Vehicle cabin spot heater

A spot heater mounted on an engine-driven vehicle for preheating a vehicle cabin, comprising:

• a regenerator mounted on an exhaust tube of said engine, said regenerator including a heat accumulating material substantially completely surrounding and intimately disposed about a portion of said exhaust tube to accumulate heat given off by exhaust gas passing through said exhaust tube, and casing means disposed coaxially about said heat accumulating material and said exhaust tube portion in a spaced, contact-free relationship with the material, to define an air conducting clearance extending continuously about and immediately adjacent said heat accumulating material for preheating the cabin,
• said casing means further including an inner wall member located between the clearance and heat accumulating material to isolate said tube from the clearance;
• inlet and outlet tubes in communication with the continuous clearance established within said casing means, said inlet and outlet tubes being spaced axially to said casing means, and
• an air distributor unit including a housing with air inlet and outlet openings, a connecting duct connecting the outlet tube of the regenerator with the air inlet opening of said housing, an air carrying duct having one end connected to said air outlet opening of said housing and the other end exposed to a certain area of said vehicle cabin, and means for producing an air stream flowing from the inlet tube of the regenerator to the other end of said air carrying duct through said clearance, said connecting duct and said air carrying duct.