Electric heater for warming the interior of a car

Claim 1

A heater for the interior of cars, trucks and the like adapted to be operated from a source of electrical power; comprising in combination a substantially cylindrical casing which includes a base plate, an air intake end plate, and an air discharge circumferential wall between said base plate and said air intake end plate, thus maintaining the same in substantially spaced and parallel relationship one with the other, a fan motor centrally mounted within said casing and upon said base plate and connectable to said source of electrical power, a fan driven by said motor in a plane substantially parallel to said base plate, said fan being situated above said motor and adjacent said air intake end plate, a heating element within said casing also connectable to said source of electrical power, said heating element being formed in a single length counterangulated between the ends thereof to form outer and inner portions, said portions being arcuately curved and having a degree of curvature similar to the degree of curvature of said perimetrical wall but lying spaced inwardly therefrom, said inner and outer portions lying substantially spaced and parallel one from the other, means to support said heating element within said casing, said means comprising a combination air deflector and support bracket secured to said base plate, said bracket being formed from a shaped flat plate extending upwardly from said base plate and being situated between part of said heater element and said fan motor, the upper edge of said bracket terminating just below said fan, said bracket extending around approximately 180° of said cylindrical casing, lugs extending radially outwardly from said bracket, the inner and outer portions of said heating element being supported by said lugs intermediate said base plate and said air intake end plate, and a guard strip between said heating element and said circumferential wall.