Electrical high current industrial oven or fryer compression connection
First Claim
1. An industrial heating device including:
- a heating chamber;
a conductive strip connected to a power input terminal;
electrical heating element means operatively connected to said chamber for heating said chamber, said electrical heating element means having an electrical terminal directly contacting said conductive strip; and
connection forming means mechanically coupled to said strip and said heating element terminal for forming an electrical compression connection between said conductive strip and said heating element electrical terminal and for enhancing the flow of electrical current between said conductive strip and said contacting electrical terminal,said connection forming means including;
a first annular compression washer means disposed in contact with said electrical terminal,a second annular compression washer means disposed in contact with said strip, said strip and said electrical terminal contacting one another and being disposed between said first and second annular washers means, andfastener means for biasing said first and second washers means together, said first and second washer means for creating an annular electrically conductive compression contact area between said strip and said contacting electrical terminal, substantially all of said electrical current flowing between said conductive strip and said contacting electrical terminal through said annular electrically conductive compression contact area.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Industrial electric ovens and fryers of the type used for cooking precooked foods such as meats prior to packaging of the food draw high currents which tend to melt internal electrical connections. An industrial heating device includes compression-type electrical connections which reliably carry high currents and are capable of withstanding high voltage levels without breaking down. Compression-type electrical connections are used instead of the screw-type connections of the prior art to insure that all electrical connections have reliable, relatively large current-carrying cross-sectional contact areas. The electrical connection matrix of the resulting industrial heating device has increased current-carrying capacity and is much more reliable and resistant to electrical failure.
14 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An industrial heating device including:
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a heating chamber; a conductive strip connected to a power input terminal; electrical heating element means operatively connected to said chamber for heating said chamber, said electrical heating element means having an electrical terminal directly contacting said conductive strip; and connection forming means mechanically coupled to said strip and said heating element terminal for forming an electrical compression connection between said conductive strip and said heating element electrical terminal and for enhancing the flow of electrical current between said conductive strip and said contacting electrical terminal, said connection forming means including; a first annular compression washer means disposed in contact with said electrical terminal, a second annular compression washer means disposed in contact with said strip, said strip and said electrical terminal contacting one another and being disposed between said first and second annular washers means, and fastener means for biasing said first and second washers means together, said first and second washer means for creating an annular electrically conductive compression contact area between said strip and said contacting electrical terminal, substantially all of said electrical current flowing between said conductive strip and said contacting electrical terminal through said annular electrically conductive compression contact area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An industrial heating device including:
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a heating chamber; a conductive strip connected to a power input terminal; electrical heating element means operatively connected to said chamber for heating said chamber, said electrical heating element means terminating in an electrical terminal, said electrical terminal directly contacting said conductive strip; and connection forming means mechanically coupled to said strip and said heating element electrical terminal for providing an electrical current pathway between said conductive strip and said heating element electrical terminal, wherein; said heating element electrical terminal including an integral press-formed contact portion defining a substantially planar first contact surface; said strip terminating in a further press-formed contact portion defining a substantially planar further contact surface in direct contact under compression with said first contact surface; and said connection forming means including an exothermic weld maintaining said compression contact between said first and further contact surfaces such that substantially all electrical current flowing between said conductive strip and said heating element electrical terminal flows directly between said first contact surface and said further contact surface. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. In an industrial oven of a type including a heating chamber and a matrix of heating elements operatively connected thereto for heating said chamber, said matrix including:
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a power input terminal connected to at least one phase of a multi-phase external power source; a conductive strip connected to said power input terminal, said strip defining plural holes therethrough; plural tubular electrical heating elements connected to said conductive strip, each heating element at least partially disposed within said chamber, each heating element including a cylindrical post terminating in a substantially planar electrical terminal pad integrally formed with said cylindrical post, said terminal pad directly contacting said conductive strip, said pad including means defining a hole therethrough aligned in registry with an associated one of said conductive strip plural holes; and plural electrical connection forming means mechanically coupled to said electrical terminal pads and said conductive strip for forming electrical current pathways between said conductive strip and said corresponding plural electrical terminal pads, each said plural electrical connection forming means including; a first non-planar compression washer disposed in contact with said heating element electrical terminal pad, said first washer having a hole therethrough, said first washer hole aligned with said electrical terminal pad hole, a second non-planar compression washer disposed on said conductive strip, said second washer having a hole therethrough, said second washer hole aligned with one of said holes in said conductive strip, and a rivet having first and second heads connected together by a center body portion, said body portion disposed through said aligned first washer hole, said electrical terminal pad hole, said conductive strip hole and said second washer hole, said rivet exerting compression forces forming an annular electrical contact compression region at the contact between said heating element electrical terminal pad and said conductive strip, said first and second non-planar washers insuring that the compression forces exerted by said rivet heads are distributed evenly to establish said annular electrical contact region, substantially all electrical current flowing between said terminal pad and said conductive strip flowing through said annular contact region directly between said terminal pad and said conductive strip, substantially none of said electrical current flowing between said terminal pad and said conductive strip flowing through said rivet center body portion.
