GB2210968A - Radiant heating or lighting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Radiant heating or lighting apparatus has a guard 11 which can be swung open about either pair of two pairs of hinges 33 to carry with it an assembly including a baffle 12, a reflector 40 and an element 18, for servicing. The baffle and reflector provide a cooling air flow space 47 therebetween, which opens via the guard. <IMAGE>

Description

RADIANT HEATING OR LIGHTING APPARATUS This invention concerns apparatus for radiating energy in the form of heat and/or light.

Such apparatus generally comprises an electric element or like radiant energy generating device, hereinafter collectively and generally referred to as a "radiant device", mounted in front of a reflector which directs the radiated energy, and a housing upon which the radiant device, reflector, electrical supply connectors and a protective front guard are mounted.

Known forms of such apparatus providing relatively high powers of radiant energy are usually expensive to produce, difficult to maintain or repair, and are large and heavy (when compared with common domestic electric fires rated at one or two kilowatts) primarily because of the amount of heat which is produced, but not radiated, and has to be conveyed from within or from the housing to the surrounding atmosphere by convection, conduction or radiation. Furthermore, such heat can give rise to parts of the apparatus being excessively heated.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for radiating heat and/or light comprising a housing, a guard in front of the housing, a radiant device behind the guard, and a reflector extending to behind the radiant device, and having any one or more of the following characteristic features:a) the reflector and radiant device form parts of an assembly mechanically supported by the guard; b) the guard is releasably connected to the housing by first and second hinge means so that release of one hinge means allows the guard to move pivotally about the axis of the other hinge means, c) a heat sink and baffle member extends behind the reflector to define at least one convection space therebetween, and provides a thermally conductive mounting to support the radiant device; and (d) the reflector, radiant device and a heat sink and baffle member form an assembly which is located by being clamped between the guard and abutments provided in the housing.

The heat sink and baffle member is preferably mounted on the reflector. The reflector preferably clips into the guard.

The convection space preferably opens towards a peripheral portion of the guard. The guard preferably serves as a shallow basket in which the reflector is releasably supported for movement with the guard.

The reflector is preferably of concave, e.g.

partially parabolic, cross-section; and has a rear part which lies directly behind the radiant device. Said heat sink and baffle member preferably provides a rear airflow opening directly behind said rear part.

The rear part preferably connects two mutually divergent forwardly extending limbs of the reflector, and the mounting of the reflector in the apparatus preferably places said limbs in compression.

The abutments may be adjustable or flexible.

The housing is preferably provided with a mounting device which extends rearwards from the housing and is offset to one side of a median plane extending from front to rear of the housing.

The radiant device is preferably of elongate form and is preferably located at or adjacent to the or a focus of the reflector or part of the reflector.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein: - FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus; FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus; and FIGURE 3 is a view showing a guard of the apparatus in a swung open position.

The apparatus generally comprises a housing 10, a guard 11 and an assembly 12, together with an electrical connector 13 and, optionally, a switch (not shown) and a mounting device 14.

The housing 10 is elongate; defines a forwardly directed main opening 20 in the front 21 of the housing; and has a concave rear portion 22 joined to the front by elongate lateral walls 23 and end walls 24, so as to be relatively shallow from front to rear in relation to its width and length, and in relation to the width and length of the main opening 20. The electrical connector 13 is mounted within the housing, on a central part of a rear wall 25 of the rear portion 22 to receive and connect electrical leads 17, of an elongate radial device 18, to a mains supply cable 19. Ventilation openings 26 are formed in inclined walls 27 of the rear portion 22.

