Portable space heater

A heater comprising:

• a base,
• an outer tubular housing mounted on said base, said outer tubular housing including a lower housing portion mounted on said base and an upper housing portion mounted on said lower housing portion, and
• a burner assembly mounted within the outer housing, said burner assembly including an inner housing,
• wherein the outer tubular housing includes a rear end and a forward end and the inner housing includes a rear end and a forward end, the rear end of the inner housing being positioned forwardly of the rear end of the outer housing, the outer housing having a bottom opening adjacent the base and rearwardly of the rear end of the inner housing, and blower means mounted in the outer housing behind the inner housing for blowing air into the inner housing and for blowing air through the bottom opening in the outer housing.

A heater comprising:

• a base,
• an outer tubular housing mounted on said base, said outer tubular housing including a lower housing portion mounted on said base and an upper housing portion mounted on said lower housing portion, and
• a burner assembly mounted within the outer housing, said burner assembly including an inner housing,
• wherein the outer tubular housing includes a rear end and a forward end and the inner housing includes a rear end and a forward end, the rear end of the inner housing being positioned forwardly of the rear end of the outer housing, a generally planar diffuser plate mounted on the rear end of the inner housing, and blower means mounted in the outer housing behind the inner housing for blowing air through the diffuser plate, the diffuser plate having a central opening and a plurality of slots extending radially outwardly from the central opening, each of the plurality of slots having tapered side edges which extend between a narrow inner end and a wider outer end, and a vane for each of the plurality of slots which extends from one of the side edges of the slot out of the plane of the diffuser plate.

A heater comprising:

• a base,
• an outer tubular housing mounted on said base, said outer tubular housing including a lower housing portion mounted on said base and an upper housing portion mounted on said lower housing portion,
• a burner assembly mounted within the outer housing, said burner assembly including an inner housing, and
• a fuel valve housing mounted on said base, said fuel valve housing having a fuel outlet portion with a fuel outlet orifice, and a fuel tube extending between the fuel outlet portion of said valve housing and said burner assembly, said fuel tube having an inlet end which surrounds and is spaced from the fuel outlet portion of said valve housing whereby combustion air can flow into the inlet end between the fuel outlet portion and the inlet end.

A heater comprising:

• a base,
• an outer tubular housing mounted on said base, said outer tubular housing including a lower housing portion mounted on said base and an upper housing portion mounted on said lower housing portion,
• a burner assembly mounted within the outer housing, said burner assembly including an inner housing, and
• a fuel valve mounted on said base and a fuel tube extending between said fuel valve and said burner assembly, said fuel valve including a valve housing having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet and a fuel passage extending between the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet, a valve body reciprocably mounted in the fuel passage for movement between first and second positions, said valve body having an opening therethrough, seal means within the fuel passage for engaging said valve housing and said valve body when said valve body is in the first position for preventing flow of the fuel around said valve body whereby fuel can flow through the fuel passage only by flowing through the opening in said valve body, said seal means being disengaged from one of said valve housing and said valve body when said valve body is in the second position whereby fuel can flow through the fuel passage by flowing around the valve body and through the opening in the valve body, and means for reciprocating said valve body between the first and second positions.

A heater comprising:

• a base,
• an outer tubular housing having a forward end and a rear end,
• a burner assembly mounted within the outer housing, the burner assembly having an inner housing having a forward end and a rear end,
• a fuel valve housing mounted on the base,
• the fuel valve housing having a fuel outlet portion with a fuel outlet orifice, and a fuel tube extending between the fuel outlet portion of the valve housing and the burner assembly, the fuel tube having an inlet end which surrounds and is spaced from the fuel outlet portion of the valve housing whereby combustion air can flow into the inlet end between the fuel outlet portion and the inlet end,
• the fuel outlet portion of the valve housing including a generally cylindrical bushing which is removably mounted on the valve housing whereby the space between the outlet portion of the valve housing and the inlet end of the fuel tube can be changed by changing the size of the bushing.

A heater comprising:

• a base,
• an outer tubular housing,
• a burner assembly mounted within the outer housing,
• a fuel valve mounted on the base,
• a fuel tube extending between the fuel valve and the burner assembly,
• the fuel valve including a valve housing having a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet and a fuel passage extending between the fuel inlet and the fuel outlet, a valve body reciprocally mounted in the fuel passage for movement between first and second positions, the valve body having an opening therethrough, seal means within the fuel passage for engaging the valve housing and the valve body when the valve body is in the first position for preventing flow of fuel around the valve body whereby fuel can flow through the fuel passage only by flowing through the opening in the valve body, the seal means being disengaged from one of the valve housing and the valve body when the valve body is in the second position whereby fuel can flow through the fuel passage by flowing around the valve body and through the opening in the valve body, and means for reciprocating the valve body between the first and second positions.