Personal portable heater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable heaters with fixed heating surfaces only effectively warm the lower body, limiting the area that can be heated and providing inefficient comfort for users.
Innovation Solution
A portable propane gas-fired heater with a tiltable housing and a multi-dimensional ceramic heating surface, allowing the heating surface to be rotated between two positions to increase the effective heating area, and accommodating one or two one-pound propane tanks with an optional larger tank adapter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a fixed angle radiant heating surface is used, then the heater structure is simple, but the effective heating area is limited and only the lower body can be warmed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the heating surface rotatable between multiple fixed positions (0°, 30°, 60°) rather than fixed. This allows the heating surface to dynamically adjust its orientation to match different user positions (sitting, standing, lying down), thereby expanding the effective heating area from just the lower body to include the upper body and head, while maintaining structural simplicity through discrete positional adjustments rather than continuous movement mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the dimensionality change principle by adding the rotational dimension to the heating surface orientation. Instead of a single fixed plane, the heating surface can rotate around an axis to achieve multiple angular positions, effectively adding a rotational degree of freedom that expands the three-dimensional heating coverage area without significantly increasing structural complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If a tiltable housing with multi-dimensional ceramic plaque is used, then the effective heating area is increased, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with tiltable capability that allows the entire housing to be inclined at various angles. This dynamic adjustment feature enables the heater to adapt to different placement scenarios (floor, table, bedside) and user positions, thereby increasing heating position adaptability while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through mechanical tilting mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-dimensional ceramic plaque serves multiple functions: it acts as the heating surface, provides structural support, and its multi-dimensional design (combining curvature with flat sections) allows it to effectively radiate heat in multiple directions simultaneously. This multi-functionality increases adaptability without requiring separate components for each function, thus limiting the increase in device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The tiltable design enhances heating efficiency by providing a greater effective heating area, allowing for warmer upper body exposure and improved comfort, while the multi-dimensional ceramic plaque ensures consistent heat distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a multi-dimensional (curved) ceramic plaque
Implementation Method 2
propane gas-fired personal portable heater
Data Source
AI summary
A portable heater can include a housing including a base and an enclosure and a burner assembly disposed within the enclosure, the burner assembly including a heating surface, wherein the enclosure and the heating surface are rotatable, with respect to the base, between a first rotational position and a second rotational position. In some examples, the heating surface is a curved surface. In some examples, a tilt switch is provided that has a position that is independent of the rotational position of the enclosure. The portable heater can also include temperature control features for maintaining fuel tank temperature at an improved operating condition.