Claims
- 1. A device for heating the edge of a material, the device comprising:a segment having a first conductive surface and a second conductive surface, the segment having a first end and a second end, the segment comprising an opening for an edge of a material; a source capable of generating an electromagnetic wave that propagates in a direction from the first end to the second end, the electromagnetic wave creating an electric field between the two conducting surfaces; means for passing the edge of the material from the first end of the segment to the second end of the segment inside the segment and the middle of the material from the first end of the segment to the second end of the segment outside the segment; a second segment having a first conductive surface, a second conductive surface, a first end, and a second end, the segment comprising an opening for a second edge of the material; the means for passing configured to pass the first edge of the material from the first end of the first segment to the second end of the first segment inside the first segment, the second edge of the material from the first end of the second segment to the second end of the second segment inside the second segment, and the middle of the material from the first end of both segments to the second end of both segments outside both segments.
- 2. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the conductive surfaces are opposite sides of a rectangular waveguide.
- 3. A device as described in claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic wave is in TE10 mode.
- 4. A device as described in claim 2, wherein the edges pass through a region that is a more off-peak region of the electric field at the first end than at the second end.
- 5. A device as described in claim 2, wherein the edges travel along a diagonal path from the first end to the second end.
- 6. A device as described in claim 5, wherein the angle of the diagonal path is adjusted according to the lossiness of the material to be heated.
- 7. A device as described in claim 2, wherein the edges pass through a more off-peak region to a less off-peak region to a more off-peak region.
- 8. A device as described in claim 1, the segment comprising small openings for vapor removal and/or pressurized air.
- 9. A device as described in claim 1, the device further comprising a smooth bend, the smooth bend connecting the source to at least one of the segments.
- 10. A device as described in claim 1, the device further comprising a E-plane bend, the E-plane bend connecting the source to at least one of the segments.
- 11. A device as described in claim 10, the opening through the E-plane bend.
- 12. A device as described in claim 1, the device further comprising:a third segment, the third segment connected to the first segment by a curved segment; a short, the short operable to create a standing wave in the first segment and the third segment, the standing wave comprising a plurality of peaks and valleys; and a movable surface, the movable surface operable to push and pull the plurality of peaks and valleys to achieve more uniform heating of the material.
- 13. A device as described in claim 1, the segment having a cutoff frequency, the source sweeping a frequency of the electromagnetic wave between the cutoff frequency and double the cutoff frequency.
- 14. A device as described in claim 1, the device further comprising:a rectangular choke flange, the rectangular choke flange extending outward from an opening at the first end of the segment.
- 15. A device as described in claim 1, the device further comprising:a third segment having a first conductive surface, a second conductive surface, a first end, and a second end; and a curved segment, the curved segment connecting the second end of the first segment to the first end of the third segment, the edge passing through the first segment from the first end of the first segment to the second end of the first segment and through the second segment from the first end of the second segment to the second end of the second segment.
- 16. A device as described in claim 15, the edge passing through a region that is more off-peak at the first end of the third segment than at the second end of the third segment.
- 17. A device as described in claim 15, the device further comprising a first opening at the second end of the first segment and a second opening at the first end of the third segment, the edge exiting the first opening and entering the second opening.
- 18. A device as described in claim 15, the edge passing through the first segment from the first end of the first segment to the second end of the first segment, through the curved segment, and through the third segment from the first end of the second segment to the second end of the second segment.
- 19. A device as described in claim 18, the device further comprising a roller, the edge passing around the roller as it passes through the curved segment.
- 20. A device for heating the edge of a material, the device comprising:a segment having a first conductive surface and a second conductive surface, the segment having a first end and a second end, the segment comprising an opening for an edge of a material; a source capable of generating an electromagnetic wave that propagates in a direction from the first end to the second end, the electromagnetic wave creating an electric field between the two conducting surfaces; means for passing the edge of the material from the first end of the segment to the second end of the segment inside the segment and the middle of the material from the first end of the segment to the second end of the segment outside the segment; the edge of the material passing through a region that is more off-peak at the first end of the segment than at the second end of the segment.
- 21. A device for heating the edge of a material, the device comprising:a segment having a first conductive surface and a second conductive surface, the segment having a first end and a second end, the segment comprising an opening for an edge of a material; a source capable of generating an electromagnetic wave that propagates in a direction from the first end to the second end, the electromagnetic wave creating an electric field between the two conducting surfaces; means for passing the edge of the material from the first end of the segment to the second end of the segment inside the segment and the middle of the material from the first end of the segment to the second end of the segment outside the segment; a second segment, the second segment connected to the first segment by a curved segment; a short, the short operable to create a standing wave in the first segment and the second segment, the standing wave comprising a plurality of peaks and valleys; and a movable surface, the movable surface operable to push and pull the plurality of peaks and valleys to achieve more uniform heating of the edge of the material.
- 22. A device for heating the edge of a material, the device comprising:a segment having a first conductive surface and a second conductive surface, the segment having a first end and a second end, the segment comprising an opening for an edge of a material; a source capable of generating an electromagnetic wave that propagates in a direction from the first end to the second end, the electromagnetic wave creating an electric field between the two conducting surfaces; means for passing the edge of the material from the first end of the segment to the second end of the segment inside the segment and the middle of the material from the first end of the segment to the second end of the segment outside the segment; the segment having a cutoff frequency, the source sweeping a frequency of the electromagnetic wave between the cutoff frequency and double the cutoff frequency.
- 23. A device for heating the edge of a material, the device comprising;a segment having a first conductive surface and a second conductive surface, the segment having a first end and a second end, the segment comprising an opening for an edge of a material; a source capable of generating an electromagnetic wave that propagates in a direction from the first end to the second end, the electromagnetic wave creating an electric field between the two conducting surfaces; means for passing the edge of the material from the first end of the segment to the second end of the segment inside the segment and the middle of the material from the first end of the segment to the second end of the segment outside the segment; a second segment having a first conductive surface, a second conductive surface, a first end, and a second end; and a curved segment, the curved segment connecting the second end of the first segment to the first end of the second segment, the means for passing configured to pass the edge of the material from the first end of the first segment to the second end of the first segment inside the first segment and from the first end of the second segment to the second end of the second segment inside the second segment and the middle of the material from the first end of the first segment to the second end of the first segment outside the first segment and from the first end of the second segment to the second end of the second segment outside the second segment.
Parent Case Info
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/372,749, filed on Aug. 11, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No 6,246,037.
US Referenced Citations (36)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1-274381 |
Nov 1989 |
JP |
2-223186 |
Sep 1990 |
JP |
WO 9849870 |
Nov 1998 |
WO |