Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Marco Carcano

Michele Sclocchi

Michele Gentile

Daniele Chirico

Andrea Baccara

Francesco Gambato

Marco Bullo

Christine Rollet

An oven may include a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product, at least a pair of rack supports disposed at opposing sidewalls of the cooking chamber, a rack configured to support the food product responsive to placement of the rack on the rack supports, a rack interface insulating assembly comprising insulating material providing a dielectric barrier between the rack and the rack supports, and a radio frequency (RF) heating system configured to provide RF energy into the cooking chamber using solid state electronic components to heat the food product. The solid state electronic components include power amplifier electronics and control electronics configured to control operation of the power amplifier electronics.

Electrically insulated metal rack to optimize cooking performance and prevent arcing

Power amplifier electronics for controlling application of radio frequency (RF) energy generated using solid state electronic components may further be configured to control application of RF energy in cycles between high and low powers. The power amplifier electronics may include a semiconductor die on which one or more RF power transistors are fabricated, an output matching network configured to provide impedance matching between the semiconductor die and external components operably coupled to an output tab, and bonding ribbon bonded at terminal ends thereof to operably couple the one or more RF power transistors of the semiconductor die to the output matching network. The bonding ribbon may have a width of greater than about five times a thickness of the bonding ribbon.

Ribbon bond solution for reducing thermal stress on an intermittently operable chipset controlling RF application for cooking

Control electronics may control power amplifier electronics associated with application of RF energy generated using solid state electronic components. The power amplifier electronics may be configured to control application of RF energy in an oven according to a cooking recipe at least in part based on a learning procedure that generates a power cycling between high and low powers when the learning procedure is executed. The control electronics may include processing circuitry configured to employ a thermal stress mitigation technique to control thermal stresses on the power amplifier electronics associated with the power cycling.

Power control solution for reducing thermal stress on an intermittently operable chipset controlling RF application for cooking

Power amplifier electronics for controlling application of radio frequency (RF) energy generated using solid state electronic components may further be configured to control application of RF energy in cycles between high and low powers. The power amplifier electronics may include a semiconductor die on which one or more RF power transistors are fabricated, an output matching network configured to provide impedance matching between the semiconductor die and external components operably coupled to an output tab, and bonding wires bonded at terminal ends thereof to operably couple the one or more RF power transistors of the semiconductor die to the output matching network. The bonding wires may be copper bonding wires having a diameter of between about 10 microns and about 100 microns.

Copper wire bond solution for reducing thermal stress on an intermittently operable chipset controlling RF application for cooking

An air circulation system for an oven includes a plenum disposed proximate to the cooking chamber, an airflow generator configured to draw air from the cooking chamber through a chamber outlet port and discharge the air into the plenum, and an air heater configured to heat at least some of the air in the plenum prior to a portion of the air entering the cooking chamber from the plenum via air delivery orifices. The chamber outlet port includes outlet perforations combining to form a first geometric shape centered on an axis of the airflow generator. The air delivery orifices include a first set of inlet perforations and a second set of inlet perforations. The first and second sets of inlet perforations combine to form respective second and third geometric shapes that are disposed on opposite sides of the outlet perforations. The second and third geometric shapes are different than the first geometric shape.

Convection system for employment with an RF oven

A method for managing a microwave heating device able to operate based on a first signal having a first fundamental harmonic frequency that is within the microwave range, wherein operation of the microwave heating device () is interrupted or modified when, inside the microwave heating device (), the presence of a second signal is detected, the latter having harmonic components which have frequencies that are different from a fundamental harmonic frequency and an intensity higher than a critical reference value.

Method for managing a microwave heating device and microwave heating device

An oven includes a cooking chamber configured to receive a load and an RF heating system configured to provide RF energy into the cooking chamber using solid state electronic components. The solid state electronic components include power amplifier electronics configured to provide a signal into the cooking chamber via an antenna assembly. The power amplifier electronics include at least a first power amplifier and a second power amplifier operably coupled to the cooking chamber by respective ones of a first antenna and second antenna of the antenna assembly. The first and second antennas are operably coupled to respective ones of the first and second power amplifiers via a first coupling structure and a second coupling structure, respectively. A directional coupler provided at a port section defined for at least one of the first and second coupling structures. The directional coupler is configured to provide a forward wave parameter and a reflected wave parameter to a measurement assembly configured to calculate modified S parameters at the port section.

Modified S-parameter measurement and usage in solid state RF oven electronics

An RF choke for an oven having a door movable between an open position and a closed position to interface with an opening defined in a cooking chamber of the oven includes a base portion and a plurality of resonant elements formed in rows. The cooking chamber is defined at least in part by a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The RF choke is disposed at a portion of the door facing the cooking chamber when the door is in the closed position. The base portion is a metallic sheet and is disposed in a first plane substantially parallel to a second plane in which the door lies. The resonant elements are folded out of the first plane toward the door to define a top row of resonant elements, a bottom row of resonant elements, a first side row of resonant elements and a second side row of resonant elements, which are proximate to respective ones of the top wall, the bottom wall, the first sidewall and the second sidewall of the cooking chamber when the door is in the closed position. At least one of the rows is folded out of the first plane at a different angle relative to the first plane than other ones of the rows.

