US3218433A

US3218433A - Electric heater

Info

Publication number: US3218433A
Application number: US338649A
Authority: US
Inventors: William A Steenbergen
Original assignee: KIM HOTSTART Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: KIM HOTSTART Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1964-01-20
Filing date: 1964-01-20
Publication date: 1965-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-16

Description

1965 w. A. STEENBERGEN 3,218,433

ELECTRIC HEATER Filed Jan. 20, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILL IAM A. JTEANBERGEN ATTYS.

Nov. 16, 1965 w, STEENBERGEN 3,218,433

ELECTRIC HEATER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20, 1964 INVENTOR. WILLIAM A. JTEENBEIZGEN ATTYS.

Nov. 16, 1 w. A. STEENBERGEN 3,218,433

ELECTRIC HEATER Filed Jan. 20, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. WILLIAM A. JTEENBERGEN ATTYS.

United States Patent 3,218,433 ELECTRIC HEATER William A. Steenhergen, Spokane, Wash., assignor to Kim Hotstart Manufacturing Company, Spokane, Wash, a corporation of Washington Filed Jan. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 338,649 3 Claims. (Cl. 219208) This invention relates to a novel heater for a circulatory water system while at rest, and is primarily concerned with a heater for the cooling system of an internal combustion engine adapted to maintain the circulatory water system of the engine at a desired temperature when the engine is not running.

The present invention contemplates a small electrical heating unit for the water system of an internal combustion engine, requiring no mechanical parts for circulatory action of the water, reliance being placed upon the percolating action of heated water, which will rise from the heater and create the necessary current through the normal cooling system of the engine. The heater utilizes an outside source of electric power, and is designed to maintain the engine block at a desired constant temperature during periods in which the engine is not used. The heater makes use of a one-way valve to prevent reverse flow of water and to insure a steady incoming stream of water to the heater elements.

It is a first object of this invention to provide such a heater wherein the heating element, the inlet valve, the thermostat, and all electrical connections are mounted on a single panel or wall of the enclosure within which the water is heated, so that all such components can be removed as a unit for repair or cleaning purposes.

Another object of. the invention is to provide a rectangular-shaped enclosure for purposes of better accommodating the heater to smaller spaces about an engine, and so as to make more accessible the interior of the enclosure for cleaning purposes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel hinge arrangement at the inlet valve, so as to minimize the opportunity for build-up of metal or debris at the valve, which might detract from its normal operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel heater with the outlet located directly above the bulk of the heating element, and directed angularly upward, thereby providing the most effective and prompt exit of heated water without accumulation of air bubbles.

These and further objects will be evident from a study of the following disclosure, taken together with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of the invention. It is to be understood at the outset that the preferred, illustrated form of the invention is not to restrict the scope of the invention, which is more definitely set out in the claims following this disclosure.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of a heater constructed according to this invention, the connections to the water lines and source of electrical power being broken away;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the heater as seen from the left in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the heater as seen from the right in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view at an enlarged scale taken along line 4-4 in FIGURE 1;

ICC

FIGURE 5 is a vertical, sectional elevation taken down the center of the heater shown in FIGURE 1, the heating element loop being shown in full lines;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is an elevation view of an engine equipped with the instant heater;

FIGURE 9 is a top view of the heater with a portion of the protective cover being broken away;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the hinge that carries the one-way valve; and

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged sectional view through the connection of one end of the heater element and the mounting wall of the enclosure.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in detail a typical installation and a typical heater 11 as contemplated by this invention. The heater 11 is designed to be mounted in the circulatory cooling system of an internal combustion engine, such as that designated gen erally by the numeral 11) in FIGURE 8. The inlet hose for the heater 11 is shown at 12. The inlet hose 12 would be connected to the inlet of the water pump used to circulate fluid through the cooling system of engine 10 during operation of the engine 10. An outlet hose 13 is connected to the top of the block in engine 10, through the normally available connections of the cooling system.

The structure of the heater itself can generally be understood by a study of FIGURES 1 through 7 and FIG- URE 9. As shown, the main body of the heater 11 is a rectangular enclosure 14 having side walls 15, a top wall 16 and a bottom wall 17 that converge slightly toward the closed end of the enclosure 14. The opposite end of the enclosure 14 is open, and mounts a wall 18 that is sealed by means of a gasket 20. The tapering of the

walls

15, 16 and 17 is designed to facilitate casting of the enclosure 14 and to aid in the removal of the necessary core, so that the enclosure 14 can be readily and efficiently cast as a single unit, preferably of aluminum. The wall 18 also is preferably cast as a unit, and should also be made of aluminum.

