Electric space heater

Abstract

There is disclosed an electric space heater (1) comprising: a first electric heating arrangement (8) arranged to be powered by both an AC power supply (22) and a DC power supply (20); and a controller (24) arranged to control distribution of power to the first heating arrangement from the DC power supply and the AC power supply.

Description

This invention discloses an electric space heater (1), comprising: a first electric heating arrangement (8) arranged to be powered by an AC power supply (22) and a DC power supply (20); and a controller (24) arranged to control the power distribution from the DC power supply and the AC power supply to the first heating arrangement.

Claims

Claims1. An electric space heater comprising: a first electric heating arrangement arranged to be powered by both an AC power supply and a DC power supply; and a controller arranged to control distribution of power to the first heating arrangement from the DC power supply and the AC power supply.

2. The space heater of claim 1 wherein the DC power supply has a capacity of at least 0.05 kWh, optionally at least 0.1 kWh, optionally at least 0.25 kWh.

3. The space heater of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the AC power supply comprises a mains AC power supply, and the combined peak power of the DC power supply and the AC power supply is larger than the peak mains AC power alone by at least 25%, optionally by at least 50%, further optionally by at least 100%.

4. The space heater of any preceding claim further comprising the DC power supply, and optionally comprising a DC power supply charging mechanism arranged to recharge the DC power supply.

5. The space heater of any preceding claim further comprising a cooling system arranged to provide cooling to any one or more of: the controller; the DC power supply; and the DC power supply charging mechanism.

6. The space heater of any preceding claim wherein, in use, the first electric heating arrangement is located above the DC power supply, the controller and, optionally when dependent on claim 4, the DC power supply charging mechanism.

7. The space heater of any preceding claim comprising a thermal break or heat shield located between the DC power supply and the first electric heating element, and optionally between any one or more of: the controller; the DC power supply charging mechanism; or both the controller and the DC power supply charging mechanism; and the first electric heating element.

8. The space heater of any preceding claim wherein the AC power supply comprises an AC power supply adapter arranged to interface with an external AC power supply, such as a mains AC power supply.

9. The space heater of any preceding claim comprising: a DC-AC converter between the DC power supply and the first electric heating arrangement such that the first electric heating arrangement is arranged to receive only AC power from either the AC power supply, the DC power supply or both; or an AC-DC converter between the AC power supply and the first electric heating arrangement such that the first electric heating arrangement is arranged to receive only DC power from either the AC power supply, the DC power supply or both.

10. The space heater of any preceding claim wherein the controller is arranged to control combining of the outputs from the AC power supply and the DC power supply.

11. The space heater of any preceding claim wherein the controller is arranged to vary the proportion of AC to DC power to the first electric heating arrangement, optionally by controlling switching between AC-only and DC-only power supply modes.

12. The space heater of any preceding claim wherein the controller is arranged to: power the first electric heating arrangement using only the DC power supply when a heating boost is required and using only the AC power supply when steady, continuous heating is required; or power the first electric heating arrangement using the DC power supply when it is determined that a local AC grid may be overloaded; or both.

13. The space heater of any preceding claim wherein the first electric heating arrangement comprises a single electric heating element arranged to be powered by both an AC power supply and a DC power supply.

14. The space heater of any preceding claim wherein the first electric heating arrangement comprises multiple electric heating elements, such as a first electric heating element arranged to be powered by only the AC power supply and a second electric heating element arranged to be powered by only the DC power supply.

15. The space heater of any preceding claim further comprising a heater housing, wherein the heater housing is arranged to house the first electric heating arrangement, and optionally wherein the heater housing has an inlet through which atmospheric air enters the heater housing and an outlet through which heated air exits the heater housing, and further optionally wherein the inlet is in a bottom surface of the heater housing, the space heater further comprising a pedestal, optionally the pedestal being part of the heater housing, arranged to raise the inlet from a surface on which the space heater rests, in use.

16. The space heater of claim 15 further comprising guide means arranged to direct air along a desired flow path between the inlet and the outlet, and optionally wherein the guide means comprises a fan system, and further optionally wherein the fan system is arranged to direct air from outside the heater housing into the heater housing and to direct the air towards the DC power supply, the fan system further arranged to subsequently, after the air has passed the DC power supply, direct the air towards the first electric heating arrangement and subsequently towards the outlet.

17. The space heater of claim 15 or claim 16 wherein the heater housing is arranged to house any one or more of: the DC power supply; the controller; the cooling system; the DC power supply charging mechanism; the AC power supply adapter; the DC-AC converter; the AC-DC converter; and the fan system.

18. The space heater of any claims 15 to 17 comprising an elongate electric heater wherein the DC power supply, the controller, the first electric heating arrangement and the outlet are configured in a straight line, and optionally wherein the fan system is also configured in line with the DC power supply, the first electric heating arrangement and the outlet.

19. The space heater of any preceding claim comprising a modular space heater comprising a base module arranged to interface with the AC power supply, a mid-section module arranged to house the DC power supply and a top module arranged to house the first electric heating arrangement, the base module, mid-section module and top module being arranged to connect together via any one or more of: slot fitting; clip fitting; friction fitting; screw fitting; bolt fitting to form the heater housing.

20. The space heater of claim 19 wherein: the base module is arranged to connect directly to the top module, and also direcdy to the mid-section module; the top module is arranged to connect directly to the top module, and also directly to the mid-section module; and the mid-section module is arranged to connect to the base module and the top module; such that, in a first in-use configuration, all three modules can be used together to provide heating via the AC and DC power supplies, and in a second in-use configuration, the base and top modules can be used together without the mid-section module to provide heating via the AC power supply only.

21. The space heater of any preceding claim further comprising a radiator housing filled with heating fluid, such as oil, wherein the first electric heating arrangement is located inside and near the bottom, in use, of the radiator housing and is arranged to heat the heating fluid.

22. The space heater of claim 21 wherein the DC power supply is located below the first electric heating arrangement, in use.

23. The space heater of claim 21 or claim 22 wherein the DC power supply is located outside, optionally beneath or to the side of, the radiator housing, and optionally wherein the DC power supply comprises an attachable battery pack arranged to be attached to the radiator housing to form the space heater.

24. The space heater of any of claims 21 to 23 wherein the radiator housing is arranged to be attached to the heater housing, and optionally the radiator housing is located above the heater housing, in use.

25. A method of operating a space heater according to any preceding claim, the method comprising controlling the distribution of power to the first heating arrangement from the DC power supply and the AC power supply, and optionally solely by either the DC power supply or the AC power supply at any given moment.

Images