Patent Application
20190170349
The technical field generally relates to a portable heater used for providing heat to the surrounding environment, and relates more specifically to a portable gas-fired infrared heater.
Portable heaters, such as gas-fired heaters, are well known in the art and are used for a plurality of activities such as camping or fishing on a lake, among many other possibilities. Generally speaking, known heaters comprise a housing containing a combustion chamber where air and gas can mix so as to combust and thus generate heat. Said heat is distributed over a surface disposed on the front of the housing so as to have a radiant surface exchange heat with the environment surrounding the heater.
Over the years, several improvements have been made to the portable heaters, in order to make them more versatile and safer for use in smaller enclosures. An example of such an improvement is an oxygen depletion system (ODS) which would cut off the supply of gas to the combustion chamber when the oxygen levels of the surrounding air would drop below a certain threshold. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,300,278 issued Nov. 27, 2007. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 8,863,736 issued Oct. 21, 2014 discloses a portable heater with an automatic shutoff system adapted to shut off the fuel valve in response to a detection of a predetermined level of carbon dioxide.
Applicant is also aware of another emergency shutoff device being implemented into portable heaters: a tilt switch. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,691 issued Sep. 14, 1993, describes a tilt sensitive switch for deactivating the heater in response to tilting movement of said heater beyond a predetermined amount relative to a normal upright position.
However, many drawbacks still exist in the field of gas-fired portable heaters, such as miniaturisation, heat regulation and more. As such, these types of heaters can still be improved upon.
According to an aspect, a portable heater is provided. The portable heater comprises a housing provided with a front opening, at least one pilot burner, at least one main burner provided within the housing and comprising a front portion facing the front opening of the housing, said at least one main burner unit being supported by at least a portion of the housing. The portable heater further comprises a gas pressure regulation system connectable to a portable supply of gas, a first means adapted to form a first flow of an air/gas mixture, feed the at least one pilot burner with said first flow of the air/gas mixture and allow said first flow of the air/gas mixture to exit from the at least one pilot burner, and a second means adapted to form a second flow of an air/gas mixture, feed the at least one main burner with said second flow of the air/gas mixture and allow said first flow of the air/gas mixture to exit from the at least one main burner. The portable heater also comprises a gas valve assembly mounted to the housing and comprising a gas valve adapted to selectively:
prevent the first flow of the air/gas mixture to exit from the at least one pilot burner and prevent the second flow of the air/gas mixture to exit from the at least one main burner;
allow the first flow of the air/gas mixture to exit from the at least one pilot burner and prevent the second flow of the air/gas mixture to exit from the at least one main burner; or
allow the first flow of the air/gas mixture to exit from the at least one pilot burner and allow the second flow of the air/gas mixture to exit from at least one main burner.
The gas valve assembly cooperates with at least one knob movable along and around an axis for selectively operating the gas valve, controls the flow of the second flow of the air/gas mixture, and operates a means to ignite the gas/air mixture exiting from the at least one pilot burner. The portable heater still further comprises a gas piping connecting the gas pressure regulation system to the gas valve, a gas piping connecting the gas valve to the first means adapted to form the first flow of an air/gas mixture, and a gas piping connecting the gas valve to the second means adapted to for the second flow of an air/gas mixture. The gas valve is a thermostatic valve, said thermostatic valve being provided with means cooperating with a temperature sensor and adapted to open and close the gas valve for the control of the flow of the second flow of the air/gas mixture exiting from the at least one main burner.
According to a possible embodiment, the portable heater further comprises a support assembly comprising at least one first member provided with a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being adapted to be connected to the housing and the second portion defining a stop positioned close to a portion of the thermostatic gas valve opposite to the knob; and wherein the portion of the thermostatic gas valve opposite to the knob is adapted to engage the stop when a pressure is applied to the knob by a user to move said knob along the axis.
According to another possible embodiment, the support assembly further comprises a cover surrounding at least in part a top portion, side portions and/or a rear portion of the at least one burner, said cover being further provided with means adapted to be connected to the housing and/or the at least one main burner unit.
