HEAT GENERATING CONTAINER FOR MICROWAVE OVEN

Abstract: A heat generating container for use in a microwave oven, which includes a metallic main container (6), a metallic lid (7) to be detachably applied onto said metallic main container (6), and microwave absorbing heat generating film layers 8) formed on outer surface of the metallic main container (6) and metallic lid (7). The microwave absorbing heat generating film layers (8) are varied in thickness for uniform heat generation of the main container (6) and the lid (7).

Description: The present invention generally relates to a high frequency heating arrangement and more particularly, to a heat generating vessel or container for use in a high frequency heating apparatus one example of which is a microwave oven that generates heat through the projection of microwaves from a high frequency generating means such as a magnetron, to heat and/or bake an article. A microwave oven is a cooking apparatus arranged to guide microwaves emitted from a magnetron into the interior of an oven or heating chamber for irradiating an article to effect cooking by causing the article to generate heat itself. However, there are some articles that require cooking which are not suitable for direct heating by microwaves. These include those articles that require portions to be browned and those that are cooked after fermentation has been expedited by raising the temperature. In order to deal with the articles for cooking referred to above, a microwave oven has been proposed that is provided with a sheathed heater in the heating chamber. This makes it possible to subject the article for cooking to heat treatment through the utilization of a heat source such as a sheathed heater as well as the microwave source. In microwave ovens of the type described above, however, by employing two heat sources, i.e., the magnetron and the sheathed heater, not only are costs increased but the construction of the microwave oven is also made undesirably complicated. This has the consequence that the overall size of the apparatus increases. In order to overcome the various problems described above, a heat generating member has been recently developed that comprises a double layer plate, formed by laminating a heat generating substance (e.g., silicon carbide, ferrite or the like) and an inorganic heat insulating base material (e.g., glass ceramic or the like). The double layer plate generates heat when irradiated with microwaves. A heat generating member made of a silicon carbide group ceramic moulded plate has also been proposed. A microwave oven employing heat generating members of the types described above is capable of effecting heating both by dielectric heating and by heat radiation through irradiation with microwaves. Such a microwave oven is referred to as a multi-function microwave oven. Incidentally, due to the fact that so-called "home-bakeries" or household bread baking units have recently become popular, microwave ovens provided with a bread baking function have been studied and commercially produced. Although bread baking containers or hoppers (referred to as hoppers hereinafter) for use in the interior of an oven or heating chamber of a microwave oven are generally heated indirectly, the microwave oven is required to heat by convection in order for heat to be transferred efficiently to the hopper. This results not only an increase in cost but also an undesirable increase in power consumption due to the poor heating efficiency possible. To heat the bread baking containers directly, conventionally a microwave absorbing heat generating material is applied to an outer surface of the hopper. Such an arrangement is disclosed- in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Tokkaisho No. 58-52916. Another arrangement in which a ceramic or glass container is coated with a microwave absorbing heat generating material is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Tokkaisho No. 58-52917. In the US-A- 4 663 506 there is disclosed a microwave cake and bread maker having separated layers of ferrite for absorbing microwave energy. However, the known arrangements described above have problems such as uneven baking (or browning) due to uneven microwave distribution within the heating chamber causing a non-uniform temperature in the container. This may result in yeast for fermentation being undesirably killed during bread baking because microwaves are transmitted into the interior of the container. Another disadvantage inherent with the conventional arrangement is that, if the main container and the lid are made of metal, electric discharge takes place at the junction therebetween causing undesirable fusing. Meanwhile, in a conventional heating container for bakery, for example, one adapted to bake bread in a rectangular or square shape (so-called Pullman shape), an exclusive lid is provided for closing an upper opening of the heating container. During the kneading and fermentation processes of bread manufacture the lid is removed. However, during baking, the lid is mounted on the heating container to form the bread in a desired loaf shape. With bread baked in a known heating container of the above described type, the bread must be sliced into uniform slices by eye as there are no marks to guide slicing. The thickness accordingly tends to differ from slice to slice. It is an aim of the present invention to alleviate at least some of the problems of the aforementioned prior art. