Electric heating apparatus for heating thermoplastic articles

A device for heating an article, comprising a housing, article receiving means positioned relative to said housing for positioning an article to be heated in said housing, infrared generator means in said housing providing a source of infrared heating energy and guide means in said housing for conducting said heating energy to said receiving means, said guide means dividing said housing into a heating chamber in which the article to be heated is positioned by said receiving means and an interior chamber, said generator means being located in said heating chamber, said housing having means including air moving means to pressurize said interior chamber, said guide means having a window at said generator means opening into said interior chamber to allow a flow of air through said window from said interior chamber into said heating chamber toward said generator means and to said article receiving means, said interior chamber at said window including a radiant energy responsive thermal control connected in controlling relationship with said infrared generator means and arranged to vary the energy output of said generator means, said thermal control being exposed to radiation from said generator means through said window and to said air flowing through said window, said thermal control including means for varying the orientation of said thermal control relative to said window to allow for more response or less response by allowing said control more exposure to radiation and less exposure to cooling by said air and, alternatively, for less exposure to radiation and more exposure to cooling by said air, to thereby vary the on periods of said generator means relative to the off periods.

A device for heating an article comprising a housing, article receiving means positioned relative to said housing for receiving said article, infrared generator means in said housing providing a source of radiant energy, guide means in said housing for conducting said heating energy to said article receiving means, said guide means comprising a split out of phase parabolic reflector having a first half as one part of said guide means and an inverted second half as another part of said guide means, said first half directing parallel rays of said radiant energy to a first reflector set at approximately 45.degree. to the direction of said rays, said first reflector directing parallel rays to a second reflector set at approximately 90.degree. to said first reflector to direct said rays into said article receiving means to one side of said article, said inverted second half directing parallel rays of said radiant energy to a first inverted reflector set at approximately 45.degree. to the direction of said rays, said first inverted reflector directing parallel rays to a second inverted reflector, set at approximately 90.degree. to said first inverted reflector, to direct said rays into said article receiving means to another side of said article, whereby said parallel rays received by said article receiving means on one side are transposed to that received by another side, included in each of said one part and said another inverted part of said guide means is a third reflector located between said first and second reflectors of said one part and said first and second inverted reflectors of said another inverted part to direct radial as well as parallel rays of radiant energy directly from said generator means to both sides of said article receiving means.