Heater assembly for an appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsAlexander Daniel James, Stephen Bernard Froelicher, Richard Dustin Henderson, Ionelia Silvia Prajescu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heater assembly for an appliance is provided. The heater assembly includes a housing and a thermostat. The housing defines an aperture. The thermostat includes a probe that is positioned adjacent the aperture. The aperture can increase the accuracy of temperature measurements by the thermostat and hinder unnecessary tripping of the thermostat.
Claims18
A heater assembly for an appliance, the heater assembly comprising:
- a housing that defines a chamber, said housing also defining an inlet and an outlet, the chamber of said housing extending from the inlet of said housing to the outlet of said housing, said housing also having an outer surface and an embossment with a distal portion, the embossment of said housing extending away from the outer surface of said housing such that the distal portion of the embossment is positioned away from the outer surface of said housing, the embossment of said housing having a sidewall that extends between and connects the outer surface of said housing and the distal portion of the embossment, the sidewall of the embossment defining an aperture;
- a heating element disposed within the chamber of said housing, said heating element configured for heating air that enters the chamber of said housing at the inlet of said housing in order to generate a flow of heated air that exits the chamber of said housing at the outlet of said housing;
- and
- a thermostat mounted to said housing and having a probe, the probe of said thermostat positioned within the chamber of said housing, the probe of said thermostat also positioned proximate the aperture of the embossment.
A heater assembly for an appliance, the heater assembly comprising:
- a housing that defines a chamber, said housing also defining an inlet and an outlet, the chamber of said housing extending from the inlet of said housing to the outlet of said housing, said housing further defining an aperture;
- a louver positioned at the aperture of said housing and extending into the chamber of said housing;
- a heating element disposed within the chamber of said housing, said heating element configured for heating air that enters the chamber of said housing at the inlet of said housing in order to generate a flow of heated air that exits the chamber of said housing at the outlet of said housing;
- and
- a thermostat mounted to said housing and having a probe, the probe of said thermostat positioned within the chamber of said housing, the probe of said thermostat also positioned proximate the aperture of said housing.
A heater assembly for an appliance, the heater assembly comprising:
- a housing that defines a chamber, said housing also defining an inlet and an outlet, the chamber of said housing extending from the inlet of said housing to the outlet of said housing;
- a heating element disposed within the chamber of said housing, said heating element configured for heating air that enters the chamber of said housing at the inlet of said housing in order to generate a flow of heated air that exits the chamber of said housing at the outlet of said housing;
- and
- a thermostat mounted to said housing and having a probe, the probe of said thermostat positioned within the chamber of said housing;
- and
- means for directing the flow of heated air away from the probe of said thermostat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.