COMPACT SPIRAL-THROUGHFLOW HEATING UNIT WHICH CAN OPERATE AT HIGH PRESSURES
First Claim
1. A spiral continuous-flow heater unit for electrical appliances for preparing hot beverages, comprising:
- a tubular support having at least one thick-film electrical heating conductor structure on an outer side thereof and an outwardly facing flange at each of a first and a second end of the tubular support;
a core element inside the tubular support the core element having at least one helically extending web on an external surface thereof, wherein two adjacent web edges of the helically extending web and the external surface of the core element together form a flow channel that is substantially sealingly closed off in the outward direction with respect to a flow duct by an inner side of the tubular support; and
a first and a second end member each having a connector port which communicates with the flow duct the end members each connected at a respective one of the first and second ends of the tubular support to the core element, and wherein at least one of the end members and the core element engage each other by at least one snap-fit connection and are configured to exert sufficient contact pressure on a seal arranged between the tubular support and the end member to ensure that the seal is water-tight and vapor-tight.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A spiral continuous-flow heater unit for electrical appliances for preparing hot beverages including a tubular support having at least one thick-film electrical heating conductor structure on an outer side thereof; a core element within the tubular support having at least one helically extending web on an external surface thereof, wherein two adjacent web edges of the web and the external surface of the core element together form a flow channel that is substantially sealingly closed off in the outward direction with respect to a flow duct by an inner side of the tubular support; and a first and a second end member each having a connector port which communicates with the flow duct, wherein each of the end members is fixedly connected to the core element at their a respective end of the tubular support to form a water-tight and vapor-tight seal between at least the tubular support and end members.
13 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A spiral continuous-flow heater unit for electrical appliances for preparing hot beverages, comprising:
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a tubular support having at least one thick-film electrical heating conductor structure on an outer side thereof and an outwardly facing flange at each of a first and a second end of the tubular support; a core element inside the tubular support the core element having at least one helically extending web on an external surface thereof, wherein two adjacent web edges of the helically extending web and the external surface of the core element together form a flow channel that is substantially sealingly closed off in the outward direction with respect to a flow duct by an inner side of the tubular support; and a first and a second end member each having a connector port which communicates with the flow duct the end members each connected at a respective one of the first and second ends of the tubular support to the core element, and wherein at least one of the end members and the core element engage each other by at least one snap-fit connection and are configured to exert sufficient contact pressure on a seal arranged between the tubular support and the end member to ensure that the seal is water-tight and vapor-tight. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A heating system module, comprising:
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a hydraulic line comprising a flow meter; a pump; a steam pressure valve; and a spiral continuous-flow heater unit, the pump disposed substantially parallel to the spiral continuous-flow heater unit by fixing elements provided on end members of the spiral continuous-flow heater unit, and the flow meter and the steam pressure valve arc each disposed in the region of one of the end members of the spiral continuous-flow heater unit. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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22. A heating system module, comprising:
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a hydraulic line comprising a flow meter; a pump; a steam pressure valve; and a spiral continuous-flow heater unit, wherein the flow meter, the pump, the steam pressure valve and the spiral continuous-flow heater unit fixedly connected to a common support element via respective fixing elements, and wherein the pump is disposed substantially parallel to the heater unit, and the flow meter and the steam pressure valve are each disposed in the region of one of end members of the heater unit.
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Specification