Divider assembly for a microwave oven
A divider assembly is provided for dividing a cooking cavity of a microwave oven into two cooking subcavities. The divider assembly includes a first tempered glass panel, a metal frame extending around the periphery of the first tempered glass panel to support the first tempered glass panel, a honeycomb core positioned above the first tempered glass panel, a second tempered glass panel positioned above the honeycomb core, and a gasket extending around the periphery of the metal frame for engaging metal walls of the microwave oven, wherein the gasket includes small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes.
1. A divider assembly for dividing a cooking cavity of a microwave oven into two cooking subcavities, the divider assembly comprising:
a first tempered glass panel;
a metal frame extending around the periphery of the first tempered glass panel to support the first tempered glass panel;
a honeycomb core positioned above the first tempered glass panel;
a second tempered glass panel positioned above the honeycomb core; and
a gasket extending around the periphery of the metal frame for engaging metal walls of the microwave oven, wherein the gasket comprises small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes.
2. The divider assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gasket is electrically conductive so as to electrically couple the metal frame to the metal walls of the microwave oven.
3. The divider assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gasket comprises a high temperature silicon tube around which the small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes are formed.
4. The divider assembly of claim 1 , wherein the small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes are single-walled carbon nano-tubes.
5. The divider assembly of claim 1 , wherein the small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes are multi-walled carbon nano-tubes.
6. The divider assembly of claim 1 , wherein the small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes are formed from a hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms.
7. The divider assembly of claim 6 , wherein the hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms is capped by fullerene-like structures.
8. The divider assembly of claim 1 , and further comprising at least one foot extending downward from a surface of the metal frame for engaging at least one shelf ledge that extends from the inner walls of the microwave oven.
9. The divider assembly of claim 1 , and further comprising a tin-oxide coating on a surface of one of the first and second tempered glass panels.
10. The divider assembly of claim 9 , wherein the tin-oxide coating is disposed on a surface of the second tempered glass panel.
11. An electromagnetic cooking device comprising:
an enclosed cavity;
the divider assembly of claim 1 disposed within the enclosed cavity so as to divide the enclosed cavity into a first subcavity and a second subcavity;
at least one first microwave source for generating microwave energy within the first subcavity to cook food disposed therein; and
at least one second microwave source for generating microwave energy within the second subcavity to cook food disposed therein.
12. A microwave oven comprising:
an enclosed cavity;
a divider assembly disposed within the enclosed cavity so as to divide the enclosed cavity into a first subcavity and a second subcavity;
at least one first microwave source for generating microwave energy within the first subcavity to cook food disposed therein; and
at least one second microwave source for generating microwave energy within the second subcavity to cook food disposed therein,
wherein the divider assembly comprises:
a first tempered glass panel;
a metal frame extending around the periphery of the first tempered glass panel to support the first tempered glass panel;
a honeycomb core positioned above the first tempered glass panel;
a second tempered glass panel positioned above the honeycomb core; and
a gasket extending around the periphery of the metal frame for engaging metal walls of the microwave oven, wherein the gasket comprises small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes.
13. The microwave oven of claim 12 , wherein the gasket is electrically conductive so as to electrically couple the metal frame to the metal walls of the microwave oven.
14. The microwave oven of claim 12 , wherein the gasket comprises a high temperature silicon tube around which the small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes are formed.
15. The microwave oven of claim 12 , wherein the small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes are single-walled carbon nano-tubes.
16. The microwave oven of claim 12 , wherein the small-diameter, long-length carbon nano-tubes are multi-walled carbon nano-tubes.
17. The microwave oven of claim 12 , and further comprising at least one foot extending downward from a surface of the metal frame for engaging at least one shelf ledge that extends from the inner walls of the microwave oven.
18. The microwave oven of claim 12 , and further comprising a tin-oxide coating on a surface of one of the first and second tempered glass panels.
19. The microwave oven of any one of claim 18 , wherein the tin-oxide coating is disposed on a surface of the second tempered glass panel.
20. The microwave oven of claim 12 , wherein the at least one first microwave source includes two solid-state microwave sources and the at least one second microwave source includes two solid-state microwave sources.