Patent Application
20210410241
The present invention relates to a heating device that heats an object to be heated using an electromagnetic wave.
A heating device that heats an object to be heated using an electromagnetic wave has an advantage that the object to be heated can be heated in a short time, but also has a disadvantage that uneven heating occurs in the object to be heated. For example, in a heating device, since the inside of a heating chamber is an electrically closed space, due to the nature of an electromagnetic wave, a standing wave of a microwave (2.45 GHz) emitted into the heating chamber is generated, so that uneven heating occurs in an object to be heated.
As a conventional technique for solving this problem, for example, there is a heating device described in Patent Literature 1. In this heating device, an intensity distribution of a heating amount necessary for an object to be heated is detected, and an output of a microwave is controlled in accordance with the detected intensity distribution. In this technique, occurrence of uneven heating in the object to be heated is suppressed.
Patent Literature 1: JP 2018-060598A
The heating device described in Patent Literature 1 changes a heating intensity distribution in a heating chamber, but does not solve the problem of uneven heating caused by a standing wave of a microwave generated in the heating chamber. Therefore, there is still a problem that uneven heating due to a standing wave of a microwave in the heating chamber occurs.
The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and has an object to obtain a heating device capable of suppressing occurrence of uneven heating in an object to be heated.
A heating device according to the present invention includes a heating chamber in which an object to be heated is housed; a power generation unit generating microwave power; a power distribution unit distributing the microwave power generated by the power generation unit into a plurality of microwave powers; and a plurality of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged on at least one plane orthogonal to a reference line set in the heating chamber, the plurality of pairs of microwave radiation elements each including two microwave radiation elements being arranged on opposite sides with respect to an intersection point between the reference line and the at least one plane. The power distribution unit distributes the plurality of microwave powers to a plurality of microwave radiation elements included in the plurality of pairs of microwave radiation elements by setting a phase difference of an angle obtained by dividing 360° by the number of the plurality of the microwave radiation elements clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line.
According to the present invention, a plurality of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged on at least one plane orthogonal to a reference line set in the heating chamber, the pairs of microwave radiation elements each including two microwave radiation elements facing each other across an intersection point between the reference line and the plane are provided. The microwave power is distributed to a plurality of the microwave radiation elements constituting the plurality of pairs of microwave radiation elements by setting a phase difference of an angle obtained by dividing 360° by the number of a plurality of the microwave radiation elements clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line. For example, when there are two pairs of microwave radiation elements, a phase difference of 90° is set clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line, and the microwave powers are distributed to the four microwave radiation elements constituting these pairs. As a result, an electric field mode in which the electric field in the heating chamber rotates in time is obtained. As the electric field mode rotates, a wide range heating distribution is achieved for the object to be heated, so that uneven heating in the object to be heated can be suppressed.
The power generation device 41 is a power generation unit for generating microwave power. For example, the power generation device 41 is an oscillation unit for generating microwave power by being supplied with a voltage signal set to a microwave (2.45 GHz) frequency and oscillating. The power distribution circuit 42 is a power distribution unit for dividing the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 into a plurality of microwave powers, and distributing the microwave powers into a plurality of microwave radiation elements 21 at different phases (feeding phases).
In the heating device 1, each two of the plurality of microwave radiation elements 21 are set as one pair, and the heating chamber 11 is provided with a plurality of pairs. That is, when the number of pairs is represented by a natural number N equal to or greater than two, the heating device 1 includes 2N microwave radiation elements 21. The microwave radiation element 21 radiates (feeds) the microwave power distributed by the power distribution circuit 42 into the heating chamber 11.
As shown in
In the heating chamber 11, a reference line 10 is set. The reference line 10 is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11 and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10 shown in
The microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are arranged on the top face 11b side of the heating chamber 11. The microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c constitute a first pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12a. The microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d constitute a second pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12b.
The first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on the same plane (the plane on the top face 11b side) orthogonal to the reference line 10. The connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are line segments passing through an intersection point 10a where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses this plane.
Note that the connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a. In the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a. For example, as illustrated in
In the heating device 1, the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10a. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of an angle (360°/2N) obtained by dividing 360° by 2N, which is the total number of microwave radiation elements. Since N=2, that is, the heating device 1 has the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 90°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+270°.
