Radiator having PTC electric resistance heating elements and spring-biased fin arrangement

A radiator comprising:

• a plurality of first frame bars and a plurality of second frame bars, said plurality of first and second frame bars defining a planar mounting frame, said planar mounting frame retaining a plurality of elongate heat-emitting elements, said heat-emitting elements extending parallel to one another in the plane defined by said mounting frame, each said heat-emitting element being engaged on opposite sides by a plurality of fins formed of a material having good heat-conducting properties and extending in substantially parallel planes transversely of the length of said heat-emitting elements between two respective ones of the latter or between respective ones of the latter and two first bars of said mounting frame, respectively;
• each of said heat-emitting elements comprising two sheet metal strips extending in parallel planes, and a plurality of electric PTC resistors disposed therebetween at spaced locations in surface contact with, and electrically connected to, said sheet metal strips;
• said plurality of fins each having ends which are adjacent heat-emitting elements or one heat-emitting element and one of said first frame bars of said mounting frame, or one heat-emitting element and a support strip, said support strip disposed between adjacent heat-emitting elements;
• each of said first frame bars comprising a rigid outer rail member extending parallel to an inner web movable relative thereto, said inner web contacting the ends of the adjacent fins, and a spring means disposed between said outer rail member and said inner web and supported on said outer rail member for biasing said inner web into engagement with said ends of adjacent fins;
• and
• said sheet metal strips being electrically insulated from one another, said strips having their ends electrically insulatively retained in said second frame bars of said mounting frame extending perpendicular thereto, at least one end of at least some of said sheet metal strips being provided with a respective electric terminal element for connecting said PTC resistors to a power supply.