Heater assembly for motor vehicle with water-cooled combustion engine

Claim 1

A heater assembly for a motor vehicle haivng a water-cooled combustion engine comprising, in combination, a housing defining therethrough a flow path for heater air, blower means for propelling heater air through said housing, burner means for providing heating gas, first heat exchange means located within said housing in the path of said heater air and having delivered thereto said heating gas from said burner means for conducting heat between said heating gas and said heater air, second heat exchange means located within said housing in the path of said heater air downstream of said first heat exchange means for conducting heat between said engine cooling water and said heater air, conduit means for conducting cooling water between said engine and said second heat exchange means, water pump means located within said conduit means and defining a portion thereof for circulating said engine cooling water between said engine and said second heat exchange means, said water pump means being essentially configured as a centrifugal pump comprising a generally cylindrical pump housing having a centrally located water inlet and a radially extending water outlet, and a drive wheel rotatably mounted within said pump housing, said pump housing being shaped to define between said water inlet and said water outlet a continuous portion of said conduit means free of internal constrictions extending thereacross.