In addition, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and the phase difference of 90° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the first pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°, and the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the second pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
As described above, in the heating device 1 according to the first embodiment, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10 on the plane on the top face 11b side of the rectangular parallelepiped heating chamber 11 with advancing the feeding phase with the phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, a composite electric field in the heating chamber 11 rotates at a frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. The rotation of microwaves in the heating chamber 11 is suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating of the object to be heated 31 is suppressed.
Similarly to the heating device 1, the reference line 10 is set in the heating chamber 11. The reference line 10 is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11 and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10 shown in
The microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are arranged on the bottom face 11a side of the heating chamber 11. In the heating device 1A, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c constitute a first pair of microwave radiation elements similarly to the heating device 1, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12a. The microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d constitute a second pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12b.
The first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on the same plane (the plane on the bottom face 11a side) orthogonal to the reference line 10. The connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are line segments passing through an intersection point 10a where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses this plane.
Note that the connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a. In the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a. For example, as illustrated in
In the heating device 1A, the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10a. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=2, that is, the heating device 1A has the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 90°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+270°.
Also in the heating device 1A, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and the phase difference of 90° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the first pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°, and the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the second pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
In the heating device 1A, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10 on the plane on the bottom face 11a side of the heating chamber 11 with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11 rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. Rotation of the microwave in the heating chamber 11 is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
In the heating device 1B, a reference line 10A is set in the heating chamber 11. The reference line 10A is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11 and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10A illustrated in
As illustrated in
The first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on the same plane (plane on the back face side) orthogonal to the reference line 10A. The connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are line segments passing through an intersection point 10Aa where the reference line 10A is orthogonal to this plane.
Note that the connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10Aa. In the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10Aa. For example, as illustrated in
In the heating device 1B, the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10Aa. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10A.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10A. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=2, that is, the heating device 1B has the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 90°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10A. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10A. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+270°.
Also in the heating device 1B, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10A, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and the phase difference of 90° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the first pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°, and the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the second pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
In the heating device 1B, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10A on the plane on the side face 11c side (back face side) of the heating chamber 11 with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11 rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. Rotation of the microwave in the heating chamber 11 is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
In the heating device 1C, the reference line 10 is set in the heating chamber 11. The reference line 10 is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11 and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10 shown in
As illustrated in
The first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on mutually different planes (a plane on the bottom face 11a side and a plane on the top face 11b side) orthogonal to the reference line 10. The connection line 12a is a line segment passing through an intersection point 10a-1 where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses the plane on the top face 11b side, and the connection line 12b is a line segment passing through an intersection point 10a-2 where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses the plane on the bottom face 11a side. Note that the connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a-1. In the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a-2. For example, as illustrated in
Further, in the heating device 1C, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10a-1, and the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10a-2. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=2, that is, the heating device 1C has the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 90°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+270°.
Also in the heating device 1C, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and a phase difference of 90° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the first pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°, and the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the second pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
In the heating device 1C, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d individually arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10 on two planes on the bottom face 11a side and the top face 11b side of the heating chamber 11 with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11 rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. Rotation of the microwave in the heating chamber 11 is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
Note that, while
In the heating device 1D, a reference line 10A is set in the heating chamber 11. The reference line 10A is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11 and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10A illustrated in
As illustrated in
The first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on the same plane (the plane between the front face and the back face) orthogonal to the reference line 10A. The connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are line segments passing through an intersection point 10Aa where the reference line 10A is orthogonal to this plane.
Note that the connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10Ab, and in the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10Ab. For example, as illustrated in
Further, in the heating device 1D, the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10Ab. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10A.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10A. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=2, that is, the heating device 1D has the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 90°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10A. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10A. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+270°.
Also in the heating device 1D, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10A, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and the phase difference of 90° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10A, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the first pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°, and the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the second pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
In the heating device 1D, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10A on the plane between the front face and the back face of the heating chamber 11 with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11 rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. Rotation of the microwave in the heating chamber 11 is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
In the heating device 1E, a reference line 10 is set in the heating chamber 11. The reference line 10 is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11 and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10 shown in
As illustrated in
The first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on the same plane (the plane between the bottom face 11a and the top face 11b) orthogonal to the reference line 10. This plane is, for example, a plane passing through an intermediate position of the height from the bottom face 11a to the top face 11b.
The connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are line segments passing through the intersection point 10b where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses this plane. Note that the connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10b, and in the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10b. For example, as illustrated in
Further, in the heating device 1E, the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10b. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are rotationally symmetric around the reference line 10.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=2, that is, the heating device 1E has the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 90°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+270°.
