The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 19, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 27, 2000
John D. Gidner, Dallas, TX (US);
Earl R. Winkelmann, Garland, TX (US);
Richard N. Caron, Needham, MA (US);
TurboChef Technologies, Inc., Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for supporting foodstuffs in a hybrid oven for cooking by hot air impingement and by microwave energy having a predetermined free-space wavelength, comprising a metal ring having a pre-determined diameter and six primary spoke members formed of a metal and rigidly secured to the ring in substantially equally spaced circumferential intervals. The apparatus also includes a metal annular ring mounted to the primary spoke members. An opening is formed at the center of the apparatus by the inner diameter of the metal annular ring. In addition, the apparatus also includes six secondary spoke members formed of a metal and rigidly secured to the ring in substantially equally spaced circumferential intervals midway between the points at which the primary spoke members are secured thereto to cooperate with the primary spoke members to support the foodstuffs. The six primary spoke members and six secondary spoke members project centrally inwardly on a common plane with the ring and each has a length which is approximately an integral multiple of one-half of the free space wavelength and which is less than one-half of the diameter of the ring. By setting the length of the spoke members to approximately an integral multiple of one-half of the free space wavelength, the apparatus minimizes the disruption of the microwave energy pattern in the hybrid oven. In a second embodiment, the apparatus is mounted in an aperture in a tray formed from a microwave transparent material.