Movable air heater

Abstract

The invention provides a mobile heater (1) adapted to heat air from the environment and to supply the heated air into a cabin, such as a recreational tourist car or tent, the heater (1) comprises a housing (2), a supply air inlet (3) arranged at one side of the housing (2), a supply air outlet (4) arranged at the other side of the housing (2), a supply air channel (5) extending inside the housing between the supply air inlet (3) and the supply outlet (4) for generating a supply air inlet (3) inside the supply air channel (5), the invention relates to a device for supplying air to a cabin, comprising a supply air outlet (4), means for supplying air flow to the supply air outlet (4), and a flexible supply air hose, which can be removably coupled to the supply air outlet (4) and by means of which heated air can be guided into the cabin interior, the heater (1) further comprises: a burner chamber (6) inside the housing (2) wherein the supply air channel (5) passes through the burner chamber (6); a burner (7) arranged inside the burner chamber (6); a heat exchanger (8) which is arranged inside the burner chamber (6) and is designed as a tube section forming at least one section of the supply air channel (5); a control unit; and a user interface (9), in which the burner (7) extends below and along a vertical projection of the heat exchanger (8), and the heat exchanger (8) has a plurality of first sheets (10) extending inside the burner chamber (6) from the outer surface of the tube section and parallel to the vertical plane, and a plurality of second sheets (11) extending inside the burner chamber (6) from the outer surface of the tube section and parallel to the vertical plane. And the second thin plate (11) extends inside the supply air channel (5) from the inner surface of the pipe section and in the direction of the supply air flow.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile heater for heating air and supplying the heated air to a cabin such as a recreational vehicle or a tent.

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of outdoor activities, in particular to the field of outdoor heaters for example for tents. Usually, such heaters operate by gas combustion and are therefore placed in the environment outside the tent to prevent the exhaust gases from being inhaled by the user. The warm air generated by the heater is guided by a hose inside the tent. The problem with such gas heaters is that the combustion heat is ultimately used to heat the interior of the tent with low efficiency. As a result, heat is unnecessarily lost to the environment and the gas consumption becomes correspondingly high, which is why more gas must be carried when traveling outdoors.

[0003] In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a mobile heater, which is suitable for heating air from the environment and supplying the heated air to a cabin such as a recreational vehicle or a tent. The heater comprises a housing, a supply air inlet arranged at one side of the housing, a supply air outlet arranged at another side of the housing, a supply air channel extending between the supply air inlet and the supply outlet inside the housing, a device for generating a supply air flow from the supply air inlet to the supply air outlet inside the supply air channel, and a flexible supply air hose, which can be removably connected to the supply air outlet and by means of which the heated air can be guided to the interior of the cabin. The heater further comprises: a burner chamber inside the housing, wherein the supply air channel passes through the burner chamber; a burner arranged inside the burner chamber; a heat exchanger, which is arranged inside the burner chamber and is designed to form a pipe section of at least a section of the supply air channel; a control unit; and a user interface.

[0004] According to the present invention, the burner is below the heat exchanger and extends along the vertical projection of the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger has a plurality of first thin plates and a plurality of second thin plates, wherein the first thin plates extend from the outer surface of the tube segment in the burner chamber and extend parallel to the vertical plane, and the second thin plates extend from the inner surface of the tube segment inside the supply air channel and extend along the direction of the supply air flow.

[0005] According to the invention, the mutual arrangement of the burner and the heat exchanger and the arrangement of the thin plates provide an ideal hot air flow rising from the burner around the heat exchanger in order to efficiently transfer heat to the supply air flow. Extending along the vertical projection of the heat exchanger means that if the vertical projection of the heat exchanger on a plane below the heat exchanger is considered, this projection describes a specific path in this plane, regardless of whether the heat exchanger also extends upwards, downwards or only at a constant height. The burner follows said path and is therefore positioned directly below the heat exchanger.

[0006] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of these first thin plates extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the vertical projection of the tube section on a horizontal plane. That is, the tube section or the heat exchanger can be curved or straight in its vertical projection, and each first thin plate is oriented perpendicularly to the direction that the vertical projection has specifically at the point where the first thin plate is located. This further improves the efficiency of the heater.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the supply air inlet and the supply air outlet are arranged on two opposite sides of the housing and the supply air channel extends horizontally. That is, the pipe section forming part of the supply channel and therefore the heat exchanger also extends horizontally. Thereby, the efficiency of the heater is even further improved and the manufacture of the heater is facilitated.

