven 1 (12). - The fixing member 126 is attached to the inside of the enclosure 14 (12). The oven lO is opened by pulling the handle 144 formed adjacent to the front member 18.
It is drawn from 0. Here, the handle 144 is integrally molded with the front member and has a control and display panel 46 integrally formed across its width. A lower drawer 142 has an enclosure 140 for storing cooking accessories.
The microwave oven lOO may be provided in the space below. The front window 148 encloses the microwave oven 10 in the enclosure 14.
(12) May be formed in the front member so that the cavity 20 is visible when placed inside. If a front window 148 is used, the ducts and lights in the front member 18 are connected to the window 14.
It must be moved to the side of B. The microwave oven 10 is pulled out from the enclosure 140 and the trigger mechanism 1
45 and the friction holding mechanism 146 to open the space 20 with one stroke.
and tray 22 can be accessed. If used, trigger 145 typically engages the leading edge of cover 14 with front member 18. A body 1 surrounding the microwave oven 10
If the trigger 145 is squeezed rather than pulled from 40, the cover 14 separates from the front member 18, thereby causing the friction retention mechanism 146 to move the cover 14 inside the enclosure 14 (12) at the dotted line 1.
Hold it at the position shown at 49. In this way, the user can squeeze trigger 145 while pulling handle 144 to open microwave oven IO with one hand and insert cooked food with the other hand. The oven IO is closed by simply pushing the handle 144 just enough to close the cabinet drawer. If it is desired to monitor the progress of the food during cooking, the trigger 145 is not squeezed when the handle 144 is pulled, but the cover 14 is engaged with the front member 18 when the microwave oven 10 is pulled from the jar cabinet 140. Leave it alone. In the figure, the cover 14 is the seventh
In practice the fixed cavity 2 as discussed in Figures A and 7B
(12) Another embodiment is also shown that is permanently retained or integrally formed inside the ceiling and equipment cabinet 14Q.

Figure 6 shows the microwave oven 10 installed in the kitchen 152.
It shows how it is arranged inside.

The drawer 152 has a front part 153, a side part 166 and a bottom part 16.
Many under-counter kitchen drawers, including 3, are large enough to provide sufficient space for a microwave oven (therefore, if needed, a separate upper drawer front 154 can The drawer separation section 156, which can be removed from the drawer and is usually part of the front of a kitchen cabinet, is removed and fitted with a suitable fastener 15, such as a wood screw.
B is fastened between the drawer front parts 153 and 154. If additional support or fastening is desired, a suitably shaped adapter plate 160 made, for example, of sheet metal and having pre-drilled holes can provide additional fasteners 162.
can be used in conjunction with the drawer fronts 154 and 153 to secure the drawer fronts 154 and 153.

This configuration provides an aesthetically pleasing feel when drawer 152 is closed. A suspension bracket 164 is attached to sides 24a and 24 of bottom member 12 by a plurality of pre-drilled holes and adjustable fastening means 168, such as metal plate screws.
It is installed along d. Suspension bracket 164 is adjusted to provide adequate clearance between the bottom of microwave oven IO and drawer 152. Suspension bracket 1
64 is used to mount the microwave oven IO on the side 166 of the drawer 152. Suspension bracket 1
64 can be eliminated, but microwave oven I
Place the microwave oven lO in drawer 15 while keeping the O away from the bottom of the drawer to promote air circulation.
It is preferable to keep it from moving back and forth within the range 2.

Additionally, the bottom 163 of the drawer 152 may not be strong enough to support the open 10. bracket 160
It is desirable to engage the front member 18 in any suitable manner, such as by metal screws, snap locks, or by forming a tongue and groove connection.

This serves to make the drawer 152 more rigid and less likely to break due to misuse.

FIG. 6 also shows various variations of a microwave oven IO including a single front member 18 and bottom member 12, and a cover 14 having an open back 170 rather than the metal back 38 of the embodiment shown in FIG. An example is shown below. In this case, the rear portion 172 of the bottom member 12 is as high as necessary to engage the frame 36. Tray 174 is shown here flat without forming a collar. This is cheap to produce, but
Gives a cooking surface that is easier to catch dirty spills. Side part 24
Sections a and 24b are raised to accommodate spills. Another embodiment of air ventilation is illustrated in which a single vent 176 is formed in the front member 18 and an exhaust port 17B is formed in the rear panel 172 of the bottom member 12.

