Immersion heating element with electric resistance heating material and polymeric layer disposed thereon
First Claim
1. An electrical resistance heating device for heating a fluid medium comprising:
- an electrically conductive, resistance heating member having a pair of free ends joined to a pair of terminal end portions, said resistance heating member being fully supported by and encapsulated within an integral layer of an electrically insulating, thermally conductive, injection molded, polymeric material whereby said polymeric material is in direct contact with said fluid medium, and will not melt when heating said fluid medium.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Polymeric heating elements and water heaters containing these elements are provided by this invention which utilize polymeric materials in contact with electric resistance heating materials and in contact with fluid to be heated. These polymeric materials also provide a substantially self-supporting structure for the resistance heating material. The heating elements include an electrically conductive resistance material capable of heating fluid when energized. The winding is insulated and protected by a polymer layer integrally disposed over the resistance material. The elements are lightweight, inexpensive to produce and use, and minimize galvanic corrosion and lime depositing without sacrificing heating capacity.
-
Citations
35 Claims
-
1. An electrical resistance heating device for heating a fluid medium comprising:
an electrically conductive, resistance heating member having a pair of free ends joined to a pair of terminal end portions, said resistance heating member being fully supported by and encapsulated within an integral layer of an electrically insulating, thermally conductive, injection molded, polymeric material whereby said polymeric material is in direct contact with said fluid medium, and will not melt when heating said fluid medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
8. A water heater comprising:
-
a tank for containing water; and a heating element attached through a wall of said tank for providing electric resistance heating to a portion of the water in said storage tank, said heating element comprising an electrically conductive, resistance heating material capable of heating said portion of water when energized, and a polymeric hermetic material in contact with said resistance heating material and in contact with said water and electrically insulating said resistance heating material from said water, said polymeric hermetic material comprising a self supporting structure with said resistance heating material and effectively transferring heat generated by said resistance heating material to said water to raise the temperature of said water to at least 120°
F. without melting. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An electrical resistance heating element capable of being disposed through a wall of a tank for use in connection with heating a fluid medium, such as air or water, comprising:
-
a polymeric inner core comprising a tubular first end portion having an end opening therein, a cavity disposed proximally from said end opening and a flanged second end poriton; a helical coil of a folded resistance wire having a pair of free end portions wound onto and self-supported by said polymeric under core to extend into said fluid medium along said tubular first end portion; and a polymeric coating in contact with said fluid and disposed over said helical coil to hermetically encapsulate said coil onto said polymeric inner core. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. An electrical resistance heating element capable of being disposed through a wall of a tank for heating a fluid comprising:
an electrically conductive, resistance heating material having a pair of free ends joined to a pair of terminal end portions, said resistance heating material being hermetically insulated and encapsulated within a self-supporting polymeric material which is in contact with the fluid to be heated, said resistance heating material providing resistance heating through said polymeric material sufficient to generate at least about 1000 W to heat a quantity of said fluid to a temperature of at least about 120°
F. without melting said polymeric material.- View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
33. A method of resistance heating a fluid medium, comprising:
-
(a) providing an electrical resistance heating element containing an electrically conductive resistance heating material capable of heating said fluid medium when energized, and a polymeric material integrally encapsulating and self-supporting said resistance heating material to enable said resistance heating material to extend into and be substantially surrounded by said fluid medium; (b) immersing said heating element through a wall of a tank and into said fluid medium, whereby said fluid medium comes in direct contact with said polymeric material to maintain said polymeric material below its melting point while absorbing heat generated by said resistance heating material which has been transferred through said polymeric material. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
-
Specification