Portable radiator top air circulator

Abstract

A portable air circulator is disclosed which rests on top of a radiator having a plurality of fins that are filled with a heated fluid. The air circulator has a casing and a fan. The casing includes a tray member which rests on top of the radiator fins and has a vent section with an opening facing the fins. A cap member of the casing forms a chamber with the tray member leading to the fan. The vanes of the fan direct a current of air from the cap member's vent portion through the vent section in the tray member at the radiator fins.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to portable air circulators. More particularly, it relates to an air circulator which directs room air downwardly onto the top portions of radiator fins which are filled with a heated fluid and downwardly along those fins.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Various fan constructions have been proposed for radiators that have several adjacent tubular fins filled with heated fluids such as oil. Most of those fans are housed in assemblies permanently affixed to the radiators. Such combined heating units with built-in fans cost more to construct than the radiator and fan units would cost separately, and whenever the combined units require servicing in one element or another, disassembly of the entire combination is usually needed.

[0003] The present invention avoids the expense involved in building a combined radiator and fan package. It also permits a user to purchase whatever radiator unit he wishes and then add a separately engineered fan unit at a different time without having to consider whether any modification of the radiator might be required.

[0004] A prior art example in point is shown and described in United States Published Application No. 2002/0076213 A1, published Jun. 20, 2002. A portable heater having a set of tubular oil-filled fins fastened to each other side-by-side has a set of controls vertically arranged on the outside of the tubular fin as the right end of the set. A cover for the controls is assembled on the outside of the right end fin too. The cover also supports a hood at its upper end over the tubular fins, and a companion cover fastened to the outer face of the tubular fin at the left end of the set supports the other end of the hood over the fins. Inside the hood a squirrel cage fan directs air down onto the top portions of the radiator tubular fin units. The fan, which is controlled by the controls panel attached to the outside of the right end fin, is mounted inside the hood. The hood is generally “U”-shaped in cross section with side panels depending down along the upper sides of the tubular fin sections of the radiator. There are louvers in the side panels of the hood so that room air can be drawn into the hood. As illustrated particularly in FIG. 5 of the ′213 A1 patent application, the radiator, fan and fan compartment are assembled as a unitary structure.

[0005] A comparable unitary structure is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,253. A multitubed radiator is mounted on a base with wheels so that it can be moved from room to room. The lower portions of the tubes are located in a chamber inside the base. There are finger portions along the upper side of the base extending between the radiator tubes which direct heated air from the tubes into a lower portion of the chamber. Also in the lower portion of the chamber, below the tubes of the radiator, there is a fan which can be pivoted to blow heated air through louvers in the chamber walls into the room in which the radiator is located or else blow air upwardly against the tubular sections of the radiator. For a view of the way the radiator and its lower compartment containing the fan look, one can examine U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 314,613.

[0006] Other examples of portable room heaters appear in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,493,974 and 6,072,938, although the units shown and described in these patents do not incorporate any forms of rotating electric fans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention approaches the problems of circulating air heated by the tubular radiator finned sections in a different manner, emphasizing the simplicity of resting a fan housing and air channeling configuration conveniently on top of the tubular finned sections. The air circulator of the present invention utilizes a separate casing for the fan which can simply be placed on the radiator assembly without having to attach it, and without any major current draw to be added to the fluid heating means in the radiator assembly itself.

[0008] In sum, the present invention is embodied in a portable air circulator arranged to rest upon the top of a radiator having a plurality of adjacent fluid-filled fin sections. The air circulator comprises a casing and a fan. The casing includes a tray member arranged to rest upon several top edge portions of the radiator fin sections. The tray member includes a vent section which has an opening facing and adjacent to the fin sections and a cap member over the tray member which forms a chamber intermediate the cap member and the tray member. The cap member includes a vent portion leading to the chamber from room air outside the cap member. The fan includes a plurality of vanes arranged inside the chamber to direct a current of air from the cap member vent portion through the vent section in the tray member at the radiator fin sections.

[0009] From the foregoing, and from what follows, it will be apparent that the present invention solves numerous problems which portable heaters presented when constructed with integrally incorporated fan elements.

[0010] It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a portable casing containing a fan which may be set on top of a radiator to direct room air onto the top portions of the tubular elements of the radiator.

[0011] It is another object of this invention to provide a portable casing containing a fan to draw room air into a chamber above a radiator and direct the air downwardly onto the upper ends of the adjacent tubular radiator fin elements.