The top wall 16 of enclosure 14 has formed thereon an outlet connection 21 that projects upwardly from enclosure 14 at an angle to the horizontal as can be seen in FIGURES 1 and 5. The terminal end of the connection 21 is formed to receive the outlet hose 13, which is secured by means of a clamp 22 in the usual, conventional manner.

The wall 18 is releasably mounted on the enclosure 14 by means of screws 23 that seal the wall 18 relatively to the interior of enclosure 14 due to the engagement of the gasket 20. An elongated inlet connection 24 is cast integrally with wall 18 and protrudes perpendicularly therefrom. Its outer terminal end is also formed to receive a hose 12, which is gripped by another clamp 22. The interior end of the inlet connection 24 has an angular face 25 that serves as the seat for a hinged one-way valve element 26 carried on stationary hinges 27. The hinges 27 are somewhat unique, and are fabricated as seen in detail in FIGURE 10. Each of the two hinges 27 for the valve element 26 is a stainless steel wire having an enlarged head 28 imbedded in the cast aluminum of the wall 18. The pin 28 is bent upwardly and back upon itself to form a closed supporting hinge structure. Since the hinge 27 is made of stainless steel rather than aluminum, aluminum will not stick to the hinge 27 during the casting of the apparatus, at which time the hinges 27 are held in place by the mold wherein which the wall 18 is cast. This provides a hinge free of corrosion and eliminates the build-up of aluminum at the hinge structure, which obviously would interfere with the proper operation of the valve element 26.

Located directly above the inlet connection 24 is a heating element comprising a core wire 30 of electrical resistance material. The core wire 30 is surrounded by a suitable insulating material 31 and a protective copper shield 32 and is generally horizontal, terminating in a multiple loop 37. The loop 37 is located directly beneath the outlet opening 21 of the enclosure 14, so as to concentrate the heating of water to the area directly under the outlet connection 21.

The electrical connections to the heating element can best be seen in FIGURE 5, there being two

leads

38 and 40 adapted to be connected to an exterior source of electrical power. The lead 38 is shown directly connected to a first terminal 41 of the heating element. The second lead 40 is connected to a first terminal 42 of a thermostat mechanism 43. The remaining connection of the thermostat mechanism 43 is shown at 44 and is directly connected to the remaining terminal of the heating element, shown by the numeral 45.

The thermostat mechanism 43 can best be seen in FIGURE 4, and is a conventional thermostat, being designed for surface transmission of heat. A special recess 46 is formed in the inlet connection 24 at one side thereof, and a metal conductive plate 47 of the thermostat mechanism 43 is fixed within the recess 46 by many desired means, preferably by using a punch to urge the surrounding metal toward the thermostat mechanism 43. The thermostat construction utilizes a normally convex disk 48 of bimetallic construction, having a pin 50 mounted in the main body 51 of the thermostat mechanism 43 in contact with the disk 48. By means of the pin 50, the movement of disk 48 is transmitted to a set of movable contacts 52 biased toward a closed position by means of a spring 53. After the desired temperature in the systeni has been reached, the pin 50 will open the contacts 52 and break the circuit to the heating element within enclosure 14.

The close proximity of the thermostat mechanism 43 to the interior of enclosure 14 insures that the thermostat mechanism 43 will measure the temperature of the incoming water at its coolest point. In this manner, a very true indication of the temperature of the water within the engine is obtained at all times, so that the effectiveness of the heater 11 can be precisely regulated.

A protective cover 55 is mounted over the outside end of wall 18, being held in place by a single screw 56 that engages the inlet connection 24 as can be seen in FIG- URE 5. Thus, when complete, the entire device is fully enclosed and not subject to damage by exterior forces. The enclosure 14 is provided with a mounting flange 57 at the top wall 16, so as to be carried on the engine 10 by means of a horizontal bracket 58 and releasable bolts 60. The device can be attached to engine 10 or removed from the engine 10 simply by releasing the bolts 60 and locking of the

hoses

12 and 13.

The apparatus as shown provides a more effective valve 26 to allow entrance of water to the interior of enclosure 14 as the Water percolates upward through the outlet connection 21. This percolation or movement of water through outlet connection 21 will begin immediately as the element is heated, prior to opening of the valve element 26. As the current increases, the valve 26 will open and close intermittently to allow the interior of enclosure 14 to remain full at all times. The improved stainless steel hinges 27 insure long life and proper action of the valve element 26. The location of the heating element loop 37 directly under the outlet connection 21 insures the most effective transfer of heat to water that can immediately escape upwardly through the angularly directed outlet connection 21. This angular direction prevents the accumulation of air bubbles in the outlet connection 21 and minimizes the collection of bubbles throughout the cooling system of engine 10.

