Electric space heater

Claim 2

An electric heater comprising; a. a housing having sides, a rear wall and an open front, b. a reflector located within the housing and secured by support means to the rear wall of the housing in spaced relationship, said reflector having a reflective surface and two opposing walls projecting forwardly from said surface with each of said walls having a plurality of apertures, c. a heating element suspended within the reflector to provide a plurality of runs, said heating element being electrically connected through terminals to a power source, d. insulators supporting the suspended heating element, said insulators passing through the apertures in the reflector walls, and e. individual leaf springs having a center body portion and legs extending outwardly therefrom cooperating with each of the insulators that receive a run of heating element electrically connected to a terminal to maintain the runs of the heating element suspended on said insulators taut at all times, said leaf springs being located outside the reflector and each having one leg secured at a point forward of the reflective surface and the other leg secured at a point rearward of the reflective surface and with said center body portion cooperating with said insulators whereby the heating element is positioned in close proximity to the reflective surface.

Claim 3

The electric heater of claim 1 wherein each spring biased insulator passing through the reflector end walls also passes through the Center body portion of the leaf spring.

Claim 4

The electric heater of claim 1 wherein all of the terminal connections for the heating element are located on one of the forwardly projecting reflector walls.

Claim 5

The electric heater of claim 3 wherein only the insulators located in the reflector wall opposite the wall with the terminal connections are spring biased by a leaf spring and each of said insulators pass through the center body portion of the leaf spring.

Claim 6

An electric heater comprising; a. a housing having sides, a rear wall and an open front, b. a control compartment in one portion of the housing including switch means for operating the heater, c. a sheet-metal reflector located in another portion of the housing and secured by support means to the rear wall of the housing in spaced relationship, said reflector having a reflective surface and two opposing walls projecting forwardly from said surface, each of said walls having a plurality of apertures, d. a heating element suspended within the reflector to provide a plurality of runs, said heating element being electrically connected through terminals to said switch means, e. insulators supporting the suspended heating element, said insulators passing through the apertures in the reflector walls, and f. individual leaf spring having a center body portion and legs extending outwardly therefrom cooperating with each of the insulators located in the reflector wall furthest from the control compartment that receive a run of heating element electrically connected to a terminal to maintain the runs of the heating element suspended on said insulators taut at all times, said leaf springs being located outside the reflector and each having one leg secured at a point forward of the reflective surface and the other leg secured at a point rearward of the reflective surface and with said center body portion cooperating with said insulators whereby the heating element is positioned in close proximity to the reflective surface.

Claim 7

An electric heater comprising; a. a housing having sides, a rear wall and an open front, b. a control compartment in one portion of the housing including switch means for operating the heater, c. a sheet-metal reflector located in another portion of the housing and secured by support means to the rear wall of the housing in spaced relationship, said reflector having a reflective surface and two opposing walls projecting forwardly from said surface, each of said walls having a plurality of apertures, d. a heating element suspended within the reflector to provide a plurality of runs, said heating element being electrically connected through terminals to said switch means, e. insulators supporting the suspended heating element, said insulators passing through the apertures in the reflector walls, and f. individual leaf spring having a center body portion and legs extending outwardly therefrom cooperating with each of the insulators located in the reflector wall furthest from the control compartment that receive a run of heating element electrically connected to a terminal to maintain the runs of the heating element suspended on said insulators taut at all times, said leaf springs being located outside the reflector and each having one leg secured at a point forward of the reflective surface and the other leg secured at a point rearward of the reflective surface and with said center body portion cooperating with said insulators whereby the heating element is positioned in close proximity to the reflective surface.

Claim 8

The electric heater of claim 5 wherein the leaf springs cooperating with the insulators located in the reflector wall furthest from the control compartment are arranged horizontally parallel to each other in vertical alignment.

Claim 9

The electric heater of claim 5 wherein the heating element consists of a plurality of heating element segments electrically connected to each other in series circuit through said switch means for selective energization.

Claim 10

The electric heater of claim 5 wherein all of the terminal connections from the heating element to the switch means are located on the side of the reflector closest to the control compartment.

Claim 11

The electric heater of claim 8 wherein only the insulators located in the reflector wall furthest from the control compartment are spring biased by a leaf spring and each insulator passes through the center body portion of the leaf spring.

Claim 12

A portable electric heater comprising; a. a housing having sides, a rear wall and an open front, b. a control compartment in one end of the housing including therein switch means for operating the heater, c. a sheet-metal reflector located in the end of the housing opposite the control compartment and secured by support means to the rear wall of the housing in spaced relationship, said reflector having a generally planar reflective surface and opposing end walls projecting forwardly from said reflective surface each with a plurality of spaced vertically aligned apertures, d. a heating element consisting of a plurality of ribbon-type heating element segments suspended within the reflector electrically connected to each other in series through said switch means to obtain varying amounts of heat by selective energization, all of said terminal connections being located on the wall of the reflector closest to the control compartment, e. insulator members for supporting the suspended heater element passing through the apertures in the reflector end walls, and f. individual leaf springs having a center body portion and legs extending outwardly therefrom, each of said leaf springs receiving through the center body portion thereof the insulator members passing through the reflector end wall furthest from the control compartment and cooperating with said insulators to maintain said heater element segments taut at all times, said leaf springs being located outside said reflector and each having one leg secured at a point forward of the reflective surface and the other leg secured at a point rearward of the reflective surface whereby the insulators and heater element are positioned forward of and in close proximity to the reflective surface.

Claim 13

A portable electric heater comprising; a. a housing having sides, a rear wall and an open front, b. a control compartment in one end of the housing including therein switch means for operating the heater, c. a sheet-metal reflector located in the end of the housing opposite the control compartment and secured by support means to the rear wall of the housing in spaced relationship, said reflector having a generally planar reflective surface and opposing end walls projecting forwardly from said reflective surface each with a plurality of spaced vertically aligned apertures, d. a heating element consisting of a plurality of ribbon-type heating element segments suspended within the reflector electrically connected to each other in series through said switch means to obtain varying amounts of heat by selective energization, all of said terminal connections being located on the wall of the reflector closest to the control compartment, e. insulator members for supporting the suspended heater element passing through the apertures in the reflector end walls, and f. individual leaf springs having a center body portion and legs extending outwardly therefrom, each of said leaf springs receiving through the center body portion thereof the insulator members passing through the reflector end wall furthest from the control compartment and cooperating with said insulators to maintain said heater element segments taut at all times, said leaf springs being located outside said reflector and each having one leg secured at a point forward of the reflective surface and the other leg secured at a point rearward of the reflective surface whereby the insulators and heater element are positioned forward of and in close proximity to the reflective surface.