Granted Patent B2

US 8,158,913 · App. 11/789,898 · Granted Apr 17, 2012

Abstract

Claims (102)

1. A susceptor structure comprising:

a plurality of microwave energy transparent segments spaced apart within a layer of microwave energy interactive material, the layer of microwave energy interactive material comprising a susceptor that is operative for converting microwave energy to thermal energy, wherein the plurality of microwave energy transparent segments define interconnected resonant loops having a peripheral length configured to induce resonance of microwave energy along the interconnected resonant loops within the layer of microwave energy interactive material; and

a substantially cross-shaped microwave energy transparent element disposed within each loop of the interconnected resonant loops,

wherein the plurality of microwave energy transparent segments that define the interconnected resonant loops and the substantially cross-shaped microwave energy transparent element disposed within each loop of the interconnected resonant loops are circumscribed by the microwave energy interactive material.

2. The susceptor structure of claim 1 , wherein each loop of the interconnected resonant loops is substantially hexagonal in shape.

3. The susceptor structure of claim 1 , wherein the microwave energy transparent segments defining each loop of the interconnected resonant loops include side segments and corner segments.

4. The susceptor structure of claim 3 , wherein the side segments have a substantially rectangular shape.

5. The susceptor structure of claim 3 , wherein the side segments have a first dimension of about 2 mm.

6. The susceptor structure of claim 5 , wherein the side segments have a second dimension of about 0.5 mm.

7. The susceptor structure of claim 3 , wherein the corner segments have a substantially tri-star shape.

8. The susceptor structure of claim 1 , wherein the substantially cross-shaped microwave energy transparent element comprises a pair of orthogonally overlapping, substantially rectangular microwave energy transparent segments.

9. The susceptor structure of claim 8 , wherein the substantially rectangular microwave energy transparent segments of the substantially cross-shaped microwave energy transparent element each have a first dimension of about 2 mm and a second dimension of about 0.5 mm.

10. The susceptor structure of claim 1 , wherein the substantially cross-shaped microwave energy transparent element disposed within each loop of the interconnected resonant loops is substantially centered within the respective loop of the interconnected resonant loops.

11. The susceptor structure of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral length of each loop of the interconnected resonant loops is about 60 mm.

12. The susceptor structure of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral length of each loop of the interconnected resonant loops is approximately equal to one-half of an effective wavelength of microwaves in an operating microwave oven.

13. The susceptor structure of claim 1 , wherein at least some loops of the interconnected resonant loops have a substantially hexagonal shape dimensioned to promote resonance of microwave energy across the susceptor structure.

14. The susceptor structure of claim 1 , wherein

the microwave energy interactive material comprises aluminum,

the substantially cross-shaped microwave energy transparent element has a first overall dimension of about 2 mm and a second overall dimension of about 2 mm, and

the peripheral length of each loop of the interconnected resonant loops is about 60 mm.

15. The susceptor structure of claim 1 , wherein

each loop of the interconnected resonant loops has a substantially hexagonal shape,

the peripheral length of each loop of the plurality of interconnected resonant loops is about 60 mm,

the plurality of microwave energy transparent segments defining the interconnected resonant loops includes side segments and corner segments, the side segments each having a first dimension of about 2 mm and a second dimension of about 0.5 mm, and the corner segments each being substantially tri-star in shape, and

the substantially cross-shaped microwave energy transparent element disposed within each loop of the interconnected loops has a first overall dimension of about 2 mm and a second overall dimension of about 2 mm.

16. The susceptor structure of claim 1 , wherein each loop of the interconnected resonant loops has a plurality of sides, wherein each side has a length of about 10 mm.

17. A susceptor structure comprising:

a plurality of microwave energy transparent segments within a layer of microwave energy interactive material, the layer of microwave energy interactive material comprising a susceptor that is operative for converting microwave energy to thermal energy, wherein the plurality of microwave energy transparent segments are arranged as a pattern of interconnected hexagonal loops; and

a substantially cross-shaped microwave energy transparent element substantially centered within each hexagonal loop of the interconnected hexagonal loops.

18. The susceptor structure of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of microwave energy transparent segments includes segments that form sides of each hexagonal loop and segments that form corners of each hexagonal loop.

