Whirlpool Corporation

Per Torngren

Fredrik Hallgren

Hakan Carlsson

Ulf Nordh

Alan D Bengtson

Eckart Wilholm Braunisch

Renee M Garnham

Anders B Zeijlon

David O Wahlander

Patrik Rydin

Hans Lindgren

Hakan Lundstrom

Birgitta Jna Kidblad

Laura E Petzke

Andreas Isaksson

The present invention provides a microwave oven and a method of operating a microwave oven, which minimises user involvement when heating a food item to a desired target temperature. According to the invention, the initial temperature of the food item is measured prior to the heating process, and the required heating time is determined automatically based on the initial temperature, the target temperature, and the amount of food as entered by the user. In order to heat a food item to a desired target temperature, the user only needs to position a container for temperature measurement and enter the amount of food. In particular, the present invention is preferably adapted for heating of baby food, such as baby milk contained in a baby bottle, and in such case the target temperature is preferably preset to about 37&#xb0; C.

Microwave oven and method of operating a microwave oven

A microwave oven for use in cooking food having a door and door mounted controls and a cooling system where the door mounted controls are disclosed. The microwave oven having an external enclosure defining an outer cabinet and an oven cavity supported within the external enclosure where the oven cavity has a front access opening. The door is rotatably supported adjacent the external enclosure for selectively closing the access opening. A control unit is mounted within the door and a ventilation cooling path is formed within the door for cooling the control unit mounted with the door. A blower is supported within the external enclosure for directing an air flow toward the door and into the ventilation cooling path. The microwave can further include a housing which is supported within the door for enclosing the control unit and where the housing forms part of the ventilation cooling path. A baffle is disposed within the housing wherein the housing and the baffle direct the air flow initially upwardly and then downwardly to pass along the control unit.

Microwave oven having a door ventilation system

A method of operating a microwave oven to determine the correct cooking time for a food item placed within the oven. A food package having a thermochromic element which changes color over a predetermined temperature range is placed in the microwave oven. Microwave energy is supplied into the oven. The food package is rotated within the oven cavity and the color of the thermochromic element is monitored as it rotates past an opto-electronic device or detector capable of detecting the color changes of the thermochromic element such that a plurality of signal pulses are generated having a value corresponding to the color of the element. The supply of microwave energy into the oven is terminated when the rate of change between successive pulses decrease to a predetermined value.

Method of operating microwave oven and determining the cooking time

Method and microwave oven for controlled boiling of a foodpiece. The foodpiece is heated rapidly into reliable boiling by a supply of maximum microwave power, thereafter a desirable degree of boiling (H.sub.eb) is carried out during a predetermined boiling time (T.sub.b) while controlling the supplied microwave power level dependent on feed-back information (HUM) from a sensor. The boiling procedure is carried out fully automatically with consequently increased user security, decreased energy consumption and improved boiling quality.

Microwave food boiling controlled with sensors

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Norrkoping, Sweden

Per Torngren