The enire mechanism of the heating device is mounted on the removable wall 18, which can be readily detached from the remainder of enclosure 14 by release of the screws 23. Thus, the interior of enclosure 14 is readily accessible for cleaning of sludge or accumulated materials, and the replacement of the electrical mechanism or valve can be accomplished readily without removing the enclosure 14 from an engine.

It is contemplated that the heating element will be removable from the wall 13, but it is sealed in the manner shown in FIGURE 11, by forcing the copper shield 32 through a slightly tapered aperture in the wall 18 and bending the copper shield back upon itself to form a flared terminal end of increased wall thickness as shown at 61 in FIGURE 11.

The hinges 27 are preferably bent outward as shown in FIGURE 6 so as to limit upward movement of element 26 to a position such as shown in dashed lines in FIGURE 10. This limitation assures proper closing of element 26 and allows the unit to be mounted vertically, when desired, with the valve at the bottom end of the unit.

Thus I have disclosed an improved and more eflicient electrical heating device for the cooling system of an internal combustion engine. It provides ready accessibility for repair and cleaning purposes, and maximum eflicient transfer of heat to the cooling system water. The specific details as described are not entirely critical, and equivalent structures can be substituted in many instances. For this reason, only the following claims are intended to define and limit the scope of the invention contained in the illustrated embodiment just described.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention, I claim:

1. An electric heater for the cooling system within an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a sealed enclosure of generally rectangular configuration;

a fluid inlet connection formed integrally on one vertical end wall of said enclosure, said one end wall being selectively releasable from the remainder of said enclosure;

a fluid outlet connection formed integrally on the top wall of said enclosure in open communication with the interior of said enclosure;

a one-way valve at the interior of said enclosure mounted on said fluid inlet connection adapted to prevent escape of fluid from said enclosure through said fluid inlet;

and heater means carried on said one end wall of said enclosure, said heater means being concentrated within said enclosure at a location situated directly beneath said fluid outlet connection.

2. A heater as defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid outlet connection is projected outwardly from said enclosure at an angle directed oppositely to the direction of said inlet connection.

3. An electric heater for a circulatory water system at rest, comprising:

a sealed enclosure cast of aluminum;

inlet means located at one wall of said enclosure, said one wall being located in an upright position;

exit means located at the upper wall of said enclosure in open communication with the interior of said enclosure;

valve means interposed between said inlet means and the interior of said enclosure adapted to prevent escape of liquid from said enclosure through said inlet means and to allow entry of liquid to the enclosure interior through said inlet means, said valve means comprising:

a valve seat cast integrally with said one Wall of said enclosure;

stainless steel hinges embedded within said enclosure upwardly adjacent to said valve seat;

and a movable valve member pivotally carried in said hinges for movement relative to said valve seat;

and heater means carried on said one Wall of said enclosure, said heater means extending Within said enclosure to a location situated directly beneath said exit means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS France.

RICHARD M. WOOD, Primary Examiner.

ANTHONY BARTIS, Examiner.

Claims

1. AN ELECTRIC HEATER FOR THE COOLING SYSTEM WITHIN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, COMPRISING: A SEALED ENCLOSURE OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION; A FLUID INLET CONNECTION FORMED INTEGRALLY ON ONE VERTICAL END WALL OF SAID ENCLOSURE, SAID ONE END WALL BEING SELECTIVELY RELEASABLE FROM THE REMAINDER OF SAID ENCLOSURE; A FLUID OUTLET CONNECTION FORMED INTEGRALLY ON THE TOP WALL OF SAID ENCLOSURE IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID ENCLOSURE; A ONE-WAY VALVE AT THE INTERIOR OF SAID ENCLOSURE MOUNTED ON SAID FLUID INLET CONNECTION ADAPTED TO PREVENT ESCAPE OF FLUID FROM SAID ENCLOSURE THROUGH SAID FLUID INLET; AND HEATER MEANS CARRIED ON SAID ONE END WALL OF SAID ENCLOSURE, SAID HEATER MEANS BEING CONCENTRATED WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE AT A LOCATION SITUATED DIRECTLY BENEATH SAID FLUID OUTLET CONNECTION.