915 Labs, Inc.

Microwave Materials Technologies, Inc.

Other

Eastman Chemical Company

Hewlett-Packard Company

Harold Dail Kimrey, Jr

Matthew Raider

David Behringer

Li Zhang

David Carl Attride

Brad William Overturf

John Hirschey

Mark Robert Shelton

Michele Reeve

Lora Nicolette Spizzirri

Jarvey Eugene Felty, Jr

Robert Brian Wilson

Jared Moore

Gregory Eugene Cunningham

Lea Mohr

Steven B Elgee

David E Smith

Geoff Wotton

Jeffrey Donald Bostrom

Aaron Grills

James Stewart Nelson

Timothy Lee Guinn

Andrew Charles Hiester

Ralph W Mantooth

John Peter Mykytka

Tyler Littrell

Samuel Dean Giles

Caleb Samuel Bales

Robert E Jones

James Austin Ridgell

Tom McCune

Processes and systems that enhance the heating of packaged foodstuffs and other items in various microwave heating systems are described herein. The foodstuffs may be contained in a package including one or more energy control elements that interact with microwave energy in order to alter the effect that microwave energy has on the foodstuff. These energy control elements can enhance or inhibit microwave energy and a single package may include one or more energy control elements. In some cases, the energy control element may respond differently to different types of microwave energy. As a result, some packages described herein may exhibit different absorption or reflectance characteristics when exposed to microwave energy while being pasteurized or sterilized in a larger-scale microwave heating system than when the package is reheated in an at-home microwave oven prior to consumption or use.

Energy control elements for improved microwave heating of packaged articles

Heating systems utilizing radio frequency (RF) energy and methods for using the same to rapidly and uniformly heat packaged articles moving through the system on one or more convey lines. These systems may be useful for a variety of processes, including the pasteurization or sterilization of packaged foodstuffs.

Contact members for packaged articles heated with radio frequency energy

A radio frequency (RF) heating system and process for rapidly and uniformly heating a plurality of articles on a convey line.

Radio frequency heating system

High intensity radio frequency heating of packaged articles

Processes and systems that enhance the heating of packaged foodstuffs and other items in various microwave heating systems are described herein. It has been unexpectedly found that configuring the microwave heating zone of a microwave-assisted pasteurization or sterilization system so that the article carrier, the microwave launchers, and/or the packages have certain relative dimensions may significantly enhance the uniformity of heating of the articles. The result is pasteurized or sterilized articles that exhibit fewer hot and cold spots, a consistent microbial lethality rate, and desirable end properties, such as visual appearance, taste, and texture.

Microwave-assisted sterilization and pasteurization system using synergistic packaging, carrier and launcher configurations

A datalogger with a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of one or more articles during a radio frequency (RF) heating process. The datalogger may be wireless and may store temperature measurements in an internal memory and/or may wirelessly transmit temperature data in real-time. The datalogger may be specifically designed and oriented to maximize temperature measurement accuracy and minimize interference with the RF heating process.

Data collection method and apparatus for radio frequency heating system

Application of radio frequency energy to packaged articles

Carriers suitable for transporting a plurality of articles through a microwave heating zone are provided. Carriers as described herein may include an outer frame and upper and lower support structures vertically spaced from one another to provide a cargo volume into which the articles are loaded. At least a portion of the upper and/or lower support structures may be formed of an electrically conductive material. Additionally, the carrier may include removable article spacing members, such as vertical spacing members and dividers, that can be selectively inserted to adjust the size and/or shaper of the cargo volume. Carriers as described herein may be configured to receive a variety of different articles, including trays and pouches, and the articles may be loaded into the carrier in a nested or overlapping manner.

Arrangement of articles in a carrier for microwave heating

Systems and processes for use in heating articles include passing a carrier loaded with an article through a vessel inlet and into a first vessel portion and moving the loaded carrier in a first direction through the first vessel portion away from the inlet. During at least a portion of the movement through the first vessel portion, the article is contacted with a first fluid medium. The loaded carrier is moved carrier in a second direction opposite the first direction through a second vessel portion toward a vessel outlet. During at least a portion of the movement through the second vessel portion, the articles is contacted with a second fluid medium. In certain implementations, each of the first direction and the second direction are vertical.

Vessels for article heating systems

Conveyance of packaged articles heated with radio frequency energy

Radio frequency heating process with residence time control of packaged articles

Processes and systems for pasteurizing and sterilizing a plurality of articles in a microwave heating system are provided. In certain aspects, groups of articles may be passed by a microwave launcher in a first convey direction and a second, opposite convey direction, so that each group of articles passes the microwave launcher more than once. Processes and systems described herein are also configured to uniformly heat spaced apart groups of articles without disrupting the operation of the microwave generator or distribution system.

Multi-pass microwave heating system

Growing community of inventors

Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Harold Dail Kimrey, Jr