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US 6,480,672 B1Granted
Flat panel heater
AssigneeThe Holmes Group, Inc.
InventorsStan Rosenzweig, Jaideep Jayaram
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heater includes a housing having an outer surface and sidewalls defining an interior space that holds a heating element. The heater further includes a heating element having a lower portion and an upper portion, where the heating element has differing power densities from the lower portion to the upper portion. The heating element includes a heat shield positioned in substantially parallel relation to the heating element to create a duct where air may travel through. The heater is provided with an air displacement device positioned adjacent to the heating element to create a planar flow of air through the duct. The heater may be controlled by a control circuit having a circuit board, which controls the power supplied to the heating element and the air displacement device.
Claims23
A portable electric heater comprising:
- a housing having an interior space;
- a flat panel heating element oriented in a substantially vertical plane and having a vertical axis associated therewith;
- and
- a fan assembly, said fan assembly including a motor having a shaft attached to a fan blade, wherein the axis of rotation of the fan blade is substantially perpendicular to said vertical axis of the flat panel heating element and further wherein said axis of rotation of said fan blade is in substantially parallel plane to said vertical plane of said flat panel heating element.
1 more element
A portable heater comprising:
- a housing having an outer surface and sidewalls defining an interior space;
- a flat panel heating element positioned in said interior space of said housing and oriented in a substantially vertical plane, said heating element having a front face and a back face, and a lower portion and an upper portion, said heating element having differing power densities from the lower portion to the upper portion;
- a heat shield positioned in substantially parallel relation to said heating element, whereby air travels through a duct formed by said heating element and said heat shield, said duct having a duct inlet and a duct outlet;
- an air displacement device positioned adjacent to said heating element, said air displacement device creating a planar flow of air which travels adjacent and substantially parallel to said vertical plane of said heating panel in said duct, said air displacement device comprising a fan assembly including a motor having a shaft attached to a fan blade, wherein the axis of rotation of the fan blade is substantially perpendicular to said vertical axis of the flat panel heating element and further wherein said axis of rotation of the fan blade is in a substantially parallel plane to said vertical plane of said flat panel heating element;
- and
- a control circuit electrically coupled to the heating element to control power supplied to said heating element and said air displacement device.
3 more elements
A portable heater comprising:
- a housing having an outer surface and sidewalls defining an interior space;
- a flat panel heating element positioned in said interior space of said housing, such heating element having a front face and back face and a lower portion and a upper portion, said heating element having different power densities from the lower portion to the upper portion and said front surface and said back surface of said heating panel defining a vertical plane and having a vertical axis associated therewith;
- a heat shield positioned in substantially parallel relation to said heating element, whereby air travels through a duct formed by said heating element and said heat shield, said duct having a duct inlet and a duct outlet;
- an air displacement device positioned adjacent to said heating element, said air displacement device creating a planar flow of air which travels adjacent and substantially parallel to said first plane of said heating element in said duct, wherein said air displacement device is a motor having a fan blade wherein an axis rotation of said fan is positioned perpendicular to the vertical axis of said heating element and said axis of rotation is in substantially parallel plane as said vertical plane of said flat panel heating element;
- and
- a control circuit electrically coupled to the heating element to control power supplied to said heating element and said air displacement device.
3 more elements
A portable heater comprising:
- a housing having an outer surface and sidewalls defining an interior space;
- a flat panel heating element positioned in said interior space of said housing and oriented in a first plane and defining a first longitudinal axis of said heating element;
- an air duct having an inlet and an outlet, wherein said heating element is positioned within said air duct, whereby air travels through the duct from said inlet to said outlet;
- an air displacement device positioned adjacent to said heating element, said air displacement device creating a substantially planar flow of air which travels along said first plane of said heating panel in said air duct, said air displacement device comprising a fan assembly including a motor having a shaft attached to a fan blade, wherein the axis of rotation of the fan blade is substantially perpendicular to said first longitudinal axis of the flat panel heating element and further wherein said axis of rotation of the fan blade is in a substantially parallel plane to said first plane of said flat panel heating element;
- and
- a control circuit electrically coupled to the heating element to control power supplied to said heating element and said air displacement device.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.