IP Library Granted Patent US 11,543,136
Granted Patent B2
US 11,543,136 · App. 16/257,933 · Granted Jan 3, 2023

Friction heated oven

Inventors: Barry J. Opdahl (Williamsport, PA); Cory H. Vesey (Winfield, PA); Michael A. Schneck (New Berlin, PA)
Assignee: THERMAL PRODUCT SOLUTIONS
F24C15/322F27D19/00F24C15/32F27D2007/045F27D2019/0003F27D2019/0006
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,543,136
App. No.
16/257,933
Granted
Jan 3, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques regarding a fan friction oven are provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can regard an apparatus comprising a processing chamber in fluid communication with a heating blower and a circulation blower. The heating blower can heat air adjacent to the processing chamber by fan friction. Also, the circulation blower can circulate the air heated by the heating blower into the processing chamber.

Claims (40)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber in fluid communication with a heating blower and a circulation blower via a circulation corridor, wherein the heating blower heats air by fan friction;

wherein the heating blower is positioned upstream relative to the circulation blower within the circulation corridor such that the circulation corridor supplies the air directly from the heating blower to the circulation blower, wherein the circulation blower then circulates the air to the processing chamber, wherein a temperature of the air is modulated by the heating blower, wherein an airflow of the air is modulated by the circulation blower, wherein the temperature of the air is modulated independent of the airflow of the air, and wherein the temperature of the air is modulated by varying a speed of the heating blower.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a controller, operably coupled to the heating blower and the circulation blower, that modulates the temperature within the processing chamber by controlling operation of the heating blower.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller controls the operation of the heating blower independent of operation of the circulation blower.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the fan friction is based on a rotation speed of fan blades of the heating blower.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller modulates the airflow of the air by controlling operation of the circulation blower, and wherein the controller varies the rotation speed of fan blades of the circulation blower independent of the operation of the heating blower.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a temperature controller operably coupled to a temperature sensor located within the processing chamber, wherein the temperature controller generates a signal based on the temperature as monitored by the temperature sensor; and

a motor speed controller operably coupled to the temperature controller and the heating blower, wherein the motor speed controller controls an operation of the heating blower based on the signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating blower heats the air by a friction generated from moving the air, and wherein the heating blower heats the air independent of the circulation blower circulating the air.

8. A method for heating an oven, comprising:

heating, by a heating blower, air by fan friction;

supplying, within a circulation corridor, the air heated by the fan friction from the heating blower to a circulation blower;

circulating, by the circulation blower, the air heated by the fan friction to generate an airflow within the circulation corridor; and

controlling, by the heating blower, a temperature of the air independent of the airflow of the air, wherein the temperature of the air is modulated by varying a speed of the heating blower.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

directing, via the circulation corridor, the airflow of heated air adjacent to a processing chamber.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

directing the airflow of heated air adjacent to the processing chamber into the processing chamber.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controlling the temperature comprises controlling, via a motor speed controller, an operation of the heating blower.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the operation of the heating blower is controlled independent of an operation of the circulation blower.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

monitoring, by a temperature sensor, the temperature of the air within a processing chamber; and

wherein the controlling the temperature is based on the monitoring.

14. An oven, comprising:

a heating blower in fluid communication with a processing chamber, wherein the heating blower heats air by fan friction;

a circulation blower in fluid communication with the processing chamber, wherein the circulation blower generates an airflow of the air heated by the heating blower, and wherein the heating blower heats the air independently of generation of the airflow, and wherein the temperature of the air is modulated by varying a speed of the heating blower; and

a circulation corridor in fluid communication with the circulation blower, wherein the circulation corridor includes a wall that separates air upstream from the circulation blower from air downstream from the circulation blower.

15. The oven of claim 14 , wherein the airflow of the air heated by the heating blower travels into the processing chamber.

16. The oven of claim 14 , further comprising:

a motor speed controller, operably coupled to the heating blower, that modulates a temperature within the processing chamber by controlling an operation of the heating blower.

17. The oven of claim 16 , wherein the motor speed controller varies the temperature while the airflow remains constant.

18. The oven of claim 16 , further comprising:

a temperature controller, operably coupled to the motor speed controller, that monitors the temperature.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the circulation corridor includes a wall positioned such that air upstream from the circulation blower is separated from air downstream from the circulation blower.

20. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

supplying, via the circulation corridor, the airflow through a processing chamber; and

expelling the airflow out of the oven subsequent to the airflow traveling through the processing chamber, wherein air that has traveled through the processing chamber is processed air, and wherein the heating blower avoids heating the processed air by the fan friction.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2022
From: THERMAL PRODUCT SOLUTIONS, LLC; TPS INTERNATIONAL, LLC; TPS, LLC; WISCONSIN OVEN CORPORATION
To: MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS TRUST COMPANY (AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT)
Reel/Frame 060425/0501 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2022
From: WEBSTER BUSINESS CREDIT, A DIVISION OF WEBSTER BANK, N.A.
To: TPS, LLC; WISCONSIN OVEN CORPORATION; TPS INTERNATIONAL, LLC; THERMAL PRODUCT SOLUTIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 060375/0289 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 1, 2020
From: TPS, LLC, AS GRANTOR; THERMAL PRODUCT SOLUTIONS, INC., AS GRANTOR
To: WEBSTER BUSINESS CREDIT CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054558/0353 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2020
From: TPS, LLC; THERMAL PRODUCT SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: PROSPECT CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054495/0940 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2019
From: OPDAHL, BARRY J.; VESEY, CORY H.; SCHNECK, MICHAEL A.
To: THERMAL PRODUCT SOLUTIONS
Reel/Frame 048139/0643 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200240646A1 · Jul 30, 2020