19. The susceptor structure of claim 18 , wherein

the segments that form sides of each hexagonal loop have a first dimension of about 2 mm and a second dimension of about 0.5 mm,

the segments that form corners of each hexagonal loop are substantially tri-star in shape,

the substantially cross-shaped microwave energy transparent element within each hexagonal loop has a first overall dimension of about 2 mm and a second overall dimension of about 2 mm, and

each hexagonal loop has a peripheral length of about 60 mm.

20. The susceptor structure of claim 17 , wherein each hexagonal loop of the interconnected hexagonal loops has a plurality of sides, wherein each side has a length of about 10 mm.

21. A susceptor structure comprising:

an electrically continuous layer of conductive material supported on a non-conductive substrate, the conductive material comprising a susceptor that is operative for converting microwave energy to thermal energy, wherein

the susceptor structure includes a repeating pattern of microwave energy transparent areas within the layer of conductive material, the microwave energy transparent areas being circumscribed by the conductive material,

the repeating pattern includes a plurality of cross-shaped microwave energy transparent elements and a plurality of microwave energy transparent, segmented hexagonal loops, each cross-shaped microwave energy transparent element being disposed within a respective one of the segmented hexagonal loops, and

at least some of the segmented hexagonal loops have a peripheral length configured to promote resonance of microwave energy across the susceptor structure.

22. The susceptor structure of claim 21 , wherein

the electrically continuous layer of conductive material comprises aluminum,

the non-conductive substrate comprises a polymer film,

the cross-shaped microwave energy transparent elements each have a first overall dimension of about 2 mm and a second overall dimension of about 2 mm, and

the peripheral length of at least some of the segmented hexagonal loops is about 60 mm.

23. The susceptor structure of claim 21 , wherein the segmented hexagonal loops each have a plurality of sides, wherein each side has a length of about 10 mm.

24. A susceptor structure comprising:

a susceptor supported on a non-conductive substrate, the susceptor being operative for converting microwave energy to thermal energy, wherein the susceptor circumscribes both

a plurality of microwave energy transparent areas that define interconnected resonant loops, each loop of the interconnected resonant loops having a peripheral length configured to induce resonance of microwave energy along the interconnected resonant loops within the susceptor, and

a pair of orthogonally overlapping, substantially rectangular microwave energy transparent segments within each loop of the interconnected resonant loops.

25. The susceptor structure of claim 24 , wherein the peripheral length of each loop of the interconnected resonant loops is about 60 mm.

26. The susceptor structure of claim 24 , wherein the interconnected resonant loops are dimensioned to promote resonance of microwave energy across the susceptor structure.

27. The susceptor structure of claim 24 , wherein each loop of the interconnected resonant loops is substantially hexagonal in shape.

28. The susceptor structure of claim 27 , wherein the microwave energy transparent areas that define each loop of the interconnected resonant loops include side areas and corner areas.

29. The susceptor structure of claim 28 , wherein the side areas have a substantially rectangular shape.

30. The susceptor structure of claim 28 , wherein the corner areas have a substantially tri-star shape.

31. The susceptor structure of claim 24 , wherein the peripheral length of each loop of the interconnected resonant loops is approximately equal to one-half of an effective wavelength of microwaves in an operating microwave oven.

32. The susceptor structure of claim 24 , wherein

each loop of the interconnected resonant loops has a substantially hexagonal shape,

the peripheral length of each loop of the interconnected resonant loops is about 60 mm, and

the microwave energy transparent areas defining each loop of the interconnected resonant loops include side areas and corner areas, the side areas each having a first dimension of about 2 mm and a second dimension of about 0.5 mm, and the corner areas each being substantially tri-star in shape.

33. The susceptor structure of claim 24 , wherein each loop of the interconnected resonant loops has a plurality of sides, wherein each side has a length of about 10 mm.

34. A susceptor structure comprising:

a layer of conductive material supported on a non-conductive substrate, the layer of conductive material circumscribing a plurality of microwave energy transparent areas that define a plurality of interconnected resonant loops and a plurality of substantially cross-shaped elements, the substantially cross-shaped elements each being disposed within a respective one of the interconnected resonant loops,

wherein

the plurality of microwave energy transparent areas that define the interconnected resonant loops include side areas and corner areas, the corner areas having a substantially tri-star shape,

the layer of conductive material comprises a susceptor that is operative for converting microwave energy to thermal energy, and

the interconnected resonant loops have a peripheral length configured to induce resonance along the interconnected resonant loops.

