Airflow Director for wall mounted Baseboard Heater

Abstract

A device to direct the warm air exiting from a Baseboard Heater further away from it laterally in order to avoid the warm air rising behind a curtain that is hanging above the Baseboard Heater.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to Baseboard Heaters, which may be Electric Heaters, and the heated air leaving the Heater at an angle that is different from the angle when the Airflow Director is not used.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Baseboard Heaters are convection Heaters attached to a wall or a Baseboard near the floor of a room. They are comprised of a sheet metal box structure open at the top and the bottom of the front face along much of the length of the Heater box. Cool air is entering by the lower opening is heated by a heating element inside the box and warm air is leaving by the upper opening.

The heated air rises and becomes part of the circulation of air in the room so heated. This mechanism works well except when there is a curtain above the Baseboard Heater. When a Baseboard Heater is installed under a large window, there is often a curtain over the window and the curtain comes close to the Baseboard Heater. It is difficult to place a curtain over the window closer to the wall than the front face of the Baseboard Heater. As a result, the warm air exiting the upper opening of the Baseboard Heater will rise between the curtain and the widow. This reduces the effectiveness of the Baseboard Heater.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

There are five objectives of the invention

• • Objective 1; is to redirect the airflow to be in front of the curtain.
  • Objective 2; is to install the Airflow Director as an accessory.
  • Objective 3; is to make the Airflow Director inexpensive to fabricate.
  • Objective 4; is to install the Airflow Director without tools.
  • Objective 5; is to have the Airflow Director attractive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Airflow Director is a thin rectangular metal plate bent substantially in the middle along the length to form a substantially obtuse angle. Its length is substantially the same as the length of the Baseboard Heater. Each arm of the obtuse angle may be but not necessary equal. The Airflow Director is placed on top of the Baseboard Heater and held in a fixed position by two strong permanent magnets. The part of the Airflow Director inclined from the top of the Baseboard Heater directs the warm air exiting the Heater laterally and vertically past the curtain end.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Side view of a Baseboard Heater having on the top surface an Airflow Director.

FIG. 2 Isometric view of an Airflow Director.

FIG. 3 Top view of a Baseboard Heater with an Airflow Director on it and two holding magnet housings.

FIG. 4 Magnet housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the Airflow Director of the present invention is to overcome the problem posed by a curtain above a Baseboard Heater by directing the warm air exiting the Baseboard Heater to move at an angle and away from the front face of the Baseboard Heater. Thus the heated air exiting the upper opening of the Baseboard Heater is forced to move outside the vertical plane of the curtain. This results in an efficient air circulation and heating that would not be possible without the Airflow Director.

The Airflow Director is comprised of a plate substantially as long as the length of the Baseboard Heater. FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the Airflow Director 20 where 22 is the horizontal part and 23 is the angled part, 21 shows the bend line along the entire length of the Airflow Director dividing the two parts 22 and 23 which may be substantially equal in width. The plate has an angled part inclined from the horizontal part upwards at an obtuse angle. The bend angle is between 115 degree and 155 degree. The widths of the horizontal and angled part is wider than the top width of the Baseboard Heater.

FIG. 1 shows the outline end view of a Baseboard Heater 10. The inlet and outlet slots are at 12 and 11 respectively. 13 indicates the top surface of the Baseboard Heater on which an Airflow Director 20 is placed and is held by two permanent magnets in magnet holders, one of which is shown by 40. The warm air flow from the slot 11 is laminar and moves smoothly along the underside of the Airflow Director 20 until it leaves the Airflow Director and rises upwards.

FIG. 3 shows the top view of the Airflow Director 20 on the Baseboard Heater top surface 13 with two magnet holders 40 on both ends of the Airflow Director 20.

FIG. 4 shows a permanent magnet housing 40 and a permanent magnet 41. The flange 44 on top of the housing 40 is designed to allow easy removal and placement of the magnet housing on the Airflow Director. The permanent magnet 41 is held in the housing by adhesive or mechanical means.

The Airflow Director is fixed to the top of the Baseboard Heater with the two permanent magnets placed on top of the Airflow Director near the ends of the Airflow Director substantially at the center of the top of the Heater box of the Baseboard Heater. The magnetic field of the permanent magnets holds the Airflow Director to the top of the Baseboard Heater. The strength of the magnets is such that the Airflow Director can not be easily dislodged.

In the preferred embodiment, the Airflow Director is metal, non magnetic, Aluminium or non-magnetic stainless steel. Aluminium is lighter but conducts heat very well. Stainless Steel is heavier but is not a good heat conductor. When Aluminium is used, there is some heat loss directly upward from the surface of the Airflow Director. When Stainless Steel is used this heat loss is less.

An advantage of the preferred embodiment is that an Airflow Director can be placed on a Baseboard Heater of any make without modification to the Baseboard Heater structure. Yet another advantage of the preferred embodiment is that it can be placed on a Baseboard Heaters already installed.

Various changes may be made to the embodiment shown herein without departing from the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the following claims.

Claims

1. A device comprised of a plate that is formed, so as to change the direction of the moving warm air laterally and vertically as such warm air exits from the upper opening of a Baseboard Heater; 1.1 A device of claim 1, that is not longer than the length of the Baseboard Heater.1.2. A device of claim 1, that is bent along its entire length substantially along its centre line.1.3 A device of claim 1, wherein the bend divides the overall width into two parts not necessarily the same width and each width is wider than the top width of the Baseboard Heater.1.4 A device of claim 1, wherein the bend angle is between 115 degrees and 155 degrees.1.5. A device of claim 1, wherein one side is placed on top of the Baseboard Heater and the other side is pointing upwards at an obtuse angle.1.6. A device in claim 1, whose four corners are rounded.1.7. A device of claim 1, whose thickness is between 0.01264″ and 07812″.

2. The method of holding the device of claim 1, on top of the Baseboard Heater using a plurality of permanent magnets wherein the permanent magnets are placed inside a plurality of identical movable fixtures.