FIG. 7A shows another embodiment of a microwave oven IO in which the top member 14 has five sections including a top panel 202a, a bottom panel 202b, a left side panel 202c, a right side panel 202d and a back panel 202e. Conventional microwave oven enclosure 2 with conductive metal panels
00. The microwave provider 91 is located within the enclosure 20 (12) adjacent to the bottom panel 202b, but could be located adjacent to the top panel 202a. The bottom member 12 has a bottom panel 24b thereof.
It is formed similarly to the bottom member of the previous figure, except that it is not used and that the feeder 91 is not housed therein. This is done by passing the microwave energy from the feeder 91 through the ceramic plate 80 as before to the tray 22.
reach the food placed on top, but here the bottom member 12
In the feeder 91 which is not part of the bottom member 12, the slider 16
remains stationary as it moves back and forth along.

The choke 30 may be formed as before or the front panel 202f may be formed to match the front member 18. The control panel and display 46 can be mounted on the front panel 202f of the enclosure 20 (12) so that the wires extending from the control electronics 90 to the feeder 91 remain fixed while the bottom member 12 slides. obtain. slider 1
The securing members 69 of 6 can be recessed into the back surface of panel 202b, or as shown in FIG.
02b.

In this case, the moving slider member 68 is attached to the rear wall 40 of the front member 18 rather than to the sides 24a or 24c. This makes the inside walls of all cavities 2 (12) smooth and free of irregularities created when slider 16 is installed as in FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 is a side view of another embodiment in which the fly bar 14 is connected to the bottom member 12 at the rear by a hinge 220. Hinge 220 can have a stop to hold cover 14 in an open position.

Here, the cover 14 is smaller in height than in the previously described embodiments and does not extend down to a point near the tray 22, but only to an intermediate point. Rather, side panels 230 of a laminated transparent material similar to the material used for the shield 34 of the cover 14 are disposed on either side of the bottom member 12 above the sides 24c and attached to the tray. As shown, the seal 30 is part of the cover 14 rather than the bottom member 12 . This configuration allows full visibility of the food without lowering the tray 22 and better protects the food from accidental spills caused by inadvertent access through the sides of the oven 100.

FIG. 9A shows a similar embodiment in which the cover 14 is as in FIG. 1 and a transparent panel 230
Although this is not necessary, the cover 14 is hinged at the rear.

FIG. 9B is another example showing how transparent side 230 can extend completely from near tray 22 to near top surface 44. FIG. The cover 14 can be made flat in this configuration and is therefore cheaper but less convenient to access the cavity 20.

Of course, the smaller cover 14 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9B
may be slidably mounted.

It can be appreciated that the various embodiments described above achieve the objects and advantages explored.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments exist having these features and advantages. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is limited only by the spirit and scope of the claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a rear isometric view of a microwave oven according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a closer cut-away isometric view of the bottom member, canopy, and slider associated with one embodiment of the microwave oven of FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the microwave oven taken along its central axis, showing one possible configuration of its various working components, and FIG. Figure 5 is an illustration of an example of how to install the microwave oven in a separate enclosure adapted to be installed under a kitchen counter; ,
FIG. 6 shows how to use a microwave oven in the top drawer or drawers of a conventional kitchen cabinet, and FIGS. 7A and 7B show an alternative embodiment of the microwave oven of FIG. 8 is a side view of yet another embodiment, and FIGS. 9A and 9B are side views of another embodiment of the microwave oven of FIG. 8. 10...Microwave oven, 12...Bottom member, 14...Cover, 16...
- Slidable attachment means, 18... Front member, 20... Conduction cavity, 22.-
・Tray, 30...Microwave seal or chalk, 34...
Radio frequency shield, 36--Metal frame, 46--Control panel and display, 50--Interlocking switch, 54--Vent hole, 56a, 56b
...Duct, 68.69...Rail member, 70...Chalk space, 74...Common wall, 8
0...Ceramic plate, 82...Color, 84
...Lip portion, 90...Control electronic device, 91...
microwave supply device, 98... waveguide, 106...
・Fan, 120...Kitchen counter, 122
... Kitchen cabinet under the counter, 124 ... Sliding member, 126 ... Fixed member, 128 ... Board, 130 ... Wooden stand, 140 ... Metal counter under enclosure, 142 ... Drawer , 145...Trigger mechanism, 146...Friction retention mechanism, 152...Drawer, 176...Vent hole, 1
78...Exhaust port, 200...Microwave oven enclosure, 220...
Hinge. FIG, 7B R6,8

