US 11,917,743 B2
Electromagnetic cooking device with automatic melt operation and method of controlling cooking in the electromagnetic cooking device
Davide Guatta, Brescia (IT); and Valeria Nocella, Viterbo (IT)
Assigned to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US); and Panasonic Holdings Corporation, (JP)
Appl. No. 16/310,839
Filed by WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US); and Panasonic Corporation, Osaka (JP)
PCT Filed Dec. 29, 2016, PCT No. PCT/US2016/069246
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 18, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/125149, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 5, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0314972 A1, Oct. 1, 2020
Int. Cl. H05B 6/64 (2006.01); H05B 6/68 (2006.01); H05B 6/70 (2006.01); H05B 6/72 (2006.01)
CPC H05B 6/6447 (2013.01) [H05B 6/686 (2013.01); H05B 6/687 (2013.01); H05B 6/70 (2013.01); H05B 6/707 (2013.01); H05B 6/72 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electromagnetic cooking device comprising:
a cavity in which a food load is placed;
a plurality of RF feeds configured to introduce electromagnetic radiation into the cavity for heating the food load; and
a controller configured to:
(a) measure resonances in the cavity;
(b) generate and store a resonance map resulting from the measured resonances, the resonance map is represented in a frequency/phase domain and includes a plurality of efficiency measurements each taken at different frequencies and phase differences;
(c) conditionally repeat steps (a) and (b) to obtain and store a plurality of resonance maps over time;
(d) detect a melting state of the food load based on variations between any of the measured efficiencies in the stored resonance maps; and
(e) adjust a power level of the electromagnetic radiation in response to detection of the melting state.