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a heat generating container for use in a microwave oven, comprising a metallic main container, a detachable metallic lid for said metallic main container, and a microwave absorbing heat generating layer formed on the outer surface of said metallic main container and the outer surface of said metallic lid, said microwave absorbing heat generating layer being of different thicknesses at respective sections of the container and lid to accommodate different amounts of microwaves received by the respective sections for uniform heat generation over said main container and said lid. A paint comprising 10 to 60% of resin which is heat-resistant to over 150°C (silicon, epoxy, urethane, polyester resin, etc.), ferrite powder, and a sealing material may be used to apply the microwave absorbing heat generating film layer, or a plasma spray coating or flame coating of ferrite and SiC may be used. The outer surface of the microwave absorbing heat generating film layer is further covered by a coat of microwave transmitting and heat-resistant paint (e.g., paint containing methylphenylsilicone resin, and ethylene tetrafluoride resin, polyether sulfone resin, polyphenyl sulfone resin or the like). In the present invention, the metallic main container and lid are heated directly by self-heat generation as a result of microwave irradiation and by the microwave absorbing heat generating film layer. This ensures high heating efficiency. A reduction in costs over ovens employing indirect heating may also be achieved due to the simple construction of the present invention. The main container and lid are made of metallic material which means they have good heat conduction properties which reduces uneven heating and advantageously prevents microwave penetration. The microwave transmitting and heat-resistant coating protects the microwave absorbing heat generating film layer, while improving the appearance of the product. By providing a heat-resistant insulative packing between the joining faces of the main container and the lid, undesirable electrical discharge that may be generated therebetween can be prevented. These and other objects and features of the present invention will become clear from the following description taken in conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic side sectional view showing a general construction of a bread baking container H1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section showing on an enlarged scale, the structure of the wall for the bread baking container of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a general construction of a microwave oven in which the bread baking container of Fig. 1 may be inserted; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a general appearance of a bread baking container H3 according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section showing construction of the bread baking container H3 of Fig. 4 ; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side sectional view showing construction of a heat generating container H4 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, especially illustrating the arrangement for fixing the lid by rotary levers on the container, and Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the heat generating container H4 of Fig. 6. Before the description of the present invention proceeds, it is to be noted that like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the accompanying drawings. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the general construction of a single function microwave oven which will take a heat generating container e.g. a bread baking container H1 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. The microwave oven includes a housing G which defines a heating chamber 4, a magnetron 1 for emitting microwave energy, a waveguide 2 for guiding microwave energy from the magnetron 1 into the heating chamber 4 through a waveguide cover 3 covering a feed opening 0 formed on a top wall of the heating chamber 4. The bread baking container H1 is mounted on a bottom plate 4a within the heating chamber 4. A kneading impeller m is rotatably provided at the bottom of the container H1 and driven by a driving means D (Fig. 1). As shown in Fig. 1, the bread baking container H1 includes a main container 6 and a lid 7 for the main container 6. Both the main container 6 and the lid 7 are made of a metallic material having good heat conductivity which shields the contents of the container from microwaves. Aluminium, aluminium alloy, stainless steel or the like are suitable materials. A hard film layer 8, of 100 to 300 microns in thickness is formed on the outer surfaces of the main container 6 and the lid 7 by coating with a microwave absorbing heat generating paint of thickness depending upon the strength of projected microwaves. For example, the paint is formed from a heat-resistant resin paint solution of silicone, epoxy or polyester group containing 40 to 90% (weight ratio) of an iron oxide group ferrite powder (particle size 1 to 10 µm) which efficiently