Claims (21)

[Claims] (1) a horizontally oriented bottom member having at least two opposing parallel edges; and a top member disposed proximate the bottom member and shaped to define a conductive compartment cavity above the bottom member. and means disposed proximate parallel edges of the top and bottom members to slidably connect the bottom and top members and selectively close and open the voids. Enclosure body. (2) cavity bottom means having at least two opposing parallel sides defining a bottom of the microwave oven cavity; and a radio frequency coupled to the cavity bottom means for providing energy to the microwave oven. A microwave oven comprising energy means and cover means slidably coupled to the cavity bottom means along at least one of the opposing parallel sides to selectively close or open the microwave oven cavity. . 3. The apparatus of claim 2 including: (3) front panel means disposed along a front edge of the cavity bottom means at right angles to the cavity bottom means to further surround the microwave oven cavity. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cavity bottom means includes means for slidably coupling said cavity bottom means to an under-counter kitchen cabinet. 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cavity bottom means includes means for slidably coupling said cavity bottom means to a kitchen cabinet drawer. 6. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means disposed peripherally about the cavity bottom means and in close proximity to the cover means to occlude radio frequency energy. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the closing means includes a reentrant choke cavity having a common slotted wall. (8) choke cover means disposed adjacent to the slotted common wall and transparent to the energy provided by the radio frequency energy means to reduce friction between the cover means and the cavity bottom means; Claim 7 containing
Apparatus described in section. (9) choke cover means disposed proximate the slotted common wall and transparent to the energy provided by the radio frequency energy means, adjusting the spacing between the cover means and the cavity bottom means; Claim 7 containing
Apparatus described in section. (10) Claim 2 including interlocking means disposed proximate the cover means and the cavity bottom means for activating the radio frequency energy means only when the cover means and the cavity bottom means close the cavity. equipment. 11. The apparatus of claim 2 including means disposed peripherally about the bottom member for containing spilled food in the cavity. (12) a bottom member having a horizontal bottom panel and two opposing upright side panels attached to the bottom panel; and microwave energy coupled to the bottom member to provide sufficient radio frequency energy to cook food. means; a front member coupled to the bottom member at right angles to the opposing side panels and extending upwardly from the bottom member; a front member having an arcuate cross-section with opposing parallel bottom edges; a canopy defining a conductive compartment cavity therein; and means for slidably attaching each of the opposing bottom edges of the canopy to a respective one of the opposing side panels. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the canopy comprises a perforated metal sheet and a sheet of light-transmissive elastic polymer. 14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the canopy includes a metal back member extending between opposing bottom edges and disposed parallel to the front member and defining a conductive compartment cavity. 15. The apparatus of claim 12 including a rear member disposed proximate and perpendicular to the opposing upright side panels and parallel to the front member and defining a conductive compartment cavity. 16. The apparatus of claim 12 including choke means disposed peripherally along the upright side panels and front member to stop radio frequency energy escaping from the cavity. 17. The apparatus of claim 12 including fan means disposed proximate the bottom member for providing a pressurized air flow for cooling the microwave energy means. (18) Duct means disposed proximate the bottom member for ventilating the cavity by supplying pressurized air to the cavity and removing pressurized air from the cavity. equipment. (19) tray means disposed at right angles along the front member and upright side panels and transparent to radio frequency energy provided by the microwave energy means for supporting food to be cooked and for containing spillage; 13. The apparatus of claim 12 comprising: (20) a collar having a tray means disposed peripherally around the upright side panels and the front panel and a lip disposed below the point where the collar connects the side panels and the front panel;
20. The device of claim 19, including a ceramic plate connected to the collar at the lip. (21) a horizontally oriented bottom member; a canopy-shaped cover having an arcuate cross-section and defining a conduction compartment cavity with the bottom member; and means for hingedly coupling the cover to the bottom member. microwave oven.