Patent Application
20220248510
The present disclosure relates to aircraft microwave ovens, and more particularly to stirrer assemblies within a microwave oven.
Microwave ovens can have a cavity plate upon which the food for cooking is placed. In some configurations, rather than set the food for cooking on a rotating plate, instead there can be a reflective stirrer blade in a cavity below the cavity plate. In aircraft, this cavity plate can present design challenges. For example, the cavity must be sealed but an aircraft microwave oven undergoes pressure changes as the cabin pressure changes during a flight. The sealing on the cavity plate can be compromised as cabin pressure changes. Other aircraft-related issues for the sealing of cavity plates include turbulence, which can displace the cavity plate and compromise the seal.
The conventional techniques have been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is an ever present need for improved systems and methods for improved ventilation within an aircraft microwave oven. This disclosure provides a solution for this need.
A stirrer shaft for a microwave oven includes a shaft body configured to connect between a stirrer motor on a first end of the shaft body, and a set of stirrer blades spaced apart from the stirrer motor. The stirrer body includes a flow passage therethrough for equalizing pressure in a sealed stirrer cavity of the microwave oven.
The flow passage can include an outlet at a second end of the stirrer motor opposite the first end. The outlet can open in an axial direction defined by an axis of rotation of the shaft body. The flow passage can also include at least one inlet spaced apart from the outlet. The at least one inlet can be closer to the second end than to the first end. Each of the at least one inlets can open in a radial direction relative to the axis of rotation.
A stirrer assembly for a microwave oven can include the stirrer shaft as described above, a stirrer motor connected to a first end of the shaft body, and a set of stirrer blades connected to the stirrer shaft and spaced apart from the stirrer motor.
A microwave oven can comprise a cooking compartment defined by a plurality of inward facing side walls, an inward facing top wall, and an inward facing bottom wall. The microwave can also include a microwave magnetron mounted within the microwave oven. The microwave can include a cavity plate assembly sealing off a stirrer cavity between the bottom wall and the cavity plate from a main portion of the cooking compartment. The microwave can further include a stirrer assembly as described above.
The stirrer shaft can extend from an area outside the stirrer cavity in fluid communication with ambient conditions, and into the stirrer cavity. The flow passage can place the stirrer cavity in fluid communication with ambient conditions. The stirrer motor can be positioned outside the stirrer cavity, while the stirrer blades and an outlet of the fluid passage are positioned inside the stirrer cavity.
These and other features of the systems and methods of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein:
Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an embodiment of a microwave oven in accordance with the disclosure is shown in
Referring to
As shown in
Referring to
The flow passage 162 can include an outlet 164 at a second end 166 of the stirrer motor opposite the first end 160. The outlet 164 can open in an axial direction defined by an axis of rotation R of the shaft body 136. The flow passage 162 can also include at least one inlet 168 spaced apart from the outlet 164. In embodiments, the at least one inlet 168 can be closer to the second end 166 than to the first end 160 of the shaft body 136. Each of the at least one inlets 168 can open in a radial direction relative to the axis of rotation. It should be appreciated that although the inlets 168 are called an “inlets” the outlet 164 is called “outlet” herein, this is with reference to flow going into the stirrer cavity 152 from ambient to equalize the pressure inside the stirrer cavity 152 when ambient pressure increases. However, when ambient pressure decreases, the flow will be reversed, and the inlet/outlet designations could be reversed, for example outlet 164 can become an inlet, while inlets 168 may become outlets. The same can be said for openings 174 and 176 described below.
In embodiments, the stirrer shaft 134 can extend from an area outside the cooking compartment 100 (e.g. below bottom wall 122) in fluid communication with ambient conditions through flow passage 162. The cover 172 can encase as least the first end 160 of the shaft body 136. As shown in
Conventionally, any pressure increase in the stirrer cavity 152 was handled by a failing seal around the cavity plate. However, it has been shown that air can leak out of the stirrer cavity 152 through the corners of a seal. However, improved sealing systems, such as cavity plate seal assembly 146 cause stirrer cavity 152 to become airtight, increasing the risk of cavity plate displacement. When the main portion 154 of the cooking compartment 200 is airtight from cavity plate seal assembly 146, increasing air pressure within the stirrer cavity 152 may displace the cavity plate 104. Increased air pressure can be caused by changing cabin pressure during flight, or temperature increase within the stirrer cavity 152 during cooking. If the cavity plate 104 becomes dislodged, fluids may leak into the stirrer cavity 152 causing equipment failure. The air pressure within the stirrer compartment 152 therefore needs to be ventilated, while the EM radiation from the magnetron 150 needs to be contained.
The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for improved ventilation within an aircraft microwave oven 100, so that air can flow through the stirrer shaft 134 while still containing the EM radiation. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure.