RF choke and interface structures for employment with an RF oven

An air circulation system for an oven includes an inlet cavity, an attic region and a cooling fan. The oven includes a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product and an RF heating system configured to provide RF energy into the cooking chamber using solid state electronic components. The air circulation system is configured to provide air for cooling the solid state electronic components. The inlet cavity is disposed below the cooking chamber. The attic region is disposed above the cooking chamber and housing the solid state electronic components. The cooling fan isolates the inlet cavity from the attic region to maintain the inlet cavity at a pressure below ambient pressure to draw cooling air into the inlet cavity via an inlet array, and to maintain the attic region at a pressure above ambient pressure to discharge air that has cooled the solid state electronic components from an oven body of the oven.

Apparatus and system for solid state oven electronics cooling

An oven may include a door movable between an open position and a closed position, a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product, an RF energy source and an RF choke. The cooking chamber may be defined at least in part by a top wall, a bottom wall, a first sidewall and a second sidewall, and may define an opening that interfaces with the door. The RF energy source may be configured to apply RF energy to the food product. The RF choke may be disposed at a portion of the door facing the cooking chamber when the door is in the closed position. The door may include a handle disposed on a side of the door opposite the RF choke. The handle may be attached to a front face of the door at an angle relative to the front face of the door such that the handle extends beyond a top of the door along a direction extending from a pivot axis of the door toward the top of the door.

Oven door assembly for an RF oven

An oven includes a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product and an RF heating system configured to provide RF energy into the cooking chamber using solid state electronic components. The cooking chamber is defined at least in part by a top wall, a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The solid state electronic components include power amplifier electronics configured to provide the RF energy into the cooking chamber via a launcher assembly operably coupled to the cooking chamber via a waveguide assembly. The waveguide assembly includes a waveguide extending along at least one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall to provide the RF energy into the cooking chamber through a radiation opening provided at the at least one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall. The launcher assembly includes a launcher disposed proximate to a first end of the waveguide and the radiation opening is disposed proximate to a second end of the waveguide.

Waveguide assembly for an RF oven

An oven includes a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product and an RF heating system configured to provide RF energy into the cooking chamber using solid state electronic components. The solid state electronic components include power amplifier electronics configured to provide a signal into the cooking chamber via a launcher assembly operably coupled to the cooking chamber via a waveguide assembly. An isolation assembly is provided between the launcher assembly and the power amplifier electronics. The power amplifier electronics are controlled at least in part based on an efficiency parameter determined from a forward power value and a reflected power value that are each measured after the isolation assembly.

Apparatus and system for fault protection of power amplifier in solid state RF oven electronics

An air circulation system includes an inlet filter support structure, a first side filter and a second side filter. The air circulation system is for an oven that has a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product and a radio frequency (RF) heating system configured to provide RF energy into the cooking chamber using solid state electronic components. The air circulation system is configured to provide air for cooling the solid state electronic components. The inlet filter support structure enables cooling air for cooling the solid state electronic components to be drawn therein prior to circulation by a cooling fan. The first side filter is supported by the inlet filter support structure. The first side filter is disposed below one of the sidewalls and disposed at an angle relative to the one of the sidewalls. The second side filter is supported by the inlet filter support structure. The second side filter is disposed below an opposing one of the sidewalls and disposed at the angle relative to the opposing one of the sidewalls.

Apparatus and system for an oven support structure and air filtration assembly

An apparatus for simultaneously heating a plurality of food products, comprising: a containment structure forming a housing chamber; one or more separating elements mounted in the housing chamber to delimit a plurality of separate housing compartments for receiving the food products; radio frequency dielectric heating means with an operating frequency of between 1 MHz and 300 MHz, mounted in the containment structure and comprising at least one first electrode and one second electrode; wherein the housing compartments are aligned along a row, the first electrode and the second electrode delimiting on two opposite sides the row; and wherein inside the housing chamber, between the first electrode and the second electrode, there is also at least one inductor.

Apparatus for simultaneously heating a plurality of food products

An air cleaning system for an oven that includes a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product includes a catalytic converter, an input array and a preheater. The catalytic converter may be configured to clean air expelled from the cooking chamber. The input array may include perforations through which cleaned air that has been processed by the catalytic converter is provided into the cooking chamber. The preheater may be disposed proximate to the cooking chamber to use heat generated by the cooking chamber to preheat the cleaned air prior to entry of the cleaned air into the cooking chamber through the input array.

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Senago, Italy

Marco Carcano