Oil-fired, infrared heater

Claim 2

An infrared generator comprising: a combustion chamber of refractory material and having opposite ends, means at one end of said chamber for introducing fuel and air into said chamber for burning therein, and an apertured metal plate across the other end of said chamber, said metal plate having inner and outer generally planar surface portions between the apertures therein, said combustion chamber and metal plate being heated to incandescence upon burning of a fuel-air mixture in said chamber, the apertures in said metal plate allowing products of combustion to escape outwardly of said chamber, and said inner and outer generally planar surface portions of said metal plate respectively reflecting heat back into said chamber toward said one end thereof and radiating heat outwardly of said other end of said chamber, said metal plate being stainless steel and said apertures defining an open area therethrough of about from 1 to 5 percent of the total area of a surface thereof.

Claim 3

An infrared generator comprising: a combustion chamber of refractory material and having opposite ends, means at one end of said chamber for introducing fuel and air into said chamber for burning therein, and an apertured metal plate across the other end of said chamber, said metal plate having inner and outer generally planar surface portions between the apertures therein, said combustion chamBer and metal plate being heated to incandescence upon buring of a fuel-air mixture in said chamber, the apertures in said metal plate allowing products of combustion to escape outwardly of said chamber, and said inner and outer generally planar surface portions of said metal plate respectively reflecting heat back into said chamber toward said one end thereof and radiating heat outwardly of said other end of said chamber, the fuel-air mixture burned in said combustion chamber including a liquid fuel vapor, said inner surface portions of said metal plate reflecting heat back toward said means for introducing a fuel-air mixture into said chamber to further vaporize said liquid fuel and promote burning of said fuel-air mixture in said chamber and inwardly of said metal plate, said apertures in said metal plate defining an open area therethrough of about 1 to 5 percent of the total area of a surface thereof.

Claim 4

An infrared generator comprising: a combustion chamber of refractory material and having opposite ends, means at one end of said chamber for introducing fuel and air into said chamber for burning therein, and an apertured metal plate across the other end of said chamber, said metal plate having inner and outer generally planar surface portions between the apertures therein, said combustion chamBer and metal plate being heated to incandescence upon buring of a fuel-air mixture in said chamber, the apertures in said metal plate allowing products of combustion to escape outwardly of said chamber, and said inner and outer generally planar surface portions of said metal plate respectively reflecting heat back into said chamber toward said one end thereof and radiating heat outwardly of said other end of said chamber, the fuel-air mixture burned in said combustion chamber including a liquid fuel vapor, said inner surface portions of said metal plate reflecting heat back toward said means for introducing a fuel-air mixture into said chamber to further vaporize said liquid fuel and promote burning of said fuel-air mixture in said chamber and inwardly of said metal plate, said apertures in said metal plate defining an open area therethrough of about 1 to 5 percent of the total area of a surface thereof.

Claim 5

A liquid fuel-fired infrared generator comprising: a refractory combustion chamber component open at the opposite ends thereof and having a conical wall of generally uniform thickness between said opposite ends thereof, nozzle means at the smaller diameter end of said wall for introducing liquid fuel and air into the combustion chamber for burning therein, an apertured metal plate across the larger diameter end of said wall having inner and outer surface portions between the apertures therein, said component and said metal plate being heated to incandescence upon burning of a fuel-air mixture in said chamber component, said inner surface portions reflecting heat back into said chamber component for said fuel-air mixture to burn therein behind said plate, said outer surface portions radiating heat outwardly with respect to said chamber component, and housing means for said combustion chamber component, including a housing component having opposite ends and an end wall at one end of said housing component, said combustion chamber component being removably supported in said housing means with the smaller diameter open end thereof adjacent said end wall, said end wall having sleeve means projecting toward the other end of said housing component for receiving said smaller diameter end of said combustion chamber component to support the latter end, and said housing component including a wall portion engaging and supporting said wall of the combustion chamber component forwardly of said end wall.

Claim 6

A liquid fuel-fired infrared generator comprising: a refractory combustion chamber component open at the opposite ends thereof and having a conical wall of generally uniform thickness between said opposite ends thereof, nozzle means at the smaller diameter end of said wall for introducing liquid fuel and air into the combustion chamber for burning therein, an apertured metal plate across the larger diameter end of said wall having inner and outer surface portions between the apertures therein, said component and said metal plate being heated to incandescence upon burning of a fuel-air mixture in said chamber component, said inner surface portions reflecting heat back into said chamber component for said fuel-air mixture to burn therein behind said plate, said outer surface portions radiating heat outwardly with respect to said chamber component, and housing means for said combustion chamber component, including a housing component having opposite ends and an end wall at one end of said housing component, said combustion chamber component being removably supported in said housing means with the smaller diameter open end thereof adjacent said end wall, said end wall having sleeve means projecting toward the other end of said housing component for receiving said smaller diameter end of said combustion chamber component to support the latter end, and said housing component including a wall portion engaging and supporting said wall of the combustion chamber component forwardly of said end wall.

