MULTI-HEATER HEATING SYSTEM

Abstract

A multi-heater heating system including a first heater configured for expelling air through a first side surface of the first heater; and a second heater configured to be disposed and stacked above the first heater.

Claims

1. A multi-heater heating system comprising: (a) a first heater configured for expelling air through a first side surface of said first heater; and (b) a second heater disposed and stacked above said first heater.

2. The multi-heater heating system of claim 1, further comprising a slideable support system configured to support and dispose one of said first heater and said second heater inside an enclosure for a normal operation and outside of the enclosure for access to said one of said first heater and said second heater.

3. The multi-heater heating system of claim 1, wherein said first heater is a heat pump comprising a fan functionally coupled to an evaporator and the expelled air is air mobilized by said fan.

4. The multi-heater heating system of claim 1, wherein said first heater is further configured to draw air through a second side surface.

5. The multi-heater heating system of claim 4, wherein said first heater is further configured to draw air through a third side surface.

6. The multi-heater heating system of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure within which said first heater is disposed, wherein said first heater is configured to draw air through a second side surface into said enclosure.

7. The multi-heater heating system of claim 6, wherein said first heater is configured to draw air through a third side surface into said enclosure.

8. The multi-heater heating system of claim 1, wherein said first heater is an air to water heat pump.

9. A multi-heater heating system comprising a slideable support system configured to support and dispose one of a first heater and a second heater inside an enclosure for a normal operation and outside of the enclosure for access to said one of said first heater and the second heater.

10. The multi-heater heating system of claim 9, wherein said second heater is configured to be disposed and stacked above said first heater.

11. The multi-heater heating system of claim 9, wherein said first heater is a heat pump comprising a fan functionally coupled to an evaporator and the expelled air is air mobilized by said fan.

12. The multi-heater heating system of claim 9, wherein said first heater is configured for expelling air through a first side surface of said first heater from said enclosure.

13. The multi-heater heating system of claim 12, wherein said first heater is further configured to draw air through a second side surface into said enclosure.

14. The multi-heater heating system of claim 13, wherein said first heater is further configured to draw air through a third side surface into said enclosure.

15. The multi-heater heating system of claim 9, wherein said first heater is an air to water heat pump.

16. A multi-heater heating system comprising a slideable support system configured to support and dispose one of a first heater and a second heater inside an enclosure for a normal operation and outside of the enclosure for access to said one of the first heater and the second heater, wherein the first heater is configured for expelling air through a first side surface of the first heater and the second heater is configured to be disposed and stacked above the first heater.

17. The multi-heater heating system of claim 16, wherein the first heater is a heat pump comprising a fan functionally coupled to an evaporator and the expelled air is air mobilized by said fan.

18. The multi-heater heating system of claim 16, wherein the first heater is further configured to draw air through a second side surface into the enclosure.

19. The multi-heater heating system of claim 18, wherein the first heater is further configured to draw air through a third side surface into the enclosure.

20. The multi-heater heating system of claim 16, wherein said first heater is an air to water heat pump.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of a heating system depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters of the heating system.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a left side view of a heating system depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters of the heating system.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a right side view of a heating system depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters of the heating system.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a front view of a heating system depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters of the heating system.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a rear view of a heating system depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters of the heating system.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a top view of two heating systems depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters of the two heating systems.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a top view of two heating systems depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters of the two heating systems.

[0023] FIG. 8 is a diagram depicting a heater disposed in an enclosure of the heating system shown in FIGS. 1-7.

[0024] FIG. 9 is a diagram depicting an area through which air flows traverse an enclosure of a present heating system.

[0025] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a heating system depicting a manner in which a heater of the heating system may be accessed and heaters disposed in various stages of access through the sides of the heating system.

[0026] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a heating system depicting a manner in which a heater of the heating system may be accessed and heaters disposed in state with full access.

