Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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The invention relates generally to a portable electric
appliance and, more particularly, to a portable electric appliance
which can alternatively provide either ambient temperature or
heated airflow.
Portable electric fans are used extensively during warm
weather to enhance personal comfort within an enclosure by
producing air movement. Conversely, during cool periods, portable
electric heaters are used to enhance personal comfort by altering
environmental conditions with specific enclosures with heated air.
Also known are portable combination appliances which can function
alternatively as either fans or heaters. Examples of such
combination appliances are disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 1,980,689;
2,041,897; 2,391,964; 2,473,325; and 2,606,273. Prior fan-heater
combinations, however, have been deficient for a variety of
reasons including a lack of operational flexibility and potential
for unsafe operation.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide
an improved portable appliance that can be desirably and safely
employed to enhance personal comfort during either individually
perceived overly warm or overly cold environmental conditions.
The invention is a portable electric fan-heater including
a base; a housing mounted on the base and defining an inlet opening
and an outlet opening; a fan blade rotatably mounted in the housing
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and operable to produce air flow between the inlet and outlet
openings; an electric motor supported by the housing and
operatively coupled to the fan blade; and a resistive heater
mounted in the housing between the inlet and outlet openings.
Also included is a control circuit electrically connected to
provide energization of the electric motor and the resistive
heater; the control circuit having a switching system for
selectively and independently energizing the electric motor to
produce for the fan blade a plurality of different rotational
speeds including maximum and minimum speeds and for simultaneously
energizing both the electric motor and the resistive heater, and a
response circuit means for automatically producing for the fan
blade a rotational speed less than the maximum speed in response
to energization of the resistive heater. The switching system
and response circuit insure optimum performance when the fan-
heater is operating in either a heating or cooling mode.
According to one feature of the invention, the response
circuit produces the minimum speed in response to energization of
the resistive heater. This feature prevents undesirably high air
flow when the fan-heater is operating in the heating mode.
According to another feature of the invention, the
switching system includes a manually operable multiple position
on-off switch having an off position deenergizing both the electric
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motor and the resistive heater, a fan position energizing only
the electric motor, and a heater position energizing both the
electric motor and the resistive heater. Either heating or
cooling modes are selected with a single switch.
According to other features of the invention, the switching
system comprises a fan switch for selectively producing the
different speeds, a thermostatic switch for controlling energization
of the resistive heater, and a tip switch for deenergizing both
the electric motor and the resistive heater in response to an
abnormal orientation of the fan-heater. The switching system
insures for the fan-heater both desirable operating characteristics
and safe operation.
According to yet other features of the invention, the
base has a pedestal portion defining a planar surface for
supporting the fan-heater on a substantially horizontal foundation,
and a yoke portion projectlng upwardly from the pedestal portion
and having a pair of arms pivotally supporting the housing; and
the control circuit is mounted on the pedestal portion. These
features provide an efficient arrangement of component parts.
These and other objects and features of the invention
will become more apparent upon a perusal of the following
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fan-heater according
to the invention;
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Fig. 2 is a rear view of the fan-heater shown in
Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a side view of the fan-heater shown in
Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is a top view of the fan-heater shown in
Figs. 1-3; and
Fig. 5 is a diagram of a control circuit for the
fan-heater shown in Figs. 1-4.
A fan-heater combination 11 includes a fan housing 12
mounted on a base 13. Defined by the fan housing 12 are an inlet
opening 15 and an aligned outlet opening 16, each covered,
respectively, by an inlet grill 17 and an outlet grill 18.
A fan blade 21 is rotatably mounted within the fan housing 12
between the inlet opening 15 and the outlet opening 16.
Operatively coupled to the fan blade 21 is an electric motor 22.
In response to energization of the electric motor 22, resultant
rotation of the fan blade 21 produces air flow between the inlet
opening 15 and the outlet opening 16. Also mounted in the fan
housing 12 and within the air flow path provided by the fan blade
21 is an annular, coiled resistive heater element 25.