Claim 7

The infrared generator according to claim 3, wherein said sleeve means opens into said combustion chamber component and said nozzle means is disposed in said sleeve means.

Claim 8

The infrared generator according to claim 4, wherein said housing component is cylindrical and has an inner diameter corresponding generally to the outside diameter of the larger diameter end of said wall of said combustion chamber component, said housing component extending from said end wall a distance sufficient for said latter end of said wall of said combustion chamber component to be disposed inside said housing component.

Claim 9

The infrared generator according to claim 5, wherein said apertured metal plate is removably attached to said housing component.

Claim 10

A liquid fuel-fired infrared generator comprising: a refractory combustion chamber component open at the opposite ends thereof and having a conical wall of generally uniform thickness between said opposite ends thereof, nozzle means at the smaller diameter end of said wall for introducing liquid fuel and air into the combustion chamber for burning therein, an apertured metal plate across the larger diameter end of said wall having inner and outer surface portions between the apertures therein, said component and said metal plate being heated to incandescence upon burning of a fuel-air mixture in said chamber component, said inner surface portions reflecting heat back into said chamber component for said fuel-air mixture to burn therein behind said plate, said outer surface portions radiating heat outwardly with respect to said chamber component, and said inner and outer surface portions each having a surface area of about 95 to 99 percent of the total area of the corresponding surface of said metal plate.

Claim 11

A liquid fuel-fired infrared generator comprising: a refractory combustion chamber component open at the opposite ends thereof and having a conical wall of generally uniform thickness between said opposite ends thereof, nozzle means at the smaller diameter end of said wall for introducing liquid fuel and air into the combustion chamber for burning therein, an apertured metal plate across the larger diameter end of said wall having inner and outer surface portions between the apertures therein, said component and said metal plate being heated to incandescence upon burning of a fuel-air mixture in said chamber component, said inner surface portions reflecting heat back into said chamber component for said fuel-air mixture to burn therein behind said plate, said outer surface portions radiating heat outwardly with respect to said chamber component, and said inner and outer surface portions each having a surface area of about 95 to 99 percent of the total area of the corresponding surface of said metal plate.

Claim 12

The infrared generator according to claim 6, wherein said inner and outer surface portions each total a surface area of about 95 to 99 percent of the total area of the corresponding surface of said metal plate.

Claim 13

A liquid fuel-fired infrared generator comprising: a refractory combustion chamber component open at the opposite ends thereof and having a conical wall of generally uniform thickness between said opposite ends thereof, nozzle means at the smaller diameter end of said wall for introducing liquid fuel and air into the combustion chamber for burning therein, an apertured plate across the larger diameter end of said wall having inner and outer surface portions between the apertures therein, said component and said plate being heated to incandescence upon burning of a fuel-air mixture in said chamber component, said inner surface portions reflecting heat back into said chamber component for said fuel-air mixture to burn therein behind said plate, and said outer surface portions radiating heat outwardly with respect to said chamber component, and housing means for said combustion chamber component, including a housing component having opposite ends and an end wall at one end of said housing component, said combustion chamber component being removably supported in said housing means with the smaller diameter open end thereof adjacent said end wall, said end wall having sleeve means projecting toward the other end of said housing component for receiving said smaller diameter end of said combustion chamber component to support the latter end, and said housing component including a wall portion engaging and supporting said wall of the combustion chamber component forwardly of said end wall.

Claim 14

A liquid fuel-fired infrared generator comprising: a refractory combustion chamber component open at the opposite ends thereof and having a conical wall of generally uniform thickness between said opposite ends thereof, nozzle means at the smaller diameter end of said wall for introducing liquid fuel and air into the combustion chamber for burning therein, an apertured plate across the larger diameter end of said wall having inner and outer surface portions between the apertures therein, said component and said plate being heated to incandescence upon burning of a fuel-air mixture in said chamber component, said inner surface portions reflecting heat back into said chamber component for said fuel-air mixture to burn therein behind said plate, and said outer surface portions radiating heat outwardly with respect to said chamber component, and housing means for said combustion chamber component, including a housing component having opposite ends and an end wall at one end of said housing component, said combustion chamber component being removably supported in said housing means with the smaller diameter open end thereof adjacent said end wall, said end wall having sleeve means projecting toward the other end of said housing component for receiving said smaller diameter end of said combustion chamber component to support the latter end, and said housing component including a wall portion engaging and supporting said wall of the combustion chamber component forwardly of said end wall.

Claim 15

The infrared generator according to claim 9, wherein said housing component is cylindrical and has an inner diameter corresponding generally to the outside diameter of the larger diameter end of said wall of said combustion chamber component, said housing component extending from said end wall a distance sufficient for said latter end of said wall of said combustion chamber component to be disposed inside said housing component.