EP0150087B1 - A thermal limiting device - Google Patents

A thermal limiting device Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0150087B1
EP0150087B1 EP85300161A EP85300161A EP0150087B1 EP 0150087 B1 EP0150087 B1 EP 0150087B1 EP 85300161 A EP85300161 A EP 85300161A EP 85300161 A EP85300161 A EP 85300161A EP 0150087 B1 EP0150087 B1 EP 0150087B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
infra
red
wire
tubular member
red radiation
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP85300161A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0150087A1 (en
Inventor
Peter William Crossley
Graham Howlett Goodchild
Bernard Frederick Fellerman
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
QED Intellectual Property Ltd
Original Assignee
Thorn EMI Patents Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
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First worldwide family litigation filed litigation Critical https://patents.darts-ip.com/?family=10555336&utm_source=google_patent&utm_medium=platform_link&utm_campaign=public_patent_search&patent=EP0150087(B1) "Global patent litigation dataset” by Darts-ip is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Application filed by Thorn EMI Patents Ltd filed Critical Thorn EMI Patents Ltd
Priority to AT85300161T priority Critical patent/ATE33085T1/en
Publication of EP0150087A1 publication Critical patent/EP0150087A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0150087B1 publication Critical patent/EP0150087B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B3/00—Ohmic-resistance heating
    • H05B3/68—Heating arrangements specially adapted for cooking plates or analogous hot-plates
    • H05B3/74—Non-metallic plates, e.g. vitroceramic, ceramic or glassceramic hobs, also including power or control circuits
    • H05B3/746—Protection, e.g. overheat cutoff, hot plate indicator
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B3/00—Ohmic-resistance heating
    • H05B3/68—Heating arrangements specially adapted for cooking plates or analogous hot-plates
    • H05B3/74—Non-metallic plates, e.g. vitroceramic, ceramic or glassceramic hobs, also including power or control circuits
    • H05B3/744—Lamps as heat source, i.e. heating elements with protective gas envelope, e.g. halogen lamps
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B2213/00—Aspects relating both to resistive heating and to induction heating, covered by H05B3/00 and H05B6/00
    • H05B2213/04—Heating plates with overheat protection means

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a thermal limiting device and in particular, though not exclusively, to such a device for use in heating apparatus of the kind described in our co-pending European Patent Application No. 83307338.0 (EP-A-117346) incorporating one or more sources of infra-red radiation, in the form of tungsten-halogen lamps.
  • a shallow tray member containing thermally-insulative material and supporting four infra-red-emitting, tungsten-halogen lamps.
  • the tray nember usually along with a number of similar members, is preferably mounted beneath a layer of glass ceramic so as to form a cooking hob.
  • the heating apparatus incorporates a thermal limiter comprising a metallic wire enclosed within a quartz tube.
  • the wire is arranged, in use, to activate a microswitch when the maximum operating temperature of the glass ceramic is reached so as to disconnect the power supply to the infra-red lamps.
  • the aforementioned Application EP-A-117346 (which falls within the terms of Article 54(3) of the European Patent Convention) also discloses that, in order to render the limiter responsive primarily to the actual temperature of the glass ceramic, the limiter is preferably shielded from incident infra-red radiation, which may be for example, directly from the infra-red lamps or reflected from a shiny, reflective base of a cooking utensil placed on the upper surface of the glass ceramic.
  • a thermal limiting device for controlling power supplied to one or more sources of infra-red radiation mounted in heating apparatus, said device including a metallic wire member accommodated within a tubular member, said wire member being arranged, when subjected to a predetermined temperature, to disconnect the supply of said power to said source or sources, - characterised in that said tubular member is capable of selectively transmitting and absorbing infra-red radiation of different wavelengths, and said device further includes a thermally-conductive tubular structure located between said tubular member and said wire member, said tubular structure being provided with an infra-red-reflective outer surface to prevent infra-red radiation transmitted through said tubular member from reaching said wire member.
  • the tubular structure is made from.a suitable metallic material, and is preferably concentric with the metallic wire within the tubular member.
  • the tubular structure is also preferably coated on its outer surface with a suitable infra-red reflective coating.
  • the tubular member of the device is preferably made from a quartz material, which transmits reflected, and directly incident, infra-red radiation in a first band of wavelengths emitted from the source or sources, preferably tungsten-halogen lamps, and this transmitted radiation is subsequently reflected back out of the tubular member by the infra-red reflective outer surface of the tubular structure.
  • the Figure shows heating apparatus including a generally circular metallic tray 1 having a layer 2 of thermally-insulative material disposed therewithin.
  • Two oppositely-extending flanges, 3 and 4, of the tray 1 support four infra-red-emitting, tungsten-halogen lamps, 5 to 8, disposed in a parallel arrangement across the circular region of the tray 1.
  • a moulding 9 of ceramic fibre material is press-fitted around the ends of the lamps 5 to 8, and the apparatus, preferably together with three similar apparatuses, is mounted beneath a layer of glass ceramic (not shown) to form a cooking hob.
  • a thermal limiting device shown at 10, is located within the heating apparatus, either below or at the same level as the lamps 5 to 8.
  • the device 10 consists of a metallic wire 11, preferably formed from a nickel alloy known as Hastelloy X, disposed within a quartz tube 12.
  • the wire 11- is arranged to activate microswitch 13 when the maximum operating temperature of the glass is attained.
  • a metallic tube 14 preferably made from stainless steel, is disposed within the quartz tube 12, around and concentric with the wire 11.
  • the tube 14 is coated on its outer surface with an infra-red reflective coating, which may, for example, consist of a nickel flash followed by a gold coating of 1-5pm thickness.
  • an infra-red reflective coating which may, for example, consist of a nickel flash followed by a gold coating of 1-5pm thickness.
  • infra-red-reflective coatings which may be employed are disclosed in our copending European Patent Application No. 84306455.1 (EP-A-146215).
  • a spider support arrangement (not shown), constructed from a suitable material, may be provided within the quartz tube 12, so as to space the metallic tube 14 from the quartz tube 12 in a controllable manner.
  • radiation in a first band of wavelengths of approximately 0.15-3pm which is reflected, for example, from a shiny base of a cooking utensil disposed upon the glass ceramic or incident directly from the infra-red lamps, is transmitted through the quartz tube 12 and subsequently reflected back out therefrom by the reflective coating on the tube 14, so that the wire 11 within the tube 14 remains unresponsive to radiation of these wavelengths.
  • radiation is a second band of wavelengths above approximately 4.5pm, which is absorbed by and re-radiated from the glass ceramic, is absorbed by the quartz tube and the wire 11 is heated by the absorbed radiation by thermal conduction and convection, thereby causing the wire 11 to undego thermal expansion and activate the microswitch 13 when the maximum operating temperature of the glass ceramic is reached.
  • the thermal limiting device in accordance with the present invention, is therefore primarily responsive to radiation absorbed by and re-radiated from the glass ceramic, which radiation is indicative of the actual temperature of the glass ceramic, thereby enabling the device to monitor accurately the operating temperature thereof.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Resistance Heating (AREA)
  • Containers And Plastic Fillers For Packaging (AREA)
  • Fuses (AREA)
  • Emergency Protection Circuit Devices (AREA)
  • Saccharide Compounds (AREA)
  • Glass Compositions (AREA)
  • Furan Compounds (AREA)

Abstract

A thermal limiting device (10) is provided in heating apparatus including four infra-red-emitting, tungsten-halogen lamps (5 to 8) supported above a layer (2) of themally-insulative material. The device (10) consists of a metallic wire (11) arranged to de-energise the lamps (5 to 8) when it is subjected to a predetermined temperature. The wire (11) is disposed within a quartz tube (12), which selectively transmits and absorbs infra-red radiation of different wavelengths. A thermally-conductive tube (14), having an infra-red-reflective outer surface, is located between the wire (11) and quartz tube (12). The tube (14) prevents infra-red radiation transmitted through the quartz tube (12) from reaching the wire (11), whilst infra-red radiation absorbed by the tube (12) heats the wire (11) by thermal conduction and convection.

