Device for induction heating of a cooking vessel

• US 6,291,805 B1
• Filed: 08/30/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biotronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Biotronics Corporation
• Inventors: May, Yves, Simeray, Janick
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US09/308,817
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 219/622, 219/623, 219/624, 219/625, 219/626, 219/627, 219/621, 219/647, 219/672, 219/670, 99D/IG.14, 994/51
• US Class Current: 219/621
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2483 with electrical heating means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/12 Cooking devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 99/14 Induction heating

Abstract

A device for heating a cooling vessel for keeping warm the food contained in the vessel. A mobile support is provided for the vessel in which are arranged a supply module comprising a source of live electric energy including a high frequency voltage selector supplied by the source and at least a flat inductor of fine thickness supplied by the voltage selector. The source of electric energy generating an electromagnetic field perpendicular to the support plane and a flat armature of fine thickness made up of completely closed spires and placed under the vessel parallel to the supporting table.

Claims

1. An arrangement for a heating device adapted to be placed on a table for heating a cooking vessel, for keeping hot the hot foods contained in said vessel, the arrangement comprising:

a mobile vessel support having laterally separated first and second portions, the mobile vessel support adapted to rest on a table;

a power supply module in the first portion of the mobile vessel support, the power supply module comprising a rechargeable source of electric energy live with a safe direct current;

at least one flat inductor in the second portion of the mobile vessel support the flat inductor being supplied with electric current by a high frequency current chopper connected to the source of electric energy in the power supply module, the flat inductor generating an electromagnetic field which is perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the table upon which the heating device is adapted to rest; and

a field armature of minimal thickness comprised of completely closed turns, the field armature being integral with the vessel to provide a mobile assembly therewith separate from the flat inductor and the armature cooperating with the vessel and flat inductor to heat food within the vessel by heat generated in the armature due to eddy currents flowing therein induced by magnetic coupling with the flat inductor; and

the mobile vessel support being configured to cooperate with similar mobile vessel supports when stacked in an alternating array therewith in which first portions of every other vessel support are aligned in the stack so that the power supply modules of every other mobile vessel support are aligned.

2. Heating device according to claim 1 characterized in that the mobile vessel support is a tray and the vessel is a dish or a plate, intended to be placed on said tray.

3. Heating device according to claim 1 characterized in that the electromagnetic field generated by the inductor (3;

103) and the turns of the armature (4;

104) rotationally asymmetric so that the magnetic coupling of the armature with the inductor varies according to the relative angular position of the inductor and the armature.

4. Heating device according to claim 3 characterized in that the electromagnetic field generated by the inductor and armature are oval shaped.

5. Heating device according to claim 3, characterized in that the inductor (3;

103) comprises two substantially circular adjacent coils (131, 135) connected in series and generating electromagnetic fields of opposite direction and in that the armature (4, 104) comprises two adjacent sets of substantially circular turns.

6. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the frequency of the generator of pulsed voltage is in the order 300 kHz.

7. Heating device according to claim 1 characterized in that the inductor(s) (3) or (103) include a primary coil and have a high inductance at the frequency of the generator of voltage and low resistance and in that the armature (4) or ( 104) has, seen from the primary coil, a low inductance a low inductance and a resistance which is substantially equal to the ratio of the square of the voltage of the source to the necessary power for the heating.

8. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support of the vessel is a tray (15) and in that the source of electric power is an electrochemical generator.

9. Heating device according to claim 8 characterized in that the electrochemical generator is a rechargeable element (12) and in that the supply module comprises means for comparing (14) the voltage on the inductor(s) and the voltage of the source and a negative feedback circuit 925) which controls the pulses voltage generator so that its duty factor varies inversely to the voltage on the inductor(s).

10. Heating device according to claim 8, characterized in that the supply module is placed in a receptacle (2) disposed along an edge of the tray (15) and separated from the rest of the tray by a longitudinal recess (11).

11. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support of vessel comprises two inductors, a substantially centric one (3;

103) and one (3′

) disposed in a corner.

12. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support of vessel is a set of tables (105) and in that the source of energy is an electrochemical generator.

13. Heating device according to claim 12 characterized in that the substrate is made of thermally insulating material.

14. Heating device according to claim 12 characterized in what the substrate is made of nonskid material.

15. Heating device according to claim 12 characterized in that the element the circuit printed is on has two faces with the windings thereon and in that the windings of the two faces are connected.

16. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support is a flexible set of tables and in that source of electric power is a rectifier circuit connected on a transformer fixed under the support table and in that the supply module is disposed in a part of the set of tables (102) which is folded under the support table.

17. Heating device according to claim 16, characterized in that each table comprises a common transformer feeding the totality of the sets of tables disposed on the support table.

18. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the or the inductors (3, 3, 103) are realized in the form of a flexible printed circuit fixed on a substrate.

19. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the inductor(s) are integrated in the upper face of the table.

20. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the armature (4;

104) is glued under the vessel (7).

21. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the armature is realized in the bottom of the vessel during the manufacture of the latter.

22. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the armature is realized by deposit on the bottom of the vessel.

23. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support of vessel comprises at least a protruding part (154) which corresponds with an inductor (152;

153) and is used for the positioning of the vessel (7).

24. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vessel comprises a thermometer 20, such as a LCD thermometer, on its upper face.

25. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the source of energy of the mobile support is a rechargeable battery, and in that said support comprises also a step-down transformer for recharging the battery from a network.

26. Heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vessel is a bottle or a feeding-bottle and the support is a portable and autonomous Thermos flask which heats the feeding-bottle.

27. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support is a glass mat or a saucer and the vessel is a glass or a cup.

28. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vessel is a can or a deep-frozen trough and the support is a transportable isothermal casing intended for reheating it and keeping it hot.

29. Heating device according to claim 1 characterized in that the mobile vessel support comprises a set of table mats and the vessel is a dish or a plate intended to be placed on said set of table mats.