Induction cooking appliance including cooking vessel having means for transmission of temperature data by light pulses

Claim 2

In combination, an induction heating appliance and a vessel; said appliance comprising vessel supporting means for supporting said vessel, said supporting means having no substantial heating current induced therein when subjected to a changing magnetic field, an induction coil energizable for producing a main changing magnetic field, means for energizing said coil with electric power, and a temperature receiving unit included in said appliance; said vessel comprising a portion in which heating current is induced by said main changing magnetic field when said vessel is supported by said supporting means, and a temperature detection unit supported by said vessel, said temperature detection unit including a temperature sensor unit for sensing the temperature of said vessel, said temperature detection unit being energizable by said main changing magnetic field to produce light pulses representative of a temperature corresponding to the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit, said temperature receiving unit including means responsive to said light pulses for producing a signal representative of the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said portion of said vessel is provided with a pair of terminal means between which there is developed a voltage corresponding to the voltage drop developed by the heating currents induced in said portion by the main field of said induction coil, said voltage developed between said terminal means energizing said temperature detection unit.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said temperature detection unit supported by said vessel is further comprised of a pick-up coil for developing a first voltage when subjected to said main changing magnetic field, a rectifier for converting said first voltage to a rectified second voltage, a voltage controlled oscillator energized by said second voltage for producing a variable frequency output signal, said temperature sensor unit providing an impedance corresponding to a temperature sensed by said sensor unit, said temperature sensor uNit being electrically coupled with said voltage control oscillator whereby said oscillator produces an output signal of a frequency corresponding to the temperature sensed by said sensor unit, and a light emitting diode electrically coupled with said voltage controlled oscillator for producing light pulses at a rate corresponding to said output signal produced by said oscillator.

Claim 5

An inductively heatable vessel comprising: a first metallic wall member and a second non-metallic light-transmitting wall member, said wall members having portions thereof sealed together to form a sealed double-walled vessel having an enclosed space between said wall members, said first wall member forming an inside wall surface of said vessel, said first wall member having heating current induced therein when said first wall member is subjected to a changing magnetic field, a temperature detection unit located within said space between said wall members, said temperature detection unit comprising a temperature sensor unit for sensing the temperature of at least said first wall member and light emitting means energizable for producing light pulses representative of the temperature sensed by said sensor unit, said light pulses being transmitted through said second wall member.

Claim 6

An inductively heatable vessel comprising: a first metallic wall member and a second non-metallic light-transmitting wall member, said wall members having portions thereof sealed together to form a sealed double-walled vessel having an enclosed space between said wall members, said first wall member forming an inside wall surface of said vessel, said first wall member having heating current induced therein when said first wall member is subjected to a changing magnetic field, a temperature detection unit located within said space between said wall members, said temperature detection unit comprising a temperature sensor unit for sensing the temperature of at least said first wall member and light emitting means energizable for producing light pulses representative of the temperature sensed by said sensor unit, said light pulses being transmitted through said second wall member.

Claim 7

The vessel according to claim 4 wherein said temperature detection unit is comprised of a pick-up coil, a rectifier, an oscillator and said light emitting means, said pick-up coil producing a first voltage in response to said changing magnetic field to which said first wall member is also subjected, said rectifier producing from said first voltage a rectified voltage, said oscillator being driven by said rectified voltage and producing a variable frequency output signal corresponding to a temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit, said light emitting means, in response to the output signal produced by said oscillator, producing light pulses at a frequency corresponding to the output frequency of said oscillator and representing the temperature sensed by said sensor unit.

Claim 8

The vessel according to claim 4 wherein said first wall member includes a pair of terminal means between which a voltage difference is extractable, said voltage difference being produced by the voltage drop produced by the induced current flowing in said first wall member, said voltage difference being electrically coupled with said temperature detection unit for energizing said light emitting means.

Claim 9

In combination, an inductively heatable vessel and a temperature receiving unit located remotely from said vessel, said vessel comprising a first metallic wall member and a second non-metallic wall member, said wall members having portions thereof sealed together to form a double-walled vessel having an enclosed space between said walled members, said first metallic wall member forming the inside surface of said vessel, said first wall member being adapted for having heating current induced therein when subjected to a changing magnetic field, a temperature detection unit located within said space between said wall members, said temperature detection unit including a temperature sensor unit for sensing the temperature of at least said first wall member, said temperature detection unit including means for producing light pulses containing data representative of the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit, said vessel having filter optic means optically coupled with said light pulse producing means for transmitting the light pulses to said temperature receiving unit.