According to yet another possible embodiment, the support assembly further comprises at least one second member having at least one end connected to the second portion of the at least first member and at least another end connected to the cover.
According to yet another possible embodiment, the cover comprises a top portion, side portions and a rear portion; and the top portion and side portions of the cover angularly extend from the rear portion of the cover, and wherein the side portions of the cover are adapted to be connected to the housing of the portable heater.
According to another possible embodiment, the first portion of the at least one first member is a substantially flat platform provided with an opening adapted to receive the gas pressure regulation system therein, and the first portion further comprises an outer edge extending therefrom, the outer edge being adapted to be connected to the housing of the portable heater.
According to another possible embodiment, the first portion further comprises a “shield” extending downwardly therefrom.
According to still another possible embodiment, the second portion of the at least one first member is an elongated bracket provided with opposed first and second ends, the first end being connected to the first portion of the at least first member, and the second end of the second portion comprises the stop.
According to yet another possible embodiment, the stop comprises at least one prong extending from the second end of the second portion, the at least one prong having an extremity being substantially perpendicular to the second portion, the extremity of the at least one prong being adapted to be engaged the thermostatic gas valve opposite to the knob.
According to another possible embodiment, the second portion of the at least first member includes an elevated side edge along the second portion adapted to avoid buckling of said second portion.
According to yet another possible embodiment, the portable heater is a portable thermostatic infrared heater.
According to another aspect, there is provided a support assembly for a portable heater as defined hereinabove, wherein said support assembly comprises at least one first member provided with a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being adapted to be connected to the housing and the second portion defining a stop positioned close to a portion of the thermostatic gas valve opposite to the knob; and wherein the portion of the thermostatic gas valve opposite to the knob is adapted to engage the stop when a pressure is applied to the knob by a user to move said knob along the axis.
According to another possible embodiment, the support assembly further comprises a cover surrounding at least in part a top portion, side portions and/or a rear portion of the at least one burner, said cover being further provided with means adapted to be connected to the housing and/or the at least one main burner unit.
According to another possible embodiment, the support assembly further comprises at least one second member having at least one end connected to the second portion of the at least first member and at least another end connected to the cover.
According to another possible embodiment, the cover comprises a top portion, side portions and a rear portion; the top portion and side portions of the cover angularly extend from the rear portion of the cover, and the side portions of the cover are adapted to be connected to the housing of the portable heater.
According to another possible embodiment, the first portion of the at least one first member is a substantially flat platform provided with an opening adapted to receive the gas pressure regulation system therein, and the first portion further comprises an outer edge extending therefrom, the outer edge being adapted to be connected to the housing of the portable heater.
According to another possible embodiment, the first portion further comprises a “shield” extending downwardly therefrom.
According to another possible embodiment, the second portion of the at least one first member is an elongated bracket provided with opposed first and second ends, the first end being connected to the first portion of the at least first member, and the second end of the second portion comprises the stop.
According to another possible embodiment, the stop comprises at least one prong extending from the second end of the second portion, the at least one prong having an extremity being substantially perpendicular to the second portion, the extremity of the at least one prong being adapted to be engaged the thermostatic gas valve opposite to the knob.
According to another embodiment, the second portion of the at least first member includes an elevated side edge along the second portion adapted to avoid buckling of said second portion.
According to a final aspect, there is provided a use of a portable heater as described hereinabove for providing heat to a surrounding environment of said portable heater.
As will be explained below in relation to various embodiments, a portable heater for providing heat to the surrounding environment of said heater is provided. The heater includes a housing provided with a front opening and at least one main burner unit provided within said housing. Among other components that will be described hereinbelow, the portable heater further comprises a gas valve and a support assembly provided within the housing. The gas valve is a thermostatic gas valve and is operated by a knob movable along and around an axis. The support assembly is adapted to prevent movement of a plurality of components of the portable heater, as will also be explained below.
