HEATING SYSTEM AND HEATER

• US 20080037966A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips IP Ventures B.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baarman, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 392/441
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/02 Automatic switching arrangements specially adapted to apparatus ; Control of heating devices thermally-actuated switches H01H37/00

Abstract

An inductively power heating system includes an inductive power source for supplying power to an inductive heater. The inductive heater may include a resistive heater and a multiple coil secondary. A heater control within the inductive heater may control the power supplied to the resistive heater, and thereby control the temperature of the resistive heater. The inductive heater may encapsulate the resistive heater, the multiple coil secondary and the heater control, thereby providing a sealed, inductive heater.

Claims

1-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A method for heating a device comprising the steps of:

physically coupling a heating element with the device;

electrically coupling the heating element with one or more secondary coils; and

providing an electrical signal from an adaptive, inductive power supply to the secondary coil.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of coupling a heater control with the heating element.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising the step of coupling a temperature sensor with the heating element.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of coupling a capacitor to the heating element to improve energy transfer from the adaptive, inductive power supply to the heater.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of coupling a power supply transceiver to the adaptive, inductive power supply and a heater receiver to the heating element for receiving communication from the inductive power supply.

45. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of coupling a power supply receiver to the adaptive, inductive power supply and a transmitter to the heating element for sending communication to the adaptive, inductive power supply.

46. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of coupling a transceiver to the adaptive, inductive power supply and a transceiver to the heating element to communicate with the adaptive, inductive power supply.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising the step of coupling a memory to the heating element.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising the step of hermetically sealing and encapsulating the heating element within a plastic enclosure.

49. A method for heating a device comprising the steps of:

physically coupling an electrically resistive heating element with the device;

electrically coupling the electrically resistive heating element with one or more inductive secondary coils; and

enclosing the secondary coil and the electrically resistive heating element such that the enclosure is fully sealed and unpenetrated.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising the step of controlling energization of the electrically resistive heating element with a heater control.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of coupling a temperature sensor with the heater control.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of altering power transferred from a primary to the inductive secondary coil with an adjustable impedance.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising the step of controlling the adjustable impedance with a controller responding to the temperature sensor.

54. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of controlling an electric current in response to the controller operating responsive to instructions received from a receiver coupled to the controller to change the adjustable impedance.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising the step of transmitting information from the temperature sensor to the controller from a transmitter physically coupled to the temperature sensor.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising the step of moving the inductively powered heater with a propulsion system including an electric motor.

57. A method for heating a device comprising the steps of:

physically coupling a heating element with the device; and

coupling to and positioning the heating element around an inductive secondary, both within a fully sealed and unpenetrated enclosure.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising the step of making the enclosure an elastomeric material which is a thermally conductive polymer.

59. The method of claim 58, further comprising the step of making the conductive polymer out of liquid crystalline polymer and polyphenylene sulfide.