absorbs microwaves. In the above embodiment, since the strength of microwave radiation incident on the upper surface of the lid 7 is twice that of the main container 6, the thickness ratio between the film on the main container 6 and the film on the lid 7 is set at 2:1. The container is formed when a raw metallic plate is subjected to drawing or a raw material is molded by die casting. Its surface is therefore inferior for the close adhesion of a coat of paint. The surface is, therefore, primed with a thin layer of heat-resistant paint several microns to several tens of microns thick after the surface has been roughened through sand-blasting, or finished with an uneven plasma spray coating of alumina, titania, or the like that reveals the base. A coat of resin paint containing ferrite is formed over the surface treated in one of the manners described above to form a hard film layer 8 as shown in Fig. 2. For a main container 6 and lid 7 for use in a single function microwave oven having only a microwave source (i.e. without a heater), and having a means to ensure uniform heating by microwave irradiation by, for example, a turntable, stirrer fan or the like, it is preferable that the material of the container 6 and lid 7 has a heat conductivity equal to or higher than aluminium. By way of example, if the main container 6 and lid 7 is formed from aluminium when the risen bread is baked, especially in a temperature range of 150 to 200°C, the bread looks delicious with uniform browning over its entire surface. If, however, stainless steel SUS 304 is used for the container and lid the bread is not sufficiently browned during baking to be tasty. This is because stainless steel has a lower heat conductivity than aluminium and also that it generates heat in itself through the absorbtion of microwaves, as it is a non-magnetic material of the austenite group. However, if the main container 6 and the lid 7 are formed of stainless steel SUS 430, although the heat conductivity is less than that of aluminium as described above it does possess some magnetic characteristics and therefore generates heat to a certain extent through microwave absorption. if microwave absorbing ferrite paint is used to finish a SUS 430 stainless steel container and lid in a manner similar to that described above, the heat generation of the ferrite coating acts synergistically with the heat generation due to microwave absorption of the raw material. This reduces the effect of its poor heat conductivity, causing temperature rises greater than those experienced with an aluminium container and results in excessive browning of the bread. As no microwave stirring devices such as a turntable, or stirrer fan etc. are employed, microwave irradiation is not uniform over the entire container. Furthermore, because stainless steel SUS 430 has a heat conductivity similar to that of SUS 304, a container made from SUS 430 is subjected to local heating, resulting in uneven browning of the surface of baked bread. Even in single function microwave ovens, with a turntable and/or a stirrer fan, stainless steel having the magnetic characteristics of SUS 430 can be employed. This is because it is capable of effecting uniform browning through heating even though its heat conductivity is no higher than that of aluminium. However, with respect to stainless steel SUS 304 and plated steel plate such as aluminium plated steel plate, etc., it is difficult to deal with the problem of browning by the application of a ferrite paint. Accordingly, it becomes necessary to adopt a polymerization design by a cast item having a microwave absorbing heat generating power or ceramic SiC moulded item and a heat insulating construction for preventing the dissipation of heat from the container. The inner surfaces of the main container 6 and the lid 7 are subjected to a parting treatment of a fluorine coating by the ethylene tetrafluouride resin which is a known non-adhesive coating film or coating by silicon resin, PPS, and PES, etc. It is needless to say that an electromagnetic wave sealing treatment is required at the junction between the lid 7 and the main container 6 in order to prevent generation of sparks by the microwaves, and to protect the yeast against being killed by the microwaves transmitted to the interior of the container 6 (for this purpose, conventional sealing technique may be adopted). Since the coating film layer 8 containing 40 to 90% of ferrite is brittle it is possible that such coating film layer 8 will be detached due to the formation of cracks by powder-like separation on the surface, or by deformation, the main container 6 and the lid 7 should accordingly be moulded items (press work, die-cast or casting) having a thickness sufficient that they are not deformed by external forces, e.g., in the range of about 1.5 to 5mm. Moreover, to improve close adhesion of the coating film layer 8, the metallic surfaces of the container 6 and the lid 7 are subjected to surface roughening by degreasing, acid or alkali treatment, sand-blasting, etc., or by ground finishing such as by formation treatment by chromating, anodic oxidation by alumite, etc. Furthermore, a heat-resistant primer treatment for still better adhesion may be applied. For example the primer may be applied by coating with a methylphenylsilicone resin paint containing aluminium powder of thickness less than 10 microns, or by forming a rough surface by uniformly dispersing a ceramic flame spraying of alumina over a surface previously subjected to sandblasting. otherwise, in addition to the primary treatment and ceramic flame spraying, a methylphenylsilicone resin paint containing Fe group ferrite particles 50 to 90% by weight effective to shield electromagnetic waves from a microwave oven is applied to the treated surface. The resin paint is applied generally over the entire surface with a thickness in the range of 100 to 500 microns. This is subsequently baked at a temperature of 280°C for 30 minutes, thereby forming a strong film bonded by silicone resin. In addition, where necessary a layer of methylphenylsilicone resin, ethylene tetrafluouride resin, polyether sulfone resin, or grey colour of polyphenyl sulfone resin paint (a paint film which allows microwaves to be transmitted therethrough) may be applied as a top coat for maintaining resistance to soiling, close adhesion and to provide a tough film layer. The layer is applied with a thickness of about 20 to 100 microns. This allows impacts with the exposed surfaces, contamination by water or food articles, or deterioration by entry of such water or food articles to be prevented for long periods. In the coating method, it may also be possible to process ferrite or SiC as it is into a layer with a thickness in the range of 100 to 500 microns. This may be achieved by plasma flame spraying in an inert atmosphere without employment of a resin for an organic binder. Furthermore, for materials in which the microwave absorbing heat generating material is mixed with glass frit or other ceramic material such as Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 or the like that do not transmit microwaves, besides ferrite and SiC, in the range of 40 to 90% in concentration, materials containing a proper concentration of microwave absorbing heat generating material may be used to form plasma flame spraying films on the outer surface of the main container and the lid. In such flame spraying films, as the microwave absorbing heat generating material is melted into the base metal to ensure close adhesion, problems related to film separation, impacts and durability may be remarkably reduced. By using the heat generating container according to the first embodiment as described so far, bread baking can be carried out in a single function microwave oven with a power source of AC 60 cycles and an output of 500 W, by effecting ON-OFF electronic control of microwaves in a known manner. It was found that a coating of 80% ferrite containing silicone resin to provide film layer 8 having a thickness of 400 microns was the most suitable for the main container 6. It was also found that a coating of 60% ferrite containing silicone resin to provide a film layer 8 of thickness 200 microns was most suitable for the lid 7. A silicone resin paint with a thickness in the range of 20 to 100 microns in enamel colour 8′ (Fig. 2) containing ethylene tetrafluoride resin powder was the most durable for single units of the main container 6 and the lid 7. Meanwhile, die-cast aluminium subjected to plasma flame spraying 9 through a porous dispersion of alumina after sand-blasting was favoured as the metallic base. In the first embodiment of the present invention as described above, a heat generating container for a microwave oven superior in heating efficiency, and reduced heating irregularity can be provided at low cost, while said container may be used as a decorative component. Reference is further made to Figs. 4 and 5 showing a bread baking container H3 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which may be placed in the microwave oven described earlier with reference to Fig. 3. In Figs. 4 and 5, the bread baking container H3 generally includes a main container 26, a lid 27 for closing the main container 26, and insulating packing 29 of silicone material disposed therebetween. Both the main container 26 and the lid 27 are made of a metallic material which can shield microwaves, and is a good conductor of heat, e.g., aluminium, aluminium alloy, stainless steel or the like. Hard microwave absorbing heat generating film layers 28, each of 100 to 300 microns in thickness are provided over the outer surfaces of the main container 26 and the lid 27. The layers 28 are formed by coating the container and lid with a microwave absorbing heat generating paint [e.g., a heat-resistant resin paint solution of silicone, epoxy or polyester group containing 40 to 90% (weight ratio) of iron oxide group ferrite powder (particle sizes in 1 to 10µm) which efficiently absorbs microwaves]. Regarding the treatment of the base of the container H3 for the coating, as the surface is obtained when a raw metallic plate is subjected to drawing or a raw material is moulded by die-casting, it is inferior for close adhesion of the painted coating. The surface is, therefore, subjected to primer treatment of a thin layer of a heat-resistant paint several to several tens of microns thick after the surface has been roughened by sand-blasting, or finished with a plasma spray coating of alumina, titania, or the like so as to undulate the surface so