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US 2006/0076338 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for providing harmonic inductive power
AssigneeiTherm Technologies, LP
InventorValery Kagan
Life of this patent
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AssigneeiTherm Technologies, LP
InventorValery Kagan
Estimating the term…
Method and apparatus for providing harmonic inductive power, and more particularly for delivering current pulses providing a desired amount of pulse energy in high frequency harmonics to a load circuit for inductive heating of an article. By controlling the shape and/or frequency of such current pulses, the apparatus and method can be used to enhance the rate, intensity and/or power of inductive heating delivered by the heater coil and/or to enhance the lifetime or reduce the cost and complexity of an inductive heating power supply. Of particular significance, the apparatus and method may be used to significantly increase the power inductively delivered to a ferromagnetic or other inductively heated load, without requiring an increase of current in the heater coil. This enables new heating applications, and in some known applications, decreases the energy consumption or cooling requirements and/or increase the lifetime of the heater coil.
A method of delivering inductive power from a power supply circuit to a load circuit for inductive heating of an article, wherein the power supply circuit includes a charging circuit coupled to the load circuit, the method comprising:
A method comprising:
A method for inductive heating of a load circuit having variable impedance parameters comprising:
A method of dynamic heating control comprising:
A method comprising:
A method of delivering inductive power from a power supply circuit to a load circuit coupled to the power supply circuit, comprising:
A power supply control apparatus comprising:
The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the on-time and/or off-time is controlled to achieve a substantially zero current condition through the switch, while neither the load circuit nor the charging circuit have a zero current condition.
A method for generating current pulses providing a desired amount of pulse energy in high frequency harmonics in a load circuit for inductive heating of an article, the method comprising:
The method of 51, wherein the on/off timing is controlled so that each current pulse ends after its amplitude falls by at least 95% from an amplitude of a maximum peak in the current pulse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.