Description

  • This invention relates to a thermal limiting device and in particular, though not exclusively, to such a device for use in heating apparatus of the kind described in our co-pending European Patent Application No. 83307338.0 (EP-A-117346) incorporating one or more sources of infra-red radiation, in the form of tungsten-halogen lamps.
  • With reference to GB-A-2146431 and International Publication No. W085/01412, the applicant has voluntarily limited the scope of the present application and submitted separate claims for United Kingdom, Federal Republic of Germany and Austria.
  • In one embodiment of the heating application disclosed in UK application 8320717 (GB-A-2132060), there is provided a shallow tray member containing thermally-insulative material and supporting four infra-red-emitting, tungsten-halogen lamps. The tray nember, usually along with a number of similar members, is preferably mounted beneath a layer of glass ceramic so as to form a cooking hob.
  • It is necessary to ensure that the operating temperature of the glass ceramic layer does not exceed a value of approximately 700°C, and to this end, the heating apparatus incorporates a thermal limiter comprising a metallic wire enclosed within a quartz tube. The wire is arranged, in use, to activate a microswitch when the maximum operating temperature of the glass ceramic is reached so as to disconnect the power supply to the infra-red lamps.
  • The aforementioned Application EP-A-117346 (which falls within the terms of Article 54(3) of the European Patent Convention) also discloses that, in order to render the limiter responsive primarily to the actual temperature of the glass ceramic, the limiter is preferably shielded from incident infra-red radiation, which may be for example, directly from the infra-red lamps or reflected from a shiny, reflective base of a cooking utensil placed on the upper surface of the glass ceramic.
  • It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved thermal limiting device of the afore-mentioned type.
  • According to the invention there is provided a thermal limiting device for controlling power supplied to one or more sources of infra-red radiation mounted in heating apparatus, said device including a metallic wire member accommodated within a tubular member, said wire member being arranged, when subjected to a predetermined temperature, to disconnect the supply of said power to said source or sources, - characterised in that said tubular member is capable of selectively transmitting and absorbing infra-red radiation of different wavelengths, and said device further includes a thermally-conductive tubular structure located between said tubular member and said wire member, said tubular structure being provided with an infra-red-reflective outer surface to prevent infra-red radiation transmitted through said tubular member from reaching said wire member.
  • Preferably the tubular structure is made from.a suitable metallic material, and is preferably concentric with the metallic wire within the tubular member. The tubular structure is also preferably coated on its outer surface with a suitable infra-red reflective coating.
  • The tubular member of the device is preferably made from a quartz material, which transmits reflected, and directly incident, infra-red radiation in a first band of wavelengths emitted from the source or sources, preferably tungsten-halogen lamps, and this transmitted radiation is subsequently reflected back out of the tubular member by the infra-red reflective outer surface of the tubular structure.
  • However, it has been found that radiation in a second band of wavelengths, is absorbed by the quartz tubular member, so that the heat within the tubular member causes thermal expansion of the wire member by thermal conduction and convection, thereby causing the wire member to de- energise the infra-red-emitting lamps, when the maximum operating temperature is reached.
  • The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single Figure of which shows a plan view of one example of heating apparatus disclosed in European Patent Application No. 83307338.0, (EP-A-117346) incorporating one embodiment of the present invention.
  • The Figure shows heating apparatus including a generally circular metallic tray 1 having a layer 2 of thermally-insulative material disposed therewithin. Two oppositely-extending flanges, 3 and 4, of the tray 1 support four infra-red-emitting, tungsten-halogen lamps, 5 to 8, disposed in a parallel arrangement across the circular region of the tray 1. A moulding 9 of ceramic fibre material is press-fitted around the ends of the lamps 5 to 8, and the apparatus, preferably together with three similar apparatuses, is mounted beneath a layer of glass ceramic (not shown) to form a cooking hob.
  • A thermal limiting device, shown at 10, is located within the heating apparatus, either below or at the same level as the lamps 5 to 8. The device 10 consists of a metallic wire 11, preferably formed from a nickel alloy known as Hastelloy X, disposed within a quartz tube 12. The wire 11-is arranged to activate microswitch 13 when the maximum operating temperature of the glass is attained.
  • To render the device 10 primarily responsive to radiation absorbed by and re-radiated from the glass ceramic, which radiation is indicative of the actual temperature of the glass ceramic, a metallic tube 14, preferably made from stainless steel, is disposed within the quartz tube 12, around and concentric with the wire 11.
  • The tube 14 is coated on its outer surface with an infra-red reflective coating, which may, for example, consist of a nickel flash followed by a gold coating of 1-5pm thickness. Other examples of infra-red-reflective coatings which may be employed are disclosed in our copending European Patent Application No. 84306455.1 (EP-A-146215).
  • A spider support arrangement (not shown), constructed from a suitable material, may be provided within the quartz tube 12, so as to space the metallic tube 14 from the quartz tube 12 in a controllable manner.
  • In operation, radiation in a first band of wavelengths of approximately 0.15-3pm, which is reflected, for example, from a shiny base of a cooking utensil disposed upon the glass ceramic or incident directly from the infra-red lamps, is transmitted through the quartz tube 12 and subsequently reflected back out therefrom by the reflective coating on the tube 14, so that the wire 11 within the tube 14 remains unresponsive to radiation of these wavelengths.
  • However, radiation is a second band of wavelengths above approximately 4.5pm, which is absorbed by and re-radiated from the glass ceramic, is absorbed by the quartz tube and the wire 11 is heated by the absorbed radiation by thermal conduction and convection, thereby causing the wire 11 to undego thermal expansion and activate the microswitch 13 when the maximum operating temperature of the glass ceramic is reached.
  • The thermal limiting device, in accordance with the present invention, is therefore primarily responsive to radiation absorbed by and re-radiated from the glass ceramic, which radiation is indicative of the actual temperature of the glass ceramic, thereby enabling the device to monitor accurately the operating temperature thereof.

