Heat warning safety device using fiber optic cables

• US 20030192874A1
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William S. Lerner
• Original Assignee: William S. Lerner
• Inventors: Lerner, William S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,806,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/445.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 2202/00 Devices having temperature indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/10 Cooking-vessels with water-bath arrangements for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/18 heated by water-bath , e.g. pasta-cookers
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/58 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/24 Warming devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/06 Roasters; Grills; Sandwich grills
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0623 Small-size cooking ovens, i.e. defining an at least partially closed cooking cavity A47J37/0605 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/0786 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/105 electrically heated
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/108 Accessories, e.g. inserts, plates to hold food down during frying
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/1271 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/082 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/24 Preventing development of abnormal or undesired conditions, i.e. safety arrangements F23N5/02 - F23N5/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/105 Constructive details concerning the regulation of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/126 on ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2213/04 Heating plates with overheat protection means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/746 Protection, e.g. overheat cutoff, hot plate indicator

Abstract

Heat alert safety device for warning individuals that a surface is hot wherein a fiber optic cable runs from an electric light source to a heat warning symbol. The cable has a plurality of fibers connected at a first end thereof to the light source and transmits light from the light source beginning from the first end to the second end of the cable and shines light out of the second end of the cable to a predetermined symbol adjacent the second end of the cable. The symbol is readily visible when illuminated to an observer who can also readily see the surface and the symbol communicates that the surface of the stove, in particular, the heating element, is dangerously hot. A controller controls the light source Whenever a specified surface temperature is reached, the symbol is lit and remains lit as long as said specified surface temperature is maintained.

Claims

1. A heat alert safety device for warning individuals that a surface of an object is hot, comprising

a light source that generates a light beam,

a fiber optic cable formed of a plurality of fibers, said fiber optic cable connected at a first end of said fiber optic cable to the light source and oriented so that the plurality of fibers are directly in a path of the light beam, said fiber optic cable transmitting the light beam from the light source beginning from the first end to the second end of said fiber optic cable, the second end of said fiber optic cable shining the light beam out of the cable,

a predetermined symbol adjacent the second end of the fiber optic cables, the symbol readily visible only when illuminated to an observer who can also readily see the surface, said symbol communicating that the surface is dangerously hot,

a controller controlling the light source so that whenever a specified surface temperature is reached, the symbol is illuminated and remains illuminated as long as said specified surface temperature is maintained, and

heat sensor adjacent the surface and connected to the controller for ascertaining a surface temperature and communicating the surface temperature to the controller.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the light source is located on the object.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the object is a stove and the light source is located immediately beneath a portion of a top surface of the stove and wherein said light source is at a maximum surface distance from the heating elements of the stove.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the object is a gas stove and the surface is a surface of a heating element on the gas stove, wherein the symbol is positioned in a center of the heating element and wherein the second end of the fiber optic cable is positioned beneath the heating element.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the heating element is fed by gas inlet lines and wherein the fiber optic cables run through the gas inlet lines.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the heating element is fed by gas inlet lines and wherein the fiber optic cables run alongside the gas inlet lines.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the heating element is a metal grate having an open area in the center of the metal grates

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the object is an electric stove and the surface is a surface of a heating element on an electric stove, wherein the symbol is positioned in a center of the heating element and wherein the second end of the fiber optic cable is positioned beneath an area of the heating element.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the heating element is a serpentine electric coil having a disk in the center and wherein the symbol is positioned on the disk.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the object is a smooth cooktop stove and the surface is a surface is of a heating element of the smooth cooktop stove, wherein the symbol is positioned in a center of the heating element and wherein the second end of the fiber optic cable is positioned beneath an area of the heating element.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the heating element is a smooth area of glass or metal on a top surface of the stove that absorbs heat from a heat source directly underneath said smooth area of glass or metal.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the object is a smooth cooktop stove and the surface is a surface is of a heating element of the smooth cooktop stove, wherein the symbol is positioned surrounding the heating element and wherein the second end of the fiber optic cable is positioned beneath an area of the heating element.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the heating element is a smooth area of glass or metal on a top surface of the stove that absorbs heat from a heat source directly underneath said smooth area of glass or metal.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein said device also includes a switch for turning the device on or off.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein a device indicator notifies the user whether the device is functional.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein a degree of brightness of the light source is controlled by the controller based on a setting set by a user.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein a sound producing component controlled by the controller produces a sound alarm whenever the light source is turned on.

18. A heat alert safety device for warning individuals that a surface of an object is hot, comprising

a light source that generates a light beam,

a fiber optic cable formed of a plurality of fibers, said fiber optic cable connected at a first end of said fiber optic cable to the light source and oriented so that the plurality of fibers are directly in a path of the light beam, said fiber optic cable transmitting the light beam from the light source beginning from the first end to the second end of said fiber optic cable, the second end of said fiber optic cable shining the light beam out of the cable,

the second end of the fiber optic cables shaped in a form of a predetermined symbol, the symbol readily visible only when illuminated to an observer who can also readily see the surface, said symbol communicating that the surface is dangerously hot,

a controller controlling the light source so that whenever a specified surface temperature is reached, the symbol is illuminated and remains illuminated as long as said specified surface temperature is maintained, and

heat sensor adjacent the surface and connected to the controller for ascertaining a surface temperature and communicating the surface temperature to the controller.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the light source is located on the object.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the object is a stove and the light source is located immediately beneath a portion of a top surface of the stove and wherein said light source is at a maximum surface distance from the heating elements of the stove.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the object is a gas stove and the surface is a surface of a heating element on the gas stove, wherein the symbol is positioned in a center of the heating element and wherein the second end of the fiber optic cable is positioned beneath the heating element.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the heating element is fed by gas inlet lines and wherein the fiber optic cables run through the gas inlet lines.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the heating element is fed by gas inlet lines and wherein the fiber optic cables run alongside the gas inlet lines.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the heating element is a metal grate having an open area in the center of the metal grates

25. The device of claim 18, wherein the object is an electric stove and the surface is a surface of a heating element on an electric stove, wherein the symbol is positioned in a center of the heating element and wherein the second end of the fiber optic cable is positioned beneath an area of the heating element.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the heating element is a serpentine electric coil having a disk in the center and wherein the symbol is positioned on the disk.

27. The device of claim 18, wherein the object is a smooth cooktop stove and the surface is a surface is of a heating element of the smooth cooktop stove, wherein the symbol is positioned in a center of the heating element and wherein the second end of the fiber optic cable is positioned beneath an area of the heating element.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the heating element is a smooth area of glass or metal on a top surface of the stove that absorbs heat from a heat source directly underneath said smooth area of glass or metal.

29. The device of claim 18, wherein the object is a smooth cooktop stove and the surface is a surface is of a heating element of the smooth cooktop stove, wherein the symbol is positioned surrounding the heating element and wherein the second end of the fiber optic cable is positioned beneath an area of the heating element.

30. The device of claim 27, wherein the heating element is a smooth area of glass or metal on a top surface of the stove that absorbs heat from a heat source directly underneath said smooth area of glass or metal.

31. The device of claim 18, wherein said device also includes a switch for turning the device on or off.

32. The device of claim 18, wherein a device indicator notifies the user whether the device is functional.

33. The device of claim 18, wherein a degree of brightness of the light source is controlled by the controller based on a setting set by a user.

34. The device of claim 18, wherein a sound producing component controlled by the controller produces a sound alarm whenever the light source is turned on.