Claims
- 1. An infant incubator heater assembly comprising:a mounting plate adapted for attachment to a base of an incubator; a heat radiator having a plurality of radially extending fins; and a cartridge heater extending through said heat radiator in heat transfer relationship with said heat radiator the heat radiator being held on the cartridge heater by gravity without the presence of a bushing therebetween.
- 2. The infant incubator heater assembly of claim 1 comprising a sensing element in contact with at least a portion of the heat radiator and wherein the sensing element is separate from the cartridge heater.
- 3. The infant incubator heater assembly of claim 2, in which the cartridge heater element is elongated with a proximal end and a distal end, the plurality of fins being spaced along the cartridge heater, the sensing element extending longitudinally alongside the cartridge heater to contact the fins.
- 4. The infant incubator heater assembly of claim 3, wherein the sensing element is a primary temperature sensor associated with the cartridge heater and further comprising a separate temperature-sensing element in contact with at least a portion of the fins; and a control system associated with the assembly which is responsive to the primary sensor and the separate sensing element.
- 5. The heater assembly of claim 4, in which the primary temperature sensor is associated with the distal end of the cartridge heater and the separate temperature-sensing element is elongated and spaced apart from the heater element to contact the fins.
- 6. The heater assembly of claim 5, in which the separate sensing element is an elongated metallic rod having a proximal end and a distal end, and a heat sensor at the proximal end of the metallic rod to establish the temperature of the fins in contact with the rod.
- 7. The heater assembly of claim 6, in which the fins are provided with aligned openings for receiving the rod.
- 8. An incubator heater assembly comprising:a compartment; a heater assembly positioned in said compartment and having: (a) a mounting plate adapted for attachment to a wall of said compartment, (b) a heat radiator and having a plurality of radially extending fins, and (c) a cartridge heater extending through said heat radiator in heat transfer relationship with said heat radiator, the heat radiator being held on the cartridge heater by gravity without the presence of a bushing therebetween; a fan for forcing air into said compartment for passage of said air past said fins of said heat radiator; and means for supplying power to said cartridge heater.
- 9. The incubator heater assembly of claim 8 comprising a sensing element in contact with at least a portion of the heat radiator and wherein the sensing element is separate from the cartridge heater.
- 10. The infant incubator heater assembly of claim 9, in which the cartridge heater element is elongated with a proximal end and a distal end, the plurality of fins being spaced along the cartridge heater, the sensing element extending longitudinally alongside the cartridge heater to contact the fins.
- 11. The infant incubator heater assembly of claim 10 wherein the sensing element is a primary temperature sensor associated with the cartridge heater and further comprising a separate temperature-sensing element in contact with at least a portion of the fins; and a control system associated with the assembly which is responsive to the primary sensor and the separate sensing element.
- 12. The heater assembly of claim 11, in which the primary temperature sensor is associated with the distal end of the cartridge heater and the separate temperature-sensing element is elongated and spaced apart from the heater element to contact the fins.
- 13. The heater assembly of claim 12, in which the separate sensing element is an elongated metallic rod having a proximal end and a distal end, and a heat sensor at the proximal end of the metallic rod to establish the temperature of the fins in contact with the rod.
- 14. The heater assembly of claim 13, in which the fins are provided with aligned openings for receiving the rod.
- 15. An infant-support heater assembly comprising:a heater element; a plurality of air-contacting fins associated with the heater element to heat the air in contact with the fins; wherein the fin assembly is held on the heater element by gravity.
- 16. The infant-support heater assembly of claim 15 wherein the heater element is a cartridge heater.
- 17. The infant-support heater assembly of claim 15 and further comprising a mounting plate adapted for attachment to a base of an incubator.
RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 09/838,789, filed Apr. 20, 2001 (Proposed U.S. Pat. No. 6,483,080, proposed to be issued Nov. 19, 2002) which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/199,103, filed Apr. 21, 2000, the complete disclosures of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 862 901 |
Sep 1998 |
EP |
0 933 075 |
Aug 1999 |
EP |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/199103 |
Apr 2000 |
US |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/838789 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Child |
10/295349 |
|
US |