Patent ID: 8552348

Claim:
A collapsible field director structure for use in a microwave oven, the field director structure being convertible from a collapsed to a deployed state, the field director structure comprising: a planar support element, the planar support element having a plurality of openings disposed in spaced locations between the center of the support element and the periphery thereof; at least one substantially planar master vane having at least one electrically conductive region thereon, and at least a first and a second substantially planar slave vane, each slave vane being flexibly connected to the master vane along a respective line of flexure, each slave vane having at least one electrically conductive region thereon, each slave vane having a distal end thereon, each slave vane having a locking tab disposed in a location spaced from the distal end, the master and slave vanes being foldable against each other so that the field director structure, in the collapsed state, is able to exhibit a generally planar configuration, and the slave vanes being flexibly displaceable with respect to the master vane so that the field director structure, in the deployed state, is able to occupy a self-supported disposition with the slave vanes angularly spaced from the master vane and with the plane of each slave vane intersecting with the plane of the master vane along its respective line of flexure, and wherein in the deployed state the locking tabs on the slave vanes each respectively being receivable into one opening of the plurality of openings in the planar support element.