The Procter Gamble Company

Thomas J Flautt

Clarence O Clark

Edward J Maguire, Jr

Eugene Weinshenker

David L Richardson

Donald T Speckman

Robert L DeAngelis

Erwin A Hofmann

Kenneth F Deffren

A microwave moderator for partially attenuating and/or modifying microwave energy to achieve, for instance, more uniform cooking of comestible articles in microwave ovens. Packages, bags, and wraps are disclosed which comprise such microwave moderators and which enable microwave cooking of frozen foods at relatively high microwave oven power levels without requiring precooking, defrosting or oven power level changes. Such a moderator may comprise an array of alternately disposed or spaced areas of microwave reflective material, and complemental-shape, substantially microwave transparent zones. One species of such moderators is exemplified by a wrap which comprises a perforate sheet of microwave reflective material; for instance, aluminum foil. In embodiments comprising such a perforate sheet, the perforate sheet is provided with a plurality of generally uniformly spaced apertures which are sufficiently large with respect to the wavelength of the microwave energy that a substantial portion of such microwave energy directed at said moderator will pass therethrough. The moderator may also include a sheet of microwave transparent, moisture barrier material such as thermoplastic film which is selectively foraminous or perforated to control the passage of vapor (for venting) and liquids (for draining) through the moderator. A dynamic, temperature responsive microwave moderator is also disclosed which will change from being relatively transparent to microwave energy or having a predetermined degree of microwave energy transmissibility to being substantially less transparent or substantially opaque to microwave energy or to having a substantially diminished degree of microwave energy transmissibility when heated to or above a predetermined temperature.

Microwave energy moderator

A dimensionally stable, temperature responsive microwave energy moderator. The moderator may comprise a sheet-like laminate having at least one lamina of microwave energy reflective material with at one aperture formed therein of such dimensions as to enable passage therethrough of a substantial portion of impinging microwave energy of a predetermined nominal frequency. At least one aperture-bridging microwave energy reflective member is provided together with means responsive to a predetermined temperature range to shift the aperture-bridging member from an inactive position to a position bridging the aperture, whereby to reduce the transmission of the microwave energy through the aperture. The moderator also has outer laminae of electrically insulative, microwave energy transmitting material with the microwave energy reflective lamina, the aperture-bridging means and the temperature responsive means located therebetween.

Dynamic microwave energy moderator

A vessel, reflective to microwave electromagnetic energy, having at least one aperture to permit passage of said microwave energy to its contents and a shielding device, responsive to a preselected internal temperature of the vessel contents, to close said at least one aperture to prevent further passage of said microwave energy to the vessel contents.

Vessel for use in a microwave oven

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Thomas J Flautt