Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Kimiaki Yamaguchi

Isao Kasai

Shinichi Sakai

Susumu Murakami

Toyotsugu Hatagawa

Tatsuji Isono

A cooking heating apparatus has a vapor sensor for sensing the state of heating of food in a heating chamber, thus performing automatic control of the heating operation. An auxiliary exhaust opening for allowing vapor from the heated food to be introduced to the vapor sensor is formed in a region where the flow of the vapor is not influenced by a main flow of air supplied into the heating chamber and flowing towards a main exhaust opening. The vapor sensor is disposed so as to be exposed to the vapor introduced through the auxiliary exhaust opening. The condition of the vapor is therefore sensed quickly without being influenced by the main flow of air.

Oven with an exhaust opening for collecting vapors to control material

A door latch mechanism which may be advantageously used for a door of electrical equipment such as a microwave oven, comprising a latch member on the door, catch means to engage the latch member when the door is closed, and resilient biasing means to bias the catch means into a position engaging the latch member. The catch means is moved into and out of the position to engage the latch member by means of a leverage linkage and the movement of the catch member into and out of the position to engage the latch member is transmitted to electric switch means through the leverage linkage. The door is opened only after the switch means has been made open.

Growing community of inventors

Nabari, Japan

Tatsuji Isono