Also in the heating device 1E, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and the phase difference of 90° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the first pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°, and the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the second pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
In the heating device 1E, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10 on the plane between the bottom face 11a and the top face 11b of the heating chamber 11 with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11 rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. Rotation of the microwave in the heating chamber 11 is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
The heating chamber 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape having a bottom face 11a, a top face 11b, and side faces 11c, and a heating chamber door 11d is provided on one of the side faces 11c. The faces other than a side face on which the heating chamber door 11d is provided serve as electromagnetic wave shielding plates, and the heating chamber door 11d is provided with an electromagnetic wave shielding structure, so that microwaves are confined inside the heating chamber 11. In the heating chamber 11, in addition to the bottom face 11a and the top face 11b, the side face 11c on which the heating chamber door 11d is provided is referred to as a front face, the side face 11c opposite to the front face is referred to as a back face, the side face 11c on the left side of the front face is referred to as a left side face 11c, and the side face 11c on the right side of the front face is referred to as a right side face 11c.
In the heating chamber 11, a reference line 10 is set. The reference line 10 is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11 and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10 shown in
The microwave radiation elements 21a to 21f are arranged on the top face 11b side of the heating chamber 11. The microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21d constitute a first pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12a. The microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21e constitute a second pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12b. Further, the microwave radiation element 21c and the microwave radiation element 21f constitute a third pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12c.
The first pair of microwave radiation elements, the second pair of microwave radiation elements, and the third pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on the same plane (the plane on the top face 11b side) orthogonal to the reference line 10. The connection line 12a, the connection line 12b, and the connection line 12c are line segments passing through an intersection point 10c where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses this plane. Note that the connection line 12a, the connection line 12b, and the connection line 12c are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10c. In the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21e are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10c. In the third pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21c and the microwave radiation element 21f are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10c.
In the heating device 1F, the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21f are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10c. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the second pair of microwave radiation elements, and the third pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21f clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=3, that is, the heating device 1F has the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the second pair of microwave radiation elements, and the third pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21f with a phase difference of 60°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 60° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+60°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+120°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+180°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21e is φ+240°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21f is φ+300°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 60° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21f is set to φ+60°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21e is set to φ+120°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+180°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+240°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+300°.
In addition, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21f with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and the phase difference of 60° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+60°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+120°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+180°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21e is φ+240°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21f is φ+300°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in each of the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the second pair of microwave radiation elements, and the third pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
As described above, in the heating device 1F according to the second embodiment, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21f arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10 on the plane on the top face 11b side of the heating chamber 11 with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11 rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. Rotation of the microwave in the heating chamber 11 is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
Note that, in the second embodiment, the configuration in which the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21f are arranged on the top face 11b side of the heating chamber 11 is shown with reference to
As shown in
In the heating chamber 11, a reference line 10 is set. The reference line 10 is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11 and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10 shown in
The microwave radiation elements 21a to 21h are arranged on the top face 11b side of the heating chamber 11. The microwave radiation elements 21a and 21e constitute a first pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12a. The microwave radiation elements 21b and 21f constitute a second pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12b. The microwave radiation elements 21c and 21g constitute a third pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12c. The microwave radiation elements 21d and 21h constitute a fourth pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12d.
The first pair of microwave radiation elements, the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the third pair of microwave radiation elements, and the fourth pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on the same plane (the plane on the top face 11b side) orthogonal to the reference line 10. The connection line 12a, the connection line 12b, the connection line 12c, and the connection line 12d are line segments passing through an intersection point 10c where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses this plane. Note that the connection line 12a, the connection line 12b, the connection line 12c, and the connection line 12d are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21e are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10c. In the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21f are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10c. In the third pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21c and the microwave radiation element 21g are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10c. In the fourth pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21d and the microwave radiation element 21h are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10c.
In the heating device 1G, the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21h are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10c. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the third pair of microwave radiation elements, and the fourth pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21h clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=4, that is, the heating device 1F has the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the third pair of microwave radiation elements, and the fourth pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21f with a phase difference of 45°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 45° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+45°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+135°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21e is φ+180°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21f is φ+225°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21g is φ+270°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21h is φ+315°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 45° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21h is set to φ+45°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21g is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21f is set to φ+135°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21e is set to φ+180°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+225°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+270°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+315°.