PARTS LIST

[0027] 2multi-heater heating system [0028] 4heater [0029] 6slideable support system [0030] 8enclosure [0031] 10fan [0032] 12side surface through which air is expelled [0033] 14side surface through which air is received [0034] 16side surface through which air is received [0035] 18incoming air flow [0036] 20outgoing air flow [0037] 22left side of heating system [0038] 24right side of heating system [0039] 26aperture [0040] 28charging circuit [0041] 30evaporator [0042] 32compressor [0043] 34heat exchanger [0044] 36expansion valve [0045] 38heat sink loop [0046] 40user interface [0047] 42protective grille [0048] 44gap between two heating systems [0049] 46slides

PARTICULAR ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0050] For an air to water heat pump to function, ambient air is drawn from at least one side surface and expelled through another side surface instead of a top surface. This allows a present multi-heater heating system to have heaters that can be stacked atop one another, saving floor or ground space while allowing the heating system to be disposed in a compact manner. Further, each heater of the present multi-heater heating system is supported by a slideable support system which allows the heater to be supported inside the safety of an enclosure during normal operations of the present multi-heater heating system while allowing the heater to be accessible for service, outside of the enclosure during maintenance or repair of the heater supported thereon. Two instances of a present multi-heater heating system can be disposed in close proximity without causing one heating system to negatively affect the efficiency of another due to the advantages placements of the entry and exit areas of air flows across the enclosure. Spent or expelled air, i.e., the air from which heat has been extracted from a first heating system, is disposed of in a direction that is not directed at a second similar heating system arranged parallel to the first heating system, therefore minimizing the negative influence of the spent air on the ambient air drawn into the second heating system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0051] The term about is used herein to mean approximately, roughly, around, or in the region of. When the term about is used in conjunction with a numerical range, it modifies that range by extending the boundaries above and below the numerical values set forth. In general, the term about is used herein to modify a numerical value above and below the stated value by a variance of 20 percent up or down (higher or lower).

[0052] FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of a heating system 2 depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters 4 of the heating system. FIG. 2 is a left side view of a heating system 2 depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters 4 of the heating system 2. FIG. 3 is a right side view of a heating system 2 depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters 4 of the heating system. FIG. 4 is a front view of a heating system 2 depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters 4 of the heating system 2. FIG. 5 is a rear view of a heating system 2 depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters 4 of the heating system 2. FIG. 6 is a top view of two heating systems depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters of the two heating systems. FIG. 7 is a top view of two heating systems depicting the directions of air flows generated by heaters of the two heating systems. FIG. 8 is a diagram depicting a heater 4 disposed in an enclosure 8 of the heating system 2 shown in FIGS. 1-7. The multi-heater heating system 2 includes a plurality of heaters 4 disposed in an enclosure 8. The enclosure 8 is generally rectangular in shape with a front surface on which a user interface 40 is disposed, a rear surface and two side surfaces on the left side 22 and right side 24 of the heating system 2. In one embodiment, all of the six heaters 4 in a heating system 2 are similar in construction and function although this is not a requirement. In one embodiment, each heater 4 is a heat pump including a fan 10 functionally coupled to an evaporator 28 and the expelled air is air mobilized by a fan 10. A heater 4 includes a charging circuit 28, an evaporator 30, a fan 10, a compressor 32, an expansion valve 36, all of which are disposed on the charging circuit 28. Although an example of a heat pump is shown here, other configurations of a heat pump may be used as long as the devices are configured to operate under the basic principles of a heat pump. Heat exchanger 34 thermally connects the charging circuit 28 with heat sink loop 38. In one example, a heat sink loop 38 is a circuit in which a thermal battery which is disposed at a separate location, e.g., indoors, is charged.

