Abstract: The present invention provides a modular heating unit for a grill. The grill has a grill plate supported on a support base. The grill plate has a bottom surface and a top surface. The modular heating unit is mounted to the bottom surface of the grill plate and has at least four side edges. The modular heating unit has a pan, an insulation layer and a heating element. The pan has a generally flat base and a circumferential sidewall. The insulation layer has an insulation base and a circumferential sidewall. The heating element is supported on the insulation base to heat the grill plate and is positioned in a spaced apart relationship to the bottom surface of the grill plate. The modular heating unit is divided into a center section and two side sections. The side sections are adjacent to two side edges of the modular heating unit. The heating element is contoured to provide more heat to at least one of the side sections than the center section of the heating unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a staple for a heating unit. In one embodiment, the heating unit has a base, a first insulation layer, a second insulation layer, and a heating element. The first insulation layer has a top surface and a bottom surface. The heating element rests on the top surface of the first insulation layer. The staple includes a base and a plurality of legs. The base is capable of straddling a portion of the heating element. At least one of the plurality of legs is capable of extending through the top and bottom surfaces of the first insulation layer. A portion of the leg extending through the bottom surface of the first insulation layer is capable of being rolled to form a foot. The second insulation layer is located between the bottom surface of the first insulation layer and the base. In another embodiment, the present invention includes a staple for a heating unit having an insulation layer and a heating element. The heating element rests on the top surface of the insulation layer.