Abstract: A heating appliance has electrical circuitry, a controller, a heating element, a temperature sensor, and a power selection switch having a varying power setting for enabling the user to select a varying power heating mode during which the room temperature is sensed by and if below a certain desirable temperature level, the controller causes higher power heating until the room temperature reaches the certain desirable temperature level and then causes lower power heating.

Abstract: A heating appliance has a multi-position control switch with a non-off lower than highest setting at an extreme distal position and consumes a non-off lower than highest amount of power at that position. The non-off lower setting is indicated as an energy saving setting. The switch has an off position at an extreme proximal position and the appliance consumes no power at that position. The switch has a highest setting position between the proximal and distal positions and the appliance consumes a highest amount of power at that position.

Abstract: A PTC heating appliance has a heating element array including a first plurality of PTC chips stacked into a second plurality of columns and including porous heat-exchanging radiators each in thermal communication with one or more of the columns and arranged such that heat produced by any of the PTC chips is conducted into the porous heat-exchanging radiator or radiators with which it is in thermal communication. A fan is arranged to force air through the porous heat exchanging radiators such that the heat therein is extracted and blown from the appliance. A control is adapted to cause selective energization of sub-groups of the PTC chips and has at least a high and a low setting. A higher number of the PTC chips are energized during the high setting than during the low setting, and each subgroup includes at least one PTC chip of each column.

Abstract: An improved suction-type cleaning device for cleaning submerged surfaces has a turbine rotatably mounted within a turbine chamber for moving the device. The device also includes an inlet nozzle and an outlet port, which are in communication with the turbine chamber and allow fluid and debris to flow along a fluid flow path therebetween, through the turbine chamber, which rotates the turbine. Baffles are arranged within the turbine chamber and cooperate with endplates of the turbine to restrict the flow of fluid through the fluid flow path. Additionally, the turbine includes a body with vanes, each having tips, and the endplates are sized and shaped such that their peripheral edges extend beyond the tips. The outlet end of the inlet nozzle is positioned proximate to the tips of the vanes and between the peripheral edges of the endplates, without interfering with the rotation of the turbine, thereby directing the flow of fluid more directly to the turbine.