[0008] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the cross section of the tube section, the second thin plate extends vertically downwards from the top and upwards from the bottom, leaving a horizontal passage substantially in the center of the tube section, or the second thin plate extends horizontally from both sides, leaving a vertical passage substantially in the center of the tube section. This provides efficient heat transfer from the heat exchanger to the supply air flow.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heater comprises an air inlet opening at the bottom side of the housing for supplying air to the burner chamber and an air outlet opening on at least one side of the housing and located at or above the height of the heat exchanger. This ensures efficient air flow in the burner chamber.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for generating the supply air flow comprises a fan arranged near the supply air inlet. In this way, the fan does not heat up during use.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heater further comprises a rechargeable battery.Preferably, the heater can also be operated via a power line connected to a socket (eg in a mobile home) or other power source.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the user interface comprises a display. This provides for comfortable operation of the heater and selection of certain modes.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heater further comprises an external sensor configured to electronically communicate with the control unit to monitor and / or control the temperature inside the cabin. The sensor can be connected to the control unit via wiring or wirelessly (e.g., via Bluetooth). Preferably, the sensor is included in the remote control so that the temperature can be adjusted from inside the cabin.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heater comprises an additional flexible supply air hose which can be removably coupled to the supply air inlet. Thus, the user can decide to a certain extent from where the air to be heated is drawn into the heater.

[0015] Preferably, the heater is configured to be operable in a circulating air mode in which the supply air is taken from the cabin via an additional supply air hose. Thereby, the heating efficiency can be further improved. Of course, when the heater is used in this operating mode, it must be ensured by other means that the cabin is supplied with sufficient fresh air. For this purpose, the supply air hose that takes the air to be heated from the cabin can be provided with means such as openings or valves, which allow a certain amount of fresh air to enter the supply air channel.

[0016] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the heater is configured to be operable in a ventilation mode in which air from the environment is supplied to the cabin, but the burner is not activated. Thereby, the humidity inside the cabin can be reduced.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control unit is operable wirelessly, preferably by means of a corresponding application on a mobile phone communicating with the control unit via Bluetooth. This increases the operating comfort of the heater.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heater further comprises an oxygen consumption sensor (ODS) configured to measure the oxygen content in the supply air, and the control unit is configured to shut down the heater when the measured oxygen content is below a predetermined threshold level. Shutting down the heater typically comprises shutting off the gas supply to the burner. This increases the safety of the user in the event that combustion air enters the supply air channel for some reason.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heater further comprises at least one thermal sensor which is in electronic communication with the control unit and is arranged in the burner chamber, above the heat exchanger and / or inside the supply air channel, near the supply air outlet, and the control unit is configured to shut down the heater when the temperature is above a predetermined threshold. This prevents the heater from overheating, thus increasing the safety of the user.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heater further comprises a tipping switch, which is configured to turn off the heater in the event that the heater tips over. In this way, fire accidents can be avoided.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heater further comprises a micro switch, which is installed so that the correct connection of the supply air hose to the supply air outlet can be verified, and the micro switch is configured to disable the operation of the burner as long as the micro switch is not enabled. Also, here, the expression disabling the operation of the burner includes shutting off the gas supply to the burner. This prevents significant heat loss in the event that the supply air hose is not tightly connected to the heater.

[0022] The use of the heater of the present invention is not particularly limited. In addition to being used as a tent heater, the heater is also suitable for small houses, gardens and cabins, shelters, hunter's cabins, vans, etc.

[0023] Terms describing spatial orientation (such as "vertical" or "horizontal") should be understood to refer to the heater as intended to be placed on the ground.

[0024] These and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an air heater according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Another perspective view of the illustrated embodiment;

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 a perspective view of the interior of the illustrated embodiment; and

[0028] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Another perspective view of the interior of the illustrated embodiment.

[0029] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 4 An exemplary configuration of an air heater according to the present invention is described.

[0030] The mobile air heater 1 shown is generally box-shaped and has a housing 2 made of a rigid and weather-resistant material so that the mobile air heater can be used outdoors and exposed to wind and rain. The user can easily carry the heater 1 using handles 17 provided at two opposite narrow sides of the heater 1. Each handle 17 is formed to grip the housing so that the corresponding side remains flat and has no protrusions.

