# US 4,392,480 A · Heat storage and delivery apparatus

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 4,392,480 A
- Document ID: US4392480A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/393,066
- Filed: 1982-06-28
- Granted: 1983-07-12
- Earliest claimed: 1981-03-12
- Inventors: Wayne Vautrin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4392480A

## CPC

- F24D 11/007: {combined with solar energy}
- F24H 7/0416: {the transfer fluid being air}
- F24H 15/128: Preventing overheating
- F24H 15/204: Temperature of the air before heating
- F24H 15/254: Room temperature
- F24H 15/345: Control of fans, e.g. on-off control (control of fans of heat pump units F24H15/375)
- Y02B 10/20: Solar thermal
- F24D: DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR (using steam or condensate extracted or exhausted from steam engine plants for heating purposes F01K17/02)
- F24H: FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL (steam generation F22)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A heat storage and delivery apparatus includes a cabinet containing a plurality of heat storage rods which absorbs and stores heat when heated air is directed over the surfaces thereof. A delivery passage and a return passage within the cabinet are adapted to be connected to a heat generator, preferably a solar collector, to permit heated air to be circulated over the heat storage rods. A charging blower and a delivery blower control the flow of air between the solar collector and cabinet, and between the cabinet and the area to be heated. An air distributor effectively distributes air from the charging blower over the heat storage rods. Heat responsive controls operate the charging and delivery blowers in response to changes in temperature in the cabinet, the area to be treated and the solar collector.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heat storage apparatus, comprising:
a rectangular shaped cabinet,
delivery and return passages in said cabinet, said passages being adapted to be connected in communicating relation with a heat generator to permit heated air to be circulated between the heat generator and cabinet,
an inlet and an outlet in said cabinet intercommunicating the interior of the cabinet with the exterior, said inlet being connected in communicating relation with said return passage,
heat collecting chamber means in said cabinet, a plurality of vertically disposed elongate heat storage rods positioned in said heat collecting chamber means and arranged in side by side relation with respect to each other,
a charging blower in said cabinet being operable when energized to cause heated air to be drawn from the heat generator into the delivery passage of the cabinet,
first valve means between the delivery passage and said heat collecting chamber and being operable when said charging blower is energized to cause heated air drawn from the heat generator into the delivery passage into said heat collecting chamber over said rods and thereafter into the return passage for return to the heat generator whereby heat exchange action occurs between the heated air and heat storage rods so that heat is stored in the latter,
a diffuser member in said heat collecting chamber being operable to cause the air directed into the heat collecting chamber from the charging blower to be uniformly distributed over the heat storage rods,
a delivery blower in said cabinet spaced from said charging blower, and when energized causing external unheated air to be drawn into the cabinet through the inlet into said return passage,
air control means between the delivery blower and the heat collecting chamber being operable when the delivery blower is energized to direct the unheated air through the heat collecting chamber and over the heat storage rods whereby the air will be heated and then directed by the delivery blower through the outlet into the exterior,
and control means including the circuitry arranged in controlling relation with respect to said charging and delivery blowers, first temperature responsive means in said circuitry being operable in response to the temperature within the heat generator reaching a predetermined magnitude to energize the charging blower to direct heated air from the heat generator into the heat collecting chamber, additional heat responsive means in said circuitry being operable to energize the delivery blower when the temperature within the collecting chamber reaches a predetermined temperature and when the external temperature outside the cabinet reaches a predetermined temperature to cause outside unheated air to be directed into the inlet over the heat storage rods to heat the air, and thereafter, discharge the heated air to the exterior.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1 and a vertical divider wall in said heat collecting chamber means forming said chamber means into front and rear chambers, said heat storage rods being positioned in side-by-side relation in said chambers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first valve means is positioned adjacent said diffusion member and cooperates with the latter to direct air uniformly over the heat storage rods.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said air control means includes a second valve between the delivery blower and said return passage and a third valve between said return passage and said heat collecting chamber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first responsive means comprises a first thermostat, said additional heat responsive means comprising a second and third thermostats, one of which is responsive to temperature changes in the collecting chamber of the cabinet and the other thermostat being responsive to temperature changes exteriorly of the cabinet.

### Claim 6

A heat storage apparatus comprising:
a rectangular shaped container,
delivery and return passages in said container, said passages being adapted to be connected in communicating relation with a heat generator to permit heated air to be circulated between the heat generator and container,
an inlet and an outlet in said container intercommunicating the interior of the container with the exterior, said inlet being connected in communicating relation with said return passage,
heat collecting chamber means in said container, a plurality of elongate heat storage rods positioned in said heat collecting chamber means and arranged in side-by-side relation with respect to each other,
charging and delivery means in said container being operable in a first mode of operation when energized to cause heated air to be directed from the heat generator into the delivery passage of the container, and being operable in a second mode of operation to cause unheated external air to be directed into the container through the inlet into the return passage,
first valve means between the delivery passage and said heat collecting chamber being operable when said charging and delivery means is energized to cause heated air drawn from the heat generator into the delivery passage into said heat collecting chamber over said rods and thereafter into the return passage for return to the heat generator whereby heat exchange action occurs between the heated air and heat storage rods so that heat is stored in the latter,
means defining an interconnecting passage between said charging and delivery means and said heat collecting chamber being operable to cause the air directed into the heat collecting chamber from the charging and delivery means to be uniformly distributed over the heat storage rods,
air control means between the charging and delivery means and the heat collecting chamber being operable when the charging and delivery means is in the second mode of operation to direct the unheated air through the heat collecting chamber and over the heat storage rods whereby the air will be heated and then directed by the charging and delivery means through the outlet into the exterior, and
control means including the circuitry arranged in controlling relation with respect to said charging and delivery means, first temperature responsive means in said circuitry being operable in response to the temperature within the heat generator reaching a predetermined magnitude to energize the charging and delivery means in said first mode of operation to direct heated air from the heat generator into the heat collecting chamber, additional heat responsive means in said circuitry being operable to energize the charging and delivery means in said second mode of operation only when the temperature within the collecting chamber reaches a predetermined temperature and when the external temperature outside the cabinet reaches a predetermined temperature to cause outside unheated air to be directed into the inlet over the heat storage rods to heat the air, and thereafter discharge the heated air to the exterior.

### Claim 7

A heat storage apparatus comprising:
a rectangular shaped container,
delivery and return passages in said container, said passages being adapted to be connected in communicating relation with a heat generator to permit heated air to be circulated between the heat generator and container,
an inlet and an outlet in said container intercommunicating the interior of the container with the exterior, said inlet being connected in communicating relation with said return passage,
heat collecting chamber means in said container, a plurality of elongate heat storage rods positioned in said heat collecting chamber means and arranged in side-by-side relation with respect to each other,
a charging blower in said container being operable when energized to cause heated air to be directed from the heat generator into the delivery passage of the container,
first valve means between the delivery passage and said heat collecting chamber and being operable when said charging blower is energized to cause heated air drawn from the heat generator into the delivery passage into said heat collecting chamber over said rods and thereafter into the return passage for return to the heat generator whereby heat exchange action occurs between the heated air and heat storage rods so that heat is stored in the latter,
means defining an interconnecting passage between said charging blower and said heat collecting chamber being operable to cause the air directed into the heat collecting chamber from the charging blower to be uniformly distributed over the heat storage rods,
a delivery blower in said container spaced from said charging blower, and when energized causing external unheated air to be drawn into the container through the inlet into said return passage,
air control means between the delivery blower and the heat collecting chamber being oeprable when the delivery blower is energized to direct the unheated air through the heat collecting chamber and over the heat storage rods whereby the air will be heated and then directed by the delivery blower through the outlet into the exterior,
and control means including the circuitry arranged in controlling relation with respect to said charging and delivery blowers, first temperature responsive means in said circuitry being operable in response to the temperature within the heat generator reaching a predetermined magnitude to energize the charging blower to direct heated air from the heat generator into the heat collecting chamber, additional heat responsive means in said circuitry being operable to energize the delivery blower when the temperature within the collecting chamber reaches a predetermined temperature to cause outside unheated air to be directed into the inlet over the heat storage rods to heat the air, and thereafter discharge the heated air to the exterior.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1 and a divider wall in said heat collecting chamber means forming said chamber means into a pair of chambers, said heat storage rods being positioned in side-by-side relation in said chambers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first valve means is positioned adjacent said interconnecting passage means and cooperates with the latter to direct air uniformly over the heat storage rods.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said air control means includes a second valve between the delivery blower and said return passage and a third valve between said return passage and said heat collecting chamber.