In addition, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21h with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and a phase difference of 45° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+45°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+135°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21e is φ+180°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21f is φ+225°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21g is φ+270°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21h is φ+315°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in each of the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the third pair of microwave radiation elements, and the fourth pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
As described above, in the heating device 1G according to the third embodiment, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21h arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10 on the plane on the top face 11b side of the heating chamber 11 with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11 rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. Rotation of the microwave in the heating chamber 11 is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
Note that in the third embodiment, the configuration in which the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21h are arranged on the top face 11b side of the heating chamber 11 is shown with reference to
As shown in
In the heating chamber 11A, a reference line 10 is set. The reference line 10 is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11A, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11A and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10 shown in
The microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are arranged on the top face 11b side of the heating chamber 11A. The microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c constitute a first pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12a. The microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d constitute a second pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12b.
The first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on the same plane (the plane on the top face 11b side) orthogonal to the reference line 10. The connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are line segments passing through an intersection point 10a where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses this plane.
Note that the connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are imaginary lines set to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a. In the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a.
In the heating device 1H, the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10a. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=2, that is, the heating device 1H has the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 90°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+270°.
In addition, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and the phase difference of 90° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the first pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°, and the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the second pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
As described above, in the heating device 1H according to the fourth embodiment, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10 on the plane on the top face 11b side of the cylindrical heating chamber 11A with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11A rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. Rotation of microwaves in the heating chamber 11A is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
Similarly to the heating device 1, the reference line 10 is set in the heating chamber 11A. The reference line 10 is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11A, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11A and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10 shown in
The microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are arranged on the bottom face 11a side of the heating chamber 11A. In the heating device 1A, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c constitute a first pair of microwave radiation elements similarly to the heating device 1, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12a. The microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d constitute a second pair of microwave radiation elements, and are associated with each other by a connection line 12b.
The first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on the same plane (the plane on the bottom face 11a side) orthogonal to the reference line 10. The connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are line segments passing through an intersection point 10a where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses this plane.
Note that the connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a. In the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a.
Further, in the heating device 1I, the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10a. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=2, that is, the heating device 1I has the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 90°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+270°.
Also in the heating device 1I, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of the microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and the phase difference of 90° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the first pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°, and the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the second pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
In the heating device 1I, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10 on the plane on the bottom face 11a side of the heating chamber 11A with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11A rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. The rotation of microwaves in the heating chamber 11A is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, so that occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
Similarly to the heating device 1H and the heating device 1I, the reference line 10 is set in the heating chamber 11A. The reference line 10 is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11A, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11A and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10 shown in
As illustrated in
The first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on the same plane (the plane between the bottom face 11a and the top face 11b) orthogonal to the reference line 10. This plane is, for example, a plane passing through an intermediate position of the height from the bottom face 11a to the top face 11b.
The connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are line segments passing through the intersection point 10b where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses this plane. Note that the connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10b, and in the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10b.
Further, in the heating device 1J, the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10b. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are rotationally symmetric around the reference line 10.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=2, that is, the heating device 1J has the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 90°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+270°.
Also in the heating device 1J, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of the microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and the phase difference of 90° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the first pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°, and the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the second pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
In the heating device 1J, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10 on the plane between the bottom face 11a and the top face 11b of the heating chamber 11A with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11A rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. Rotation of the microwave in the heating chamber 11A is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
In the heating device 1K, a reference line 10 is set in the heating chamber 11A. The reference line 10 is an imaginary line serving as a reference for determining positions of pairs of microwave radiation elements arranged in the heating chamber 11A, and can be set at various positions in the heating chamber 11A and can be set in various line shapes. The reference line 10 shown in
As illustrated in
The first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on mutually different planes (a plane on the bottom face 11a side and a plane on the top face 11b side) orthogonal to the reference line 10. The connection line 12a is a line segment passing through an intersection point 10a-1 where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses the plane on the top face 11b side, and the connection line 12b is a line segment passing through an intersection point 10a-2 where the reference line 10 orthogonally crosses the plane on the bottom face 11a side. Note that the connection line 12a and the connection line 12b are imaginary lines drawn to specify respective pairs of microwave radiation elements described in the drawings, and are not lines shown on a real object.
In the first pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a-1. In the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are arranged on the opposite sides with respect to the intersection point 10a-2.
Further, in the heating device 1K, the microwave radiation element 21a and the microwave radiation element 21c are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10a-1, and the microwave radiation element 21b and the microwave radiation element 21d are respectively arranged at positions equidistant from the intersection point 10a-2. In this case, the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10.
