Heating systems – Heat and power plants – Vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-25
2001-04-03
Joyce, Harold (Department: 3747)
Heating systems
Heat and power plants
Vehicle
C237S01230C, C165S041000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209796
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Small, lightweight, mobile utility vehicles, powered by internal combustion engines, are widely used in industrial and commercial settings and off-road applications. Such vehicles are commonly found in outdoor, or other unheated environments, such as at airports or warehouses. Such applications require that the passenger cabins be heated without extensive heating systems. It is well known to use the exhaust gas heat to heat outside air and move it into the passenger cabin. The air-carrying tubes in such systems must be readily accessible for inspection, service and replacement when needed. Prior art heating systems can be relatively inaccessible, too complicated to service or not sufficiently resistant to corrosive conditions in the exhaust systems.
The foregoing illustrates limitations know to exist in prior art utility vehicle heating systems. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of theses limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including the features more fully disclosed hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention this is accomplished by providing a mobile vehicle having an improved heating system with a heater plenum assembly mounted on an exhaust pipe portion for heating air for the passenger cabin; the plenum assembly comprising: a plurality of individual air-carrying plenum tubes, each tube having an air entry end and an air exit end; a first adapter flange means fastened to the air entry end of the plenum tubes for rigidly holding the plenum tubes in a predetermined orientation to each other, the first flange means forming an air inlet manifold for the air entry end; a second adapter flange means fastened to the air exit end of the plenum tubes, for rigidly holding the plenum tubes in the predetermined orientation to each other, the second flange means forming an air outlet manifold for the air exit end; the predetermined orientation of the plenum tubes being such that: the plenum tubes extend substantially parallel to each other; each plenum tube substantially contacts at least one adjacent plenum tube; and when the plenum assembly is placed on a portion of the exhaust pipe, the plenum tubes substantially conform to the exhaust pipe outside diameter curvature, while contacting the exhaust pipe with at least one plenum tube; and blower means for drawing unheated air in through an exterior air inlet, moving the air through the plenum assembly and moving the air into the passenger cabin through a cabin air outlet;
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Johnson Frank A.
Saxon Thomas M.
Whitlock Thomas E.
Boles Derek S.
Club Car Inc.
Joyce Harold
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
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