This invention generally relates to heaters. More specifically, this invention relates to heaters for appliances.
Traditional heating assemblies for appliances include a heater plate installed onto a base support by means of screws screwed into one or multiple lugs extended downward from the bottom of the heater plate for thermal diffusion and for supporting cooking utensils and a tubular electrical heating element adapted to be fixed under the heater plate for supplying heating power. The base support can be a flat plate or surface, or a tray shaped shallow plate, or, most commonly, is a pan shaped plate having a flat bottom and a sidewall extending upward to a predetermined height.
The problem associated with the prior art heating assemblies is that food debris or cooking liquids may accidentally fall or flow underneath the heater plate, resulting in immediate sanitary issues and potential safety issues. Based on NSF standards for cooking appliances, the space in between the heater plate and the base support is classified as “splash zone”, which should be reasonably easy for cleaning. Obviously prior art heating assemblies do not meet these standards. Even for household use, consumers desire their cooking appliances easy to clean after use.
Therefore, it remains desirable to provide a heating assembly for appliances that satisfies NSF standards for cooking appliances, such that it can be used for commercial applications. It remains desirable to provide a heating assembly for household appliances that is convenient for cleaning.
Accordingly, the present invention is a heating assembly for appliances. This heating assembly comprises a base support for holding parts together, a heater plate for heat diffusion and for supporting cooking utensils, a sidewall extending from the peripheral outer rim of the heater plate downward to a predetermined distance and sealingly installed on the base support, such that no food debris or cooking liquids would drop or flow under the heater plate, a tubular electrical heating element fixedly installed on the back of the heater plate, and a heat insulation material inserted into the space enclosed by the heater plate, the sidewall, and the base support for thermal insulation.
Accordingly, the followings are some of the objects, features, and advantages of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a heating assembly for appliances that satisfies NSF standards for cooking appliances.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a heating assembly for appliances that is highly efficient in heating and that is convenient for cleaning.
It is a feature of the present invention that this heating assembly includes a heater plate and a sidewall extending from the peripheral outer rim of the heating plate downward to a predetermined distance and sealingly installed on the base support, such that the space underneath the heater plate is contained.
It is another feature of the present invention that the space between the base support and the heater plate is filled with a thermal insulation material for preventing heat transfer to the base support.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the heating assembly meets NSF standards for cooking appliances, is highly efficient in heating, and is convenient for cleaning.
Further more features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description when considered in connection with the accompanying non-limiting drawings.
Reference is made to
A base support 102, a tray shaped plate having an open top and a flat bottom, is provided for holding parts together. Support 102 can alternatively be a flat plate or a deep pan shaped container, as known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this invention disclosure.
A heater plate 104, having a disc-shape configuration and a predetermined thickness, is provided for thermal diffusion and for supporting cooking utensils (not shown). Plate 104 is preferably made of a metal material of high thermal conductivity. A central aperture on plate 104 is provided as a space to install such parts as a temperature-sensing device for a rice cooker or a driving shaft for a self-stirring cooking appliance, etc.
A sidewall 106 extends from the peripheral outer rim of heater plate 104 downward to a predetermined distance and is sealingly installed on the bottom of base support 102. Sidewall 106 is provided for enclosing the space underneath heater plate 104. Sidewall 106 can be an integral part of plate 104, as shown in
A ring shaped thermal insulation member 110 is installed in between the lower end of sidewall 106 and the bottom of base support 102 for preventing heat transfer from heater plate 104 to base support 102 through sidewall 106, thereby reducing heat loss and avoiding overheating of base support 102.
An inner cylindrical wall 112 extends from the central aperture opened on heater plate 104 downward to a predetermined distance and is engaged with the bottom of base support 102. Wall 112 is provided for enclosing the space underneath heater plate 104 from the inner side.
A thermal insulation hollow cylinder 114 is inserted inside inner cylindrical wall 112 for preventing the heating up of the inner space inside wall 112, thereby reducing the heating load of the parts installed therewithin (not shown).
A tubular electrical heating element 116 is fixedly installed under heater plate 104 for providing heating power to heater plate 104.
A thermal insulation material 118 is inserted into the space enclosed by heater plate 104, sidewall 106, inner cylindrical wall 112, and the bottom of base support 102 to reduce heat transfer from heater plate 104 to base support 102, whereby parts underneath base support 102 (not shown) are not overheated.
Accordingly, readers will see that this heating assembly of the present invention includes a sidewall for excluding food debris or cooking liquids from dropping or flowing into the space underneath the heater plate, such that it would meet NSF standards for cooking appliances in sanitation. The heating assembly is also highly efficient in heating because of the thermal insulation underneath the heater plate.
The present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.
Although this invention has been described in its preferred forms and structures with a certain degree of particularity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention.
Thus it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms can be changed in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.