AU669441B2 - Heating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

I

Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: ROY MESSENGER 308/365 Cambridge Street Wembley 6104 Western Australia Australia ROY MESSENGER 308/365 Cambridge Street Wembley 6014 Western Austgralia Australia Standard Complete Specification for the invention entitled: HEATING APPARATUS Details of Associated Provisional Applications: PL 9548 Details of Parent Application for Divisional Applications: The following is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 2- AN APPARATUS FOR REHEATING A BOTTLE This invention relates to an apparatus for reheating an object.

The invention has been devised particularly, although not solely, for reheating a bottle or other container of wax for use as a depilatory agent.

A common depilatory technique involves the application of molten wax to a part of a body from which hair is to be removed. It is necessary to provide a means for reheating the plastic bottle and to maintain it in a molten condition ready for use. The present invention seeks to provide an apparatus for such a purpose.

In one form the invention resides in an apparatus for reheating the contents of a bottle, said apparatus comprising: a body having a recess designed to removably receive the bottle, the body being constructed of a heat conductive material; a lid movably coupled to the body and configured so that the lid in an open position allows removal of the bottle from the body and in a closed position defines a heating space adjacent the recess wherein heat loss from the recess is substantially minimised; and heating means in heat conductive communication with the body so that, in use, when the container is placed in the recess and the lid moved to the closed position said container and contents therein can be expeditiously heated by the heating means via the body.

The body may be of any suitable material, but a particularly convenient material is aluminium.

2A There may be a plurality of such recesses each accepted to receive a respective object. Conveniently the recesses open onto the top side of the body.

The body may be located within a housing adapted to thermally insulate the body. The body may comprise a casing having side and bottom walls in spaced relationship to the body, and thermally insulating material positioned in the space between the body and the walls.

ooVU ;.j;R 3 The heating means is preferably electrically operated.

Conveniently, the heating means comprises an electric heater having a heating element mounted in heat transfer relationship with the body. In one arrangement, the heating element is disposed in the space between the underside of the body of heat conductive material and the bottom wall of the casing. In another arrangement, the heating element can be accommodated in a cavity formed within the body of heat conductive material.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of one specific embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:re- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a neating apparatus according to the embodiment, the lid of the apparatus being shown in an open condition to reveal recesses for receiving bottles which are to be heated; and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the heating apparatus, with the lid shown in the closed position.

The embodiment shown in the drawings is directed to an apparatus for re-heating squeeze bottles containing depilatory wax for the purpose of maintaining the wax in the bottles in a molten state ready for use.

re- The heating apparatus comprises a housing 11 and a body 13 of heat conducting material, such as aluminium, mounted within the housing. The housing 11 comprises a casing having a bottom portion 17 supported on spacers 18 and a top portion 19. The bottom portion 17 comprises four side walls 21, a bottom wall 23 and a top wall 25 which is removable to provide access to the interior of the lower portion 17. The top wall 25 has apertures 26, the purpose of which will become apparent later. The upper portion 19 comprises a lid which is hingedly mounted onto the bottom portion 17 by way of hinges 27. The hinged lid 19 is constructed to provide a space 29 within the casing between the top wall 25 of the lower portion 17 and the lid 19 when the latter is in a closed condition, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The body 13 of heat conductive material is supported within the housing 11 in spaced apart relationship to the side walls 21 and the bottom wall 23. The spacing oetween the body 13 and the bottom 23 is accomplished by mounting the body on spaced supports 31.

Thermally insulating material 33 is positioned within the space between the body and the side walls 21. While not shown in the drawings, thermally insulating material is also provided in the space between the body 13 and the bottom wall 23 of the casing.

The body 13 is provided with a plurality of recesses which open onto the top face 37 of the body. In this embodiment, the recesses 35 are fitted with sleeves 39 which are removable to facilitate cleaning. The sleeves 39 are each adapted to accommodate a bottle 41 of wax, the bottle conveniently being of the squeeze type to facilitate dispensing of the molten wax from the bottle.

The apertures 26 in the top w/all 25 of the lower portion 17 of the casing are aligned with the recesses 35 to allow insertion and removal of the bottles 41.

Each recess and its corresponding sleeve is so dimensioned that the bottle is snugly received therein to facilitate transfer of heat from the body to the bottle.

Additionally, the recesses and sleeves are so dimensioned so that the uDoer portion of a bottle received therein extends throuch one of the apertures 26 in the too wall and into the soace 29 above the top wall. This ensures that the bottle can be readily grasped for convenient removal from the heating apparatus.

A heating !ans 45 is provided for heating the body 11 of heat conductive material. The heating means is electrically operated and comprises a heating element 47 mounted in the housing 11 on the underside of the body 13.

The heating element 47 is supported by the supports 31 which also support the body 13 as previously mentioned. A control means 49 is provided for controlling the supply of electrical oower to the heatinc element 47. The control means 49 includes a switch 51, a rheostat 53, and a temperature sensor Operating of the heating apparatus will now be described.

Once the body 13 of the aDoaratus has attained the desired temperature, bottles of depilatory wax 41 can be inserted into the recesses 35 to maintain the wax in a molten state.

It is envisaged that the wax would be first brought to a molten state in some other form of heating device and then introduced into the bottles 41. The heating apparatus of the present embodiment would then maintain the wax in a molten state in readiness for re-use as.recuired.When a user requires the wax, all that is necessary is to open the hinged lid 19 and remove one of the bottles. The lid is then closed to minimise disturbance to the thermal conditions within the housing. The user can then apply the wax as required. If some wax remains in the bottle after use, the bottle can be returned to the heating apparatus to maintain the wax in the molten state in readiness for further use at a later stage.

6 A particular benefit of the heating apparatus according to the embodiment is that it allows depilatory wax to be applied to a person undergoing a depilatory process without the wax being contaminated as is common in current procedures where wax is contained in a heated tub and applied using a spatula. In such circumstances, the spatula can transfer bacteria from the person to the wax contained within the tub. With the present embodiment, the wax is contained within bottles and dispensed in a way in which there is no direct contact between the wax and a spatula used to apply the wax to the person undergoing the depilatory process.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiment described. In particular, it should be appreciated that the heating apparatus accordi.ig to the embodiment may have applications other than the heating of depilatory wax.

Dated this 16th date of June, 1994 ROY MESSENGER Applicant *~oo

Claims (6)

1. 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a sleeve member shaped substantially complementary to the recess, the sleeve member designed to fit within the recess and, in use, said sleeve adapted to removably receive the bottle.
2. 3. An apparatus as defined in either claim 1 or 2 further comprising a housing, the body being contained within and spaced from an internal wall of the housing.
3. 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the heating means is positioned within the housing adjacent an outer surface of the body. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 further comprising a heat insulating material located between the housing and the body so that heat loss from the body and/or heating means is substantially minimised. 7a
4. 6. An apparatus as defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the heating means comprises an electrical heating element.
5. 7. An apparatus for reheating the contents of a bottle substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. 8- ABSTRACT A heating apparatus for heating squeeze bottles (14) containing depilatory wax for re-heating t'.e wax and maintaining it in a molten state ready for use. the heating apparatus has a body (13) made of heat conductive material heated by a heating element The bottles (41) are locatable within sleeves (39) in the body (13). Accordingly, wax which musty be disposed of because it has solidified in the bottles (41) can be re-heated and used. i