[0031] In order to facilitate operation of the heater 1, a user interface 9 is provided on the upper edge of the heater 1. The user interface 9 comprises a display 15 and buttons 16 for a number of setting options, such as setting a desired supply air temperature, air flow rate, certain time windows for programming temperature control, and certain operating modes, which will be described in more detail below.

[0032] Further, also at two opposite sides of the heater 1, a supply air inlet 3 and a supply air outlet 4 are provided, and a flexible supply air hose can be connected to each of the supply air inlet and the supply air outlet via an internal thread 19 provided in each of the supply air inlet 3 and the supply outlet 4. Each of the supply air inlet 3 and the supply air outlet 4 is integrally formed with the outer shell body 2 material made of heat-resistant plastic around each. In this embodiment, the inlet 3 and the outlet 4 are provided on the same side as the handle 17 and directly below the handle. However, there is no mandatory requirement for this specific arrangement. The supply air inlet 3 and the supply air outlet 4 each have a circular cross-section and have a fairly wide diameter, which reduces the noise generated by the air flow in the supply air channel 5 and the supply air hose.

[0033] The supply air channel 5 is defined here as extending from the supply air inlet 3 to the supply outlet 4. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As best seen in FIG. 1 , the fan 14 is arranged near the beginning of the supply air channel 5, just after the supply air inlet 3, when considering the intended air flow direction. On the opposite side of the supply air channel 5, more precisely at the end of the supply air channel, a heat exchanger 8 is arranged. The heat exchanger 8 is surrounded by several heat shields that define the burner chamber 6. The fan 14 is arranged at a considerable distance from the burner chamber 6 in order to protect the fan from the heat generated inside the burner chamber 6. For this purpose, the middle part of the supply air channel 5 bridges the distance between the fan and the burner chamber 6.

[0034] The entire supply air channel 5 is formed straight, and the tubular extension of the heat exchanger 8 is substantially formed as a tube section forming part of the supply channel 5. The purpose of the heat exchanger 8 is to transfer heat from the inside of the burner chamber 6 to the supply air flow inside the supply air channel 5. A gas burner 7 is arranged inside the burner chamber 6 and directly below the heat exchanger 8, which is supplied with gas via a gas introduction port 18. The control of the gas supply and the ignition and control of the flame are achieved by techniques well known in the art and are therefore not described in detail herein. When the heater 1 is in operation and the gas is burned by the burner 6, hot air rises from the burner 6 and flows around the heat exchanger 8 so as to transfer heat energy to the auxiliary exchanger 8. In order to provide an ideal air flow for efficient heat transfer, a vent is provided in the housing 2 of the heater 1. Fresh air from the environment enters the burner chamber 6 from below the heater 1 via the air inlet opening 12 for combustion. In order to prevent the air inlet opening 12 from being blocked by the ground, the heater 1 stands on four feet 20. Finally, the consumed air, after having dissipated most of the heat, leaves from air outlet openings 13 provided at two opposite sides of the housing 2 , which are arranged beside the heat exchanger 8 , at least at the same height as the heat exchanger 8 , but preferably above the heat exchanger 8 .

[0035] Furthermore, in order to efficiently transfer heat energy from the consumed air, the heat exchanger 8 has a plurality of first thin plates 10 arranged outside the pipe section and a plurality of second thin plates 11 arranged inside the pipe section, which are respectively arranged at Figure 3 and Figure 2 . Each of the first thin plates 10 extends almost around the entire circumference of the tube section of the heat exchanger 8. However, for reasons of the manufacturing process of the heat exchanger, a small portion is left so that these parts of the tube section can be welded together. The first thin plates 10 are generally oriented along the airflow inside the burner chamber 6. In this embodiment, the first thin plates 10 are arranged vertically and perpendicular to the direction of the tube section. Therefore, the first thin plates 10 can be arranged to be closely arranged with each other, thereby improving efficiency. The same principle applies to the arrangement of the second thin plates 11 inside the heat exchanger 8. Similarly, here, the second thin plates 11 are flat and arranged parallel to each other in the airflow direction in the airflow channel 5. In this case, the second thin plates 11 are arranged vertically. However, considering the expected flow direction, the second thin plates 11 can be arranged horizontally or tilted at about any angle, as long as each of the second thin plates 11 is arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube section of the heat exchanger 8. Further, for effective air flow and ideal air mixing inside the heat exchanger, the second thin plate 11 extending from one side to the other side of the inner surface of the tube section is interrupted approximately in the middle of the tube section to form or leave a horizontal channel.

