Compact space heating apparatus for use with forced-flow fluid-medium heating systems and method

Claim 1

IN THE SPACE HEATING OF ROOMS WHEREIN FREE-STANDING WALL AREA IS LIMITED AS BY WALL CABINETS HAVING RESTRICTED TOE-SPACE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND THE ROOM FLOOR, FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FLUID HEATING MEDIUM OF AN AVAILABLE FORCED-FLOW HEATING SYSTEM, A COMPACT AIR-FLOW CIRCULATORY HEATER UNIT COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS SERPENTINE LENGTH OF HEAT RADIATIVE FLUID-HEATINGMEDIUM CONDUIT TUBING DISPOSED IN A COMMON PLANE IN A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE STRAIGHT RUNS CONNECTED BY UBENDS AND HAVING THE ENDS CONNECTIBLE TO THE HEATING MEDIUM SUPPLY AND RETURN LINES RESPECTIVELY. A MULTIPLICITY OF ELONGATED HEAT-CONDUCTIVE SHEET METAL FINS IN CLOSELY SPACED PARALLELISM AND EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY TO THE TRANSVERSE RUNS OF THE TUBING AND WITH THE LATTER PASSED THROUGH THE FINS AT MIDDEPTH THEREOF AND IN INTIMATE HEAT TRANSFER CONTACT WITH THEM SAID COMMON PLANE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID FINS, SAID TUBING AND FINS TOGETHER DEFINING A RECTANGULAR CORE OF MAXIMUM LONGITUDINAL EXTENT CORRESPONDING TO THE FIN LENGTH AND OF SHALLOW OBLONG CROSSSECTIONAL FORM WITH THE FINS DEFINING THE RESTRICTED DEPTH THEREOF, COVER PLATES SPANNING THE TOP AND BOTTOM LONGITUDINAL MARGINS OF SAID FINS AND DEFINING THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF AN ELONGATED FLAT, RECTANGULAR OUTPUT DUCT OPEN ONLY AT THE ENDS, A BLOWER ELEMENT COMPRISING A SHELL HAVING A SCROLL-LIKE CROSS-SECTION MOUNTED AT ONE OPEN END OF AND EXTENDING THE FULL WIDTH OF SAID OUTPUT DUCT; SAID SHELL HAVING AN INLET OPENING EXTENDING THE FULL WIDTH OF AND FACING IN THE DIRECTION OF AND ABOVE SAID CORE AND AN OUTLET OPENING PROPORTIONAL SIMILARLY AS AND IN CLOSED COMMUNICATION WITH SAID ONE OPEN END OF SAID OUTPUT DUCT; SAID SHELL INTERIORILY FORMED FOR SMOOTH, UNIMPEDED PASSAGE OF AN AIR FLOW INTO THE FULL CROSSSECTIONAL WIDTH AND DEPTH OF SAID CORE; A ROTOR OF THE DIAMETER AND LENGTH CLOSELY CONFORMING TO THE LIKE DIMENSIONS OF SAID SHELL AND MOUNTED THEREIN FOR ROTATON ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLELING THE WIDTH OF SAID CORE; A PLURALITY OF VANES ON THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROTOR AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO DRAW COOL AIR FROM ABOVE THE UPPER COVER PLATE INTO SAID BLOWER ELEMENT AND THEN TO ACCELERATE SAID AIR TO AND THROUGH SAID OUTPUT DUCT WITH SAID AIR PASSING BETWEEN THE FINS OF SAID CORE, THEREBY HEATING THE AIR AND PROPELLING IT INTO A POSITIVE UNIFORM OUTFLOW OF WARM AIR IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE COOL AIR INTAKE; AND A MOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID ROTOR AT A RATE TO PRODUCE THE DESIRED STATIC PRESSURE AND FORCED FLOW OF SAID WARM AIR.