Heating apparatus for caravans and the like

Claim 2

An electric thermogenerator comprising: a flat thermoelectric unit having a cold side and a hot side, said thermoelectric unit being disposed substantially horizontally with its cold side facing downwardly and with its hot side facing upwardly; heating means to heat the upper hot side of said thermoelectric unit; and a fan to supply cold air to the lower cold side of said thermoelectric unit to cool same.

Claim 3

In an electric thermogenerator as claimed in claim 1, said heating means being in the form of an inverted gas burner disposed above said thermoelectric unit.

Claim 4

In an electric thermogenerator as claimed in claim 1, vanes extending downwardly from the lower cold side of said thermoelectric unit in heat-exchange relation with cold air supplied by said fan.

Claim 5

In an electric thermogenerator as claimed in claim 3, said fan having a vertical axis, and said vanes being disposed substantially radially with respect to said axis.

Claim 6

In an electric thermogenerator as claimed in claim 2: a substantially vertical burner casing surrounding said inverted gas burner and extending downwardly to engage the upper hot side of said thermoelectric unit in such manner as to define a hearth with said hot side forming the lower wall of said hearth; means to supply combustible gas and combustion air to said inverted burner; and exhaust means for the combustion gases generated by said inverted burner within said burner casing.

Claim 7

A combined heating and electricity-generating apparatus comprising: a substantially vertical outer casing having a lower air inlet and an upper air outlet; a flat thermoelectric unit having a hot side, a cold side and an outer edge, said thermoelectric unit being disposed substantially horizontally within said outer casing above said lower air inlet and below said upper air outlet with said hot side facing upwardly, with said cold side facing downwardly and with said outer edge being spaced from said outer casing so as to leave a first annular passage between said edge and said casing; a fan disposed within said outer casing below said thermoelectric unit to blow against said cold side thereof an air stream drawn through said lower air inlet, said air stream thereafter escaping upwardly through said first annular passage; an inverted gas burner disposed within said casing above said thermoelectric unit to heat the upper hot side thereof; a burner casing surrounding said inverted gas burner within said outer casing, said burner casing having substantially vertical lateral walls and extending downwardly to engage the upper hot side of said thermoelectric unit in such manner as to define a hearth with said hot side forming the lower wall of said hearth, said burner casing being spaced from said outer casing so as to leave a second annular passage for the air stream flowing upwardly from said first annular passage; means to supply combustible gas and combustion air to said inverted gas burner; exhaust means to discharge outside of said outer casing combustion gases generated by said inverted burner within said burner casing; and vane means in said hearth and in said second annular passage to transfer heat from said burner casing to said air stream flowing through said second annular passage before said air stream issues from said outer casing through the upper air outlet thereof.

Claim 8

A combined heating and electricity-generating apparatus comprising: a substantially vertical outer casing having a lower air inlet and an upper air outlet; a flat thermoelectric unit having a hot side, a cold side and an outer edge, said thermoelectric unit being disposed substantially horizontally within said outer casing above said lower air inlet and below said upper air outlet with said hot side facing upwardly, with said cold side facing downwardly and with said outer edge being spaced from said outer casing so as to leave a first annular passage between said edge and said casing; a fan disposed within said outer casing below said thermoelectric unit to blow against said cold side thereof an air stream drawn through said lower air inlet, said air stream thereafter escaping upwardly through said first annular passage; an inverted gas burner disposed within said casing above said thermoelectric unit to heat the upper hot side thereof; a burner casing surrounding said inverted gas burner within said outer casing, said burner casing having substantially vertical lateral walls and extending downwardly to engage the upper hot side of said thermoelectric unit in such manner as to define a hearth with said hot side forming the lower wall of said hearth, said burner casing being spaced from said outer casing so as to leave a second annular passage for the air stream flowing upwardly from said first annular passage; means to supply combustible gas and combustion air to said inverted gas burner; exhaust means to discharge outside of said outer casing combustion gases generated by said inverted burner within said burner casing; and vane means in said hearth and in said second annular passage to transfer heat from said burner casing to said air stream flowing through said second annular passage before said air stream issues from said outer casing through the upper air outlet thereof.

Claim 9

In an apparatus as claimed in claim 6, vanes extending downwardly from the lower cold side of said thermoelectric unit in heat-exchange relation with cold air supplied by said fan.

Claim 10

In an apparatus as claimed in claim 7, said fan being situated below said vanes and having a substantially vertical axis, and said vanes being disposed substantially radially with respect to said axis.

Claim 11

In an apparatus as claimed in claim 6: a substantially horizontal air conduiT to supply air to said inverted gas burner from the outside of said outer casing; a flat vertical air chamber exterior to said outer casing and in which said air conduit opens, said chamber being open laterally; and said exhaust means being in the form of a substantially horizontal gas conduit disposed below said air conduit and substantially parallel thereto, said gas conduit passing through said air chamber to open beyond same.

Claim 12

A combined heating apparatus and electric thermogenerator comprising: an outer casing having a lower air inlet and an upper air outlet, with said outlet comprising first and second air passage means; a thermoelectric unit disposed within said casing with said unit having a hot side and a cold side; burner means within said casing to heat the hot side of said thermoelectric unit; means to discharge outside of said casing combustion gases from said burner means; means to cause an air stream drawn from the lower air inlet of said casing to cool the cold side of said thermoelectric unit and to exhaust through the upper air outlet of said casing; and two-way valve means within said casing to direct said air stream towards said first air passage means or towards said second air passage means.

Claim 13

A combined heating apparatus and electric thermogenerator comprising: an outer casing having a lower air inlet and an upper air outlet, with said outlet comprising first and second air passage means; a thermoelectric unit disposed within said casing with said unit having a hot side and a cold side; burner means within said casing to heat the hot side of said thermoelectric unit; means to discharge outside of said casing combustion gases from said burner means; means to cause an air stream drawn from the lower air inlet of said casing to cool the cold side of said thermoelectric unit and to exhaust through the upper air outlet of said casing; and two-way valve means within said casing to direct said air stream towards said first air passage means or towards said second air passage means.

Claim 14

In an apparatus as claimed in claim 10, heat transfer vane means between the combustion gases of said burner means and said air stream.

Claim 15

In an apparatus as claimed in claim 10, disposed in a room, conduit means connecting said first air passage means with the outside of said room, while said second air passage means open directly into said room, whereby said air stream may be discharged either into said room to heat same, or outside of said room when same is not to be heated.

Claim 16

In an apparatus as claimed in claim 18: said casing having an upper portion of rectangular inner cross section with an upper side and four lateral sides; said burner means terminating short of said upper portion; said first air passage means comprising at least one perforation in a first one of said lateral sides of said upper portion substantially above said burner means; said second air passage means comprising at least one perforation in a second lateral side of said upper portion substantially above said burner means, with said second lateral side being opposed to said first lateral side; and said two-way valve means comprising a substantially rectangular rocking switch shutter having substantially the same dimensions as the inner cross section of the upper portion of said casing, and means to pivot said shutter about an axis parallel to said first and second lateral sides.