Use of moving element to produce heat
First Claim
1. Apparatus for heating a substance, comprising:
- (a) a container adapted to hold the substance, said container including;
(i) a base portion;
(ii) a ferromagnetic conductor disposed within the base portion; and
(ii) an upper portion connected to the base portion, said upper portion being adapted to receive the substance so that the substance is in thermal heat transfer relationship with the base portion of the container; and
(b) a flux generator including;
(i) a housing adapted to support the base portion of the container;
(ii) a varying magnetic field generator that includes at least one permanent magnet and is disposed within the housing of the flux generator; and
(iii) a prime mover drivingly coupled to an element of the magnetic field generator, causing said element of the magnetic field generator to move relative to the ferromagnetic conductor, movement of said element of the magnetic field generator producing a varying magnetic field that induces an electrical eddy current to circulate within the ferromagnetic conductor, thereby generating heat due to eddy current losses, so that the substance in the container is heated by the heat transferred through the base portion of the container.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for heating substances such as beverages, soups, chemicals, etc., with heat produced by circulating electrical eddy currents. In one form of the device, a magnetic flux generating base produces a varying magnetic field by using an electric motor to move a plurality of permanent magnets. The varying magnetic field induces the eddy currents to circulate in a ferromagnetic conductor that is sealed in the bottom of a container resting on the magnetic flux generating base. Losses due to the eddy current produce heat that is transferred into the substance within the container. In another embodiment, the motor moves one or more magnetic flux shunts to vary the magnetic field experienced by the ferromagnetic conductor. The presence of the container on the magnetic flux generating base can be detected and used to control the operation of the electrical motor. An indicator is provided in one embodiment to alert a user when the electrical motor is energized and the substance in the container is being heated.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. Apparatus for heating a substance, comprising:
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(a) a container adapted to hold the substance, said container including;
(i) a base portion;
(ii) a ferromagnetic conductor disposed within the base portion; and
(ii) an upper portion connected to the base portion, said upper portion being adapted to receive the substance so that the substance is in thermal heat transfer relationship with the base portion of the container; and
(b) a flux generator including;
(i) a housing adapted to support the base portion of the container;
(ii) a varying magnetic field generator that includes at least one permanent magnet and is disposed within the housing of the flux generator; and
(iii) a prime mover drivingly coupled to an element of the magnetic field generator, causing said element of the magnetic field generator to move relative to the ferromagnetic conductor, movement of said element of the magnetic field generator producing a varying magnetic field that induces an electrical eddy current to circulate within the ferromagnetic conductor, thereby generating heat due to eddy current losses, so that the substance in the container is heated by the heat transferred through the base portion of the container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
(a) a coil of wire wrapped around the ferromagnetic conductor; and
(b) a heating element connected to the coil of wire and disposed in the container so as to be in heat transfer communication with the substance in the container, wherein as current flows through the ferromagnetic conductor a current is induced to flow in the coil of wire that is used to energize the heating element to further heat the substance in the container.
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14. Apparatus for heating a liquid, comprising:
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(a) a flux generating base comprising;
(i) an electric motor having a drive shaft;
(ii) a rotor, operatively coupled to the drive shaft of the electric motor to be rotated thereby and having attached thereto a plurality of permanent magnets, each permanent magnet having a north pole face and a south pole face oriented generally parallel to a rotational plane of the rotor; and
(iii) a housing in which the electric motor and the rotor are disposed, a surface of the housing defining a supporting interface; and
(b) a container in which the liquid is held, including;
(i) a container base that rests on the supporting interface of the housing;
(ii) a ferromagnetic conductor disposed in the container base, and (iii) an upper portion sealingly connected to the container base, said upper portion being adapted to hold the liquid in thermal contact with the container base, said motor rotating said rotor to produce a varying magnetic field that causes eddy currents to circulate within the ferromagnetic conductor when the container is resting on the supporting interface, said eddy currents producing heat that is transferred into the liquid through the container base at that time. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
(a) a coil of wire wrapped around the ferromagnetic conductor; and
(b) a heating element connected to the coil of wire and disposed in the container so as to be in heat transfer communication with the liquid, wherein as current flows through the ferromagnetic conductor a current is induced to flow in the coil of wire that is used to energize the heating element to further heat the liquid.
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30. A method for heating a substance by inductively coupling a varying magnetic field to a ferromagnetic conductor disposed in a container that contains the substance, comprising the steps of:
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(a) positioning a ferromagnetic conductor sealed within the container proximate to a supporting interface of a base;
(b) providing a magnetic field; and
(c) moving an element in the base with a prime mover so that the element is moved relative to the ferromagnetic conductor, a varying magnetic field that is produced thereby being inductively coupled to the ferromagnetic conductor, causing an electrical eddy current to circulate in the ferromagnetic conductor, thereby producing eddy current losses that generate heat in the ferromagnetic conductor, a portion of said heat being transferred to the substance to heat it. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification