Heating plate assembly for a cooking appliance

• US 20040094533A1
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Engineering Glass Products, LLC
• Original Assignee: Engineered Glass Products LLC
• Inventors: Gerhardinger, Peter F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,041,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/465.1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/68 Heating arrangements specially adapted for cooking plates or analogous hot-plates

Abstract

A heating assembly is provided for heating objects, for example, food items, that comprises a substrate attached to an insulating frame, which may optionally be attached to a metal pan. The complete assembly is attached to a cooking appliance. The substrate may take the form of a glass disk, for example, tempered soda-lime silica glass, having a conductive coating disposed on one of its surfaces. Conductive metal bus bars, for example, sprayed copper, are disposed onto and in electrical contact with the coating. A temperature sensor may be placed in thermal contact with the heating assembly. As a result, the temperature sensor would allow a cooking appliance to control the electric current being conducted through the heating assembly and, consequently, the temperature of the object being heated.

Claims

1. A heating assembly, comprising:

a pan;

an insulating frame, wherein the pan is attached to the insulating frame;

a substrate having a major surface and a conductive coating disposed thereon, wherein the substrate is attached to the insulating frame; and

at least two bus bars, the bus bars being disposed onto and in electrical contact with the coating.

2. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulating frame comprises a ring.

3. The heating assembly of claim 2, wherein the pan comprises metal.

4. The heating assembly of claim 3, wherein the pan is attached to a cooktop.

5. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulating frame comprises a high temperature dielectric material.

6. A warming device comprising the heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate is comprised of borosilicate glass or tempered soda-lime silica glass.

7. A warming drawer comprising the warming device of claim 6.

8. A bread warmer comprising the warming device of claim 6.

9. A heating device comprising the heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate is comprised of a ceramic or glass-ceramic composite.

10. A cooktop comprising the heating device of claim 9.

11. The cooktop of claim 10, wherein the pan is attached to the cooktop and the cooktop is spaced apart from the substrate by a dimension in the range of 8 to 12 mm.

12. A countertop burner comprising the heating device of claim 9.

13. The heating assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one temperature sensor in thermal contact with the substrate or cooking surface.

14. The heating assembly of claim 13, further comprising an appliance control system that communicates with the temperature sensor to regulate the electrical current that is conducted through the coating, thus controlling the heating of the heating assembly.

15. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the conductive coating comprises a conductive metal oxide.

16. The heating assembly of claim 1, wherein the bus bars comprise copper disposed by way of a heating head and mask apparatus.

17. A cooking appliance, comprising:

a cooktop;

a metal pan, wherein the metal pan is attached to the cooktop;

an insulating ring, wherein the insulating frame is attached to the pan;

a substrate having a major surface and a conductive coating disposed thereon, wherein the substrate is attached to the insulating ring; and

at least two bus bars, the bus bars being disposed onto and in electrical contact with the coating.