# US 12,757,940 B2 · Inductive heating device having a voltage converter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,757,940 B2 - Document ID: US12757940B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/550,817 - Filed: 2022-03-18 - Published: 2024-05-30 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-19 - Assignees: Philip Morris Products S.A. - Applicants: Philip Morris Products S.A. - Inventors: Enrico Stura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12757940B2 ## CPC - A24F 40/465: specially adapted for induction heating - H05B 1/0202: {Switches} - H05B 6/06: Control, e.g. of temperature, of power - H05B 6/108: {for heating a fluid} - A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract An inductive heating system is provided, including: a first inductive heating device including a first DC power supply configured to provide a first DC supply voltage, and a first heater module including an inductor configured to provide inductive heating, the first heater module having a first heater module input voltage that is substantially equal to the first DC supply voltage; and a second inductive heating device including a second DC power supply configured to provide a second DC supply voltage that is different from the first DC supply voltage, a second heater module including an inductor configured to provide inductive heating, the heater module having the first heater module input voltage, and a DC/DC voltage converter configured to convert the second DC supply voltage to the first heater module input voltage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inductive heating system, comprising: a first inductive heating device comprising: a first DC power supply configured to provide a first DC supply voltage, and a first heater module comprising an inductor configured to provide inductive heating, the first heater module having a first heater module input voltage that is substantially equal to the first DC supply voltage; and a second inductive heating device comprising: a second DC power supply configured to provide a second DC supply voltage that is different from the first DC supply voltage, a second heater module comprising an inductor configured to provide inductive heating, the heater module having the first heater module input voltage, and a DC/DC voltage converter configured to convert the second DC supply voltage to the first heater module input voltage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inductive heating system according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC voltage converter is part of the second heater module. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The inductive heating system according to claim 1, wherein the first heater module input voltage is less than the second DC supply voltage and the DC/DC voltage converter is a step-down voltage converter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The inductive heating system according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC voltage converter is configured to accept a range of DC supply voltages and output a constant first heater module input voltage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inductive heating system according to claim 1, wherein an output voltage of the DC/DC voltage converter is related to a duty cycle of a switching signal generated or received by the DC/DC voltage converter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The inductive heating system according to claim 5, wherein the DC/DC voltage converter comprises a first switching element configured to be activated during a first part of the switching signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The inductive heating system according to claim 6, wherein the DC/DC voltage converter comprises a second switching element which is configured to be activated during a second part of the switching signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The inductive heating system according to claim 7, wherein the second switching element is deactivated when the first switching element is activated, and the first switching element is deactivated when the second switching element is activated. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The inductive heating system according to claim 7, wherein the first and the second switching elements are arranged in a half-bridge arrangement. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The inductive heating system according to claim 5, wherein the DC/DC voltage converter comprises a comparator configured to compare an output voltage of the DC/DC voltage converter to a reference voltage and to generate an output signal for adjusting a duty cycle of the switching signal based on the comparison. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The inductive heating system according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second inductive heating devices are configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate using a susceptor, and wherein the inductor in each of the first and the second inductive heating devices is arranged to inductively couple to its respective susceptor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The inductive heating system according to claim 11, wherein the first and the second inductive heating devices are further configured to determine a temperature of their respective susceptor by determining a resistance or a conductance of their respective susceptor based on a measured current supplied by the first and the second DC power supplies respectively or by the DC/DC voltage converter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The inductive heating system according to claim 12, wherein the first and the second inductive heating devices further comprise a DC current sensor configured to measure a current supplied by the first and the second DC power supplies, respectively. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The inductive heating system according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second inductive heating devices further comprise a DC/AC voltage converter comprising or connected to their respective inductor and configured to convert the first heater module input voltage to an AC voltage for driving the inductor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The inductive heating system according to claim 14, wherein the first and the second inductive heating devices are further configured to interrupt generation of the AC voltage when a determined temperature of a susceptor exceeds or equals a predetermined threshold value.