[0036] In the following, some modes of use of the heater 1 are described. In order to heat a cabin such as a tent, the heater 1 is placed outside, the heat is transported to the inside of the tent via a flexible supply air hose, and in addition, another flexible supply air hose can be connected to the supply air inlet 3, and the other end of the hose can usually be placed where the supply air is expected to be obtained. This can also start from the inside of the cabin itself, which is described in this article as circulating air mode. In the circulating air mode, air from the inside of the tent is sucked into the heater 1 and supplied back into the tent. This provides efficient heating, because the air sucked from the supply air inlet 3 is mostly warmer than the outside air. Of course, when operating the heater 1 in this mode, sufficient ventilation of the cabin should be ensured, because the heater 1 does not provide fresh air in this mode.

[0037] Furthermore, the heater 1 can be operated in ventilation mode, in which fresh outside air is sucked in by the heater 1 and supplied to the interior of the cabin, but the supply air is not heated, i.e. the burner is disabled. This mode is particularly advantageous in warmer regions and will very effectively carry moisture out of the tent.

[0038] All operating modes and functions have corresponding timer functions.Furthermore, all functions and parameters of the heater 1 can be controlled and adjusted by the user via an application on the user's mobile phone.

[0039] The heater 1 has different optional heating levels, which are achieved by adjusting the amount of gas supplied to the burner 6. In addition, the flow rate can be adjusted by driving the fan 14 at different speeds. Since the lower the flow rate, the higher the intensity of the supply air being heated, the temperature is electronically adjusted by using at least one temperature sensor (not shown) located near the end of the supply air channel 5. Thus, a constant temperature of the supply air can be achieved regardless of the air flow rate. Alternatively, the temperature can be controlled by a temperature sensor placed inside the cabin, which is either wirelessly connected to the control unit of the heater 1 or wired to the control unit of the heater. In this way, a simple control can be performed, according to which the heating is turned on when the temperature inside the cabin drops below a predetermined threshold. Once the temperature inside the cabin exceeds the threshold, the heating is interrupted again. A useful sensor is a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensor, for example, via wiring or Bluetooth.

[0040] The temperature sensor is additionally used to prevent overheating of the heater 1 and is positioned inside the burner chamber 6, above the heat exchanger 8. Alternatively, the temperature sensor can be placed inside the supply air channel 5. Thus, the temperature sensor can be used both to prevent overheating and to regulate the temperature inside the cabin.

[0041] Furthermore, the heater 1 is provided with several safety features. For example, the amount of oxygen in the supply air is continuously monitored by an oxygen consumption sensor (ODS). The corresponding sensor can be located inside the cabin and communicate electronically with the control unit of the heater 1 wirelessly or by wire, but preferably the ODS is located near the supply air outlet 4. In this way, the introduction of exhaust gas from the burner chamber 6 into the supply air channel due to damage to the heater 1 can be detected immediately, and the heater 1 or at least the gas supply to the burner 6 can then be shut down by the control unit.

[0042] The heater 1 further comprises a tilt switch (not shown) which switches off the heater 1 or at least the gas supply to the burner 6 in the event that the heater 1 falls over and lies on its side.

[0043] If any event occurs that causes one of the safety features to activate, an alarm may be triggered, for example in the form of an audible signal emitted by the heater 1 itself or by an external device (such as via the app on the user's smartphone).

[0044] An expert in the field of the present invention will easily understand after reading the present disclosure that features described mutually in the corresponding context can also be implemented separately, as long as the context does not indicate otherwise.

