Heater having a floating heat exchanger

Abstract

A heater having a heat exchanger with a heat emission device disposed therein. The heater includes an airflow channel formed by a shell disposed about the heat exchanger. The heat emission device is physically coupled to the shell by a coupling device that is consisting essentially of a non-metal heat insulating interface structure. The heater includes a housing disposed about the shell. The heat emission device is not directly physically coupled to the airflow channel by a metal structure. The heat emission device is not directly physically coupled to the housing by a metal structure. The interface structure is a collar disposed about an end of the heat emission device and through an aperture of a side wall of the shell. The interface structure is ceramic.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heater, comprising
 a. a heat exchanger with a heat emission device disposed therein;   b. an airflow channel formed by a shell disposed about the heat exchanger, wherein the heat emission device is physically coupled to the shell by a coupling device consisting essentially of a non-metal heat insulating interface structure; and   c. a housing disposed about the shell, wherein the heat emission device is not directly physically coupled to the airflow channel by a metal structure and wherein the heat emission device is not directly physically coupled to the housing by a metal structure.   
     
     
         2 . The heater of  claim 1 , wherein the interface structure is a collar disposed about an end of the heat emission device and through an aperture of a side wall of the shell. 
     
     
         3 . The heater of  claim 1 , wherein the interface structure is ceramic. 
     
     
         4 . The heater of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is physically supported by the heat emission device and not directly physically coupled to any other portion of the heater. 
     
     
         5 . The heater of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is an elongated airflow channel formed by a metal enclosure having apertures at two opposite ends and having a cross-section that is accordion-shaped. 
     
     
         6 . The heater of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger does not directly touch any part of the heater except for the heat emission device. 
     
     
         7 . The heater of  claim 1 , wherein the heat emission device is an elongated infrared heating element that protrudes through apertures through the heat exchanger at opposite ends thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The heater of  claim 1 , wherein the shell includes apertures therethrough at opposite walls thereof through which the heat emission device protrudes and is coupled thereto thereby. 
     
     
         9 . A heater, comprising a housing having a floating heat exchanger disposed therein that is directly physically coupled only to a set of heat emission devices therein. 
     
     
         10 . The heater of  claim 9 , wherein the set of heat emission devices includes a plurality of elongated infrared heating elements. 
     
     
         11 . The heater of  claim 10 , wherein the heat exchanger is substantially surrounded by a shell in a spaced relation from all portions of the heat exchanger that thereby forms an airflow channel around the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         12 . The heater of  claim 11 , wherein the heating elements are coupled to and supported by the shell. 
     
     
         13 . The heater of  claim 12 , wherein the heating elements are coupled to the shell through an insulating collar disposed between cylindrical ends of the heating elements and mating apertures through the shell. 
     
     
         14 . The heater of  claim 13 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a first wall and a second wall, opposite the first wall, wherein the first and second walls are coupled together by a pair of roughly textured walls, each of the pair of roughly textured walls being disposed opposite the other with the heating elements dispose therebetween. 
     
     
         15 . The heater of  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a pair of mating clamshell panels having matching and oppositely oriented U-shaped cut-outs at turned ends thereof that, when coupled together, entrap collared ends of the heating elements. 
     
     
         16 . The heater of  claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanger has an accordion-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         17 . A heater, comprising:
 a. a set of heating elements;   b. a floating heat exchanger disposed therein that is directly physically coupled only to the set of heating elements and not directly physically coupled to any other portion of the heater;   c. an airflow channel formed by a shell disposed about the heat exchanger, wherein the set of heating elements are physically coupled to the shell by a coupling device consisting essentially of a non-metal heat insulating interface structure; and   d. a housing disposed about the shell.   
     
     
         18 . The heater of  claim 17 , wherein set of heating elements are elongated infrared emitters that are coupled to and supported by the shell through apertures in side walls of the shell. 
     
     
         19 . The heater of  claim 17 , wherein the heat exchanger is substantially surrounded by the shell in a spaced relation from all portions of the heat exchanger that thereby forms an airflow channel around the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         20 . The heater of  claim 17 , wherein the set of heating elements are coupled to the shell through an insulating collar disposed between cylindrical ends of the heating elements and mating apertures through the shell.