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Heating unit for therapeutic moist heat packs

  • US 5,977,520 A
  • Filed: 08/19/1997
  • Issued: 11/02/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A moist heat unit for heating water in which therapeutic moist heat packs are immersed to a temperature within a range of 150°

  • F. to 180°

    F. and maintaining water at such temperature comprising;

    a stainless steel tank for receiving water having interconnected tank sidewalls defining an internal tank chamber with an open end, a substantially flat tank bottom wall extending between said tank sidewalls across said tank chamber in spaced relation to said open end, said tank sidewalls and bottom wall being formed of stainless steel within a range of from 16 to 22 gauge and being dimensioned to form an internal tank chamber having a depth from said open end to said tank bottom wall within a range of from 11 to 30 inches,a heat insulating jacket surrounding said stainless steel tank having interconnected jacket sidewalls defining an internal jacket chamber with an open end, a jacket bottom wall extending between said jacket sidewalls across said jacket chamber in spaced relation to the open end of said jacket chamber, said jacket sidewalls and bottom wall being formed of a stainless steel inner layer dimensioned to be spaced from the bottom wall and the sidewalls of said stainless steel tank and an outer layer of insulating material bonded to said stainless steel inner layer,mounting means mounting and securing said stainless steel tank in said jacket chamber with the open end of said tank chamber adjacent to the open end of said jacket chamber, said mounting means mounting said stainless steel tank relative to the stainless steel layer of said heat insulating jacket to provide a continuous, stainless steel lined space between said tank sidewalls and bottom wall and said insulating jacket,a lid of heat insulating material mounted to close the open end of said tank chamber,and heating means for heating water in said tank by directly providing heat only to said tank bottom wall, said heating means including one or more silicone rubber electric resistance heaters bonded directly to said stainless steel tank bottom wall by a 100% silicone rubber adhesive and housed in the space between said tank bottom wall and the stainless steel layer of said jacket bottom wall, said one or more silicone rubber electric resistance heaters having a total operative wattage in relation to the area of the tank bottom wall sufficient to provide no more than a maximum wattage within a range of from ten to fifteen watts per square inch to said tank bottom wall to prevent delamination of the silicone rubber resistance heater or heaters from the tank bottom wall when the tank is devoid of water and to heat and maintain water in the tank to and within a range of 150°

    F. to 180°

    F.

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