Induction Heating System with Versatile Inductive Cartridge
First Claim
1. A reusably insertable heating cartridge for inductively heating a food or a liquid in an inside cavity of a cup or vessel, said cup or vessel having a base and walls, said base composed substantially of a dielectric material, which comprises:
- a) a cartridge body for insertion into said inside cavity of said cup or vessel, said cartridge body having upper face, peripheral edge and undersurface, and further comprising a sheet or layer of an inductively heatable material, said sheet or layer having dimensions, volume distribution, and material properties configured to dissipate power as heat when operatively coupled to an external oscillating magnetic field penetrating said base or walls and contacting said cartridge body;
b) further comprising a latching functionality for securing said cartridge body within said cavity of said cup or vessel, wherein said latching functionality is disengageable by the user for transferring said cartridge from cup to cup or vessel to vessel; and
c) wherein optionally said cartridge body comprises an exterior sanitary coating of a food- or liquid-compatible material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are devices and systems for inductive heating of a liquid or food, which comprise versatile inductive heating cartridges. To be able to use a normally inductively non-heatable cup or vessel made of a generally dielectric material with an induction heating unit, a removable cartridge made of an inductively heatable material is inserted into the vessel. In one embodiment, the cartridge is retained in the vessel by an attachment functionality which prevents the cartridge from sliding or flipping when the cup or vessel is tipped to serve or pour. The attachment functionality is disengageable, and the cartridge may be transferred from cup to cup or vessel to vessel by the user. In another embodiment, the cartridges are configured to more efficiently work with the “pot detection” circuits of modern inductive hot plates or ranges. In another embodiment, the cartridge includes an RFID tag, antenna, and sensor package.
138 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A reusably insertable heating cartridge for inductively heating a food or a liquid in an inside cavity of a cup or vessel, said cup or vessel having a base and walls, said base composed substantially of a dielectric material, which comprises:
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a) a cartridge body for insertion into said inside cavity of said cup or vessel, said cartridge body having upper face, peripheral edge and undersurface, and further comprising a sheet or layer of an inductively heatable material, said sheet or layer having dimensions, volume distribution, and material properties configured to dissipate power as heat when operatively coupled to an external oscillating magnetic field penetrating said base or walls and contacting said cartridge body; b) further comprising a latching functionality for securing said cartridge body within said cavity of said cup or vessel, wherein said latching functionality is disengageable by the user for transferring said cartridge from cup to cup or vessel to vessel; and c) wherein optionally said cartridge body comprises an exterior sanitary coating of a food- or liquid-compatible material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A reusably insertable heating cartridge for inductively heating a food or a liquid in an inside cavity of a cup or vessel, said cup or vessel having a base and walls, said base composed substantially of a dielectric material, which comprises:
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a) a cartridge body for insertion into said inside cavity of said cup or vessel, said cartridge body having upper face, peripheral edge, and undersurface, and further comprising a sheet or layer of an inductively heatable material, said sheet or layer having dimensions, volume distribution, and material properties configured to dissipate power as heat when operatively coupled to an external oscillating magnetic field penetrating said base or walls and contacting said cartridge body; and b) encapsulated in said cartridge body, i) an RFID chip and antenna; ii) optionally a temperature sensor in electronic communication with said RFID tag and antenna; and c) optionally wherein said cartridge body comprises an exterior sanitary coating of a food- or liquid-compatible material. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A reusably insertable heating cartridge for inductively heating a food or a liquid in an inside cavity of a cup or vessel, said cup or vessel having a base and walls, said base composed substantially of a dielectric material, which comprises:
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a) a cartridge body for insertion into said inside cavity of said cup or vessel, said cartridge body having upper face, peripheral edge and undersurface, b) wherein said cartridge body comprises a sheet of an inductively heatable material; and wherein said sheet is further characterized as having an array of perforations or dimples configured to increase apparent inductive load resistance of said heating cartridge due to eddy current losses when operatively coupled to an external oscillating magnetic field penetrating said base or walls and contacting said cartridge body. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification