Temperature self-regulating food delivery system

• US 6,504,135 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TSI SUB LLC
• Original Assignee: Thermal Solutions Incorporated (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Ablah, Amil J., Clothier, Brian L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US10/046,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 219/621, 219/624, 219/625, 219/626, 219/627, 219/634, 219/675, 219/661, 219/665, 219/667, 126/246, 126/375.1, 126/400, 99D/IG.14
• US Class Current: 219/624
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2213/06 Cook-top or cookware capable of communicating with each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/06 Control, e.g. of temperature, of power

Abstract

A magnetic induction heating assembly is provided which comprises a heater circuit and an induction heatable device including a continuous coil formed of electrically conductive material; the coil has terminal ends, and a conductive assembly including a switch component is connected between the terminal ends. The heater circuit includes a magnetic field generator, a detector operable to detect a heater circuit parameter related to the impedance presented to the heater by the induction heatable device, and control circuitry capable of altering the magnitude of the magnetic field generator in response to detection of the parameter.

Claims

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 switch component.

2. The heating assembly of claim 1, said conductive assembly including an electrically conductive wire element connected to each of said terminal coil ends, with said switch component connected between the ends of said wire elements remote from said terminal coil ends.

3. The assembly of claim 1, said coil formed at least in part of a ferromagnetic material.

4. The assembly of claim 1, said switch component being selectively operable.