that the base is in a similar state to that of the container H1 in the first embodiment described earlier. The treated surface is then covered in the resin paint containing ferrite, thereby forming a hard film layer 28 as shown in Fig. 5. For a single function microwave oven providing only microwave irradiation (without. any heater), and not having a turntable stirrer fan or the like to ensure uniform microwave irradiation, the main container 26 and lid 27 should preferably be formed by a material having heat conductivity equal to or higher than aluminium. By way of example, when aluminium is used for the main container 26 and lid 27, and bread ingredients are placed into the container H3, mixed, kneaded, fermented, and baked, especially at a temperature range of 150 to 200°C, the baked loaf is uniformly browned over its entire surface and looks delicious. On the other hand, when stainless steel of SUS 304 is employed, browning is too light to be tasty, as stainless steel has inferior heat conductivity to aluminium and does not generate heat within itself through absorption of microwaves, as it is a non-magnetic material of austenite group. This was further discussed in relation to the first embodiment of Fig. 1. When the main container 26 and the lid 27 are formed of stainless steel of SUS 430, they consequently are inferior in heat conductivity relative to the main container and lid of aluminium described above. However, even SUS 430 stainless steel enjoys microwave absorbing heat generation to a certain extent owing to its possession of magnetic characteristics. Therefore, if a microwave absorbing ferrite paint is used to finish the container as described above, heat generation in the ferrite coating acts synergistically in combination with the microwave absorbing heat generation of the raw material by covering up its poor heat conductivity. If such a container is used the loaf produced is scorched as the temperature rises to a level higher than that in the case of the aluminium container. In addition, since no microwave stirring devices such as a turntable, stirrer fan, etc. are employed, microwave irradiation within the container is not uniform. Furthermore, as stainless steel SUS 430 has a poor heat conductivity similar to SUS 304, a container formed from stainless steel SUS 430 is prone to local heating, resulting in uneven browning on the surface of the baked bread. Containers formed from stainless steel having the magnetic characteristics of SUS 430 may, however, be employed in single function microwave ovens, provided with a turntable and/or a stirrer fan. This is because browning is even, as heating is uniform even though the heat conductivity is no higher than that of aluminium. However, with respect to stainless steel SUS 304 and plated steel plate such as aluminium plated steel plate, etc., problems of uneven browning are difficult to overcome by the application of ferrite paint. Accordingly, it becomes necessary to adopt a polymerization design by providing a cast item having a microwave absorbing heat generating power or ceramic SiC moulded item and a heat insulating construction to prevent dissipation of heat from the container. The inner surfaces of the main container 26 and the lid 27 are subjected finally to treatment with a fluorine coating of ethylene tetrafluoride resin which is a known non-adhesive coating film, or with a silicon resin coating, PPS, and PES, etc. An electromagnetic wave sealing treatment is required at the junction between the lid 27 and the main container 26 in order to prevent spark generation by the microwaves, and to protect the yeast against being killed by microwaves transmitted to the interior of the container 26. Conventional sealing techniques may be adopted to seal the junction. As the coating film layer 8 containing 40 to 90% of ferrite is brittle and it is possible that the coating film layer 28 could be detached due to the formation of cracks in the surface by powder-like separation on the surface or deformation the main container 26 and the lid 27 should be moulded items (press work, die-casting or casting) having a thickness that cannot be deformed by external forces. For example, they may have a thickness in the range of about 1.5 to 5mm. Moreover, to improve close adhesion of the coating film layer 28, the metallic surfaces of the container 26 and the lid 27 are roughened by degreasing, acid or alkali treatment, sand-blasting, etc., or ground finished by methods such as, formation treatment by chromating, anodic oxidation by alumite, etc. Furthermore, heat-resistant primer treatment for still better adhesion may be effected. For example, by coating with a layer less than ten microns thick of methylphenylsilicone resin paint containing aluminium powder or by roughening the surface uniformly dispersing alumina over a surface subjected to sandblasting by ceramic flame spraying. Otherwise, a layer 100 to 500 microns thick of methyphenylsilicone resin paint containing about 50 to 90% (weight ratio) of Fe group ferrite particles effective for shielding electromagnetic waves of a microwave oven is applied over the entire surface of the surface treated in the abovementioned manner in addition to the primary treatment and ceramic flame spraying. The container is subsequently