Appliance Design - July 2008 - (Page 14)

HEatING ElEmENtS Conductive Clarity t rf eh rezee orf srood nohtnA m o siht f nretnI y cele llacirt lpsid a ac ya taef lanoit itcudnoc y es eru h ev detae .ssalg the f re from ezer doo Antho rs of th n electr ically y Internatio is displa y condu n ctive al feature case heate d glas s. Special glass heats transparently. G by larry adams 14 applianceDESIGN July 2008 lass is a challenging material for designers to work with, but for applications with see-through requirements, glass is typically the material of choice. The challenge of designing with glass can become more pronounced in situations where the glass must be electrically heated – resistive heating elements must be applied to, or within, the glass without significantly interfering with its transparency. Fortunately, a number of suppliers offer solutions for such cases. Electrically heated glass can be used in several ways. In the food service industry, the material is used for transparent food displays that keep food hot and still visible without drying it out. A heated glass shelf can keep food items warm while providing the ability to see the food items on the shelf below. At the supermarket, heated glass provides just enough heat to eliminate condensation and fogging and allow consumers to view the chilled and frozen goods in refrigerated display cases. Heated glass radiators and towel warmers can keep rooms cozy and towels toasty, while heated mirrors in a steamy bath can remove or eliminate condensation. Heated glass can also be used to improve visibility and operation of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in certain applications. When used for heating LCDs, the heated glass keeps the displays at a functioning temperature in cold environments. Gas pump displays, kiosk displays, and some portable electronic device displays used outdoors rely on LCD heaters to maintain their legibility. Other outdoor applications include security and traffic cameras, where the heaters prevent lens fogging. Display cases, towel warmers, and LCDs are just some of the better-known uses for electrically heated glass. Other applications are less traditional. One company, Chicagobased Engineered Glass Products (EGP) is looking at supplying zoos with display cases that will allow visitors to look at their favorite reptiles while keeping the case at the appropriate temperature for the cold-blooded creatures. Another company, Anthony International of Sylmar, Calif., created the display case that enclosed the 5,300-year-old www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - July 2008 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Heating Elements Gas Technology Motors & Pumps Controls & Sensors Design Marts Association Report: AHAM Advertiser's Index

Appliance Design - July 2008

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