Appliance assembly with thermal fuse and temperature sensing device assembly

• US 7,920,044 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Group Dekko Incorporated (Graham Holdings Company)
• Original Assignee: Group Dekko Incorporated (Graham Holdings Company)
• Inventors: Scheiber, Joseph J., Coverstone, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman; Anatoly
• Application Number:
  US12/121,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20080284558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 337/4, 337/6, 337/20, 337/35, 337/401, 337/186, 337/187, 337/414
• US Class Current: 337/186
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/32 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/52 related to electric heating means, e.g. temperature or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/26 Condition of the drying air, e.g. air humidity or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/26 Heating arrangements, e.g. gas heating equipment D06F58/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/74 Switches in which only the opening movement or only the closing movement of a contact is effected by heating or cooling

Abstract

An appliance assembly includes an appliance and a thermal assembly. The thermal assembly includes a housing attached to the appliance, a temperature sensing device carried by the housing and electrically coupled with the appliance, and a thermal fuse carried by the housing and electrically coupled with the appliance, the thermal assembly being a modular assembly and thereby configured for being, as a single unit, attached to and detached from the appliance.

Claims

1. An appliance assembly, comprising:

an appliance; and

a thermal assembly including;

a housing attached to said appliance, said housing including a cover, a base with a side, and a platform, said cover and said platform being mounted on only said side of said base, said platform being mounted on said side under said cover;

a temperature sensing device carried by said housing and electrically coupled with said appliance; and

a thermal fuse carried by said housing and electrically coupled with said appliance, said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse being mounted on said platform under said cover, said thermal assembly being a modular assembly and thereby configured for being, as a single unit, attached to and detached from said appliance.

2. The appliance assembly of claim 1, wherein said thermal assembly includes a plurality of electrical terminals carried by said housing, said plurality of electrical terminals coupled with said appliance.

3. The appliance assembly of claim 1, wherein said temperature sensing device is one of a thermistor, a thermostat, and a thermocouple.

4. The appliance assembly of claim 1, wherein said appliance includes a heater, said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse being mounted to said housing in close proximity relative to one another such that said thermal fuse detects heat about said temperature sensing device.

5. The appliance assembly of claim 4, wherein said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse are located within said housing.

6. The appliance assembly of claim 1, wherein said appliance is a laundry dryer.

7. The appliance assembly of claim 1, wherein said thermal assembly includes a plurality of plug electrical terminals electrically connected to said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse and carried by said housing, said plurality of plug electrical terminals being configured for being attached to and detached from said appliance.

8. A thermal assembly, comprising:

a housing configured for coupling with an appliance, said housing including a cover, a base with a side, and a platform, said cover and said platform being mounted on only said side of said base, said platform being mounted on said side under said cover;

a temperature sensing device carried by said housing and configured for electrically coupling with said appliance; and

a thermal fuse carried by said housing and configured for electrically coupling with said appliance, said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse being mounted on said platform under said cover, the thermal assembly being a modular assembly and thereby configured for being, as a single unit, attached to and detached from said appliance.

9. The thermal assembly of claim 8, further including a plurality of electrical terminals carried by said housing, said plurality of electrical terminals configured for coupling with said appliance.

10. The thermal assembly of claim 8, wherein said temperature sensing device is one of a thermistor, a thermostat, and a thermocouple.

11. The thermal assembly of claim 8, wherein said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse are mounted to said housing in close proximity relative to one another such that said thermal fuse detects heat about said temperature sensing device.

12. The thermal assembly of claim 11, wherein said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse are located within said housing.

13. A method of monitoring heat produced by a heater of an appliance, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a thermal assembly including a housing, a temperature sensing device carried by said housing, and a thermal fuse carried by said housing, said housing including a cover, a base with a side, and a platform, said cover and said platform being mounted on only said side of said base, said platform being mounted on said side under said cover, said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse being mounted on said platform under said cover;

attaching said thermal assembly, as a single unit, to the appliance;

electrically coupling said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse with the appliance;

cutting off the heat produced by the heater using said thermal assembly; and

detaching said thermal assembly, as said single unit, from the appliance, said thermal assembly being a modular assembly.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of providing a plurality of electrical terminals carried by said housing, said plurality of electrical terminals coupled with the appliance.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said temperature sensing device is one of a thermistor, a thermostat, and a thermocouple.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse are mounted to said housing in close proximity relative to one another such that said thermal fuse detects heat about said temperature sensing device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said temperature sensing device and said thermal fuse are located within said housing.