The guard 11 is formed from metal wire or thin rod material so as to have a front 30, and, extending rearwards from the front 30, lateral walls 31 and end walls 32; and is dimensioned so as to cover the main opening 20, which occupies most of the area of the front 21 so that the latter forms a narrow surround around the main opening 20. The rear ends of the walls 31 and 32 are held against or close to the front 21 by hinge means 33 (FIGURE 2) which comprises two pairs of hinge members 34 (FIGURE 1). A rearmost laterally extending wire 35 of each of the walls 31 and is releasably secured to the front 21 by one pair of the members 34 extending round the wire near its ends, and each member 34 is secured by a threaded fastener 36 which is inserted into a hole 36A in the front 21.The hinge means 33 is arranged so that removal of the fasteners 36 securing one of the pairs of the members 34 holding one of the wires 36 to the housing 10, allows the guard to be swung through about 90" (about the axis of members 34 of the other of the pairs) to an open position as indicated in FIGURE 3.

The guard 11 has a front to rear depth which is about half to three quarters of the depth of the housing 10, and serves to contain a major portion of the assembly 12.

The assembly 12 is mounted on and supported by the guard 11, and comprises the device 18, a reflector 40 and a heat sink and baffle member 41.

The reflector 40 is of a concave form approximating to part of a parabolic curve in transverse cross-section, has a rear part 42 which extends behind the radiant device 18 and into the housing so that the axis of the rear part extends longitudinally of the device 18; and has two mutually divergent limbs 43 which-extend forwards from the rear part 42 within the guard 11. Each limb 43 has, at its front end, a terminal flange 44 which is cranked to extend rearwards and engage into the walls 31 immediately behind the front 30 of the guard to releasably connect the reflector and guard.

The rear part 42 has an apertures at each end to admit mountings 45 for the radiant device 18.

The heat sink and baffle member 41 is of concave form and comprises two forwardly extending mutually divergent limbs 46 which lie alongside, but are spaced apart from, the rear faces of the limbs 43 to define convection spaces 47 therebetween. These spaces 47 extend forwards to front openings alongside the lateral walls 31, and extend laterally to end openings alongside the end walls 32 of the guard. The limbs 46 are connected at the rear by a rear portion 48 of the member 41. The rear portion 48 is interrrupted by a rear air flow opening 49, and comprises two channel shaped parts bridging and extending forwards from the rear ends of the limbs 46. Each channel shaped part has a front face 50 which abuts and is secured to the rear part 42, by a fastener, adjacent to one of the mountings 45.

Each mounting 45 comprises two parallel forwardly extending lugs 52, integral with the limbs 46 at the ends of the latter, to receive an.end piece 53 of the radiant device 18. A clamping clip 54 embraces the lugs 52 to ensure that the end piece 53 is clamped between (and is in good thermal control with) the lugs 52. The positioning of the mountings is such that the device 18 is located at or close to the focus of the reflector, and the dimensions of the assembly and guard are such that the plane of the main opening 20 passes through or closely alongside the device 18.

The rear wall 25 of the housing 10 also provides two abutments 28 in the form of lugs pressed out of the rear wall 25 to leave ventilation openings 29 therein, which lugs extend generally forwards, but not perpendicularly forwards, from the wall 25 so that they are flexible and can yield, i.e. be bent back slightly, by engagement of their front edges 28A with the rear portion 48. Each front edge 28A extends transversely of two longitudinally extending parallel rear edges 55 of the channel shaped parts so as to make contact therewith at two points to minimise conduction of heat from the member 41 to the housing. These abutments 28 exert a forwardly directed thrust on the assembly 12 which places the reflector in compression between the member 41 and the guard 11.

The rear surfaces of the member 41 confront the front surfaces of the rear portion 22 to define a secondary air flow space 56 therebetween.

A protective card 60 of electrical and thermal insulating material is located on the rear of the member 41 to overlie and shield the connector 13.

The apparatus can be deployed with the axis of the radiant device in any desired orientation, and the arrangement and configuration of the apparatus permits and occasions sufficient flows of air through the apertures and spaces to provide effective cooling of the apparatus, and in particular to limit the temperature of the housing and the cable 19 within the housing, irrespective of said orientation.

