Title: Heating and dispensing apparatus

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Claims: What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for heating and dispensing a product from an outlet of a pressurized container comprising:

a housing for removably receiving and holding the pressurized container;

a heat exchanger assembly mounted in said housing and spaced apart from the pressurized container, said heat exchanger assembly having an inlet and an outlet and including a cup-like mass of a heat conductive material having a wall portion, said wall portion having a single thin deep elongated passageway of a substantially uniform width and of a depth substantially equal to that of said wall portion and extending for a distance less than the circumference of said cup-like mass from said inlet to said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly;

means for directing the product from said inlet to said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly in a single predetermined direction through said elongated passageway, said directing means being positioned between said inlet and said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly thereby preventing the product from traveling through said cup-like mass a distance greater than the circumference of said cup-like mass;

manually actuable means for actuating the outlet valve of the pressurized container thereby releasing the product from the pressurized container;

means for connecting the outlet of the pressurized container to said inlet of said heat exchanger assembly;

means for connecting said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly to a delivery spout extending through said housing;

heating means disposed within said heat exchanger assembly in a heat transfer relationship with said wall portion to provide heat to the product in said elongated passageway through said wall portion; and

circuit means for connecting said heating means to a power source.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said circuit mans includes electrical means disposed within said heat exchanger assembly for disconnecting said heating means from the power source when a desired temperature is reached.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said electrical means includes a normally closed thermostatic switch and said heating means is substantially disconnected from the power source when said thermostatic switch reaches the desired temperature.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein a well is provided at the inner face of said wall portion and said thermostatic switch is disposed in said well between said cup-like mass and said heating means.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 further including a heat insulating member disposed in said well between said cup-like mass and said thermostatic switch and a heat conductive member disposed in said well between said thermostatic switch and said heating means.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said inlet and said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly are respectively formed adjacent opposite sides of said means for directing the product, and said elongated passageway extends through at least over 50 percent of the circumference of said cup-like mass.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said means for directing the product is integrally formed with said wall portion.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said heating means includes an electrical resistance heater substantially disposed along said wall portion of said heat exchanger assembly.

9. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the heat capacity of the heat exchanger assembly is in the range of from 12 to 15 calories per degree centigrade above ambient.

10. Apparatus as in claim 1 including means for directing the thermal flow away from the pressurized container.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said means for directing the thermal flow includes vent means disposed through said housing.

12. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the outlet valve of the pressurized container is actuated by moving an associated outlet nozzle, said means for connecting the outlet of the pressurized container to said inlet of said heat exchanger assembly including a fitting movably mounted within said housing and positionable to engage in a sealing relationship with the outlet nozzle of the pressurized container, and further including a flexible conduit connecting said fitting to said inlet of said heat exchanger assembly.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said manually actuable means for actuating the outlet valve of the pressurized container includes means for moving said fitting when engaged with the outlet nozzle to actuate the pressurized container.

14. Apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said means for connecting said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly to said delivery spout includes a flexible conduit.

15. Dispensing apparatus for heating and dispensing a product from an outlet of a pressurized container comprising:

a main housing for removably receiving and holding the pressurized container;

a heat exchanger assembly mounted in said housing and spaced apart from the pressurized container, said heat exchanger assembly having an inlet and an outlet and including a first and second separate cup-like mass each formed of a heat conductive material and each having a wall portion, said first cup-like mass being disposed in said second cup-like mass thereby defining a single thin deep elongated passageway between each of said respective wall portions of a substantially uniform width and of a depth substantially equal to that of each of said wall portions and extending for a distance less than the circumference of said cup-like mass from said inlet to said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly;

means for directing the product from said inlet to said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly in a single predetermined direction, through said elongated passageway, said directing means being positioned between said inlet and said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly thereby preventing the product from traveling through said cup-like mass a distance greater than the circumference of said cup-like mass;

manually actuable means for actuating the outlet valve of the pressurized container thereby releasing the product from the pressurized container;

means for connecting the outlet of the pressurized container to said inlet of said heat exchanger assembly;

conduit means for connecting said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly to a delivery spout extending through said housing;

heating means disposed within said heat exchanger assembly in a heat transfer relationship with said wall portions to provide heat to the product in said elongated passageway through said wall portion; and

circuit means for connecting said heating means to a power source and including a thermostatic switch disposed within said heat exchanger assembly for disconnecting said heating means from the power source when said thermostatic switch reaches the desired temperature.

16. Dispensing apparatus as in claim 15 wherein a well is provided at the inner face of said wall portion of said first cup-like mass and said thermostatic switch is disposed within said well between said first cup-like mass and said heating means.

17. Dispensing apparatus as in claim 16 further including a heating insulating member disposed in said well between said first cup-like mass and said thermostatic switch and a heat conductive member disposed in said well between said thermostatic switch and said heating means.

18. Dispensing apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said inlet and said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly are respectively formed adjacent opposite sides of said means for directing the product, and a first portion of said means for directing the product is integrally formed with said first cup-like mass and a second portion of said means for directing the product is integrally formed with said second cup-like mass and said elongated passageway extends between said wall portion of said first and second cup-like masses for at least over fifty percent of the outer circumference of said first cup-like mass.

19. Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein the heat capacity of the heat exchanger assembly is in the range of from 12 to 15 calories per degree centigrade above ambient.

20. Apparatus for heating and dispensing a shaving cream from an outlet of a pressurized container comprising:

a housing for removably receiving and holding the pressurized container;

a heat exchanger assembly mounted in said housing and spaced apart from the pressurized container, said heat exchanger assembly having an inlet and an outlet and including a cup-like mass of a heat conductive material having a wall portion, said wall portion having a single thin deep elongated passageway of a substantially uniform width and of a depth substantially equal to that of said wall portion and extending for a distance less than the circumference of said cup-like mass from said inlet to said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly;

means for directing the shaving cream from said inlet to said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly in a single predetermined direction through said elongated passageway, said directing means being positioned between said inlet and said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly thereby preventing the shaving cream from traveling through said cup-like mass a distance greater than the circumference of said cup-like mass;

manually actuable means for actuating the outlet valve of the pressurized container thereby releasing the shaving cream from the pressurized container;

means for connecting the outlet of the pressurized container to said inlet of said heat exchanger assembly;

means for connecting said outlet of said heat exchanger assembly to a delivery spout extending through said housing;

heating means disposed within said heat exchanger assembly in a heat transfer relationship with said wall portion to provide heat to the shaving cream in said elongated passageway through said wall portion;

circuit means for connecting and disconnecting said heating means to a power source; and

electrical means, including a locking relay assembly connected to said circuit means and disposed within said heat exchanger assembly, responsive to the disconnection of the power source for preventing reconnection of the power source to said heating means when the temperature of said cup-like mass of said heat exchanger assembly reaches the desired level.

21. Apparatus as in claim 20 wherein said electrical means includes a normally closed thermostatic switch and said heating means is disconnected from the power source when said thermostatic switch reaches the desired temperature.

22. Apparatus as in claim 20 wherein said locking relay assembly includes an armature having an associated normally open relay contact, said armature when energized causing the closing of said normally open relay contact and electrically connecting the power source to said heating means, said armature when de-energized, in response to the desired temperature being reached, causing the releasing of said normally open relay contact and the disconnecting of the power source from said heating means.

23. Apparatus as in claim 22 including a closure housing for the central opening of said cup-like mass.

24. Apparatus as in claim 23 wherein said electrical means also includes a magnetically actuated switch disposed within said closure housing and a push button carrying a magnet mounted on said housing adjacent said closure housing for actuating said switch.

25. Apparatus as in claim 20 wherein said circuit means includes manually actuable means for connecting the power source to said heating means.

26. Apparatus as in claim 20 wherein said cup-like mass includes a first and second separate cup-like mass each formed of a heat conductive material and each having a wall portion, said first cup-like mass being disposed in said second cup-like mass thereby defining the elongated passageway between each of said respective wall portions, of a depth substantially equal to that of each of said wall portions.

27. Apparatus as in claim 26 wherein a well is provided at the inner face of said wall portion of said first cup-like mass and said thermostatic switch is disposed in said well between said first cup-like mass and said heating means and further including a heat insulating member disposed in said well between said first cup-like mass and said thermostatic switch and a heat conductive member disposed in said well between said thermostatic switch and said heating means.

Other info:

Inventors: Packham, Charles C. (Wokingham, EN)
Parsonage, Raymond G. (Maidenhead, EN)
Underwood, Donald L. (Holliston, MA, US)

Application Number: 530992
Filing Date: 1974-12-09
Publication_date: 1976-01-20
Assignee: The Gillette Company (Boston, MA)
Primary Class(es): 222/146.5
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3247851	Apr, 1966	Seibert	222/146.
3307747	Mar, 1967	Pacitti	222/146.
3335910	Aug, 1967	Rossi	222/146.
3527922	Aug, 1970	Reich et al.	222/146.
3589559	Jun, 1971	Colton	222/146.
3712512	Jan, 1973	Snider	222/146.
3733460	May, 1973	Ryckma, Jr.	222/146.
3749880	Jul, 1973	Meeks	222/146.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Tollberg, Stanley H.
Assistant Examiner: Lane, Hadd
Attorney: Wise; Richard A., Bratlie; Oistein J., Devellis; Raymond J.