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9. An industrial oven including:
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means defining a heating chamber for cooking food; and a heating element matrix for heating said chamber, said matrix including; an electrically conductive power input terminal, plural electrical heating elements operatively connected to said chamber, each heating element having at least one electrical terminal, plural substantially planar electrically conductive strip conductor means connecting said heater element electrical terminals to said power input terminal, each strip conductor means connecting a single associated heater element terminal to said power input terminal, said plural strip conductor means being arranged in a stack and directly contacting adjacent ones of said plural strip conductor means in said stack, and clamping means for forming electrically conductive compression regions between contacting strip conductor means adjacent in said stack and for forming a further compression region between said power input terminal and at least one of said strip conductor means, substantially all electrical current flowing between said power input terminal and said plural heating elements flowing through said compression regions. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16)
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15. An industrial oven including:
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means defining a heating chamber; a housing having first and second wall portions defining a slot therebetween; and a heating element matrix for heating said chamber, said matrix including; a power input terminal; plural electrical heating elements operatively connected to said chamber, each heating element having at least one electrical terminal, plural strip conductor means connecting said heater element electrical terminals to said power input terminal, each strip conductor means connecting a single associated heater element terminal to said power input terminal, said plural strip conductor means being arranged in a stack, further plural strip conductor means being arranged in a further stack, said first-mentioned and further stacks being disposed in said slot; and clamping means for forming compression connections between strip conductor means adjacent in said stack and for forming a compression connection between said power input terminal and at least one of said strip conductor means, said clamping means also forming compression connections between adjacent strip conductor means in said further stack and forming a compression connection between said power input terminal and at least one of said strip conductor means of said further stack, said clamping means including; a first conductive plate defining a shoulder portion disposed in said slot between said first-mentioned and further stacks and engaged with said housing first wall portion; a second conductive plate defining a shoulder portion disposed in said slot between said first-mentioned and further stacks and engaged with said housing second wall portion; and biasing means connected to said first and second plates for forming electrical compression connections between said first plate and said first-mentioned and further stacks.
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17. In an industrial oven of a type including a heating chamber and a matrix of heating elements operatively connected thereto for heating said chamber, said matrix including:
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a power input terminal connected to at least one phase of a multi-phase external power source; a conductive strip connected to said power input terminal, said strip defining a hole therethrough; a tubular electrical heating element connected to said conductive strip, said heating element at least partially disposed within said chamber, said heating element including a cylindrical post terminating in a substantially planar electrical terminal pad integrally formed with said cylindrical post, said terminal pad directly contacting said conductive strip, said pad including means defining a hole therethrough aligned in registry with said conductive strip hole; and electrical connection forming/maintaining means mechanically coupled to said electrical terminal pad and said conductive strip for providing a reliable path for enhancing the flow of electrical current directly between said conductive strip and said electrical terminal pad and for preventing arcing and oxidation from occurring along said path between said conductive strip and said terminal pad, said electrical connection forming/maintaining means including; a first non-planar compression washer disposed in contact with said heating element electrical terminal pad, said first washer having a hole therethrough, said first washer hole aligned with said electrical terminal pad hole, a second non-planar compression washer disposed on said conductive strip, said second washer having hole therethrough, said second washer hole aligned with said hole in said conductive strip, and a fastener having first and second heads connected together by a center body portion, said body portion disposed through said aligned first washer hole, said electrical terminal pad hole, said conductive strip hole and said second washer hole, said fastener in combination with said first and second non-planar washers exerting an evenly distributed compression force biasing said heating element electrical terminal pad towards said conductive strip, said compression force forming an annular electrical contact compression region at the contact between said heating element electrical terminal pad and said conductive strip, said first and second non-planar washers distributing the compression force exerted by said first and second fastener heads evenly to establish said annular electrical contact region surrounding said fastener body but spaced away from and concentric with said fastener body.
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Specification