The end pieces 53 which can be vulnerable to overheating, are substantially cooled by conduction of heat to the member 41 and by air which can flow in a substantially unimpeded manner through the guard (especially the end walls thereof), and across said end pieces, the lugs and the clamping clips.

In use, the apparatus may be installed in an elevated position, and has the advantage that access'to the assembly, the radiant device and the electrical connector is via the front of the apparatus. The assembly may be removed simply by releasing one pair of hinge members, swinging the guard aside or down, releasing the leads 17 from the connector and lifting the assembly out of the guard. The radiant device can be removed, by releasing the clamping clips and by manoeuvring the device longitudinally between one end wall of the guard and the rear portions of the reflector whilst the latter is still supported by the guard.

Multiple units of the apparatus may be mounted upon a bracket arrangement, and to facilitate close spacing of such units without one unit presenting an obstacle to the radiation from an adjacent unit, the mounting device 14 (comprising two rearwardly directed lugs 61 pressed out of one inclined wall 27) adapted to receive a clamping pivot 62 so that the axis of the pivot lies at or close to a junction between the planes of the rear wall 25 and the lateral wall 23 adjacent said one inclined wall 27.

The invention is not confined to details of the foregoing example, and includes variations and mechanical and functional equivalents of the parts, features and combinations thereof disclosed herein and in the accompanying drawings.

For example, the hinge means and the connections between the leads and the electrical connector may be modified to be digitally releasable, to obviate even the need to use a single implement, such as a screwdriver, during removal of the assembly or radiant device; or to be releasable by a dedicated tool or key for safety or security purposes.

The radiant device shown is a high power infra-red radiant heater, but could be an electric lamp.

Any suitable materials may be employed, but, conveniently, the guard, housing and member 41 are of steel and the reflector is of aluminium, suitably polished, painted or plated as appropriate.

Claims (15)

1. Apparatus for radiating heat and/or light comprising a housing, a guard in front of the housing, a radiant device behind the guard, and a reflector extending to behind the radiant device, wherein the guard is releasably connected to the housing by first and second hinge means so that release of one hinge means allows the guard to move pivotally about the axis of the other hinge means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the reflector and radiant device form parts of an assembly mechanically supported by the guard.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the reflector clips into the guard.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein a heat sink and baffle member extends behind the reflector to define at least one convection space therebetween, and provides a thermally conductive mounting to support the radiant device.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the convection space opens towards a peripheral portion of the guard.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the reflector, radiant device and a or the heat sink and baffle member form an assembly which is located by being clamped between the guard and abutments provided in the housing.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein the heat sink and baffle member is mounted on the reflector.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7 wherein the heat sink and baffle member provides a rear air-flow opening directly behind a rear part of the reflector.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the reflector is of concave, e.g. partially parabolic, cross-section.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the the or a rear part of the reflector connects two mutually divergent forwardly extending limbs of the reflector, and wherein the mounting of the reflector in the apparatus places said limbs in compression.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the guard serves as a shallow basket in which the reflector is releasably supported for movement with the guard.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the housing is provided with a mounting device which extends rearwards from the housing and is offset to one side of a median plane extending from front to rear of the housing.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the radiant device of elongate form and is located at or adjacent to the or a focus of the reflector or part of the reflector.

14. Apparatus as for radiating heat and/or light comprising a housing, a guard in front of the housing, a radiant device behind the guard, and a reflector extending to behind the radiant device, and having any one or more of the following characteristic features:a) the reflector and radiant device form parts of an assembly mechanically supported by the guard; b) the guard is releasably connected to the housing by first and second hinge means so that release of one hinge means allows the guard to move pivotally about the axis of the other hinge means, c) a heat sink and baffle member extends behind the reflector to define at least one convection space therebetween, and provides a thermally conductive mounting to support the radiant device; and a (d) the reflector, radiant device and a heat sink and baffle member form an assembly which is located by being clamped between the guard and abutments provided in the housing.

15. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.