baked at a temperature of 280°C for 30 minutes, to form a strong film bonded by silicone resin. Moreover, if required, A 20 to 100 micron layer of methylphenylsilicone resin, ethylene tetrafluoride resin, polyether sulfone resin, or grey colour of polyphenyl sulfone resin paint (paint film which allows microwaves to be transmitted therethrough) may be applied as a top coat to maintain soiling-resistance, close adhesion and a tough film layer. Such a coating allows damage caused by impacts on the exposed surfaces, contamination by water or food articles, or deterioration by entry of such water or food articles to be prevented for long periods. A ferrite or SiC may be included in the coating layer with a thickness in the range of 100 to 500 microns by plasma flame spraying in an inert atmosphere without the employment of a resin as an organic binder. Furthermore, for materials in which the microwave absorbing heat generating material is mixed with glass frit or other ceramic material such as Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 or the like that do not transmit microwaves, besides ferrite and SiC, in the range of 40 to 90% in concentration, the material containing a proper concentration of microwave absorbing heat generating material may be used to form plasma flame spraying films on the outer surfaces of the main container and the lid. In such flame spraying films, as the microwave absorbing heat generating material is melted into the base metal to ensure close adhesion to one another, problems related to film separation, impacts and durability may be remarkably reduced. Through use of a heat generating container according to the embodiment described above, bread baking can be carried out in a single function microwave oven with a power source of AC 60 cycles and an output of 500 W, by effecting ON-OFF electronic control of microwaves in a known manner. It was found that a coating of 80% ferrite containing silicone resin to provide film layer 28 having a thickness of 300 microns was the most suitable for the main container 26. It was also found that a coating of 60% ferrite containing silicone resin to provide a film layer 28 of thickness 300 microns was most suitable for the lid 27. A silicone resin paint with a thickness in the range of 20 to 100 microns in enamel colour 28′ (Fig. 5) containing ethylene tetrafluouride resin powder was the most durable for single units of the main container 26 and the lid 27. By the above embodiment of the present invention as described so far, a heat generating container for a microwave oven that is superior in heating efficiency, that generates less heating irregularity, and intends to prevent transmission of microwaves and undesirable electric discharge at the junction between the container main body and the lid, can be provided at low cost. Referring further to Figs. 6 and 7, a heat generating container H4 according to a third embodiment of the present invention is shown, the container H4 generally includes a main container 37 made of a metal with superior heat conduction properties such as aluminium or the like, a metallic lid 36 to be detachably mounted onto the main container 37, and microwave absorbing heat generating film layers 38 formed on the outer surface of the main container 37 and the lid 36. The metallic main container 37 has an upper opening 39 surrounded by a flange portion 42 that extends outwardly therefrom. A set of rotary clamp levers 40 each having a T-shaped cross section are pivotally mounted, through ribs 41, on the main container 37 in positions below and adjacent to the flange portion 42. The lid 36 has a generally U-shaped cross-section and includes a peripheral flange portion 44 and a recessed portion with a flat face 43 for positioning on the main container 37 in such a manner that the peripheral flange portion 44 contacts the corresponding flange portion 42 of the main container 37, with its recessed flat bottom 43 sinking into the opening 39 of said main container 37. The flat bottom face 43 of the lid 36 is formed with many small holes 45 to prevent entry of microwaves into the main container 37, while allowing steam or vapour produced during kneading and baking to escape from the container. In order to permit the yeast to be sufficiently active for fermentation of the bread ingredients, it is necessary to prevent microwaves from entering the main container 37. Therefore, according to the present invention the entry of microwaves to the container is obstructed by the contact at the junction, the flange portions 42 and 44 respectively provided on the main container 37 and the lid 36. Moreover, clearance 46 is also provided between the inner wall of the main container 37 and the vertical wall of the lid 36 to attenuate the microwaves coming in by leakage at the flange portions. The engaging portion between the lid 36 and the main container 37 will be described in detail hereinbelow. The rotary clamp levers 40 provided on opposite side faces of the main container 37 are pivotally mounted for rotation about the pivotal point 47 to releasably fix the lid 36 in position on the container. More specifically, covers 48 made of a flexible material are provided on the lid 36 in positions for contact with the rotary clamp levers 40. A protrusion 