Heater apparatus for sabbath food heating

Abstract

Apparatus for permissibly heating liquids during the Sabbath comprises a first vessel in which a liquid is received, a heat source for heating the liquid, and cooling apparatus to provide a predetermined regulated liquid temperature. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises an additional vessel and a reheating vessel, and heating fluid is automatically flowable from the first vessel to the reheating vessel via the additional vessel to heat a liquid at a greater than threshold temperature. The additional vessel has cooling apparatus or an emptying arrangement, or a cooling apparatus is interposed between the additional vessel and the first vessel. In another embodiment, the heat source has a heating element, electrical insulation which is durable within surrounding liquid, and a temperature sensor for detecting heating element temperature or a conductivity sensor for detecting surrounding liquid electrical conductivity. A deactivation signal is transmittable to an electronic adaptor of the heating element.

1 . A heater apparatus for permissibly heating a liquid during the Sabbath, comprising;
 a first vessel exposed to a heat source, within said first vessel a heating fluid is increased in temperature by said heat source;   at least one additional vessel, one of which being settable in discontinuous liquid communication with said first vessel, wherein the heating fluid is automatically flowable from said first vessel to said one additional vessel during a period when the heating fluid is isolated from said first vessel after flowing to said one additional vessel;   a reheating vessel which is heated by the heating fluid following discharge from said one additional vessel and which is configured to permissibly heat a liquid to a temperature greater than a threshold Sabbath-forbidden temperature; and   means for delivering the heating fluid from said heating vessel to said first vessel,   wherein said one additional vessel comprises a cooling apparatus for cooling at least one of a bottom and one or more walls of said one additional vessel; or means for emptying said one additional vessel following flow thereto of the heating fluid; or   wherein said heater apparatus comprises a cooling apparatus interposed between said one additional vessel and said first vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the one additional vessel comprises the cooling apparatus and the means for emptying the one additional vessel following flow thereto of the heating fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional vessel includes a second vessel that is settable in discontinuous liquid communication with, and having an interior at a temperature less than, the first vessel, and a third vessel that is settable in discontinuous liquid communication with, and having an interior at a temperature less than, the second vessel,
 wherein the reheating vessel is heated by the heating fluid discharged from the third vessel.   
     
     
         4 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling apparatus is constituted by one or more means selected from the group consisting of passive cooling means, ventilation means, cooling ribs, a nozzle for externally spraying the one additional vessel with a cooling liquid, a mechanism driven by a motor for displacing the one additional vessel in order to be cooled, a pump for cyclically filling and emptying a tub in which the one additional vessel is located with a cooling liquid, refrigeration apparatus, one or more tubes extending to an external component and through which a gaseous or liquid coolant for cooling the heat fluid flows, and a selectively openable and closable valve through which the heating fluid is flowable. 
     
     
         5 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the mechanism is configured to immerse the one additional vessel in cooling liquid contained within the tub and to subsequently remove the one additional vessel from the tub. 
     
     
         6 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for emptying the one additional vessel following flow thereto of the heating fluid comprises a valve operatively connected to a conduit extending from an outlet of the one additional vessel and a controller in data communication with the valve, the controller operable to define a duration and frequency of each valve opening. 
     
     
         7 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is additionally in data communication with a valve operatively connected to a conduit extending from the first vessel and with the means for delivering the heating fluid from the heating vessel to the first vessel, to facilitate cyclical flow of the heating fluid. 
     
     
         8 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the means for delivering the heating fluid from the food heating vessel to the first vessel comprises a recirculation conduit extending from the heating vessel to the first vessel and a pump operatively connected to said recirculation conduit. 
     
     
         9 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the heat source is a non-glowing heat source. 
     
     
         10 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the non-glowing heat source is an electrically powered heater having a heating element. 
     
     
         11 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the controller is additionally in data communication with a first temperature sensor for detecting an interior temperature of the first vessel or a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heating element of the non-glowing heater,
 wherein the controller is operable to command temporary deactivation of the heating element of the non-glowing heater in response to a predetermined high temperature detected by the first temperature sensor or the second temperature sensor.   
     
     
         12 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising a flow interruption unit for momentarily interrupting the flow of the heating fluid within the recirculation conduit extending from the heating vessel to the first vessel. 
     
     
         13 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an isolation member for thermally isolating an upstream vessel from a downstream vessel during transfer of the heating fluid, the isolation member configured with a closed base formed with a closable inlet through which the heating fluid is receivable and with a closable annular outlet of a significantly smaller dimension than that of the base from which the heating fluid is dischargeable, wherein the isolation member is fillable with air exclusively following discharge of the heating fluid and closing of its inlet and outlet, and wherein air is captured in an interior of the isolation member when the interior is filled with the heating fluid. 
     
     
         14 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first vessel further comprises cooling apparatus that is operable simultaneously, independently or in synchronization relative to the heat source, in order to achieve a predetermined first vessel interior temperature. 
     
     
         15 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating fluid is automatically flowable from the first vessel to the one additional vessel during a period when the heat source is deactivated. 
     
     
         16 . A heater apparatus for permissibly heating liquids during the Sabbath, comprising;
 a first vessel within an interior of which is receivable a liquid;   a heat source for heating the received liquid; and   cooling apparatus that is operable simultaneously, independently or in synchronization relative to the heat source, in order to heat the received liquid at a predetermined regulated first vessel interior temperature.   
     
     
         17 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising a controller for defining operation of the heat source and the cooling apparatus, and a user interface for inputting the predetermined first vessel interior temperature to the controller prior to the onset of the Sabbath, wherein the controller is operable to disable the user interface when a Sabbath mode is initiated. 
     
     
         18 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 17 , which is a water heater or an urn. 
     
     
         19 . The heater apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 at least one additional vessel, one of which being settable in discontinuous liquid communication with, and having an interior at a temperature less than, the first vessel, wherein the liquid is automatically flowable from the first vessel to said one additional vessel during a period when the liquid is isolated from the first vessel after flowing to said one additional vessel;   a reheating vessel which is heated by the liquid following discharge from said one additional vessel and which is configured to permissibly heat liquid and solid foods to a temperature greater than a threshold Sabbath-forbidden temperature; and   means for delivering the liquid from said heating vessel to the first vessel,   wherein the liquid is at a temperature greater than the threshold Sabbath-forbidden temperature when discharged from the reheating vessel and is increased in temperature by the heat source after being introduced to the first vessel.   
     
     
         20 . A non-glowing electric heater for permissible use on the Sabbath which is configured to transfer heat to a surrounding liquid, comprising an electric heating element made of thermally conductive material, a layer of electrical insulation applied to the heating element which is durable within the surrounding liquid, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heating element or a conductivity sensor for detecting electrical conductivity of the surrounding liquid, wherein a detection signal producible by the temperature sensor or the conductivity sensor is transmittable to a controller which is operable to generate a deactivation signal that is subsequently transmittable to an electronic adaptor of the heating element, the deactivation signal being transmittable to the electronic adaptor if the detected temperature of the heating element is greater than a predetermined temperature that will cause the heating element to glow or if the detected electrical conductivity of the heating element is greater than a predetermined electrical conductivity.