Air heater with angled PTC heaters producing diverging heated airflow

Abstract

A positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater includes a housing, a fan mounted within the housing, a pair of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater assemblies disposed in the housing, and a plenum mounted in the housing. The housing includes a front portion and a rear portion connected together to define a front, a rear, a left side and a right side, the front and rear each having at least one opening. The fan is arranged to produce a flow of air from the rear of the housing to the front. The pair of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater assemblies are disposed in side by side relationship and angled relative to each other, each at an angle of approximately 7.5 degrees from normal, so as to produce a diverging column of heated air. The plenum mounted in the housing directs the air flow produced by the fan through each of the PTC heater assemblies.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A positive temperature coefficient (PTC)  portable electric space heater comprising: 
       a) a housing having a front and a rear, said rear having an opening and said front having a pair of openings  at least one opening;  
       b) a fan mounted within said housing for producing a flow of air into the housing from the opening in the rear and then out of the housing through the pair of openings  at least one opening in the front;  
       c) a pair of positive temperature coefficient (PTC)  heater assemblies disposed inside said housing in front of said fan  in side by side, end to end relationship and in front of said of fan, said pair of PTC  heater assemblies being angled relative to each other such that air drawn in to the housing by the front  fan passes through said PTC  heater assemblies and emerges through the at least one front opening as a diverging column of heated air, each PTC heater assembly comprising a plurality of ceramic PTC pellets situated in a grid of conductive material  dispersed over a large area for quickly heating a room;  
       d) a contiguous heater assembly support means  structure having a pair of mounting openings therein for mounting the heater assemblies in side by side, end to end divergently angled relationship within inside said housing for holding said PTC heater assemblies in place in  said housing; and 
       e) a grille in each opening in the front of said housing, each grille being aligned parallel with one of said PTC heater assemblies; and 
       fe) a plenum provided mounted  inside said housing positioned behind said PTC  heater assemblies;  
       gf) said plenum together withhaving an outer periphery coupled to said heater assembly support meansstructure for directing all of the air drawn into said housing from the opening in the rear by said fan intothrough said PTC  heater assemblies to provide the diverging column of heated air.  
     
     
       2. The PTC  A portable electric space heater assembly  as claimed in  defined by  claim 1  wherein the housing has a longitudinal axis and each heater assembly is angled from said longitudinal axis at approximately 7.5 degrees from normal. 
     
     
       3. A portable electric space heater as defined by  claim 1  wherein the heater assemblies are positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater assemblies. 
     
     
       4. A portable electric space heater as defined by  claim 3  wherein the PTC heater assemblies further comprise a plurality of ceramic PTC pellets situated in a grid of conductive material. 
     
     
       5. A portable electric space heater as defined by  claim 1  further including a grille in the at least one opening in the front of said housing. 
     
     
       6. A portable electric space heater comprising: 
       
         a housing having an air intake opening in a rear portion thereof and an air exhaust opening in a front portion thereof;  
       
       
         a fan mounted within the housing for producing a flow of air into the housing through the intake opening and out of the housing through the exhaust opening;  
       
         a pair of heater assemblies positioned in side - by - side, end to end relationship within the housing;    
       
         an inner air directing structure mounted within the housing including a contiguous heater assembly support structure having a pair of mounting openings for securing the heater assemblies therein, and an air directing duct, the heater assemblies being mounted in the heater assembly support structure divergently angled relative to each other, the air directing duct including a first portion for substantially surrounding the fan and being in fluid communication with the air intake opening and a wider second portion having an outer periphery which substantially surrounds at least the heater assembly mounting openings of the heater assembly support; the air directing structure guiding all of the air entering the air intake through the heater assemblies and out the air exhaust opening of the housing as diverging columns of heated air dispersed over a large area to heat a room. 
       
     
     
       7. A portable electric space heater as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the front portion of the housing is arcuately shaped to permit exhausted heated air to be dispersed over a large area. 
     
     
       8. A portable electric space heater as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the wider second portion of the air directing duct is substantially frustoconically shaped. 
     
     
       9. A portable electric space heater as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the heater assemblies are divergently angled at approximately  7 . 5  degrees from normal. 
     
     
       10. A portable electric space heater as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the heater assemblies are positive temperature coefficient heater assemblies. 
     
     
       11. A portable electric space heater as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the heater assemblies are mounted in side- by - side relationship such that substantially no air passes therebetween.   
     
     
       12. A portable electric space heater as claimed in  claim 6 , further including a thermostatic switch electrically connected to a power supply for terminating power to the heater assemblies upon sensing a predetermined temperature. 
     
     
       13. A portable space heater comprising: 
       
         a housing having an air intake opening in a rear portion thereof and an air exhaust opening in a front portion thereof;  
       
       
         a fan mounted within the housing for producing a flow of air into the housing and out through the exhaust opening;  
       
       
         a pair of heater assemblies positioned within the housing;  
       
         an inner air directing structure mounted within the housing including a contiguous heater assembly support structure for securing the heater assemblies in side - by - side, end to end relationship therein and an air directing duct, the heater assembly support and air directing duct configured to cooperate in directing the air through the heater assemblies, the heater assemblies being oriented with respect to the air exhaust opening, the air directing structure and each other so that all of the air to be heated is directed through the heater assemblies and out of the air exhaust opening of the housing as diverging columns of heated air dispersed over a large area to heat a room.   
     
     
       14. A portable space heater as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the heater assemblies are secured to the heater assembly support structure in side- by - side relationship such that substantially no air passes between the heater assemblies and heater assembly support structure.