Automobile auxiliary heater

• US 4,232,211 A
• Filed: 10/19/1978
• Issued: 11/04/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnnie L. Hill
• Original Assignee: Johnnie L. Hill
• Inventors: Hill, Johnnie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bartis, A.
• Application Number:
  US05/952,709
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 219/279, 219/202, 219/366-370, 98/2.05, 237/12.3 R, 237/12.3 A, 237/12.3 B, 165/41-43, 165/126
• US Class Current: 219/202
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/034 from the cooling liquid of the propulsion plant and from an electric heating device
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/02 with forced circulation

Abstract

To supply heat to the passenger compartment of an automobile car body immediately upon entering it, an approximately triangular housing has two branch outlet ducts converging from the opposite ends of a main inlet cross duct including a fan chamber containing a reversible electric fan. This fan initially draws cold air into the fan chamber of the main inlet cross duct and forces it through an electric heating coil and then through one of the two converging branch outlet ducts to a common outlet containing a freely pivoted damper which in response to the pressure of the forced air swings to cut off air flow from the other converging branch outlet duct and at the same time directs the heated air through a horizontal transverse duct into the passenger compartment. When the compartment has been thus heated preliminarily, the operator de-energizes the electric heating coil and reverses the fan, causing it to direct outside air through the conventional engine radiator-connected liquid heater of the automobile and then through the opposite converging branch outlet duct. Thereupon the thus-forced air causes the damper to swing to an opposite position, closing the first converging branch outlet duct and thenceforth supplying air heated by the conventional heater to the passenger compartment. Electricity for the electric heating coil is provided by the car alternator and/or storage battery.

Claims

1. An auxiliary heating device for an automobile having an electrical supply circuit and an engine liquid cooling system, said heating device comprising

a housing structure including a main air inlet duct having therein a fan chamber with an outside air intake passageway leading thereto and also including first and second branch air outlet ducts connected to said main air duct at spaced locations thereon on opposite sides of said fan chamber,

said first and second branch outlet ducts having first and second individual air outlets respectively disposed remote from said main air inlet duct,

an electric air heater disposed in the space between said fan chamber and said first branch air outlet duct and adapted to be electrically connected to the automobile electrical supply circuit,

an engine liquid air heater disposed in the space between said fan chamber and said second branch air outlet duct and adapted to be connected to the automobile engine liquid cooling system,

a reversible electric fan in said fan chamber constructed and arranged to draw outside air through said outside air intake passageway and to discharge the thus indrawn air into either said first branch outlet duct or said second branch outlet duct in response to rotation of said reversible electric fan in opposite directions,

a heated air distribution duct connected to said first and second branch air outlet ducts and disposed in communication with said first and second individual air outlets thereof and having heated air discharge means,

and damper means disposed adjacent said first and second branch duct outlets and selectively movable alternately between opposite positions simultaneously opening communication between the one of said individual branch duct outlets through which air is discharged by the fan and said heated air distribution duct and closing communication between the other of said individual branch duct outlets and said heated air distribution duct.

2. An auxiliary automobile heating device, according to claim 1, wherein said branch duct outlets are disposed adjacent one another, and wherein said damper means comprises a single damper swingable alternately between said branch duct outlets.

3. An auxiliary automobile heating device, according to claim 2, wherein said heated air distribution duct has a heated air intake port therein disposed adjacent said damper and in proximity to said individual branch duct air outlets.

4. An auxiliary automobile heating device, according to claim 3, wherein said heated air distribution duct is elongated and said heated air discharge means comprises a plurality of heated air outlets disposed in spaced relationship to one another therealong.

5. An auxiliary automobile heating device, according to claim 1, wherein said damper means is mounted for free swinging motion between said opposite positions in response to the flow of heated air from said reversible fan.

6. An auxiliary automobile heating device, according to claim 1, wherein said branch air outlet ducts of said housing structure are disposed in converging relationship from said main air inlet duct.

7. An auxiliary automobile heating device, according to claim 6, wherein said individual outlets and said heated air intake port of said heated air distribution duct are disposed in close proximity to one another adjacent the point of convergence of said branch air outlet ducts.

8. An auxiliary automobile heating device, according to claim 6, wherein said housing structure is of approximately triangular configuration.

9. An auxiliary automobile heating device, according to claim 8, wherein said heated air distribution duct is disposed approximately parallel to said main air inlet duct.