Patent · US Expired

Automatic food type determining device for a heating apparatus

US5558797A · kind A · utility

33Cited by
8References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 25, 1993
Grant dateSep 24, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 25, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH05B6/6482
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A heating apparatus such as microwave ovens includes a heating chamber having a door, heaters for heating food contained in the heating chamber, a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature in the heating chamber to provide an output in accordance with the sensed temperature, a gas sensor sensing a volume of gas in the heating chamber to provide an output in accordance with the sensed gas volume, and a microcomputer-based control device. The control device sets a reference value in accordance with the output of the temperature sensor, the reference value being for determining the kind of the food. The control device further calculates a change rate of the gas volume on the basis of the output of the gas sensor. The control device then compares the change rate of the gas volume with the reference value to determine the kind of the food contained in the heating chamber.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.