MULTI-ZONE HEATING SYSTEM

• US 20110198339A1
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pedigo Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Enthermics Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Hansen, William J., Smith, Terence T., Van Essen, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 8,581,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/406
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/04 Roasting apparatus with movably-mounted food supports or with movable heating implements; Spits
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/006 for either storing and preparing or for preparing food on serving trays, e.g. heating, thawing, preserving
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/06 Arrangement or mounting of electric heating elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A heating system is disclosed including a cabinet, at least one heating pad subassembly, and a plurality of couplings. The cabinet has walls defining an interior heating chamber. The heating pad subassembly is disposed on an exterior surface of the walls of the cabinet and includes a heating element and a plurality of openings formed there through. The plurality of couplings includes a plurality of coupling first portions disposed on the exterior surface of the walls and a plurality of coupling second portions coupled to the plurality of coupling first portions. At least a portion of the plurality of couplings extend through the plurality of openings in the heating pad subassembly, thereby coupling the heating pad subassembly to the cabinet.

Claims

1. A heating system comprising:

a cabinet having walls defining an interior heating chamber;

a heating pad subassembly disposed on an exterior surface of the walls of the cabinet, the heating pad subassembly including a heating element and a plurality of openings formed through the heating pad subassembly; and

a plurality of couplings including;

a plurality of coupling first portions disposed on the exterior surface of the walls; and

a plurality of coupling second portions coupled to the plurality of coupling first portions;

wherein, at least a portion of the plurality of couplings extend through the plurality of openings thereby coupling the heating pad subassembly to the cabinet.

2. The heating system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor attached to an exterior surface of the walls.

3. The heating system of claim 2, wherein the heating pad subassembly further includes a sensor aperture formed there through, the sensor aperture being adapted to receive the sensor such that, when the heating pad subassembly is placed over the sensor, the sensor is accessible from a back side of the heating pad subassembly.

4. The heating system of claim 3, wherein the sensor aperture is centrally disposed on the heating pad subassembly.

5. The heating system of claim 3, wherein the sensor is attached to the exterior side of the walls via a bracket and wherein the sensor aperture formed through the heating pad subassembly is sized to match the bracket.

6. The heating system of claim 2, wherein there are a plurality of heating pad subassemblies and a plurality of corresponding sensors, the heating system further comprising a controller in electrical communication with the heating elements and the sensors, the controller being configured to independently monitor temperature measurements from each of the sensors and further being configured to independently control each of the heating elements.

7. The heating system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coupling first portions are pins and the plurality of coupling second portions are retaining clips.

8. The heating system of claim 1, wherein the pins are welded to the walls.

9. The heating system of claim 1, further comprising insulation, wherein the plurality of couplings also extend through the insulation thereby also coupling the insulation to the cabinet.

10. The heating system of claim 9, wherein the heating pad subassembly is sandwiched between the exterior surface of the walls of the cabinet and the insulation.

11. The heating system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of coupling second portions engage an outwardly facing surface of the insulation.

12. The heating system of claim 9, wherein the insulation is a rigid fiberglass insulation.

13. The heating system of claim 1, wherein the heating element is electrically resistive.

14. The heating system of claim 1, wherein the heating pad subassembly is a silicone heated pad.

15. A method of making a heating system, the method comprising:

providing a cabinet having walls defining an interior heating chamber;

attaching a plurality of coupling first portions on the exterior surface of the walls;

placing a heating pad subassembly on an exterior surface of the walls of the cabinet, the heating pad subassembly including a heating element and a plurality of openings formed through the heating pad subassembly;

coupling a plurality of coupling second portions to the plurality of coupling first portions to form a plurality of couplings;

wherein, at least a portion of the plurality of couplings extend through the plurality of openings thereby coupling the heating pad subassembly to the cabinet.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of placing insulation on the heating pad subassembly before coupling a plurality of coupling second portions to the plurality of coupling first portions.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of attaching a sensor to an exterior surface of the walls and wherein the heating pad subassembly further includes a sensor aperture formed there through, the sensor aperture being adapted to receive the sensor such that, when the heating pad subassembly is placed over the sensor, the sensor is accessible from a back side of the heating pad subassembly.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein there are a plurality of heating pad subassemblies and a plurality of corresponding sensors, the method further comprising the step of placing a controller in electrical communication with the heating elements and the sensors, the controller being configured to independently monitor temperature measurements from each of the sensors and further being configured to independently control each of the heating elements.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of coupling first portions are pins and the plurality of coupling second portions are retaining clips and further comprising the step of welding the pins to the walls.