Precision warming bowl

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9333472-B2
Application number	US-201313781901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2013
Priority date	Mar 1, 2013
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A warming container 10 includes a mixing bowl and a heating cradle configured to receive the mixing bowl. The warming container 10 also includes a shell having an inner facing surface and which is coupled to a bottom edge of the heating cradle at a seat. The seat is configured to receive a base of the mixing bowl. A cavity is defined between the heating cradle and the shell and a conductive heating structure is disposed within the cavity. The conductive heating structure includes a plurality of conductive longitudinal flanges. A wire heating element is disposed about the plurality of conductive longitudinal flanges, wherein the wire heating element is disposed about the conductive heating structure in a sinusoidal configuration. The wire heating element is in thermal communication with the heating cradle via the conductive longitudinal flanges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A warming container comprising:
a mixing bowl;
a heating cradle configured to receive the mixing bowl;
a shell having an inner surface and coupled to a lower edge of the heating cradle at a seat, wherein the seat is configured to receive a base of the mixing bowl;
a cavity defined between the heating cradle and the shell;
a conductive heating structure disposed within the cavity, the conductive heating structure including a plurality of thermally conductive elongate flanges; and
a wire heating element disposed about the plurality of conductive longitudinal flanges, wherein the wire heating element is disposed about the conductive heating structure in a sinusoidal configuration, and wherein the wire heating element is in thermal communication with the heating cradle via the plurality of conductive longitudinal flanges.

2. The warming container of claim 1 , comprising:
a rim member coupled with a top edge of the shell and an upper edge of the heating cradle, wherein the rim member at least partially defines the cavity.

3. The warming container of claim 1 , comprising:
a thermocouple disposed on an outer surface of the bowl, wherein the thermocouple is in thermal communication with the heating cradle.

4. The warming container of claim 1 , comprising:
a control at least partially disposed within the cavity proximate the shell, wherein the control is in communication with the wire heating element.

5. The warming container of claim 4 , comprising:
an electrical receptacle disposed at least partially within the shell, wherein the electrical receptacle is in communication with the control and the wire heating element.

6. The warming container of claim 5 , wherein the wire heating element includes a resistance value of between 10 and 20 K ohms.

7. A warming container for a mixing bowl, the warming container comprising:
a heating cradle having a lower edge and an outer surface;
a conductive heating structure disposed proximate the outer surface of the heating cradle, wherein the conductive heating structure comprises a plurality of arcuate flanges disposed about the outer surface of the heating cradle;
a heating element coupled with the conductive heating structure, wherein the heating element is in thermal communication with the heating cradle;
a shell having an inner-facing surface and coupled to the lower edge of the heating cradle; and
a cavity defined between the outer surface of the heating cradle and the inner-facing surface of the shell, wherein the conductive heating structures and the heating element are disposed within the cavity.

8. The warming container of claim 7 , wherein the heating element is a wire heating element disposed in an undulating pattern about the conductive heating structure.

9. The warming container of claim 7 , comprising:
a thermocouple in thermal communication with an inner facing surface of the heating cradle.

10. The warming container of claim 7 , comprising:
a rim member coupled with a top edge of the shell and an upper edge of the heating cradle, wherein the rim member at least partially defines the cavity.

11. The warming container of claim 7 , comprising:
a control disposed proximate the shell, wherein the control is in communication with the heating element.

12. The warming container of claim 11 , comprising:
an electrical receptacle disposed on the shell, wherein the electrical receptacle is in communication with the control and the heating element.

13. The warming container of claim 12 , wherein the heating element includes a wire heating element having a resistance value of between 10 and 20 K ohms.

14. A warming container comprising:
a mixing bowl;
a heating cradle configured to receive the mixing bowl;
a plurality of thermally conductive elongate flanges disposed about the heating cradle;
a wire heating element disposed about the conductive elongate flanges, wherein the wire heating element is disposed about the plurality of conductive elongate flanges in a sinusoidal configuration, and wherein the wire heating element is in thermal communication with the heating cradle via the plurality of conductive elongate flanges;
a shell coupled to a lower edge of the heating cradle at a seat, wherein the seat is configured to receive a base of the mixing bowl, and wherein the heating cradle is in thermal communication with the mixing bowl;
a rim member coupled to an upper edge of the heating cradle and a top edge of the shell; and
a cavity defined between the rim member, the shell and the heating cradle, wherein the plurality of conductive elongate flanges and the wire heating element are disposed within the cavity.

15. The warming container of claim 14 , wherein the wire heating element includes a resistance value of between 10 and 20 K ohms.

16. The warming container of claim 14 , comprising:
a thermocouple in thermal communication with an inner facing surface of the heating cradle.

17. The warming container of claim 14 , comprising:
a control at least partially disposed within the cavity proximate the shell, wherein the control is in communication with wire heating element.

18. The warming container of claim 17 , comprising:
an electrical receptacle disposed on the shell, wherein the electrical receptacle is in communication with the control and the wire heating element.

19. The warming container of claim 17 , wherein the control includes an infinite switch.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Paget Paul S
• Robertson Mitchell L

Classifications

• A47J43/044 Primary

  with tools driven from the top side · CPC title

• A47J43/0727

  Mixing bowls · CPC title

• A47J36/2483

  with electrical heating means · CPC title

• A47J27/004 Primary

  with integral electrical heating means (drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466) · CPC title

• B01F15/065 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic