ELECTRICAL HEATING JACKET FOR CONTAINERS

Abstract: Heating device for tank comprises a first (17) and a second heating element (18) in a flexible material applied respectively onto the peripheral and bottom wall. The first and the second element have respectively a substantially rectangular and circle-sector shape. Said elements containing electrical resistors and being connected by means of a flexible budge (19).

Description: For the processing of alimentary products of fluid or paste-like consistency, tanks are known, which are heated by means of electrical resistors applied onto the outer surface of said tanks. DE-C-822 586 concerns a heating apparatus of the tank type using heating means constituted by heating resistors embedded in a flexible material. However, the configuration of the heating apparatus described in DE-C-822 586 is complicated and expensive, whereby this heating apparatus is not suitable to be used in tanks having relatively large dimensions. The general purpose of the present invention is that of providing a tank heated with a heating system using flexible heating elements, so shaped as to be easily applied onto the outer surface of said tank, and which can be easily connected with one another, and with the power supply line. This purpose is achieved by a heating apparatus as defined in claim 1. In order to explain more clearly the present invention and its advantages as compared to the prior art, reference is made now to the hereto attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic, perspective view of a first practical embodiment of a tank, in which the innovative principles of the present invention are applied; Figure 2 shows the development in plane of a heating element of the tank of figure 1; Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a second practical embodiment of a tank in which the innovative principles of the present invention are applied; Figure 4 shows the development in plane of a heating element of the tank of Figure 4. Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 a schematic view of a tank 10 is shown, on the walls of which flexible, electrical-resistor heating elements 11 are bonded by means of an adhesive. Said flexible elements are composed by electrical resistors embedded inside a sheet of a flexible material with a self-adhesive face, shaped (as one can better see from Figure 2) into two parts. The first part 12, of straight shape, has such a length as to surround a half of the peripheral wall of the tank, and has a suitable height in order to make it possible said peripheral wall to be correctly heated. The second part 13 has the general shape of a semicircular sector, with a diameter slightly lower than the diameter of the bottom wall of the tank, and is provided with a shaped contour, suitable for going around the drain holes, or any other discontinuities existing on the bottom wall of the tank. A bridge 14 provided between said first part 12, and said second part 13 provides the electrical connection between the electrical resistors contained in said first part and in said second part. Going back to Figure 1, the flexible elements 11 are applied in a number of two, by means of the adhesive present on one face of them, so as to coat the side wall and the bottom wall of the tank. Said two elements are then electrically connected, e.g., in series to each other. The above disclosed practical embodiment can be conveniently used in case a mono-phase power supply is used to feed the resistors. In Figure 3 a second form of practical embodiment is shown of a tank 15, in which the innovative principles of the present invention are applied. In said second practical embodiment, three flexible, electrical-resistor heating elements 16 are provided. Said flexible element are composed (analogously to the elements 11) by electrical resistors embedded inside a sheet made from a flexile material with a self-adhesive face, and shaped (as one will better see from Figure 4) into two parts. The first part 17, of straight shape, has such a length as to surround one third of the peripheral wall of the tank, and has such a suitable height, as to make it possible said peripheral wall to be correctly heated. The second part 18 has the general shape of a sector of one third of a circumference, with a diameter slightly lower than the diameter of the bottom wall of the tank, and is provided with a shaped contour, suitable for going around the drain holes, or other discontinuities existing on the bottom wall of the tank. A bridge 19 provided between said first part 17, and said second part 18 provides the electrical connection between the electrical resistors contained in said first part and in said second part. Going back to Figure 3, the flexible elements 16 are applied in a number of three, by means of the adhesive provided on a face of them, so as to coat the side wall and the bottom wall of the tank. Said three elements are then electrically connected, e.g., with one another. With obvious and suitable connections, the just above disclosed practical embodiment can be conveniently used with a three-phase power supply. Of course, it can be used as well, with the connections being suitably changed, with mono-phase power supplies also. Whichever the number of the heating elements, and their electrical connection, either with one another, or with the power supply line, may be, it will be clear that a tank accomplished according to the innovative principles of the present invention is of a simpler structure, as regards the heating system, and its connection, than the systems known from the prior art. Of course, the shape of the heating elements shown in the hereto attached drawings, and hereinabove disclosed, is supplied for merely exemplifying purposes. Said shape can be changed in order to match any tank shape requirements, and, in particular, in order to go around drain holes, supports, and any other elements which may be present on the outer surface of the tank, and which one does not want to cover with the heating elements. Finally, the electrical resistors inside said first part and said second parts can be so accomplished as to generate different amounts of heat, so as to supply a larger amount of said heat in those regions of the tank, in which the heat dispersion is greater. In order to obtain such differentiated-temperature regions, one can, e.g., change the value of the electrical resistors, by increasing it, or decreasing, it, in the various regions in which a larger, or a smaller, amount of heat is desired, or various sections of the electrical resistors inside said first parts and said second parts can be variously connected with each other in a suitable way, as anyone skilled in the art can easily imagine.

Claims: Heating apparatus of tank type (10,15), of the type using heating means constituted by heating resistors (11,16) embedded in a flexible material, applied onto the outer walls of said tank (10,15), said heating means comprising a first element (12,17) of substantially rectangular shape applied onto the peripheral wall of the tank (10,15), and of a second element (13,18) substantially having a circle-sector shape applied onto the bottom wall of said tank (10,15), with said elements containing the electrical resistors and being connected by means of a bridge (14,19) made from a flexible material, containing the electrical connections between the resistors contained in said first element (12,17), and in said second element (13,18), characterised in that said first element (12,17) has a length which is a half of the outer perimeter of the tank (10,15), and said second element (13,18)is substantially a sector corresponding to a half of the basis of said tank (10,15), and that said first element (12,17) and said second element (13,18) are in a number of two on said tank (10,15). Heating apparatus of tank type according to claim 1, characterised in that said first element (12,17) has a length which is one third of the outer perimeter of the tank (10,15), and said second element (13,18) is substantially a sector corresponding to one third of the basis of said tank (10,15), and that said first (12,17) and second (13,18) element are in a number of three on said tank (10,15). Heating apparatus of tank type according to claim 1, characterised in that in said first element (12,17) and in said second element (13,18) notches are provided, which go around specific regions of the tank. Heating apparatus of tank type according to claim 1, characterised in that said elements (12,17; 13,18) are provided with differentiated-heating areas. Heating apparatus of tank type according to claim 4, characterised in that said differentiated-heating areas are accomplished by means of the use of electrical resistors of different values in said areas.

Inventors: BRAVO, GENESIO
Applicants: BRAVO S.P.A.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A47J36
IPC codes: A23G9, H05B3, A47J36, B65D90