The base 13 includes a pedestal portion 26 and a yoke
portion 27 formed by a pair of spaced apart arms 28, 29 projecting
upwardly therefrom. Pins 31, 32 retained by apertures in,
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respectively, the arms 28, 29 pivotally support the fan housing
12 on the yoke portion 27. Formed on an upper surface of the
pedestal portion 26 is a control panel 35 retaining a fan
actuator knob 36, an on-off actuator lever 37, a power lamp 38,
a caution LED lamp 39 and a thermostatic actuator knob 40. A
bottom of the pedestal portion 26 defines a planar surface 41
suitable for mounting the fan-heater 11 on a suitable horizontal
foundation (not shown). Retained within the pedestal portion 26
is a control circuit 43 (Fig. 5) associated with the lever 37, the
actuator knobs 36 and 40, and the signal lamps 38 and 39.
The control circuit 42 shown in Fig. 5 includes a
three-position toggle switch 43 and a four-position rotary switch
45 operated, respectively, by the on-off actuator 37 and the fan
actuator knob 36 (Fig. 1). Connected to contacts Rl, R2 of the
switch 43 are lines Pl, P2 from a plug 45 insertable into a
conventional electrical socket (not shown). Connected by the
rotary switch 44 to contacts R2, R3 and R4 of the switch 43 through
capacitors C2, C3 are series windings 47-49 of the electric motor
22. Contacts R5 and R6 of the switch 43 are connected across the
resistive heater element 25 by a high limit thermostatic switch 51,
a regulating thermostatic switch 52 and a tip-over switch 53.
Connecting a junction 56 between the heater element 56 and the
thermostatic switch 51 and a junction 57 between a terminal T3 of
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the rotary switch 44 and the winding 49 is a line 58. The caution
lamp 39 (Fig. 1) is connected between the junction 57 and a
junction 61 between the regulating thermostatic switch 52 and the
high limit thermostatic switch 51. Connected across the lines
Pl, P2 is the power lamp 38 shown in Fig. 1.
With the plug 45 inserted into a socket, the power lamp
38 is energized to indicate the availability of power. However,
with the on-off switch 43 in an off position, the contacts Rl and
R2 are disconnected from the heating element 25 and the electric
motor 22 so as to prevent energization thereof. The switch 43
can be actuated by the lever 37 (Fig. 1) into a fan position
connecting the contacts Rl, R2, respectively, to the contacts R3,
R4 so as to provide power at the rotary switch 44 which in turn
can be manually actuated into off, low, medium and high positions
with the fan actuator knob 36. In an off position, the rotary
switch 44 is disconnected from the motor 22 so as to prevent
energization of the windings 47-49. However, in a high speed
position of the switch 44, all three windings 47-49 are connected
to the active contacts R3, R4 of the switch 43 through the
terminals L, Tl of the switch 44 and the capacitors C2, C3 to
energize the motor 22 and provide maximum rotational speed of the
fan blade 21. Conversely, in a low speed position of the switch 44,
only the winding 49 is connected to the active terminals R3, R4
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of the switch 43 through the terminals L and T3 and the capacitors
C2, C3 to produce a minimum rotational speed of the fan blade 21.
In a medium speed position of the rotary switch 44, the windings
48, 49 are connected to the active contacts R3, R4 of the switch 43
through the terminals L and T2 and the capacitors C2, C3 to
produce an intermediate rotational speed of the fan blade 21.
With the on-off switch 43 in the fan position, the contacts R5, R6
and disconnected from the active contacts Rl, R6 so that the
heating element 25 is deenergized for all operating positions of
the rotary switch 44.
A heating operational mode of the fan-heater 11 is
initiated by actuating the on-off switch 43 into a heater position
connecting the contacts Rl, R2, respectively, to the contacts R5,
R6. Resultant current flow through the heating element 25 produces
resistance heating thereof. In addition, the winding 49 of the
motor 22 is energized through the response circuit line 58 and
the capacitor C2 to induce the minimum rotational speed of the
fan blade 21. Rotation of the fan blade 21 produces by the heating
element 25, a relatively low flow rate of air that is optimally
heated to be perceptively warm.
At a given ambient temperature level selected by the
thermostatic knob 40, the regulating thermostatic switch 52 opens
to deenergize the heating element 25 and the fan motor 22. A
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similar result is obtained in response to an abnormal orientation
of the fan-heater 11 that induces opening of the tip switch 53.
In response to a predetermined excessive ambient temperature
level, the high limit thermostatic switch 51 is opened to
deenergize both the heating element 25 and the fan motor 22. That
potentially unsafe condition also opens the line 58 across the
caution lamp 39 which is thereby energized to indicate the
abnormal condition.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the
present invention are possible in light of the above teachings.
It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention can be
practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
