Temperature self-regulating food delivery system
First Claim
1. A heating assembly comprising:
- a magnetic induction heater including a heater circuit having a magnetic field generator, a detector operable to detect a heater circuit parameter related to the impedance presented to the heater by an induction heatable device, and control circuitry capable of altering the magnitude of said magnetic field generated by said generator in response to said detection of said parameter; and
an induction heatable device including a continuous coil formed of electrically conductive material with a pair of terminal coil ends, and a conductive assembly operably connected between said terminal coil ends to complete a circuit, said conductive assembly comprising a selectively operable switch component switchable between a circuit-make configuration and a circuit-break configuration, said coil experiencing a magnetically induced flow of current therethrough when said generator is operating, said switch is in the circuit-make configuration thereof, and said device is placed adjacent said heater to present a circuit-make impedance to the heater, said coil experiencing a circuit-break impedance different than said circuit-make impedance when said switch is in said circuit-break configuration, said device and heater cooperable so that, when said switch moves between the circuit-make and circuit-break configurations thereof, said detector detects a change in said parameter, and said control circuit operates to alter the magnitude of said magnetic field.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Temperature self-regulating food delivery systems are provided having a magnetic induction heater (32, 126) and an associated food container (76, 124) equipped with an essentially permanent ferromagnetic heating element (82, 100, 128). The heater (32, 126) and heating elements (82,100, 128) are designed so as to heat the element (82, 100, 128) to a user-selected regulation temperature when the elements (82, 100, 128) are coupled with the heater'"'"'s magnetic field, and to maintain the temperature in the vicinity of the regulation temperature indefinitely temperature regulation is a heating achieved by periodically determining at least two parameters of the heaters resonant circuits related to the amplitude of the resonant current passing therethrough during heating and responsively altering the field strength of the magnetic field. Preferably, the value of the resonant circuit amplitude and the rate of change of the amplitude are determine.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A heating assembly comprising:
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a magnetic induction heater including a heater circuit having a magnetic field generator, a detector operable to detect a heater circuit parameter related to the impedance presented to the heater by an induction heatable device, and control circuitry capable of altering the magnitude of said magnetic field generated by said generator in response to said detection of said parameter; and
an induction heatable device including a continuous coil formed of electrically conductive material with a pair of terminal coil ends, and a conductive assembly operably connected between said terminal coil ends to complete a circuit, said conductive assembly comprising a selectively operable switch component switchable between a circuit-make configuration and a circuit-break configuration, said coil experiencing a magnetically induced flow of current therethrough when said generator is operating, said switch is in the circuit-make configuration thereof, and said device is placed adjacent said heater to present a circuit-make impedance to the heater, said coil experiencing a circuit-break impedance different than said circuit-make impedance when said switch is in said circuit-break configuration, said device and heater cooperable so that, when said switch moves between the circuit-make and circuit-break configurations thereof, said detector detects a change in said parameter, and said control circuit operates to alter the magnitude of said magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification