Adjustable electric heater

Abstract

 A heater (11) including a base (13); a housing (12) mounted on the base (13) and defining air outlet means (31) and an air flow path (39) communicating therewith; a heating mechanism (15) retained in the air flow path (39); and an adjustment mechanism (18) for altering the orientation of the outlet means (31) so as to substantially change the direction in which air heated by the heating mechanism (15) is discharged from the housing.

Description

[0001] This invention relates generally to a convection heater and, more particularly, to a portable convection heater which can be adjusted to produce heated air discharge in different directions.

[0002] Convection heaters are used extensively to increase personal comfort by elevating the temperature in living environments. Generally, a convection heater is elongated and employs as a heating mechanism either an electrical or a fluid based heating element. Most convection heaters are so called baseboard heaters mounted on a wall at a slightly elevated location or on a floor adjacent to a wall. When the heating mechanism is activated, air within a heater housing is heated and rises naturally by convection. The heated air discharges from the heater housing through an upper outlet, and the discharging air produces ambient airflow into the housing through inlets located in a lower portion of the housing. Although generally quite effective and useful, prior convection heaters have exhibited heat distribution limitations resulting from their inherent capacity to transmit heated air only into a specific zone.

[0003] The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved baseboard heater with an improved and selective capacity for heated air distribution.

[0004] The invention is a heater including a base; a housing mounted on the base and defining air outlet means and an air flow path communicating therewith; a heating mechanism retained in the air flow path; and an adjustment mechanism for altering the orientation of the outlet means so as to substantially change the direction in which air heated by the heating mechanism is discharged from the housing. The adjustment mechanism provides the heater with selective heated air distribution pattern capability.

[0005] According to one feature of the invention, the adjustment mechanisms allows movement of the housing on the base so as to alter the orientation of the outlet means. Desired distribution patterns are obtained by changing the orientation of the housing on the base.

[0006] According to another feature of the invention, the adjustment means includes a pivot coupling which allows between the housing and the base pivotal movement between first and second positions that direct said outlet opening in substantially different directions. A desired outlet orientation is obtained by merely pivoting the housing on the base.

[0007] According to still another feature of the invention, the heater includes a latch releaseably latching the housing in a plurality of positions between the first and second positions. The latch facilitates the establishment of a variety of stable outlet opening orientations.

[0008] According to yet another feature of the invention, the first position directs the outlet opening substantially vertically and the second position directs the outlet opening substantially horizontally. This feature provides selective functional heated air distribution patterns.

[0009] According to a further feature of the invention, the housing is substantially elongated having a length at least twice its height. The elongated housing desirably extends the heated air distribution pattern.

[0010] According to additional features of the invention, the heater is portable, the heating mechanism is an electrical heating element; and the heater includes a power cord connected to the heating element and an electrical plug connected to the power cord. These features permit selective positioning of the heater in any desired location.

[0011] According to an important feature of the invention, the heater includes a blower mechanism for moving air out of the outlet opening. The blower provides desired heated air distribution for all outlet opening orientations.

[0012] According to other features of the invention, the blower mechanism includes a plurality of centrifugal discharge blowers spaced apart longitudinally in the housing. This feature provides manufacturing cost efficiency for an elongated heater.

[0013] According to additional features of the invention, the heating mechanism and the blowers move with the housing, the inlet includes first and second inlet openings defined by, respectively, opposite side walls of the housing and a third inlet opening defined in a rear wall thereof; and the outlet opening is defined by alternatively a top and front wall of the housing. Optimum operational performance are provided by these structural features.

[0014] These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent upon a perusal of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a right, front perspective view of a heater according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the heater shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partially cut away end view of the heater shown in Figs. 1-3; and

Fig. 5 is an end view showing multiple positions of the heater illustrated in Figs. 1-4.

[0015] A portable electric heater 11 includes an elongated housing 12 mounted on an elongated base 13, and a heating mechanism 15 and blower assembly 16 both supported by and retained within the housing 12. Also included with the heater 11 is an adjustment mechanism 18 which accommodates relative movement between the housing 12 and the base 13. Forming the housing 12 are a rear wall 21, a front wall 22, a top wall 23, a bottom wall 24, and a pair of side walls 26, 27. The top wall 23 defines an outlet opening 31 covered by a grillwork 32. Each of the side walls 26, 27 defines an inlet opening 33 covered by a grillwork 34. Another inlet opening 36 is defined in a lower central portion of the rear wall 21 and is covered by a grillwork 37. Extending between the inlet openings 33, 36 and the outlet opening 31 is an air flow path 39 (Figs. 2 and 3) defined by the rear wall 21 and the side walls 26, 27.

[0016] The heating mechanism 15 includes a plurality of transversely spaced apart, longitudinally aligned insulation plates 41 supported from the side walls 26, 27 of the housing 12. Formed along top and bottom edges of the insulation plates 41 are longitudinally distributed slots 42. Also included in the heating mechanism 15 are resistive heater element wires 43 retained by the slots 42 in the insulation plates 41.

[0017] The blower assembly 16 includes a plurality of centrifugal discharge blower wheels 27 distributed along a longitudinal axis of the elongated housing 12. Supporting the blower wheels 47 are drive shafts 50 extending between the side walls 26, 27. Also mounted on the drive shafts 50 and between adjacent pairs of the blower wheels 27 are electrically energized motors 48.

[0018] The adjustment mechanism 18 is formed by a pivot coupling assembly 51 joining each end of the housing 12 to the base 13. Each coupling assembly 51 includes a cylindrical pivot shaft 52 extending from an end of the housing 12 and a hollow cylindrical bearing 53 formed at an end of the base 13. The bearings 53 pivotally retain the shafts 52 so as to allow pivotal movement of the housing 12 on the base 13 between first and second positions shown, respectively, by solid and dashed lines in Fig. 5. In response to pivotal movement of the housing 12 on the base 13, the orientation of the outlet opening 31 is altered to substantially change the direction in which heated air is discharged. As depicted in Fig. 5, in the first position of the housing 12, heated air is discharged from the outlet opening 31 in a substantially vertically upward direction and, in the second position of the housing 12, heated air is discharged from the outlet opening 31 in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0019] The heater 11 also includes a latch mechanism 55 (Fig.4) affecting rotation of the housing 12 on the base 13. Establishing the latch mechanism 55 are teeth 57 formed at diametrically opposed positions on the pivot shafts 52 at each end of the housing 12, and a pair of spring latch arms 58 retained by each cylindrical bearing 53. As the housing 12 pivots on the base 13, the spring latch arms 58 sequentially engage circumferentially spaced apart recesses 61 between the teeth 57. Each engagement of the latch arm 58 with a recess 61 establishes between the housing 12 and the base 13 a releaseable position intermediate the first and second positions shown in Fig. 5.

[0020] Prior to use of the heater 11, a plug 63 (Fig. 2) is inserted into a conventional power outlet socket (not shown) attached to one end of a power cord 64. An opposite end of the power cord 64 is connected to circuitry (not shown) retained in an electrical control box 65 at one end of the housing 12 and connected to the electrical motors 48 and the heater element wires 43. Operatively coupled to the conventional circuitry in the control box 65 are a switch knob 67 and a thermostatic control knob 68. Actuation of the switch knob 67 energizes the motors 48 to produce rotation of the blower wheels 47 and establish heating current flow to the heater element wires 43. The rotating blower wheels 47 draw ambient air in through the inlet openings 33, 36 and along the air flow path 39 encompassing the heater wires 43. Air heated by the wires 43 is discharged through the outlet opening 31 in a direction selected by manual manipulation of the housing 12 on the base 13. Thus, the adjustment mechanism 18 and the blower assembly 16 provide induced discharge of heated air into any of a variety of directions intermediate the vertical and horizontal discharge directions produced in the first and second housing positions shown in Fig. 5.

[0021] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. For example only, selective outlet orientations could be provided by plural individually activated outlets having different orientations. Also, heated air discharge patterns could be altered by movement of a housing to reverse the functions of inlet and outlet openings. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A heater comprising:

a base;

a housing mounted on said base and defining air outlet means and an air flow path communicating therewith;

a heating mechanism retained in said air flow path; and

an adjustment mechanism for substantially altering the orientation of said outlet means so as to substantially change the direction in which air heated by said heating mechanism is discharged from said housing.

2. A heater according to claim 1 wherein said adjustment mechanism allows movement of said housing on said base so as to alter the orientation of said outlet means.

3. A heater according to claim 2 wherein said outlet means comprises an outlet opening, said housing further defines an inlet opening, and said flow path extends between said inlet opening and said outlet opening.

4. A heater according to claim 3 wherein said adjustment means comprises pivot coupling means connecting said housing and said base.

5. A heater according to claim 4 wherein said pivot coupling means allows between said housing and said base pivotal movement between first and second positions that direct said outlet opening in substantially different directions.

6. A heater according to claim 5 including latch means for releaseably latching said housing in a plurality of positions between said first and second positions.

7. A heater according to claim 6 wherein said first position directs said outlet opening substantially vertically, and said second position directs said outlet opening substantially horizontally.

8. A heater according to claim 7 wherein said housing is substantially elongated having a length at least twice its height.

9. A heater according to claim 8 wherein said heater is portable, said heating mechanism comprises an electrical heating element; and including a power cord connected to said heating mechanism, and an electrical plug connected to said power cord.

10. A heater according to claim 4 wherein said heating mechanism is supported by for movement with said housing.

11. A heater according to claim 1 including a blower means for moving air in said air flow path toward said outlet means.

Drawing