Electronically Controlled Warmer Drawer

• US 20080173631A1
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Industries Incorporated (B-G Western Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Western Industries Incorporated (B-G Western Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gagas, John M., Jonvic, Scott A., Hochschild, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,058,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/400
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3445 in a controlled atmosphere comprising other gases in addition to CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2483 with electrical heating means
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 11/00 Connecting or disconnecting metal parts or objects by metal-working techniques not otherwise provided for connecting sheet metal or metal tubes, rods or profiles B21D39/00; riveting B21J; soldering, unsoldering, welding B23K; hand tools for connecting wire or strip B25B25/00; connecting metal parts by adhesives F16B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/18 Arrangement of compartments additional to cooking compartments, e.g. for warming or for storing utensils or fuel containers; Arrangement of additional heating or cooking apparatus, e.g. grills
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/087 of electric circuits regulating heat
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0071 for domestic applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An electronically controlled warmer drawer that supports a plurality of products, e.g., towels, in a drawer that is attached to a housing is disclosed. The housing includes a plurality of flow paths constructed to facilitate the passage of a heated gas flow through the cavity defined by the drawer. The drawer further includes a plurality of brackets constructed to support the articles to be heated along with a user interface, vents, blower fan, electrical heating element and two internal chambers. The system is controlled by way of the user interface on the front of the housing that interacts with an electronic control system to operate the heating element and fan. A sensor sends signals to the electronic control system to regulate the heating element and fan.

Claims

1. A warmer drawer comprising:

a housing having a cavity;

a drawer assembly slidably connected to the housing, wherein the drawer assembly is sized to fit within the cavity;

a door connected to the drawer assembly;

a heating element located in the cavity;

a fan for moving heated air within the cavity;

electronic controls for operating the fan and the heating element; and

a sensor in communication with the electronic controls for controlling the current supplied to the heating element.

2. A warmer drawer according to claim 1, wherein the cavity comprises an upper chamber and a lower chamber.

3. A warmer drawer according to claim 2, wherein the fan is located within the upper chamber and moves air from the upper chamber to the lower chamber.

4. A warmer drawer according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a positive temperature coefficient sensor.

5. A warmer drawer according to claim 1, further comprising a second heating element located within the cavity.

6. A warmer drawer according to claim 1, further comprising a front panel, wherein there is a seal between the door and the front panel.

7. A warmer drawer according to claim 1, wherein the controls include at least one of the following programmable settings:

set points, timers, temperatures, on/off settings.

8. A warmer drawer according to claim 1, further comprising at least one towel bar attached to the drawer assembly.

9. A warmer drawer according to claim 8, wherein the at least one towel bar has a cross section that is generally V-shaped.

10. The warmer of claim 1, further comprising an electronic control panel located on the housing.

11. A warmer drawer comprising:

a housing having a frame, a top, two side walls, and a back wall that combine to form a cavity within the housing;

a partition within the cavity that divides the cavity into an upper chamber and a lower chamber;

a heat source located in the upper chamber;

a fan located in the cavity for moving heated air from the upper chamber to the lower chamber;

a drawer assembly slidably connected to the housing, wherein the drawer assembly is sized to fit within the lower chamber; and

controls for operating the fan and the heating element.

12. A warmer drawer according to claim 11, farther comprising a back plate having a plurality of apertures, wherein the back plate is positioned within the cavity so as to form a space between the back wall and the back plate, and wherein the fan forces the air into the space, through the apertures, and into the lower chamber.

13. A warmer drawer according to claim 11, further comprising two slide assemblies to move the drawer assembly between a retracted position and an extended position.

14. A warmer drawer according to claim 13, further comprising a friction lock closure to secure the drawer assembly within the cavity when the drawer assembly is in the retracted position.

15. A warmer drawer according to claim 11, wherein each of the brackets has a cross section that is generally V-shaped.

16. A warmer drawer according to claim 11, further comprising an electronic control panel attached to the housing.

17. A warmer constructed to heat a plurality of cloth articles, the warmer comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of flow paths within the housing to facilitate passage of a heated air flow through a cavity defined by the housing;

an electrical heater to heat the air;

a blower to circulate the air through the cavity;

a drawer that opens and includes a plurality of brackets constructed to support the articles to be heated within the cavity;

electronic controls for operating the fan and the heating element; and

a control panel attached to a front portion of the housing and configured to allow a user to select the desired heating parameters, wherein the control panel is in communication with the electronic controls.

18. A warmer according to claim 17, further comprising a second electrical heater.

19. A warmer according to claim 17, wherein the drawer is slidably connected to the housing.

20. A warmer according to claim 17, wherein the electronic controls are coupled with a timer system that resets the electronic controls to a default setting in the case of a malfunction of the electronic controls.