Vehicle heating apparatus

Claim 1

A HEAT EXCHANGER FOR USE IN THE EXHAUST LINE OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE COMPRISING; FIRST AND SECOND GENERALLY Y-SHAPED FITTINGS EACH HAVING A FIRST TUBULAR LEG AT ONE END ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO AN EXHAUST LINE AND SECOND AND THIRD TUBULAR LEGS AT THE OTHER END EACH COMMUNICATING WITH THE RESPECTIVE FIRST TUBULAR LEG; A LIQUID JACKET UNIT INCLUDING INNER AND OUTER ELONGATED TUBULAR SECTIONS AND HEADERS SECURED TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE INNER AND OUTER SECTIONS TO FORM A LIQUID JACKET AROUND THE INNER TUBULAR SECTION, SAID TUBULAR SECTIONS HAVING FINS EXTENDING THEREBETWEEN AND DEFINING FLOW PASSAGE EXTENDING ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE LIQUID JACKET; MEANS DETACHABLY SECURING THE HEADERS ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID LIQUID JACKET UNIT TO SAID SECOND LEGS OF EACH SAID FIRST AND SECOND FITTINGS TO ALLOW SAID LIQUID JACKET UNIT TO BE INSTALLED AND REMOVED AS A UNITARY SUBASSEMBLY FROM SAID FITTINGS, SAID JACKET UNIT EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FITTINGS AND HAVING SAID INNER TUBULAR SECTION COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND LEGS TO ALLOW EXHAUST GASES TO PASS THERETHROUGH; A BY-PASS TUBE MOUNTED ON SAID THIRD LEGS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND FITTINGS IN COMMUNICATION THEREWITH AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FITTINGS GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID LIQUID JACKET UNIT; THE HEADER WHICH IS ATTACHED TO SAID FIRST FITTING DEFINING AN OUTLET FLOW CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH THE FLOW PASSAGE IN THE LIQUID JACKET AND HAVING A LIQUID OUTLET PASSAGE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OUTLET FLOW CHAMBER, ONE OF SAID HEADERS HAVING A LIQUID INLET PASSAGE THEREIN; AN EXHAUST GAS DIVERTER VALVE IN SAID FIRST FITTING HAVING SHAFT MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING THE DIVERTER VALVE ON SAID FIRST FITTING FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT BETWEEN A POSITION BLOCKING FLOW THROUGH SAID THIRD LEG OF SAID FIRST FITTING AND A POSITION BLOCKING FLOW THROUGH SAID SECOND LEG OF SAID FIRST FITTING; THE ONE HEADER ATTACHED TO SAID FIRST FITTING HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OUTLET FLOW CHAMBER, A TEMPERATURE RESPONSIVE OPERATOR CARRIED BY SAID LIQUID JACKET UNIT INCLUDING A BODY MOUNTED IN SAID OPENING IN SAID ONE HEADER, SAID OPERATOR HAVING A TEMPERATURE SENSING PORTION ATTACHED TO SAID BODY AND EXTENDING INTO SAID OUTLET FLOW CHAMBER AND A RECIPROCABLE MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON THE BODY AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TEMPERATURE SENSING PORTION FOR MOVEMENT THEREBY, SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER HAVING AN OUTER END PORTION DISPOSED OUTSIDE SAID ONE HEADER; AND VALVE ACTUATOR MEANS MOUNTED ON THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID FIRST AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID OUTER END PORTION OF SAID RECIPROCABLE MEMBER TO SAID SHAFT MEANS ON THE DIVERTER VALVE FOR MOVING THE DIVERTER VALVE FROM A POSITION BLOCKING FLOW TO SAID THIRD LEG OF SAID FIRST FITTING TO A POSITION BLOCKING FLOW TO SAID SECOND LEG OF SAID FIRST FITTING WHEN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE LIQUID IN SAID OUTLET FLOW CHAMBER REACHES A PRESELECTED VALUE.