Infrared heater

Claim 1

A GAS INFRARED HEATER COMPRISING A HOUSING DEFINING AN ENCLOSURE, A BURNER ELEMENT HAVING A PLURALITY OF PASSAGES EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FROM AN INNER SURFACE TO AN OUTER SURFACE, MEANS MOUNTING THE BURNER ELEMENT IN THE HOUSING SO THAT THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE BURNER ELEMENT IS INCLINED TO HAVE A VERTICAL COMPONENT, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE OF PRIMARY AIR AND GAS AGAINST THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BURNER ELEMENT FOR FLOW OF THE MIXTURE THROUGH THE PLURALITY OF PASSAGES AND FOR COMBUSTION OF THE MIXTURE NEAR THE OUTER SURFACE, INTAKE MEANS SPACED BELOW THE BURNER ELEMENT FOR INTAKING SECONDARY AIR, VENT MEANS SPACED ABOVE THE BURNER ELEMENT, MEANS CAPABLE OF TRANSMITTING INFRARED RADIATIONS ADJACENT THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE BURNER ELEMENT AND SPACED THEREFROM TO PROMOTE FLOW OF SECONDARY AIR ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTER SURFACE IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH SAID SURFACE, THE LOWER AND UPPER ENDS OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE BURNER ELEMENT BEING SPACED FROM OPPOSING ENDS OF THE INFRARED TRANSMITTING MEANS TO PROVIDE APERTURES FOR ENTRY AND EXIT OF SECONDARY AIR, FIRST PASSAGE MEANS ENABLING FLOW OF SECONDARY AIR BETWEEN THE INTAKE MEANS AND THE SECONDARY AIR ENTRY APERTURE, AND SECOND PASSAGE MEANS ENABLING FLOW FROM THE SECONDARY AIR EXIT TO THE VENT MEANS.