Claims (9)

1. A thermal limiting device for controlling power supplied to one or more sources (5 to 8) of infra-red radiation mounted in heating apparatus, said device (10) including a metallic wire member (11) accommodated within a tubular member (12), said wire member (11) being arranged, when subjected to a predetermined temperature, to disconnect the supply of said power to said source or sources (5 to 8), said tubular member (12) being capable of selectively transmitting and absorbing infra-red radiation of different wavelengths, and said device (10) further includes a thermally-conductive tubular structure (14) located between said tubular member (12) and said wire member (11), characterised in that said tubular structure (14) is also provided with a coating of an infra-red-reflective material on its outer surface to prevent infra-red radiation transmitted through said tubular member from reaching said wire member (11).
2. A device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said coating consists of a layer of gold overlying a layer of nickel.
3. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a support arrangement is provided within said tubular member (12) to space said tubular structure (14) from said tubular member (12).
4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said tubular structure (14) is generally concentric with said wire member (11).
5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said tubular member (12) is formed from a quartz material.
6. Heating apparatus including one or more sources (5 to 8) of infra-red radiation and a thermal limiting device (10) as claimed in any preceding claim.
7. Heating apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 wherein said one or more sources (5 to 8) each consist of a tungsten-halogen lamp.
8. A cooking hob including one or more heating apparatus, as claimed in Claim 6 or 7, said apparatus being mounted beneath a layer of infra-red-transmissive material and the tubular member (12) of said thermal limiting device (10) being arranged to absorb primarily infra-red radiation of a wavelength indicative of the temperature of said layer.
EP85300161A 1984-01-21 1985-01-10 A thermal limiting device Expired EP0150087B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT85300161T ATE33085T1 (en) 1984-01-21 1985-01-10 THERMAL LIMITING DEVICE.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8401621 1984-01-21
GB848401621A GB8401621D0 (en) 1984-01-21 1984-01-21 Thermal limiter

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0150087A1 EP0150087A1 (en) 1985-07-31
EP0150087B1 true EP0150087B1 (en) 1988-03-16

Family

ID=10555336

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP85300161A Expired EP0150087B1 (en) 1984-01-21 1985-01-10 A thermal limiting device

Country Status (4)

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EP (1) EP0150087B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE33085T1 (en)
DE (1) DE3561912D1 (en)
GB (1) GB8401621D0 (en)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3821496A1 (en) * 1988-06-25 1989-12-28 Ego Elektro Blanc & Fischer Temperature switch
DE3821495A1 (en) * 1988-06-25 1989-12-28 Ego Elektro Blanc & Fischer Temperature switch
DE3929965A1 (en) * 1989-09-08 1991-03-14 Ego Elektro Blanc & Fischer TEMPERATURE SWITCH
CN107515059B (en) * 2017-09-30 2023-04-14 南京工业大学 Electrical impedance-tungsten lamp composite type radiant heating experimental device and test system

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3355574A (en) * 1965-10-01 1967-11-28 Gen Motors Corp Electrical surface heater with plural lamps
US3663798A (en) * 1969-08-25 1972-05-16 Thermo Electron Corp An infrared heating surface
NZ196104A (en) * 1980-02-01 1984-08-24 Micropore International Ltd Cooker plate with twin element:thermal cut-out for one
GB2132060B (en) * 1982-12-24 1985-12-18 Thorn Emi Domestic Appliances Heating apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0150087A1 (en) 1985-07-31
GB8401621D0 (en) 1984-02-22
ATE33085T1 (en) 1988-04-15
DE3561912D1 (en) 1988-04-21

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