49 having a semi-circular cross section is formed on the upper surface while a clearance is provided between the cover 48 and the flange portion 44 of the lid 36. Upon inward rotation of each rotary clamp lever 40 about the pivotal point 47 in the direction indicated by an arrow, a projection 50 formed at the forward edge of the lever 40 makes a slight contact with the protrusion 49 of the cover 48. Since the pivot point 47 for the lever 40 is set so that the rotating locus of the protrusion 50 becomes generally horizontal, when the clamp lever 40 is rotated further, the projection 49 of the cover 48 deflects downward slightly, and the projection 50 of the rotary clamp lever 40 passes over the protrusion 49 of the cover 48 so as to fix the lid 36 in position. To remove the lid 36, the rotary clamp levers 40 may be released in the opposite order to that described above. There is no possibility that the lid 36 will undesirably open due to inner pressures from fermentation, expansion, etc., of the bread materials, as the direction of any such forces acting on the lid 36 will be at right angles to the direction of movement of the levers 40. The T-shaped cross-section rotary levers 40 are, in addition, useful for carrying the container H4 when the lid 36 is fixed in position. By the above construction, it becomes possible to effect bread baking without damaging yeast. Thus, the arrangement of the above embodiment which provides the shape of the main container and structure of the lid effective for baking bread by microwave energy without employment of electric heaters, has features as follows: (1) The U-shaped cross section of the lid 36 having the flange portion 44 extending outwardly from its upper edge increases the contact area or contact length with respect to the main container 37, thereby preventing entry of microwaves into said main container (Otherwise, yeast may be killed by the entry of microwaves, and fermentation can not be fully effected). (2) By forming the small holes 45 in the lid 36, extra steam or vapour is allowed to escape so as to prevent the bread material from becoming sticky. (3) The arrangement to fix the lid 36 to the main container 37 through utilization of the protrusion 49 of the flexible cover 48 by turning the rotary lever 40 of the main container 37, advantageously prevents entry of the microwaves into said container. (4) By the flexible covers 48 attached to the lid 36, the microwave absorbing heat generating layer on the lid is prevented from directly contacting the rotary clamp levers 40, and thus, the surface treatment is protected against any damage. As is clear from the foregoing description, the lid for preventing entry of microwaves into the main container may be fixed readily and positively, and moreover, damage to the surf ace treatment of the lid at the portion where the rotary levers contact can be advantageously prevented, while in the state where the lid is fixed, the rotary levers can be utilized as handles for the container.

Claims: A heat generating container for use in a microwave oven, comprises a metallic main container, a detachable metallic lid for said metallic main container, and a microwave absorbing heat generating layer formed on the outer surface of said metallic main container and the outer surface of said metallic lid, said microwave absorbing heat generating layer being of different thicknesses at respective sections of the container and lid to accommodate different amounts of microwaves received by the respective sections for uniform heat generation over said main container and said lid. A heat generating container according to claim 1 wherein a heat-resistant insulative packing is disposed between said main container and said lid. A heat generating container according to claim 2, wherein said heat-resistant insulating packing is made of silicone material. A heat generating container according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising rotary levers each having a T-shaped cross section and pivotally provided on an upper side wall of said main container, and engaging covers provided on an upper surface of said lid in positions to engage said rotary levers for releasable fixing said lid to said main container. A heat generating container according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the microwave absorbing heat generating layer is formed by application of a paint comprising 10 to 60% of resin substantially heat resistant to 150°C, ferrite powder, and a sealing material. A heat generating container according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the microwave absorbing, heat generating layer is formed by plasma spray coating with ferrite and SiC. A heat generating container according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the microwave absorbing, heat generating layer is formed by flame coating with ferrite and SiC. A heat generating container according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the microwave absorbing, heat generating layer is covered by a layer of microwave transmitting, heat resistant paint.

Inventors: AKIYAMA, SHUICHI, KANEKO, FUMINORI, MORINO, TAISUKE, TANAKA, MAMI
Applicants: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1989
Main classification: F24C7
IPC codes: H05B6