35. The susceptor structure of claim 34 , wherein each loop of the plurality of interconnected resonant loops is substantially hexagonal in shape.

36. The susceptor structure of claim 34 , wherein the peripheral length of each loop of the plurality of interconnected resonant loops is approximately equal to one-half of an effective wavelength of microwaves in an operating microwave oven.

37. The susceptor structure of claim 34 , wherein each loop of the plurality of interconnected resonant loops is dimensioned to promote resonance of microwave energy across the susceptor structure.

38. The susceptor structure of claim 34 , wherein the side areas have a substantially rectangular shape.

39. The susceptor structure of claim 34 , wherein the side areas each have a first dimension of about 2 mm and a second dimension of about 0.5 mm.

40. The susceptor structure of claim 34 , wherein each substantially cross-shaped element of the plurality of substantially cross-shaped elements is substantially centered within each loop of the plurality of interconnected resonant loops.

41. The susceptor structure of claim 34 , wherein each cross-shaped microwave element of the plurality of substantially cross-shaped elements has a first overall dimension of about 2 mm and a second overall dimension of about 2 mm.

42. The susceptor structure of claim 34 , wherein each loop of the plurality of interconnected resonant loops has a plurality of sides, wherein each side has a length of about 10 mm.

43. A susceptor structure comprising:

a layer of conductive material supported on a non-conductive substrate, the conductive layer including

a plurality of spaced apart microwave energy transparent segments that define a pattern of interconnected hexagonal loops, and

a substantially centrally located microwave energy transparent element within at least one of the loops.

44. The susceptor structure of claim 43 , wherein the plurality of spaced apart microwave energy transparent segments includes side segments and corner segments.

45. The susceptor structure of claim 44 , wherein the side segments have a substantially rectangular shape.

46. The susceptor structure of claim 44 , wherein the side segments have a first dimension of about 2 mm.

47. The susceptor structure of claim 46 , wherein the side segments have a second dimension of about 0.5 mm.

48. The susceptor structure of claim 44 , wherein the corner segments have a substantially tri-star shape.

49. The susceptor structure of claim 43 wherein the substantially centrally located microwave energy transparent element has a substantially cross shape.

50. The susceptor structure of claim 49 , wherein the substantially centrally located microwave energy transparent element comprises a pair of orthogonally overlapping, substantially rectangular microwave energy transparent segments.

51. The susceptor structure of claim 50 , wherein each substantially rectangular microwave energy transparent segments of the pair of orthogonally overlapping, substantially rectangular microwave energy transparent segments has a first dimension of about 2 mm and a second dimension of about 0.5 mm.

52. The susceptor structure of claim 43 , wherein the interconnected hexagonal loops have a peripheral length for promoting resonance of microwave energy along the interconnected hexagonal loops.

53. The susceptor structure of claim 43 , wherein the interconnected hexagonal loops have a peripheral length for promoting resonance of microwave energy across the susceptor structure.

54. The susceptor structure of claim 43 , wherein each loop of the interconnected hexagonal loops has a peripheral length approximately equal to one-half of an effective wavelength of an operating microwave oven.

55. The susceptor structure of claim 54 , wherein the peripheral length of at least some loops of the interconnected hexagonal loops is about 60 mm.

56. The susceptor structure of claim 54 , wherein

the conductive material comprises aluminum,

the substantially centrally located microwave energy transparent element has a first overall dimension of about 2 mm and a second overall dimension of about 2 mm, and

the peripheral length of at least some loops of the interconnected hexagonal loops is about 60 mm.

57. The susceptor structure of claim 43 , wherein

at least some loops of the interconnected hexagonal loops have a peripheral length of about 60 mm,

the microwave energy transparent segments that define the pattern of interconnected hexagonal loops include side segments and corner segments, the side segments each having a first dimension of about 2 mm and a second dimension of about 0.5 mm, the corner segments each being substantially tri-star in shape, and

the substantially centrally located microwave energy transparent element within the at least one of the loops has a first overall dimension of about 2 mm and a second overall dimension of about 2 mm.

58. The susceptor structure of claim 43 , wherein each loop of the interconnected hexagonal loops has a plurality of sides, wherein each side has a length of about 10 mm.

Assignments (10)