US 11,700,676 B2
Dielectric constant estimation device and microwave heating apparatus provided with dielectric constant estimation device
Yoshihiro Sakamoto, Kyoto (JP); and Fumitaka Ogasawara, Hyogo (JP)
Assigned to PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION, Osaka (JP)
Appl. No. 17/44,450
Filed by Panasonic Corporation, Kadoma (JP); and WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, Benton Harbor, MI (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 6, 2018, PCT No. PCT/JP2018/014729
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 1, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/193748, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0037620 A1, Feb. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. H05B 6/64 (2006.01); H05B 6/68 (2006.01); H05B 6/72 (2006.01)
CPC H05B 6/6438 (2013.01) [H05B 6/645 (2013.01); H05B 6/686 (2013.01); H05B 6/72 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dielectric constant estimation device comprising:
a transmitting antenna configured to emit an electromagnetic wave at a predetermined antenna angle with respect to an object;
a transmitting antenna control part configured to switch a polarized wave of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the transmitting antenna to a TE wave or a TM wave;
a dielectric constant estimating oscillation part configured to output a high frequency signal which forms the electromagnetic wave emitted from the transmitting antenna;
a receiving antenna configured to receive a reflected wave of the electromagnetic wave reflected from the object with a predetermined antenna angle;
a receiving antenna control part configured to switch a polarized wave of the electromagnetic wave received by the receiving antenna to a TE wave or a TM wave;
an arithmetic operation part configured to calculate a TM/TE reflection ratio based on respective reflected waves of the TE wave and the TM wave from the object received by the receiving antenna;
a memory part configured to store in advance theoretical value data indicating a relationship between the antenna angle and the TM/TE reflection ratio relating to a plurality of substances which differ from each other in a dielectric constant as a database; and
a control part configured to output a control signal for performing a switching control for switching to a TE wave or a TM wave in the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna, and an angle control of an antenna angle of the transmitting antenna and an antenna angle of the receiving antenna to the transmitting antenna control part and the receiving antenna control part, wherein
the control part is configured to estimate a dielectric constant of the object by comparing the TM/TE reflection ratio calculated by the arithmetic operation part with the data of the theoretical value in the database stored in the memory part.