[0053] When used with an evaporator 30, the fan 10 is operable to supply a stream of air over the evaporator 30, wherein the evaporator 30 and the compressor 32 are fluidly connected in the charging circuit 28 with the heat exchanger 34 being disposed in a manner to transfer heat between a heat transfer fluid disposed in the charging circuit 28 to the heat transfer fluid of a thermal battery. In one embodiment, the heat transfer fluid of heat pump 4 is a refrigerant, e.g., carbon dioxide. A circulation of the heat transfer fluid of the heat pump 4 by the compressor 32 causes the heat transfer fluid to lose heat at heat exchanger 34 before experiencing an expansion at the expansion valve 36 and absorbing heat at the evaporator 30 prior to returning to the compressor 32 which further adds thermal energy to the heat transfer fluid. At heat exchanger 34, heat transfer then occurs from the charging circuit 28 to heat sink loop 38. In heat exchanger 34, thermal energy is transferred from the working fluid in charging circuit 28 to the working fluid of the heat sink loop 38. In one embodiment, the surface 12 through which air is expelled is protected using a protective grille 42. Only one grille 42 is shown in FIG. 1 in order to avoid obscuring a fan 10 of a heater disposed within the enclosure 8. It shall be noted that as the enclosure 8 is closed on its top surface, heaters 4 disposed therein expel spent air or draw fresh air through a side or a vertically-disposed surface, e.g., surfaces 12, 14 and 16. Fresh air flow 18 is drawn through side surface 14 or side surface 16 and expelled through side surface 12 as air flow 20. Each set of these surfaces 12, 14, 16 is aligned generally with a heater 4 disposed in the enclosure 8. It shall be noted that, as the surfaces 12, 14, 16 that allow air flows are vertically-disposed or generally vertically-disposed, it is possible to stack two or more heaters 4 vertically as the surface through which spent air is expelled, thereby saving valuable floor or ground space. In one embodiment, the heat pump 4 is an air to water heat pump which transfer heat from outdoor air to a liquid-based thermal battery. The present heating system shall not be limited to one which includes a heat pump or an air to water heat pump, but rather it can be used for any heaters requiring one or more flows of air to function. Referring to FIG. 6, if more than one heating system 2 is required, these two systems can be arranged in a manner to allow spent air flows 20 to be directed in a direction that does not negatively affect the performance of either one of the heating systems as the expelled or spent air (i.e., air containing lower thermal energy) will not be inadvertently drawn into heaters 4. Here, the spent air flows 20 are directed through sides 22, 24 of each heating system 2. It shall be noted that, although unnecessary, if two heating systems are required, the heating systems 2 may be arranged with their rear surfaces facing one another such that the user interface 40, which is disposed on the front surface of each of the heating systems can be accessed without any barrier, e.g., if the gap 44 between the two heating systems 2 is too narrow for a large individual to access the space between the two heating systems 2. Regarding FIG. 7, it shall be realized that the heating systems may be arranged with the rear surface of a first heating system facing the front surface of a second heating system as the spent air flows would still be directed in a manner that does not negatively affect the performance of either one of the heating systems.

[0054] FIG. 8 is a diagram depicting an area through which air flows traverse an enclosure 8 of a present heating system 2. In this embodiment, for a surface 12, 14, 16 to allow air flow, apertures 26, e.g., round-shaped apertures are provided. As such apertures may be formed in the walls or surfaces 12, 14, 16 of the enclosure 8, they provide paths for air flows while allowing the wall integrity and the natural look of the enclosure 8 to be maintained and do not draw attention to the enclosure 8. This is important as a present heating system 2 is preferably installed in an outdoor environment accessible to pests, e.g., insects and small birds.

[0055] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a heating system depicting a manner in which a heater of the heating system may be accessed and heaters disposed in various stages of access through the sides of the heating system. FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a heating system depicting a manner in which a heater of the heating system may be accessed and heaters disposed in a state with full access. In one embodiment, the multi-heater heating system further includes a slideable support system 6 configured to support and dispose one of the first heater 4 and the second heater 4 inside an enclosure 8 for a normal operation and outside of the enclosure for access to the one of the first heater 4 and the second heater 4. In both FIGS. 10 and 11, a front panel of the enclosure 8 has been removed to reveal the slideable support system disposed therein. Each heater or heat pump 4 is configured to be supported on a pair of slides 46 of the slideable support system, with the direction of extension or contraction of the slides 46 coinciding with a side-to-side direction of the enclosure 8. Each heater or heat pump 4 is disposed in a frame to which all or most of the parts constituting the heat pump 4 is disposed and secured, allowing the heat pump 4 to be removed unitarily from a pair of slides 46 for service or repair.

[0056] The detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration, specific aspects and embodiments in which the present disclosed embodiments may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice aspects of the present invention. Other embodiments may be utilized, and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments. The various embodiments can be combined with one or more other embodiments to form new embodiments. The detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, with the full scope of equivalents to which they may be entitled. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement that is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive, and that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Combinations of the above embodiments and other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon studying the above description. The scope of the present disclosed embodiments includes any other applications in which embodiments of the above structures and fabrication methods are used. The scope of the embodiments should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.