Claim 10

In combination, an inductively heatable vessel and a temperature receiving unit located remotely from said vessel, said vessel comprising a first metallic wall member and a second non-metallic wall member, said wall members having portions thereof sealed together to form a double-walled vessel having an enclosed space between said walled members, said first metallic wall member forming the inside surface of said vessel, said first wall member being adapted for having heating current induced therein when subjected to a changing magnetic field, a temperature detection unit located within said space between said wall members, said temperature detection unit including a temperature sensor unit for sensing the temperature of at least said first wall member, said temperature detection unit including means for producing light pulses containing data representative of the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit, said vessel having filter optic means optically coupled with said light pulse producing means for transmitting the light pulses to said temperature receiving unit.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 7 wherein said remotely located temperature receiving unit includes a photodetector optically coupled with said light pulses for producing an electrical signal therefrom representative of the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit of said temperature detection unit, a temperature signal processing circuit for processing the signal from said photodetector to produce another signal representative of said tempeRature sensed by said temperature sensor unit, and display means coupled with said temperature signal processing circuit for indicating the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit.

Claim 12

In combination, an induction cooking appliance and a cooking vessel, said appliance comprising vessel supporting means in which no substantial heating current is induced when subjected to a changing magnetic field, an induction coil energizable for producing a main changing magnetic field, means for energizing said induction coil with electric power of at least ultrasonic frequency, and a temperature receiving unit supported by said appliance, said vessel comprising a first metallic wall member and a second non-metallic wall member, said wall members having portions thereof sealed together to form a double-walled vessel with an enclosed space between said wall members, said first metallic wall member forming the inside surface of said vessel and being adapted for containing foodstuff to be cooked, said first wall member also being adapted for having heating current induced therein when said vessel is supported by said vessel supporting means such that said first wall member of said vessel is subjected to said main changing magnetic field, a temperature detection unit located within said space between said wall members, said temperature detection unit including a temperature sensor unit for sensing the temperature of at least said first metallic wall member, said temperature detection unit being energizable by said main changing magnetic field to produce light containing temperature data corresponding to the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit, said temperature receiving unit supported by said appliance including means responsive to said produced light for producing a signal representative of the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit.

Claim 13

In combination, an induction cooking appliance and a cooking vessel, said appliance comprising vessel supporting means in which no substantial heating current is induced when subjected to a changing magnetic field, an induction coil energizable for producing a main changing magnetic field, means for energizing said induction coil with electric power of at least ultrasonic frequency, and a temperature receiving unit supported by said appliance, said vessel comprising a first metallic wall member and a second non-metallic wall member, said wall members having portions thereof sealed together to form a double-walled vessel with an enclosed space between said wall members, said first metallic wall member forming the inside surface of said vessel and being adapted for containing foodstuff to be cooked, said first wall member also being adapted for having heating current induced therein when said vessel is supported by said vessel supporting means such that said first wall member of said vessel is subjected to said main changing magnetic field, a temperature detection unit located within said space between said wall members, said temperature detection unit including a temperature sensor unit for sensing the temperature of at least said first metallic wall member, said temperature detection unit being energizable by said main changing magnetic field to produce light containing temperature data corresponding to the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit, said temperature receiving unit supported by said appliance including means responsive to said produced light for producing a signal representative of the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit.

Claim 14

The combination according to claim 9 further comprising display means responsive to the signal produced by said temperature receiving unit for indicating the temperature sensed by said temperature sensor unit.

Claim 15

The combination according to claim 9 wherein said vessel supporting means transmits light and wherein the light produced by said temperature detection unit is transmitted through said vessel supporting means to said temperature receiving unit.

Claim 16

A vessel comprising: at least one wall member defining a storage space adapted for receiving material to be heated by transfer of heat from said wall member to the received material, said wall member being comprised of material in which electrical current is induced when said wall member is subjected to a changing magnetic field, said material of said wall member having an electrical resistivity of sufficient magnitude to enable the development of significant electrical power in said wall member for dissipation in the form of heat when electrical current is induced in said wall member by action of the changing magnetic field; spaced-apart electrical terminal means, electrically connected to said wall member at different locations thereon, for providing therebetween a voltage approximately equal to the voltage drop between said different locations caused by induced current between said different locations in said wall member; and, load means supported by said vessel for utilizing said voltage.

Claim 17

A vessel comprising: at least one wall member defining a storage space adapted for receiving material to be heated by transfer of heat from said wall member to the received material, said wall member being comprised of material in which electrical current is induced when said wall member is subjected to a changing magnetic field, said material of said wall member having an electrical resistivity of sufficient magnitude to enable the development of significant electrical power in said wall member for dissipation in the form of heat when electrical current is induced in said wall member by action of the changing magnetic field; spaced-apart electrical terminal means, electrically connected to said wall member at different locations thereon, for providing therebetween a voltage approximately equal to the voltage drop between said different locations caused by induced current between said different locations in said wall member; and, load means supported by said vessel for utilizing said voltage.