Gas-fired furnace

Claim 2

A space heating gas-fired furnace formed with a heat tunnel having an inlet opening at one end and an outlet opening at the opposite end, said tunnel being formed with a pair of opposed side walls, a heat exchanger cell mounted in said tunnel and having side walls disposed in spaced relation to said side walls of said heat tunnel, said heat exchanger cell extending in a direction from the inlet opening of said heat tunnel toward the outlet thereof and being formed with a combustion inlet chamber disposed in proximity to said tunnel outlet and a flue gas discharge opening, a flue gas passage extending between said side walls of said cell from said combustion inlet chamber to said discharge opening, said cell side walls diverging in a direction from said heat tunnel inlet opening toward said outlet opening, blower means creating air flow through said tunnel in a direction from said tunnel inlet opening toward said tunnel outlet opening in contact with the exterior surfaces of said heat exchanger cell, and gas burner means arranged in juxtaposition to said combustion inlet chamber for supplying hot products of combustion thereto.

Claim 3

A space heating gas-fired furnace as set forth in claim 1 wherein said passage includes a return bend portion positioned at said tunnel inlet opening, said side walls of said cell diverging in a direction from said return bend portion toward said outlet opening of said tunnel.

Claim 4

A space heating gas-fired furnace as set forth in claim 1 wherein said opposed side walls of said heat tunnel diverge in a direction from the inlet opening of said tunnel toward the outlet opening thereof.

Claim 5

A space heating gas-fired furnace as set forth in claim 1 and including a plurality of said heat exchanger cells mounted in spaced apart side-by-side relation in flabelliform in said heat tunnel, said cells extending from said inlet opening of said tunnel toward the outlet opening thereof, the cells at one side of the lengthwise axis of said tunnel diverging from the cells at the opposite sides of said axis, in a direction toward said tunnel outlet opening, said opposed side walls of said tunnel diverging in a direction from the inlet opening of said tunnel toward the outlet opening thereof, said cells serving as diffuser vanes and in conjunction with the diverging sides of said tunnel enhancing the uniform flow distribution of air through said heat tunnel.

Claim 6

A space heating gas-fired furnace comprising a casing formed with a heat tunnel, a heat exchanger cell mounted in said tunnel and extending lengthwise thereof, said cell being formed with a burner inlet opening and a flue gas discharge opening, said openings being connected by an unimpeded flue gas passage of general serpentine form for the free flow of flue gases from said burner inlet opening to said discharge opening, said flue gas passage including a return bend portion intermediate said burner inlet opening and said flue gas discharge opening, said flue gas passage having a linear inlet portion extending inwardly from said inlet opening to a curved portion, said curved portion communicating with said return bend portion, said return portion terminating in a reversely curved exit portion, said exit portion communicating with said flue gas discharge opening, a power-operated blower mounted in said casing and having an outlet positioned contiguous to said return bend portion of said cell for the impingement of air thereon, said blower being operable to create an air flow through said heat tunnel in contact with the side surfaces of said cell, and gas burner means arranged in operating relation to said burner inlet opening for supplying hot products of combustion thereto.

Claim 7

A space heating gas-fired furnace comprising a casing formed with a heat tunnel, a heat exchanger cell mounted in said tunnel and extending lengthwise thereof, said cell being formed with a burner inlet opening and a flue gas discharge opening, said openings being connected by an unimpeded flue gas passage of general serpentine form for the free flow of flue gases from said burner inlet opening to said discharge opening, said flue gas passage including a return bend portion intermediate said burner inlet opening and said flue gas discharge opening, said flue gas passage having a linear inlet portion extending inwardly from said inlet opening to a curved portion, said curved portion communicating with said return bend portion, said return portion terminating in a reversely curved exit portion, said exit portion communicating with said flue gas discharge opening, a power-operated blower mounted in said casing and having an outlet positioned contiguous to said return bend portion of said cell for the impingement of air thereon, said blower being operable to create an air flow through said heat tunnel in contact with the side surfaces of said cell, and gas burner means arranged in operating relation to said burner inlet opening for supplying hot products of combustion thereto.

Claim 8

A space heating gas-fired furnace as set forth in claim 5 wherein said flue gas passage diminishes in cross-sectional area from said inleT opening to said return bend portion, and increases in cross-sectional area from the said return bend portion to said discharge opening.

Claim 9

A space heating gas-fired furnace as set forth in claim 5 wherein the side walls of said heat exchanger cell are free from abrupt discontinuances.