Moreover, components of the portable heater, associated accessory(ies)/component(s)/part(s) thereof and/or steps of the method(s) described herein could be modified, simplified, altered, omitted and/or interchanged, without departing from the scope of the present invention, depending on particular applications which the present invention is intended for, and the desired end results, as briefly exemplified herein and as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.
Referring to
In this embodiment, the front surface 14 of the heater 10 is provided with a front opening 32 adapted to communicate with at least one main burner unit 34 provided within the housing 12. Additionally, said front surface 14 is illustratively provided with protective means 46 adapted to effectively protect the other components of the heater 10 and prevent the user and/or other objects from contacting the heated portions of the front surface 14. In the present embodiment, the protective means 46 is a metallic cage or grid mounted to the front surface 14 of the housing 10, but can alternatively be any other suitable means for protecting the heater 10 and/or preventing contact therewith, such as a screen for example.
In addition to
Still referring to
The heater 10 further comprises a gas valve assembly 54 mounted to the housing 12 and is effectively provided with a gas valve 56 adapted for selectively controlling the first and second flows of air/gas mixture. More specifically, the gas valve assembly 54 cooperates with the controller knob 24 which is adapted to selectively control the first and second flows of air/gas mixture by turning said controller knob 24 in the various positions described above. In this embodiment, when the controller knob is in the Off position, the gas valve 56 is adapted to prevent the first flow of the air/gas mixture from exiting the pilot burner 42 and simultaneously prevent the second flow of the air/gas mixture from exiting the at least one main burner unit 34. In the Pilot position, the gas valve 56 allows the first flow of the air/gas mixture from exiting the pilot burner 42, while still preventing the second flow of the air/gas mixture from exiting the at least one main burner unit 34. Finally, anywhere from the Min position to the Max position, the gas valve 56 allows the first flow and the second flow of the air/gas mixture to exit the pilot burner 42 and the at least one main burner unit 34 respectively.
Still referring to
In this embodiment, the first member 110 of the support assembly 100 comprises a first portion 114 and a second portion 130. The first portion 114 can be a substantially flat platform 115 for supporting the regulator 31. In some embodiments, the platform 115 has an opening 116 generally centered thereon for receiving the regulator 31 and to allow the supply of gas to be connected thereto from below the platform 115. Furthermore, said platform can be adapted to receive and secure a restraint 118 (shown in
Still referring to
In the present embodiment, the cover piece 140 of the support assembly 100 is adapted to at least partially cover the main burner unit 34 thus reflecting heat generated from the combustion taking place within the plenum towards the front of the heater 10. As illustrated in
In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting member 160 connects the first member 110 to the cover piece 140 and is configured for improving structural stability of the support assembly 100 within the housing 12. Therefore, the connecting member 160 has a first end attached to one of the first member and the cover piece, and a second end attached to the other one of the first member and the cover piece. In this embodiment, the connecting member is a pair of braces 162 provided at opposed ends of the second portion 130 of the first member 110. Alternatively, the second member can be a single brace having any suitable width and/or length, or any other suitable means for connecting the first member to the cover piece.
In a preferred embodiment, the components of the support assembly 100 are made from the same material, preferably a metallic material because of the frequent changes in temperature occurring from activating/deactivating the heater 10. In alternate embodiments, the support assembly 100 can be made from more than one material, for example the cover piece can be made from a ceramic and the first and second members can be metallic. It will be appreciated that in conjunction with the above-described embodiments, the various components of the heater 10 and/or the support assembly 100 can be connected to one another using any suitable fastening means. For example, the fastening means can be any suitable type of welding technique and/or mechanical fasteners such as screws, bolts, rivets, etc. or a combination thereof.
It should be understood that the elements of the accompanying drawings are not necessarily depicted to scale, since emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the elements and structures of the present embodiments. In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, namely so as to not unduly burden the figures with several reference numbers, not all figures contain references to all the components and features, and references to some components and features may be found in only one figure, and components and features of the present disclosure which are illustrated in other figures can be easily inferred therefrom. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures are optional, and are given for exemplification purposes only.
