Non-food warmer appliance

• US 7,279,659 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Western Industries Incorporated (B-G Western Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gagas, John M., Stair, Daniel E. II, Zeier, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US11/216,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20060049172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 219/400
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/18 Arrangement of compartments additional to cooking compartments, e.g. for warming or for storing utensils or fuel containers; Arrangement of additional heating or cooking apparatus, e.g. grills
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 7/08 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

A non-food warmer apparatus includes an enclosure having sides, a top, and a bottom defining a chamber. A drawer structure has a support member to support objects. The drawer structure is coupled to the enclosure for movement between a retracted position to warm the objects within the chamber and an extended position external to the chamber to permit access to the objects by a user. A heating system heats the chamber and a ventilation system moves air through the chamber. A user interface includes inputs to control a temperature and a humidity within the chamber. A detection system includes sensors to detect a condition within the chamber and provide a signal. An electronic control system is coupled to the enclosure and interfaces with the heating system, the ventilation system, the user interface, and the detection system so the objects in the chamber can be maintained at a desired temperature.

Claims

1. A non-food warmer apparatus, comprising:

an enclosure defining a chamber and having an opening;

a drawer structure extendable from the chamber and movably coupled to the enclosure by guide members;

at least one support structure coupled to the drawer structure and configured to hold non-food objects within the chamber;

a heating element configured to provide heat to the chamber;

a ventilation system operable to move air within the chamber;

at least one sensor configured to provide a signal representative of a condition within the chamber;

a user interface capable of receiving an input from a user and generating an output;

an electronic control system operable to receive the signal representative of a condition within the chamber and the output from the user interface and to control operation of the heating element and the ventilation system; and

a drive system operable to move the drawer structure between positions; and

a heating element integrated with the support member to promote warming of the objects.

2. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronic control system comprises a positive temperature coefficient of resistance controller.

3. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a touch pad device having a plurality of input elements.

4. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 3 wherein the touch pad device comprises an operating technology selected from the group consisting of a piezo electric device, a capacitance device, an inductive device, a resistance device, an infrared device, a high frequency pad-less soft touch device, a pad-less touch digital encoder, a magnetic switch, a field effect device, a charge transfer device, a hall effect device, a transistor, and a micro encoder.

5. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 3 wherein the touch pad device comprises a membrane switch.

6. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 3 wherein the input elements comprise at least one preprogrammed operating functions.

7. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 3 wherein the preprogrammed operating functions include at least one of a preprogrammed time and a preprogrammed temperature stored in a microprocessor of the electronic control system and selectable by a user through one of the input elements on the user interface.

8. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user interface is operable remotely from the enclosure to permit a user to control operation of the warmer apparatus from a remote location.

9. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensing device, a humidity sensor and an infrared temperature sensing device and the condition is at least one of a temperature and a humidity in the chamber.

10. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the temperature sensing device is selected from the group consisting of a thermostat, a thermal protector, a thermal cutoff, a thermal switch, a thermocouple, a PCB thermostat, a time delay relay, a bulb and capillary device, a cold control, a bimetallic device, a pressure switch, resistance temperature detector, a snap action switch, and a thermistor.

11. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display device configured to provide information to a user.

12. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 11 wherein the display device comprises a display panel having technology selected from the group consisting of light emitting diodes, liquid crystal display, plasma, dot matrix, and vacuum fluorescent display.

13. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 11 wherein the display device is integrated with the user interface.

14. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ventilation system comprises a fan configured to circulate air within the chamber.

15. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ventilation system comprises a plurality of vent apertures in the enclosure and a variably positionable damper to regulate a flow of air through the vent apertures.

16. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a vent actuator operable to position the damper in response to a signal from the electronic control system.

17. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 16 wherein the vent actuator comprises at least one of a solenoid drive device, a screw drive device, a gear drive device, a motor driven device, a cylinder driven device, a biasing member, a bi-metal device, an electromagnetic device and an electronically actuated device.

18. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 15 wherein the vent apertures are located proximate a top of the enclosure and a fan is located proximate a bottom of the enclosure and configured to draw air into the chamber through the vent apertures.

19. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the enclosure comprises a door and the ventilation system comprises a plurality of vent apertures in the door.

20. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the door comprises an inside panel and an outside panel and the vent apertures are arranged for flow of air between the inside panel and the outside panel.

21. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support structure comprises an elongated member having a cross sectional shape selected from the group consisting of an inverted V, a Y, an X, and a U.

22. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support structure comprises a plurality of perforations.

23. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support structure comprises at least one of a pan and a rack.

24. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user interface is rotatably coupled to the enclosure for movement between a use position and a concealed position.

25. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a remote control device.

26. The non-food wanner apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a door pivotally coupled to the enclosure that when opened permits extension of the drawer structure.

27. A non-food warmer apparatus, comprising:

an enclosure defining a chamber and having an opening;

a drawer structure extendable from the chamber and movably coupled to the enclosure by guide members;

at least one support structure coupled to the drawer structure and configured to hold non-food objects within the chamber;

a heating element configured to provide heat to the chamber;

a ventilation system operable to move air within the chamber;

at least one sensor configured to provide a signal representative of a condition within the chamber;

a user interface capable of receiving an input from a user and generating an output;

an electronic control system operable to receive the signal representative of a condition within the chamber and the output from the user interface and to control operation of the heating element and the ventilation system;

a drive system operable to move the drawer structure between positions; and

a door capable of sliding into the enclosure.

28. An electronically controlled non-food warmer apparatus, comprising:

an enclosure having sides and a top and a bottom defining a chamber;

a drawer structure having at least one support member to support objects thereon, the drawer structure coupled to the enclosure for movement between a retracted position to warm the objects within the chamber and an extended position at least partially external to the chamber to permit access to the objects by a user;

a heating system operable to heat the chamber;

a ventilation system operable to move air through the chamber;

a user interface having a plurality of inputs configured to control at least one of a temperature and a humidity within the chamber;

a detection system configured to detect a condition within the chamber and provide a signal representative of the condition; and

an electronic control system coupled to the enclosure and interfacing with the heating system and the ventilation system and the user interface and the display device so the objects in the chamber can be maintained at a desired temperature;

wherein the heating system includes a heating element integral with the support member.

29. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 28 further comprising a drive system operable to position the drawer structure within a travel range between the retracted position and the extended position.

30. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 29 wherein the drive system comprises a screw drive system.

31. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 30 wherein the electronic control system interfaces with sensors that detect a stop point and transmit a control signal to the drive system.

32. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 28 further comprising a container communicating with the chamber and configured to receive an aromatic material capable of imparting a scent to the objects.

33. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 28 further comprising a mobile pedestal coupled to the enclosure.

34. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 28 wherein the ventilation system comprises a variable speed fan controlled by the electronic control system and operable to move air within the chamber.

35. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 28 wherein the ventilation system comprises apertures formed in at least one of the sides, the top and the bottom, and a damper device operable to increase ventilation in the chamber by uncovering the apertures and operable to decrease ventilation in the chamber by covering the apertures.

36. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 35 wherein the apertures are formed in the top and the heating system comprises at least one heating element positioned adjacent to the apertures.

37. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 28 wherein the heating element comprises a ceramic heating device.

38. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 28 wherein the electronic control system comprises at least one preprogrammed temperature set point and at least one time duration for selection on the user interface by a user.

39. The non-food warmer apparatus of claim 28 wherein the detection system comprises at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and an infrared temperature sensor.