Strix Limited

Colin Moughton

Vincent Joseph Garvey

Nicholas Edward Gibbs

Alan Campbell Owen

Yicai Zheng

Steven Anthony Ashton

James Robert Howitt

Jonathan Michael White

Richard Brandon Fumagalli

Norman Eric Nichol

A thermally sensitive control for controlling a power supply circuit to a heater in a liquid heating appliance is provided. The control includes a cordless connector part arranged to mate with a base connector part, first and second moveable electrical contacts mounted on first and second moveable members, and first and second thermally sensitive actuators. The control further includes a latch arm extending across the control between the moveable members, the latch arm including a first latch for the first moveable member and a second latch for the second moveable member, and a release member including a release part and a plunger, wherein the release member is resiliently biased to bring the release part into contact with the latch arm but the resilient bias is overcome when the plunger bears against a surface of the base connector part.

Thermally sensitive controls

An apparatus for sterilizing objects includes a chamber with a heated base in thermal communication with an electric heating element; a forced air flow device arranged to direct air into the chamber; an electrical power supply circuit; a thermomechanical control in series with the electric heating element and arranged to detect a temperature of the heated base; and a thermally sensitive switch in series with the forced air flow device and arranged to detect a temperature of the heated base. The apparatus is configured to operate in a sterilization mode and in a drying mode.

Sterilizing device

An apparatus is provided for toasting a food item arranged to receive and support the food item during toasting. The apparatus includes a heating element assembly arranged to heat the surface of the food item by radiant heat. The apparatus is arranged to operate in a first mode where the heating element assembly operates at a first power and a second mode where the heating element assembly operates at a second power. The apparatus further includes a thermally sensitive actuator having a first and a second position and being arranged to switch from the first mode to the second mode at a predetermined temperature by moving from the first position to the second position. The apparatus further includes an arrangement for forcing the actuator to return to its first position.

Apparatus for heating food

An apparatus for toasting a food item is arranged to receive and support said food item during toasting. The apparatus includes a heating element arranged to heat the surface of the food item by radiant heat and a fan arranged to blow air across the food item. The apparatus is arranged to operate in a first mode in which the fan is operative and a second mode in which the fan is reduced in speed or turned off. The apparatus is arranged to change from the first mode to the second mode automatically upon a predetermined condition being met. Other ways of moving air across the food item that do not use a fan are also disclosed.

An apparatus for dispensing a predetermined volume of a warm liquid includes a heater, a pump and a temperature sensor sensitive to the temperature of the liquid upstream of the heater. A controller is arranged to receive upstream temperature data from the temperature sensor, calculate the amount of energy required to reach a desired final temperature, energize the heater for a calculated period of ON time, and dispense liquid for a calculated period of time that is at least partly contemporaneous with the calculated period of ON time. After the heater has been de-energized, the dispensed liquid removes residual heat so that the average temperature after dispensing the predetermined volume is the desired final temperature.

Liquid heating apparatus and operating methods

A heater for heating liquid to boiling comprises a heating element (), a first heating region () heated by said heating element () for heating liquid flowing therethrough to a temperature below boiling, and a second heating region () for heating said liquid to boiling. The second region permits the exit of steam therefrom separately from heated water.

Heaters

A flow heater is provided including a heating element, a channel heated by said heating element for heating liquid flowing therethrough, and temperature sensing means in thermal communication with both the heating element and the channel so as to be sensitive to the temperature of the liquid in the channel and the temperature of the heating element.

Flow heaters

A pressurized boiler () for a steam generator appliance comprises an evaporation chamber (), an electric heater () in good thermal contact with a wall () of the evaporation chamber (), a water inlet () arranged in a cover () of the evaporation chamber () separate from said wall (), and a pump in fluid communication with the water inlet () arranged to supply water to the evaporation chamber () through the water inlet ().

Electric steam generation

A flow heater comprises a heating element () and a first heating region () heated by the heating element () for heating liquid flowing therethrough to a first temperature below boiling. The flow heater also comprises a second heating region () for heating the liquid to a second temperature below boiling. The second region () has means () for permitting the exit of steam therefrom separately from heated liquid. The flow heater cannot be operated so that bulk boiling of said liquid takes place in the second region ().

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Port St. Mary, United Kingdom

Colin Moughton