[0045] Reference numerals

[0046] 1 Heater

[0047] 2 Housing

[0048] 3 Supply air inlet

[0049] 4 Supply air outlet

[0050] 5 Supply air channel

[0051] 6 Burner Chamber

[0052] 7 Burner

[0053] 8 Heat exchanger

[0054] 9 User Interface

[0055] 10 First sheet

[0056] 11 Second thin plate

[0057] 12 Air inlet opening

[0058] 13 Air outlet opening

[0059] 14 Fan

[0060] 15 Display

[0061] 16 Buttons

[0062] 17 Handle

[0063] 18 Gas introduction port

[0064] 19 Thread

[0065] 20 feet

Claims

1. A mobile heater (1) adapted to heat air from the environment and to supply the heated air to a cabin such as a recreational vehicle or a tent, the heater (1) comprising: Housing (2), a supply air inlet (3) arranged at a side of the housing (2), a supply air outlet (4) arranged at another side of the housing (2), a supply air passage (5) inside the housing (2), the supply air passage extending between the supply air inlet (3) and the supply air outlet (4), means for generating a supply air flow inside the supply air channel (5) from the supply air inlet (3) to the supply air outlet (4), and a flexible supply air hose which can be removably connected to the supply air outlet (4) and by means of which the heated air can be guided into the cabin interior, The heater (1) further comprises a burner chamber (6) inside the housing (2), wherein the supply air channel (5) passes through the burner chamber (6). a burner (7) arranged inside the burner chamber (6), a heat exchanger (8) which is arranged inside the burner chamber (6) and is designed as a pipe section forming at least a section of the supply air channel (5), control unit, and User interface (9), The invention is characterized in that the burner (7) is below the heat exchanger (8) and extends along the vertical projection of the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger (8) has a plurality of first thin plates (10) and a plurality of second thin plates (11), wherein the first sheets (10) extend from the outer surface of the tube section in the burner chamber (6) and extend parallel to a vertical plane, and The second sheets (11) extend from the inner surface of the pipe section inside the supply air channel (5) and extend in the direction of the supply air flow.

2. The heater (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that Each of the first sheets (10) extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the vertical projection of the tube section on a horizontal plane.

3. The heater (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The supply air inlet (3) and the supply air outlet (4) are arranged at two opposite sides of the housing (2), and the supply air passage (5) extends horizontally.

4. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that In the cross section of the pipe section, the second thin plates (11) extend vertically downward from the top and upward from the bottom, leaving a horizontal passage substantially in the center of the pipe section, or the second thin plates (11) extend horizontally from both sides, leaving a vertical passage substantially in the center of the pipe section.

5. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The heater (1) comprises: an air inlet opening (12) at the bottom side of the shell (2) for supplying air to the burner chamber (6); and an air outlet opening (13) on at least one side of the shell (2) and located at the height of the heat exchanger (8) or above the height of the heat exchanger.

6. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The means for generating the supply air flow comprises a fan (14) arranged in the vicinity of the supply air inlet (3).

7. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The heater (1) further comprises a rechargeable battery.

8. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The user interface (9) comprises a display (15).

9. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The heater (1) further comprises an external sensor configured to electronically communicate with the control unit to monitor and / or control the temperature inside the cabin.

10. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The heater (1) comprises an additional flexible supply air hose which is removably connectable to the supply air inlet (3).

11. The heater (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that The heater (1) is configured to be operable in a recirculating air mode in which supply air is taken from the cabin via the additional supply air hose.

12. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The heater (1) is configured to be operable in a ventilation mode in which air from the environment is supplied to the cabin but the burner (7) is not activated.

13. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The control unit can be operated wirelessly, in particular by means of a corresponding application on a mobile phone which communicates with the control unit via Bluetooth.

14. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The heater (1) further comprises an oxygen consumption sensor (ODS) configured to measure the oxygen content in the supply air, and the control unit is configured to switch off the heater (1) when the measured oxygen content is below a predetermined threshold level.

15. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The heater (1) further comprises at least one thermal sensor which is in electronic communication with the control unit and is arranged in the burner chamber (6), above the heat exchanger (8) and / or inside the supply air channel (5), near the supply air outlet (4), and the control unit is configured to switch off the heater (1) when the temperature is above a predetermined threshold.

16. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The heater (1) further comprises a tilt switch, which is configured to turn off the heater (1) if the heater (1) falls over.

17. A heater (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The heater (1) further comprises a micro switch which is mounted so as to enable verification of the correct connection of the supply air hose to the supply air outlet (4) and is configured to disable the operation of the burner (7) as long as the micro switch is not enabled.

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