Electric space heater unit

Claim 1

An elongated electric space heater unit adapted to be mounted on and in front of a vertical mounting surface with the longitudinal axis of the unit positioned horizontally; said unit including an elongated trough-like wall box and an elongated heater subassembly secured to said wall box; said wall box including a generally vertical rear wall, an elongated upper inclined wall sloping forward and upward from the upper edge of said rear wall, and an elongated lower inclined wall sloping forward and downward from the lower edge of said rear wall; said rear wall, said upper inclined wall and said lower inclined wall being formed from a single element; said heater subassembly including an elongated housing generally of rectangular cross-section and having upper and lower ventilating openings in respective upper and lower horizontal walls of said housing, an elongated sheathed electric resistance heating element disposed within said housing, spaced vertically disposed fins extending transverse to said heating element and mounted within said housing in heat conducting relationship with said heating element, and thermal cutout means disposed at the rear of said housing and being connected in electrical circuit with said heating element; said housing being positioned in front of and spaced from said rear wall; said housing also positioned in confronting spaced relationship with respect to the front surfaces of said upper and lower inclined walls; said housing including a front cover section of generally U-shaped cross-section and an elongated rear section secured to the cover section at the ends of its U-arms; and means effective prior to securement of said cover section to said rear section to secure said heating element to said rear section against longitudinal and transverse movement of said heating element relative to said rear section.