Temperature self-regulating food delivery system

A method of heating an object comprising the steps of:

• providing a magnetic induction heater including a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field, said heater having an RFID reader associated therewith;
• providing an object to be magnetically heated including an induction heatable element and an RFID tag, and
• placing said object proximal to said heater in a location for magnetic induction heating of said element and in a position for RF communication between said tag and said reader;
• and
• initiating the heating of said object and controlling the operation of said heater only in response to said placement of said object and receipt of information from said tag.

A food delivery system comprising:

• a food-holding container including an induction heatable element;
• a magnetic induction heater including a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field,
• said heater operable to heat said element while the element is magnetically coupled with said magnetic field and said element remains within said container;
• and
• a temperature controller operable to control the temperature of said element during the course of heating of the element including a detector operable to detect an induction heater circuit parameter whose magnitude is dependent upon the impedance presented by the heating element when the element is magnetically coupled with said magnetic field, and control circuitry operable to alter the magnetic field strength of said magnetic field in response to the magnitude, or rate of change of said magnitude, of said detected parameter, during said course of heating.

A method of delivering a hot food product comprising the steps of:

• providing a food-holding container including an induction heatable element;
• providing a magnetic induction heater including a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field;
• placing said container adjacent said heater to heat the element to a desired temperature;
• controlling the temperature of said element during the course of heating of the element by detecting an induction heater circuit parameter whose magnitude is dependent upon the impedance presented by the heating element when the element is magnetically coupled with said magnetic field, and altering the magnetic field strength of said magnetic field in response to the magnitude, or rate of change of said magnitude, of said detected parameter, during said course of heating;
• inserting said hot food product within the container, and withdrawing said container from said magnetic field;
• and
• delivering said hot food product in said container a remote delivery location, and removing the food product therefrom.

A food delivery assembly comprising:

• a container adapted to receive and hold food;
• and
• an induction heating element carried by said container and heatable when coupled with an externally applied magnetic field, while said element remains a part of said container,
• said element comprising a ferromagnetic induction heatable body encapsulated within solid-to-solid phase change synthetic resin material, said body heatable to a temperature above the phase change temperature of said synthetic resin material when coupled with an externally applied magnetic field, said synthetic resin material including a crosslinked polyethylene-containing matrix.