Patent Application
20230028879
The present invention is directed to the field of portable radiant heaters. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a tiltable portable radiant heater with a base that contains safety interlocks that prevent the operation of the portable radiant heater in certain configurations.
Portable heating devices ordinarily use one of two methods to provide warmth to an individual, animal, or some sort of device or system. The first of these methods involves warming the air in the space where the individual, animal, device, or system is located. These heating devices function well but are not energy efficient as they must warm the air in the entire space in order to provide warmth to the individual, animal, etc. The second of these methods uses radiant heat. In these second type of heaters an infrared heat source directs infrared heat onto the intended target (individual, animal, etc.). In order to improve efficiency, radiant heaters often have reflective elements to direct the infrared heat toward an intended target. The addition of a reflective element often means that the portable radiant heater is required to be oriented such that the infrared heat is directed toward the intended target. A common method of orienting portable heating devices is to provide a base that can be placed on a floor or other flat mounting surface. While convenient for placement in an area of a room, if the intended target is located at other than a fixed height from the mounting surface, a portable radiant heater may not effectively direct heat toward the target. In other words, the heat may be focused below or above a main portion of the target. What is needed is a portable radiant heating device that can be adjusted to direct heat up or down to provide radiant heat to the main portion of the target while protecting mounting surfaces from excessive heating.
Embodiments relate to devices for focusing and directing radiant heat to a target area. More specifically, exemplary embodiments of a radiant heater comprise a base, a source of infrared heat, a reflector, a safety screen mounted to the reflector, a flexible connection between the base and the reflector that permits the reflector to tilt upwards or downwards, where the base further comprises a safety interlock that prevents the source of infrared heat from energizing when the base is not in contact with a mounting surface. The safety interlock also prevents the source of infrared heat from energizing when the reflector is oriented such that a portion of the infrared heat is directed toward the mounting surface.
The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the invention. Rather, the exemplary embodiments are chosen and described to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the claimed aspects and implementations so that those skilled in the art can appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the invention. The Figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these exemplary embodiments, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:
While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimed inventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the claims.
As illustrated in
In order to prevent damage caused by infrared heat being applied to the mounting surface, the source of infrared heat should be disabled when the heater assembly 102 of the portable radiant heating device 100 is in a lowered orientation. As we described in the discussion of
Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations, and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions.
Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments even when not described in such embodiments unless otherwise noted.
Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features with other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.
Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.
For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.
Any implementation or embodiment disclosed herein can be combined with any other implementation or embodiment, and references to “an implementation,” “some implementations,” “one implementation,” “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “certain embodiments,” or the like are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the implementation can be included in at least one implementation or embodiment. Such terms as used herein are not necessarily all referring to the same implementation. Any implementation or embodiment can be combined with any other implementation or embodiment, inclusively or exclusively, in any manner consistent with the aspects and implementations disclosed herein.
Where technical features in the drawings, detailed description, or any claim are followed by reference numbers, the reference numbers have been included to increase the intelligibility of the drawings, detailed description, and claims. Accordingly, neither the reference numbers nor their absence have any limiting effect on the scope of any claim elements.
Coupled elements can be electrically, magnetically, mechanically, or physically coupled with one another directly or with intervening elements. Scope of the systems and methods described herein is thus indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are embraced therein.
References to “or” can be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “or” can indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms. A reference to “at least one of ‘A’ and ‘B’” can include only ‘A’, only ‘B’, as well as both ‘A’ and ‘B’. Such references used in conjunction with “comprising” or other open terminology can include additional items.
Modifications of described elements and acts such as variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes, and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, or orientations can occur without materially departing from the teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed can be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements can be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions can be altered or varied. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions can also be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the disclosed elements and operations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below”) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the Figures. The orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations, and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional application 63/224,042 filed on Jul. 21, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63224042 | Jul 2021 | US |
