Heater door mechanism for infant warming apparatus

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, the present invention relates to an infant care apparatus that combines the functions of an infant care warmer and an incubator but in addition, has a door or doors that can close when the canopy including the radiant heater is lowered toward the infant and open when the canopy and heater are again raised to the upper position.
Thus, the heater itself as well as the surrounding housing adjacent surfaces that are heated by the conduction from the radiant heater are concealed from the user and the infant when in its lower position and the doors thus block further radiant heat and convective heat from reaching the infant.
By use of the present invention, that closed status is automatically achieved by the mechanism as the heater canopy progresses from its upper position to its lower position and the door or doors are safely closed without some reminder or action on the part of a user.
In reverse, as the heater is raised when the user desires the apparatus to be used as a radiant infant warmer, the door or doors automatically open so that the heater can be energized to direct radiant infrared energy to impinge upon the infant.
Again, the operation of the mechanism is automatic and needs no action on the part of a user other than to indicate to the infant warming apparatus what warmer position is desired at the time.
In the preferred embodiment, there are two doors that open and close to contain the heater as with only one door, it is possible in a failure mode, that if the door does not close upon reaching its lower position, the door has sufficient width that it may actually touch the infant.
With two doors, each door is reduced in width such that the danger of the door touching the infant in the lower position is eliminated.
As a further refinement, a mechanism is provided that is a mechanical system that opens and closes the doors as the heater moves, respectively, to the upper position and to the lower position.
It is preferred, that the actual opening and closing take place at or near the upper position