[0012] It is another object of this invention to provide a portable casing containing a fan for circulating room air downwardly onto the adjacent tubular radiator fin elements of a portable radiator which is a separate construction from the radiator itself and operable independently of the radiator.

[0013] It is another object of this invention to provide a portable casing containing a fan which is readily placed on top of a radiator to circulate room air downwardly onto the tubular elements of the radiator and which is less expensive to build and maintain to achieve air flow over the radiator elements than a fan encased in a housing which is constructed as an integral part of the radiator itself

[0014] Other objects and features of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art of building radiator heated air circulation systems from an examination of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention and of the accompanying drawings:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable air circulator embodying the present invention comprising a casing, partially broken away, and a fan resting on top of a radiator, the latter being shown in phantom;

[0016] FIG. 2 is an exploded, enlarged view of the portable air circulator shown in FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the portable air circulator shown in FIG. 1;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the portable air circulator shown in FIG. 3, taken in the direction of the arrows 4-4 in FIG. 3;

[0019] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the portable air circulator shown in FIG. 3, taken in the direction of arrows 5-5 in FIG. 3; and

[0020] FIG. 6 is an exploded view, in perspective, of an alternate embodiment of a portable air circulator incorporating the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The preferred embodiments of this invention shown in the accompanying drawings will now be described, it being understood that the preferred forms are illustrative and that the invention described herein is embodied in the claims which are appended hereto.

[0022] The portable air circulator 10 in FIG. 1 rests on top of a radiator 12. Preferably, the circulator is somewhat elongated in shape so that it can be easily set on top of a number of adjacent tubular fin sections 14 of the radiator 12 and extend over those sections for part of the length of the radiator 12. A tray member 16 supports the upper elements of the air circulator while it overlies the tops of the fin sections 14 in the radiator. Rails 18 (see FIG. 2) may be affixed to the underside of tray member 16 if desired in order to facilitate resting the tray member 16 on the to edge portions of the radiator fin sections 14. The outer edge portions 20 of the tray member 16 may be turned downwardly from a horizontally disposed centrally located deck portion 22 of the tray member 16 in order to deflect any stray air currents from the fan 24 downwardly along the radiator fins 14.

[0023] Fan 24 is attached to the upper face of the tray's deck portion 22, preferably in a housing 26, by threaded members such as bolts 28. Power cord 30 transmits household current to fan 24 through an on/off switch 32, or, if the fan 24 is so equipped, a variable speed switch. A single opening 34, large enough to receive the entire output of the fan 24, is formed in a vent section 36 of the deck 22 facing and adjacent to the fin sections 14 of the radiator 12. The fan 24 includes a plurality of vanes 38 aimed at the opening 34 to direct a current of air, represented by directional arrows 40, through the opening 34 in the vent section of the tray member downwardly at the radiator fin sections 14.

[0024] The casing of air circulator 10 also includes a cap member 42 arranged above and spaced apart from the tray member 16 so as to form a chamber 44 intermediate the cap member 42 and the tray member 16. Fan 24 is positioned inside the chamber 44 with its air input side facing toward the cap member 42 but spaced a small distance away from a horizontally arranged centrally located deck portion 46 of the cap member. Side portions 48 of the cap member depend from deck portion 46 and substantially enclose fan 24 in the chamber 44. The nuts 50 are located on bolts 28 a short distance away from the deck portion 46 of the cap member so as to keep an open space for room air to be pulled into the fan 24 and directed by the fan vanes against the top portions of the radiator fins.

[0025] The areas of the side portions 48 and the deck portion 46 of the cap member which are adjacent the outer extremities of the tray member form cap member incoming vent portions 52. The directional arrows 54 in FIG. 1 illustrate the paths of room air flow being pulled into the chamber 44 from a room where the radiator 12 is located and into fan 24. Arrows 56 and 58 in FIG. 1 illustrate the paths of warmed air entering the room in which the radiator is located after the air is passed through the fan and over the top portions of the radiator fins.

[0026] An alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown in the air circulator 100 illustrated in FIG. 6. A radiator 102 appears in phantom and includes adjacent tubular fin sections 104. Preferably the air circulator of this embodiment 100, like the embodiment 10, is somewhat elongated in shape so that it can be easily set on the radiator over the tops of a number of the adjacent tubular fin sections 104. A tray member 106 supports the upper elements of the air circulator 100. The tray is also adapted to rest directly on the tops of the tubular fin sections, although it may also be provided with feet or rails like tray member 16 if desired. The tray member 106 includes a horizontally disposed centrally located deck portion 108 and a pair of vertically disposed end walls 110 facing each other at opposite ends of the deck portion.

[0027] Fan 112 is attached to the upper side of the tray's deck portion 108, preferably in a housing 114, with fasteners such as bolts 116. Directly below the fan a plurality of apertures 118 are formed in the deck portion 108 of tray member 106 to receive the entire output of the fan 112. The fan includes vanes aimed at the apertures 118 which direct a current of air, represented by directional arrow 122, through the apertures 118 downwardly at the radiator fin sections 104.

[0028] The casing of air circulator 100 also includes a cap member 124 arranged above and spaced apart from the tray member 106 so as to form a chamber 126 intermediate the cap member 124 and the tray member 106. Fan 112 is positioned inside the chamber 126 with its air input side facing toward the cap member 124 but spaced a small distance away from a horizontally arranged centrally located deck portion 128 of the cap member. Side portions 130 of the cap member depend from deck portion 128 and substantially enclose fan 112 in the chamber 126. Tabs such as 132 also depend from the ends of deck portion 128 and are arranged to engage and be supported by the end walls 110 of the tray member 108. Metal screws, such as those illustrated at 134, may be used to maintain the engagement. Preferably, the engagement of tabs 132 and end walls 110 supports the deck portion 128 a small distance above and spaced apart from the top of the fan housing 114.

[0029] A plurality of apertures 136 is formed in the deck portion 128 of cap member 124 adjacent the vanes 120 of fan 112 to provide a cap member incoming vent portion 138. The directional arrow 140 in FIG. 6 illustrates the path of room air flow being pulled into chamber 126 from a room where the radiator 102 is located and into fan 112. Arrows 142 in FIG. 6 illustrate the paths of warmed air currents entering the room after the air has been passed through the fan 112 and over the top portions of the radiator fins.

[0030] Both of the embodiments described above are independent of the radiator units on which they are intended to rest. They are readily portable and safe. They can be carried from one room to another by almost every member of a household, plugged in and operated to increase the circulation of warm air in any room where the user is. For a manufacture, they are easily made, shipped and stocked, and they enable a radiator manufacturer to supply a lower priced radiator to purchasers who may want to do without the expense of a fan, or to perhaps purchase a separate unit at a later date.

[0031] From all of the foregoing it will be evident that, although particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, nevertheless various modifications can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, no limitation on the invention is intended by the foregoing description, and its full breadth is intended to be covered by the following claims.

Claims

1. A portable air circulator arranged to rest upon the top of a radiator having a plurality of adjacent fluid-filled fin sections comprising

a casing and a fan,

the casing including

a tray member arranged to rest upon several top edge portions of the radiator fin sections and including

a vent section having an opening facing and adjacent to the fin sections, and

a cap member over the tray member forming a chamber intermediate the cap member and the tray member and including

a cap member vent portion leading to the chamber from room air outside the cap member,

the fan including a plurality of vanes arranged inside the chamber to direct a current of air from the cap member vent portion through the vent section in the tray member at the radiator fin sections.

2. The air circulator of claim 1 in which the tray member includes a horizontally disposed deck portion and vertically disposed side portions depending from outer edge portions of the deck portion and arranged to overhang the top edge portions of the radiator fin sections.

3. The air circulator of claim 1 in which the tray member includes a horizontally disposed deck portion and vertically disposed end plates engaged upon and supporting the casing cap member over the tray member deck portion.

4. The air circulator of claim 2 in which the cap member vent portion leading to the amber for room air outside the cap member is formed by an outer end portion of the member and adjacent outer end portion of the tray member.

5. The air circulator of claim 3 in which the cap member vent portion leading to the amber for room air outside the cap member is formed by a plurality of apertures rough the cap member overlying and spaced apart from the tray member.

6. The air circulator of claim 1 in which the fan is disposed upon the tray member and aced apart from the cap member.

7. The air circulator of claim 1 in which the opening in the vent section of the tray member is formed as a single aperture through the tray member facing the fan and accepting the current of air from the fan.

8. The air circulator of claim I in which the opening in the vent section of the tray member is formed as a plurality of closely spaced apertures through the tray member facing the fan and accepting the current of air from the fan.