Self-stirring induction vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11272585-B2
Application number	US-201916667976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2019
Priority date	Oct 30, 2019
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A self-stirring induction system includes a vessel that has a plurality of ferromagnetic elements. The system also includes an electromagnetic radiation source that is positioned to deliver electromagnetic radiation to the plurality of ferromagnetic elements. The system further includes a controller in communication with the electromagnetic radiation source. The controller is configured to determine, based at least in part on a desired amount or type of stirring, a pattern in which to heat the plurality of ferromagnetic elements. The controller is also configured to cause the electromagnetic radiation source to target the plurality of ferromagnetic elements with radiation in the determined pattern to induce a convection current in contents of the vessel such that the desired amount or type of stirring occurs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-stirring induction system, the system comprising:
a vessel that includes a plurality of ferromagnetic elements mounted to a surface of the vessel, wherein each ferromagnetic element in the plurality of ferromagnetic elements includes a transmitter configured to transmit an identifier that uniquely identifies the ferromagnetic element;
an electromagnetic radiation source that is positioned to deliver electromagnetic radiation to the plurality of ferromagnetic elements; and
a controller in communication with the electromagnetic radiation source, wherein the controller is configured to:
determine, based at least in part on a desired amount or type of stirring, a pattern in which to heat the plurality of ferromagnetic elements, wherein the pattern includes a direction and an order in which to sequentially heat the plurality of ferromagnetic elements;
determine, based at least in part on the desired amount or type of stirring, an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation to direct to each ferromagnetic element in the plurality of ferromagnetic elements;
cause the electromagnetic radiation source to target each of the plurality of ferromagnetic elements with radiation in the determined pattern and at the determined intensity to induce a convection current in contents of the vessel such that the desired amount or type of stirring occurs.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface of the controller, wherein the user interface is configured to receive the desired amount or type of stirring from a user.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to identify a position of each ferromagnetic element in the plurality of ferromagnetic elements.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller identifies the positions based on information received from a user.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal from each of the plurality of ferromagnetic elements that includes the identifier, and wherein the controller determines the positions based on the signals.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller stores the identifier and the position of the ferromagnetic element associated with the identifier in the memory.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel includes an inner side wall and an outer side wall, and wherein the plurality of ferromagnetic elements are positioned in between the inner side wall and the outer side wall.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel includes an inner bottom wall and an outer bottom wall, and wherein the plurality of ferromagnetic elements are positioned in between the inner bottom wall and the outer bottom wall.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ferromagnetic elements are positioned on an interior wall of the vessel.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ferromagnetic elements are positioned on an exterior wall of the vessel.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pattern traverses a perimeter of the vessel, and wherein the direction comprises a clockwise or counterclockwise direction around the perimeter of the vessel.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pattern comprises a spiral pattern, a top to bottom pattern, or a bottom to top pattern.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a cover for the vessel, wherein one or more of the plurality of ferromagnetic elements is mounted to the cover.

14. A method for self-stirring, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a controller, a desired amount or type of stirring to perform on contents of a vessel;
receiving, by the controller and from a transmitter of a ferromagnetic element, a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the ferromagnetic element within a plurality of ferromagnetic elements;
determining, by the processor of the controller and based at least in part on the desired amount or type of stirring, a pattern in which to heat the plurality of ferromagnetic elements that are positioned about and mounted to a surface of the vessel, wherein the pattern includes a direction and an order in which to sequentially heat the plurality of ferromagnetic elements;
determining, by the processor of the controller and based at least in part on the desired amount or type of stirring, an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation to direct to each ferromagnetic element in the plurality of ferromagnetic elements; and
causing, by the processor, an electromagnetic radiation source to target each of the plurality of ferromagnetic elements with radiation in the determined pattern and at the determined intensity to induce a convection current in the contents of the vessel such that the desired amount or type of stirring occurs.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying, by the processor, a position of each ferromagnetic element in the plurality of ferromagnetic elements.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the processor determines the positions based on the unique identifier received from each ferromagnetic element in the plurality of ferromagnetic elements.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pattern traverses a perimeter of the vessel, and wherein the direction comprises a clockwise or counterclockwise direction around the perimeter of the vessel.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising repeating, by the processor, the determined pattern until a termination instruction is received.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving, by the processor, an operating instruction that specifies the desired amount or type of stirring to perform on contents of the vessel.

Assignees

• Fryshman Bernard

Inventors

• Fryshman Bernard

Classifications

• H05B6/06

  Control, e.g. of temperature, of power · CPC title

• H05B6/34 Primary

  Arrangements for circulation of melts · CPC title

• H05B6/12

  Cooking devices · CPC title

• H05B6/04

  Sources of current · CPC title

• H05B6/062 Primary

  for cooking plates or the like · CPC title