Emerson Electric Company

Emerson Electric, Inc.

Randall T Markum

Stacy V Springer

Mark R Moore

Subhash R Deo

Yogesh P Patel

William W Holmes

Louis Wallace

Herb Ray

John C Stoops

John H Warner

Ryan Taylor

An apparatus (10) supports an electrical heating element (H) which is mounted in an oven (O). When supplied with electricity, the element heats the oven to cook food. During an operating cycle, the heating element expands and contracts along its length. The apparatus comprises a support bar (12) including an elongate plate (16) and bracketry (14) for mounting the plate to an inner wall (T) of the oven. The support bar extends orthogonally of a longitudinal axis of the heating element when the heating element is installed. The plate has spaced openings (18), each of which is sized for a length of the heating element to be fitted in an opening. Each opening comprises a slot one end of which extends into the body of the plate for a portion of the plate to cover the slot. The other end of the slot is open to receive the heating element, the portion of the heating element received in each slot being fitted into the covered end of the slot. The segments of the heating element are constrained in the slots when the heating element heats up due to flow of electricity through the element so the segments expand only along a desired axis of the heating element.

Support bar attachment for an electric heater element

A heating element (10) for a cook top or the like has a predetermined heating profile by which the temperature of the heating element is rapidly increased from room temperature to a cooking temperature because of an initially high level of power dissipation in the element when a current is applied to the element. As a result of the high level of power dissipation, as the temperature of the element rises toward the cooking temperature, the power dissipation level falls to a predetermined level at which it subsequently remains. A first heating element material (12) has a first predetermined set of heating characteristics, and a second heating element material (14) has a second and different predetermined set of characteristics. When the materials are combined together to form the heating element, the element incorporates therein heating characteristics by which a desired heating profile is achieved; i.e., the rapid initial temperature increase and accompanying decrease in power dissipation.

Composition heating element for rapid heating

A deodorizing element (10) for use in a refrigerator (1). The element acts to remove food odors from the air circulating through the refrigerator which has a refrigeration system (5) by which air is circulated throughout a food storage compartment (2-4). The deodorizing element comprises a metal rod (14) at each end of which are electrical connections (16a, 16b) for connecting the heating element into an electrical circuit by which current is drawn through the rod. A layer (24) of a coating material is formed on the outer surface of the rod. This coating material is an odor absorbing material which is activated by the heat generated when current flows through the heating rod. The heating rod is mounted in an air circulation path of the refrigeration system by which air flowing through the system is drawn over the heating element and odors in the air are absorbed by the coating material.

Deodorizing element for eliminating refrigerator odors

A spider bracket (10) supporting an electrical heating element (H) having respective ends (E1, E2) connected in an electrical circuit. The spider bracket has a plurality of arms (12-18) supporting the heating element. These ends are affixed to an electrical wiring support bracket (20) which includes a bracket arm (22) attached to a spider arm (12) and extending therefrom. A holding fixture (24) connects to the bracket arm and includes separate apertures (26, 28) through which each of which a respective end of the heating element is inserted. The fixture also includes a separate, spaced slot (30) in which one of the heating element ends is also inserted. Each aperture has a circumferential rim (26r, 28r) projecting outwardly from the fixture and extending circumferentially about the aperture. The rims is deformable, by staking or swaging, for a portion of the rim to be pressed into contact with an end of the heating element. This affixes the end of the heating element to the wiring support bracket.

Spider bracket assembly

A combined heating element and thermostat for use in a water heater. An electrical heating element includes a U-shaped rod having first and second legs, the first leg being longer than the second. A plug fits in a sidewall of the heater. The rod is installed in the plug. The outer end of the legs are inserted in the plug. A thermostat is also mounted in the plug. An electrical terminal is attached to the plug and includes a first terminal contacting the outer end of the first leg of the rod. A second terminal contacts the other leg of the rod. A switch connects and disconnects the second terminal with the second leg of the rod. The switch is movable by the thermostat and includes a bumper element. The thermostat moves the bumper to disconnect the rod leg from the terminal when the water is heated to a desired temperature.

Fuel heating element mounting plug housing a thermostat

Electrical heating apparatus (10) is used in an electric stove (R) having a glass/ceramic cooking surface (S). A pan (12) is mounted adjacent an underside of the cooking surface. An electrical heating element (20) installed in the pan heats a defined area (A) of the cooking surface when electrical current is applied to the element. A sensor (34) installed in direct contact with the cooking surface senses the temperature of the cooking area. A control unit (42), to which an output of the sensor is supplied, is responsive to the output to control current flow to the heating element. This allows the apparatus to respond to temperature changes at the cooking area to insure food is properly cooked.

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Murfreesboro, TN, United States of America

Randall T Markum