The power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power generated by the power generation device 41 to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power with a phase difference of 360°/2N. Since N=2, that is, the heating device 1K has the first pair of microwave radiation elements and the second pair of microwave radiation elements, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 90°.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10. At this time, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°.
Similarly, the power distribution circuit 42 may distribute the microwave power by setting the phase difference of 90° to the feeding phase of the microwave power clockwise in turn around the reference line 10. For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is set to φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is set to φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is set to φ+270°.
Also in the heating device 1K, by distributing the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the microwave powers are distributed with a phase difference of 180° with each other to the two microwave radiation elements constituting each pair of the microwave radiation elements.
For example, when the feeding phase of the microwave power to the microwave radiation element 21a is φ, and a phase difference of 90° is set to the feeding phase of the microwave power counterclockwise in turn around the reference line 10, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21b is φ+90°, the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21c is φ+180°, and the feeding phase to the microwave radiation element 21d is φ+270°. At this time, the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the first pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°, and the phase difference between the microwave radiation elements in the second pair of microwave radiation elements is 180°.
In the heating device 1K, the power distribution circuit 42 distributes the microwave powers to the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d individually arranged rotationally symmetrically around the reference line 10 on two planes on the bottom face 11a side and the top face 11b side of the heating chamber 11A with advancing the feeding phase with a phase difference of 360°/2N clockwise or counterclockwise. As a result, the composite electric field in the heating chamber 11A rotates at the frequency of the microwave generated by the power generation device 41. Rotation of microwaves in the heating chamber 11A is an electric field mode suitable for heating the object to be heated 31 in a wide range, and occurrence of uneven heating is suppressed.
In the fourth embodiment, the reference line 10 that is a vertical line passing through the center of the arrangement space for the object to be heated 31 on the bottom face 11a is illustrated. However, in the heating device according to the fourth embodiment, a straight line connecting side faces of the cylindrical heating chamber 11A can be used as the reference line. The reference line is, for example, a line segment corresponding to the diameter of the bottom face 11a or the top face 11b, or a line segment parallel to the diameter of the bottom face 11a or the top face 11b.
Note that, in the above, the configuration in which the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are arranged in the heating chamber 11A is shown, however, no limitation is intended thereto. For example, the heating device according to the fourth embodiment also includes a configuration in which the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are replaced with the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21f described in the second embodiment, and also includes a configuration in which the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21d are replaced with the microwave radiation elements 21a to 21h described in the third embodiment. In addition, when the third modification of the heating device according to the fourth embodiment includes three or more pairs of microwave radiation elements, the pair of microwave radiation elements are arranged on each of the three or more planes to which the reference line 10 crosses orthogonally.
Here, a detailed configuration of the microwave radiation element 21 described in the first to fourth embodiments will be described.
On the other hand, the short-circuit pin 24 is connected to the microwave radiation element pattern 22. Since the heating chamber 11 or the heating chamber 11A is connected to the short-circuit pin 24 as a ground, the microwave radiation element 21 is an element short-circuited to the heating chamber 11 or the heating chamber 11A as a result. By thus short-circuiting the microwave radiation element 21 with the heating chamber 11 or the heating chamber 11A, heat generated by the microwave radiation element receiving high power can be released to the heating chamber 11 or the heating chamber 11A as a housing.
In the above description, the case where the number of microwave radiation elements is 2N (N is a natural number equal to or greater than two) is shown, but any other number of elements can be applied to the configurations described in the first to fourth embodiments.
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and within the scope of the present invention, free combination of each of the embodiments, modification of any constituent element of each of the embodiments, or omission of any constituent element of each of the embodiments can be made.
The heating device according to the present invention can suppress occurrence of uneven heating of an object to be heated, and thus can be used for various heating devices that radiate microwaves to perform heating.
1, 1A to 1K: heating device, 10, 10A: reference line, 10Aa, 10Ab, 10a, 10a-1, 10a-2, 10b, 10c: intersection point, 11, 11A: heating chamber, 11a: bottom face, 11b: top face, 11c: side face, 11d: heating chamber door, 12a to 12d: connection line, 21, 21a to 21h: microwave radiation element, 22: microwave radiation element pattern, 23: feeding pin, 24: short-circuit pin, 31: object to be heated, 41: power generation device, 42: power distribution circuit.
This application is a Continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/JP2019/015990, filed on Apr. 12, 2019, which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2019/015990 | Apr 2019 | US |
| Child | 17468788 | US |
