Device for heating to consumption temperature a liquid commestible product sealed in a disposable container
First Claim
1. Device for heating to consumption temperature a liquid commestible product while the latter is sealed in a disposable shaped container having a heat-conductive wall portion, comprising:
- (i) a normally open electric switch,(ii) a yieldably supported heating plate having a heating face and a PTC heating resistor energizable via said switch,(iii) a spring-biased presser member formed with a container-receiving seat located above said heating face, said member being manually depressable against the action of its bias spring from a loading position spaced above said face to a working position to bring said wall portion of the container into forced pressure-engagement with the heating face,(iv) the said normally open electric switch being closable by displacement of the presser member to said working position,(v) a fixed electromagnet unit energizable by closure of the switch and a movable armature for said electromagnet unit carried by the presser member in a mutual relation such that the presser member is kept in its working position by the electromagnet unit when the latter is energized,(vi) an electric control circuit controlling heating current supply to the PTC resistor from said switch when the latter is in closed condition, said control circuit comprising circuit means sensitive to the instantaneous resistance value of the PTC resistor in energized condition thereby to interrupt the said heating current supply each time the temperature of the resistor rises to a predetermined maxim value and to restore said current after a fraction of the total heating time,(vii) and a timer circuit triggerable by the closure of said switch, determining the total heating time and arranged to open said switch at the elapse of the total heating time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A presser member, into which the container is loaded, is manually depressable against the action of its return spring into pressure-contact engagement of the container with an electric heating plate containing a PTC heating resistor. The depression stroke produces closure of a switch to energize both the PTC resistor and an electromagnet keeping the presser member in its depressed condition. A timer circuit opens the switch at the elapse of a prealably experimentally determined heating time during which the liquid reaches its consumption temperature, whereby heating is terminated and the return spring lifts the pressure member with the container to unloading position. The heating process comprises a fast initial heating period until the PTC resistor temperature reaches a predetermined maximum value, and the consumption temperature of the liquid is reached by intermittently energizing the PTC resistor at short intervals (fraction of a second) in a high-temperature range directly adjacent said maximum value without exceeding the latter.
29 Citations
13 Claims
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1. Device for heating to consumption temperature a liquid commestible product while the latter is sealed in a disposable shaped container having a heat-conductive wall portion, comprising:
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(i) a normally open electric switch, (ii) a yieldably supported heating plate having a heating face and a PTC heating resistor energizable via said switch, (iii) a spring-biased presser member formed with a container-receiving seat located above said heating face, said member being manually depressable against the action of its bias spring from a loading position spaced above said face to a working position to bring said wall portion of the container into forced pressure-engagement with the heating face, (iv) the said normally open electric switch being closable by displacement of the presser member to said working position, (v) a fixed electromagnet unit energizable by closure of the switch and a movable armature for said electromagnet unit carried by the presser member in a mutual relation such that the presser member is kept in its working position by the electromagnet unit when the latter is energized, (vi) an electric control circuit controlling heating current supply to the PTC resistor from said switch when the latter is in closed condition, said control circuit comprising circuit means sensitive to the instantaneous resistance value of the PTC resistor in energized condition thereby to interrupt the said heating current supply each time the temperature of the resistor rises to a predetermined maxim value and to restore said current after a fraction of the total heating time, (vii) and a timer circuit triggerable by the closure of said switch, determining the total heating time and arranged to open said switch at the elapse of the total heating time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification