FR2573518A1 - PORTABLE BLOWER HEATING APPARATUS - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A PORTABLE BLOWING HEATING APPARATUS. THE APPARATUS INCLUDES A FAN 50 FOR PRODUCING THE FLOW OF AIR TO BE DISCHARGED VIA AN OUTLET PORT 9, A HEATING DEVICE BY CATALYTIC COMBUSTION 40 FOR HEATING THE FLOW OF AIR AND A TANK OF FUEL 30 INTENDED TO CONTAIN A SOURCE OF A LIQUEFIED FUEL SUCH AS PROPANE OR BUTANE WHICH COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE CATALYST TO ENSURE THE CATALYTIC COMBUSTION PROCESS IN THE PRESENCE OF AMBIENT AIR FOR THE GENERATION OF HEAT; AN ELECTRIC BATTERY 70 IS ALSO INCORPORATED TO POWER THE FAN 50 AND AN IGNITION ELEMENT 46 STARTS CATALYTIC COMBUSTION. APPLICATION TO HAIRDRESSING ACCESSORIES SUCH AS HAIRDRYERS.

Description

PORTABLE BLOWER HEATING APPARATUS

  The present invention relates to a portable blower heater and more particularly to a portable blower and heater apparatus comprising a liquefied fuel tank and a catalytic combustion heater which catalyze gaseous fuel leaving the tank in the presence of the fuel. ambient air to produce

heat.

  Portable blower heaters have been used in many applications, for example as a hair dryer after a hair wash or a bath, for drying clothes, or for drying the coat of domestic animals. An electric battery is used to make the device portable but portable blower heaters, when used only with the built-in battery to generate heat, generate a reduced amount of heat relative to the size and weight of the heater. and, as a result, they are of no practical use. For this reason, known blower heaters use a liquefied fuel oil gas to produce heat along with a built-in battery to initiate the process.

  combustion and ensure the operation of the fan in order to

  the flow of heated air, as described for example in the Japanese utility model application (KOKOKU) published under No. 45-28331, wherein the liquefied petroleum gas is ignited by the battery to be burned with a flame. However, such combustion accompanied by the flame is likely to be easily

  extinguished by the wind and incomplete combustion may occur.

  and, therefore, a large amount of harmful flue gas.

  In addition, it is difficult to control the amount of heat produced, so that the heater can sometimes be overheated, which is dangerous and leaves the hair and other objects exposed to

73518

  such overheated air. All the aforementioned drawbacks must be eliminated

born for security purposes.

  The present invention has been developed in accordance with what has been stated above and relates to a new portable blower heater. The portable blast heater of the present invention comprises a liquefied fuel tank and a catalytic combustion heater where the fuel leaving the tank is catalyzed in the presence of ambient air to

  produce catalytic combustion for heat generation.

  The catalytic heater is placed downstream of a fan.

  electrically actuated to heat an air flow

  sucked by it from an air inlet and discharged by the

  via an air outlet. Said blower and an element of

  ignition of the catalytic combustion heater are powered by a built-in battery. With the catalytic combustion heater incorporated in the blower heater, stable and efficient combustion, substantially free of harmful combustion gases, can be achieved so as to produce a sufficient amount of heat without requiring a source of heat. relatively large electrical current, which makes the heater

blowing completely portable.

  Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a blower heater that allows the best use of the catalytic combustion process to provide stable combustion without harmful products and to generate a quantity of

  sufficient heat, for the dimensions and reduced weight of the

  heating, thereby helping to make this device portable.

  In a preferred embodiment, the blower heater comprises a hose from a housing in which

  mounted on said fan, said fuel tank, said device

  catalytic combustion heater, the ignition element and the battery. The hose is in open communication with one end with an air flow channel formed inside the housing and is provided at the other end with a blast nozzle having said air outlet. Said blow nozzle is adapted, in use, for

  be entered by the user's hand when performing the operation.

  It is provided with a means for selectively supporting a removable hairdressing accessory, such as a hairbrush, a crimping aid or a combing aid. Consequently, during the drying operations, the user does not have to hold the casing containing the relatively heavy parts and it is sufficient for him to hold the blow nozzle relatively lightly, which allows an easy and comfortable handling of the apparatus of heating

  blowing. In addition, it is possible, using the auxiliary

  hairdresser, to combine the heating action with the action of brushing, crimping or combing hair, which

  hairstyle operation fast and easy.

  Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to

  create a portable blower heater that is manu-

  easy handling and handling, and in particular

  bind, for a hair hairstyle operation.

  In another embodiment, the blowing nozzle provided at the free end of the hose from the housing is designed to contain the catalytic combustion heater and the liquefied fuel tank while the blower and the battery are left inside the crankcase. With this design, the hose only serves to channel the unheated air from the housing to the blower nozzle so that heat is not transmitted to the air until it has reached blow nozzle. This prevents a

  unwanted heat loss in the hose and ensures

  effective heating of the heat generated in the heating device

by catalytic combustion.

  Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to create a portable blower heater in which the

of heat is reduced to a minimum.

  The blower heater comprises, in another preferred embodiment, a single casing in which are housed in a compact manner all the elements constituted by the catalytic combustion heater, the fuel container, the fan, the element ignition and battery. The housing is adapted in use, to be grasped by the hand of the user and is provided with the

  air outlet through which the heated air is discharged.

  This structure is the most advantageous for improving the portable character and widening the applications, which corresponds therefore,

  to still another object of the present invention.

  The ignition element for initiating the catalytic combustion process shall be energized before the fan begins to produce the airflow, so that the catalytic combustion heater may be subsequently engaged without being affected or interrupted by the flow of air. For this purpose, the present invention

  adopts two different switching devices serving the purpose of

  ignition element and fan in a delayed manner.

  In one version, there is provided a switching means which includes a pair of first and second electrical switches and a single

  switching handle to ensure their actuation. The element of allu-

  mage and the fan are electrically connected to the battery in parallel, the ignition element being connected in series with the first electrical switch while the fan is connected in series with the second electrical switch. Said switching handle is slidably mounted between a stop position and a running position and, in this sliding path, the first and

  the second switches are aligned so as to be closed sequential-

  in response to the sliding movement of the switch handle from its off position to its on position, so that the fan is energized only after

  the ignition element was energized to initiate catalytic combustion.

  tick. In the other version, the switching means comprises a switching handle and an electrical switch driven by it.

  connect the battery to either the ignition element or the fan.

  for their selective feeding. The electrical switch used is a unipolar double-channel switch having a movable contact that can be applied against either one of the first and second contacts which are respectively connected to the ignition element and the fan. Said moving contact is under the

  shape of a bi-metallic element which is placed in an adja-

  the catalytic pulse heater so as to be maintained in a situation permitting its application against the first contact when it is not affected by the heat produced in the

  catalytic pulse heating device as it is

  chit in a condition allowing its application against the second contact when heated by said device. In this way, the movable contact allows the detection of the beginning of the catalytic pulse and acts to automatically feed the fan into a

appropriate sequence.

  Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide a portable blower heater in which the firing element and the blower can be powered in a time-controlled manner.

  ridged by simple manipulation of the switch handle.

  Other features and advantages of the invention will be

  highlighted in the following description, given by way of example

  non-limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, somewhat diagrammatic,

  portable blower heater in accordance with

  me to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a partial view of the blower heater of FIG. 1; Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of the blower heater of Figure 1; - Figure 4 is a perspective view of the blower heater of Figure 1, the blower nozzle is in folded condition; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the blower heater of FIG. 1, the blow nozzle of which has been removed from the housing of the apparatus; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a blower heater according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view showing the casing of the blower heater of Figure 6; - Figure 8 is a sectional view showing a blower nozzle connected via a hose to the casing of the blower heater of Figure 6; - figs. 9A and 9B are, respectively, perspective views showing various hairdressing aids of

  hair adaptable to the heater suffers

  of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view showing a blower heater whose switching handle is in the off position, in accordance with FIG.

  third embodiment of the present invention.

  tion; - Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view showing the blower heater whose switching handle has been brought into a running position to supply the ignition element; FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view showing the apparatus of

  previous blower heating in a food situation

  fan installation; Figure 13 is a circuit diagram of the blower heater of Figure 10; Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view of a blower heater according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a battery charging station for the blower heater of FIG. 14; - Figure 16 is a perspective view showing the heater blowing in its mounting condition on the aforementioned station; and FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view of a variant of

  the blower heater of Figure 14.

  We will first write the first embodiment of the invention.

  1 to 5, which show a portable blower heater comprising a housing 1 and a nozzle of FIG.

  blowing 20 connected thereto by means of a flexible hose 21.

  ter 1 is made by molding a heat-resistant material and it

  is provided with a grille air inlet 2 in its lower corner portion

  between the right wall and the rear wall. It is also provided in the casing 1, in the far-left part of a lower front wall 3, a connection opening 4 from which said flexible pipe 21. An inclined front wall 5 is formed upwards, from the lower front wall 3 and has recessed portions 6 for receiving the blast nozzle 20 and various types of hairdressing aids 23, 24, 25 and 26 which are removable. A frontal shield 7 is

  articulated on the casing 1 so as to cover the inclined front wall.

  5. The blast nozzle 20 is provided at its free end with a portion of reduced diameter or sleeve 22 on which can be fitted

  selectively one of the aforementioned hairdressing auxiliaries.

  The casing 1 is divided by a separating partition 8 into

  upper and lower compartments 10, 11. The lower compartment

  11 defined by itself an elongated horizontal flow channel

  air extending from the air inlet 2 to the connection port

  4, said air flow channel 11 cooperating with said hose 21 to form an air duct connecting the air inlet 2, through the connection port 4, with the outlet of air 9 formed in the blowing nozzle 20 connected to the free end of the pipe

flexible 21.

  Inside the upper compartment 10 is fixed a reservoir

  see 30 intended to contain, under high pressure, a source of

  It is liquefied, preferably a hydrocarbon such as butane or propane which is in the gaseous state at atmospheric pressure. The reservoir 30 is connected to a catalytic combustion heater 40 mounted within the lower compartment or air flow channel 11 by means of a feed pipe 31 provided with a needle valve 32 which is operated by a handle or joystick

  switching 60 for closing and opening. Additional-

  Tank 30 is provided with a filling orifice 34 inside which is engaged the discharge valve of an external fuel cartridge 35 via an opening 12 of the

  casing 1 so that the reservoir 30 can easily be

charged with fuel.

  There is provided, in an area adjacent to the air inlet 2, inside the lower compartment 11, a fan 50 for sucking air through the inlet 2 and discharging it through through the outlet 9. The fan 50 is composed of an electric motor 51 and a fan rotor 52 driven by it so as to produce the air flow. Said motor 51 is

  powered by a battery or battery 70 mounted inside the compartment

  10 and is fixed in the lower compartment 11 by means of a series of stator blades 53 surrounding the motor 51 and channeling the flow of air from the fan rotor 52 into position.

  direction of the catalytic combustion heater 40.

  Said catalytic combustion heater 40 is placed downstream of the fan 50 to heat the air passing through the corresponding duct and comprises a casing 41 formed of a porous material, such as a sheet of silica fiber fabric or like refractory fibers carrying a catalytic material such as platinum or palladium, said envelope 41 defining a chamber into which a diffuser tube 42 having small perforations 45 penetrates. The diffuser tube 42 is connected to the fuel tank 30

  through the feed pipe 31 so that the fuel

  rant flowing out of the tank passes through the perforations 45 for

  enter said chamber in the gaseous state. As a result, the fuel

  tible gas is diffused inside the chamber to enter

  contact with the catalyst substantially over the entire surface of the

  Veloppe 41 and is catalyzed in the presence of ambient air to produce heat over the entire surface of the casing 41. The catalytic combustion heater 40 thus arranged is held in place by slot supports 44. Lower compartment 11 may additionally be provided, on its inner surface directed towards the catalytic combustion heater 40, with a thermally insulating layer 13 formed of a heat-resistant material such as a metal or a ceramic material. An ignition element 46 in the form of a resistive heating element is disposed in close proximity to the catalytic combustion heater 40

  in order to initiate the catalytic combustion process therein.

  The battery 70 is a rechargeable battery that is electrically connected by conductors 71 with a battery charging unit 72 of a conventional design, also mounted within the upper compartment 10 of the housing 1. The battery charging unit 72 comprises a retractable plug 73 intended to be connected to a conventional AC power source, said plug 73 being mounted

  pivotally on the housing 1 in order to move between a posi-

  deployment and a folded position.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ignition element 46 and the

  51 of the fan 50 are connected in parallel with the battery 70 and are controlled by a switching assembly comprising a first and a second switch 61, 62 which are respectively connected in series with the ignition element 46 and the motor 51 and which are powered by

  said handle or switch 60. The switch handle

  60 is a four-position selector which is slidably held on the upper wall of the casing 1 so as to move along a straight path between a stop position and the position

  in FIG. 2, passing through a first intermediate position

  diary and a second intermediate position shown in FIG.

  re 1, although the stop position and the first intermediate position are not shown in the figures. An actuating button 64, integral with the switching handle 60, can move with it in a horizontal slot 65 formed in the housing 1 for the actuation of said first and second switches 61 and 62, as shown in the figures 1 and 2. The switching handle 60 is also integral with a cleat or rod 66 which is connected to a rod 33 of the needle valve 32 to open and close the valve 32

  synchronism with the sliding movement of the handle of

  60. Thus, the needle valve 32 is open to provide the

  transfer of the fuel from the tank 30 to the heating device

  catalytically catalyzed firing 40 when the switching handle 60 is moved from its stop position or far left, considering

  the figures, up to the first intermediate position (not shown

  felt) and is kept open during the continuation of the

  switching handle 60 of the first intermediate position

  in the second intermediate position of Figure 1 or

  to its position of walking or extreme right of Figure 2.

  Each of the first and second switches 61 and 62 is an inter-

  switch normally open by means of a push button which must be pushed down to close the switch by contact with a tip, directed downwards and placed at the free end of the actuating button 64. The first and the second switches 61, 62 are aligned in the sliding path of the actuating button 64 so that the first switch 61 is closed to feed

  the ignition element 46 when the handgrip is moved

  60 of the stop position in the second intermediate position of Figure 1, and then the second switch 62 is closed to supply the fan 50 during another movement of the handle of

  switch 60 to the operating position of FIG.

  for which the pushbutton of the first switch 61 is

  released from the operation button 64 to open the first interrup-

  61 for switching off the supply of the ignition element 46.

  In operation, the switching handle 60 is first

  moved from the stop position to the first position

  mediates fuel transfer from tank 30 to catalytic combustion heater 40 and is maintained in this position for about one second to allow the catalytic combustion heater 40 to fill with gaseous fuel. Then, the switching handle 60 is brought into the second intermediate position of FIG. 1 so as to feed the ignition element 46 and is again held in this position for a few seconds to allow the element

  ignition 46 to sufficiently heat red to start the process.

  above catalytic combustion in the heating device 40.

  Then, the switching handle 60 is finally brought into the operating position of FIG. 2 where the fan is powered for

  start to produce the airflow to which heat is supplied

  to discharge the heated air through

the outlet orifice 9.

  After the gradual movement of the switching handle 60 which has been described above, the catalytic combustion process can be satisfactorily initiated in the catalytic combustion heater 40 without being affected by a lack of fuel and also without being adversely influenced or interrupted by the flow of air, which would otherwise be possible if the ignition element 46 were energized at the same time as the power supply

  50 and the opening of the needle valve 32.

  stability in the catalytic combustion

  tick 40 is normally established one or two minutes after priming.

  With the heating apparatus blowing in the present mode of

  the user does not have to carry, during the drying operation, the housing 1 containing the tank 30, the catalytic combustion heater 40 and the battery 70 which is of a rather heavy structure and it simply hold the blow nozzle 30, a relatively lightweight design, so that the operation of

  drying can be carried out in a comfortable manner. In addition,

  The user can select a suitable hairdressing aid from among various types including crimping, brushing and combing auxiliaries 23, 24, 25, 26, depending on the particular style of hairdressing styles and securing it to the blast nozzle. in order to have an additional effect combining heating with the action of

hairstyle envisaged.

2 5 7 3 5 1 8

I1

  The second embodiment will now be described with reference to

  Figures 6 to 8. These figures represent a heating apparatus

  A portable blast furnace according to this second embodiment of the present invention which is of a structure similar to that of the first embodiment, except that the blast nozzle 20 contains the fuel tank 30 and the heating device. by catalytic combustion 40 at the same time as the ignition element 45

  while the housing 1 contains the fan 50 and the battery 70.

  In this embodiment, and in those involved hereinafter, identical reference numerals have been used to designate parts identical to those of the first embodiment with a view to

  to facilitate the understanding of the invention.

  In this embodiment, the housing 1 is divided by a vertical dividing partition 15, as shown in FIG. 7, into left and right compartments 16, 41, the first of which internally defines the air flow channel connecting the air inlet 2 formed in the base wall of the casing 1 to the connecting port 4 household in its upper wall, while the other compartment receives the rechargeable battery 70 and the battery charging unit 72 with the retractable plug 73. The blast nozzle 20 is provided, at its free end, with a sleeve-shaped portion 22 for separably receiving the hairdressing aid and is connected to the free end. hose 21 which leaves the connection port 4. The fan 50 is held in place at

  the inside of the left compartment 16 so that its

  51 is supported by the same stator blades 53 and that its fan rotor 52 is placed in a position adjacent to the inlet

of air 2 and above it.

  With reference to FIG. 8, the fuel tank 30 and the catalytic combustion heater 40 both have the same design as in the first embodiment and are held coaxially within the blast nozzle 20

  to leave around them sufficient space for the passage of the

  The catalytic combustion heater 40 and the ignition element 46 are placed in positions adjacent to the air outlet 9, while the reservoir 30

  is arranged upstream of the heating device by catalytic combustion -

  40 and is connected thereto by means of the feed pipe 31 which is provided with a needle valve 32 operable by a handle or switch 80. The switch handle 80 is slidably supported by the blow nozzle 20 so as to move between its on and off positions through an intermediate position. An electrical switch 81 is connected functionally

  the switch handle 80 so as to connect the bat-

  70 is either to the ignition element 46 or to the fan 50. The switching handle 80 is also connected to the cleat 33 of the needle valve 32 which is open to pass the gaseous fuel.

  from the tank 30 to the catalytic combustor

  40 when the switching handle 80 is moved from its off position to the intermediate position where the ignition element 46 is energized to initiate the catalytic combustion process in the catalytic combustion heater 40. When the The switching handle 80 continues to be moved to its operating position, the fan 50 is then energized to begin producing the airflow while the needle valve 32 is held open to maintain the catalytic combustion. air flow

  heated being discharged through the outlet port 9. The ignition element

  ge 46 is electrically connected to the electrical switch 81 which is

  connected in turn to the fan 50 and the battery 70 mounted to the

  1 of the casing 1 by means of a cable 82 extending through the flexible pipe 21. The cable 82 is supported by its two end portions respectively by the blast nozzle 20 and the casing 1 by means of

  swivel connectors 83 which allow the cable 82 placed inside the

  21 of the hose 21 to rotate freely relative to the cable placed

  outside the hose 21 while maintaining the electrical connection

  between them, which thus prevents the target 82 from twisting during the handling of the blast nozzle 20 in different positions.

  which could correspondingly twist the hose 21.

  In this embodiment, the heat produced in the device

  The catalytic combustion heater 40 is injected into the water.

  only when it has just emerged from the air outlet 9 and is therefore effectively used to produce

  a heated air flow without causing significant heat loss

  during the passage in the air duct, which is different from the first embodiment o a certain amount of heat can be dissipated when the heated air passes in the duct comprising the

flexible hose 21.

  The third embodiment will now be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13. In FIG. 10, there is shown a portable blower heater according to this third embodiment of the present invention and which is of a similar structure. -

  in the first mode, except that a switching device is

  to control the ignition element 46 and the fan 50 and

  that it still fuels a slight difference by the fact that the

  10 defines the air flow channel in which the catalytic combustion heater 40 and the

  fan 50, while the lower compartment 11 receives the recess

  fuel rod 30 and the battery 70.

  The switching device comprises a switching handle

  90 and a single electrical switch 94 to be actuated by it. The switching handle 90 is slidably held on the housing 1 so as to be able to move between stopping and operating positions and is integrally provided with a catch 96 which is connected to the rod 33 of the housing. needle valve 32 to open this valve 32 when the switching handle 90 is moved to the on position. The ignition element 46 can also move together with the switching handle 90 so as to be in close proximity to the catalytic combustion heater 40 when the switching handle 90 is brought into its operating position. of Figure 11, and which is spaced from this device when the switching handle 90 is placed in the off position

  shown in Figure 10. As shown in Figure 13, the interrup-

  electric heater 94 selectively connects the ignition element

  46 or the motor 51 of the fan 50 to the battery 70 and comprises a double-pole unipolar switch having a movable contact 93 which can come into contact with one or the other of a first and a second contacts 91 , 92 which are respectively connected to the ignition element 46 and the motor 51. The first and second contacts 91, 92 are carried by the switch handle 90 so as to move therewith and are arranged with so as not to come into contact with the movable contact 93 held on the casing 1 in a portion spaced horizontally from the switching handle 90 when the handle 90 is held in the stop position of FIG.

  mobile 93 is formed of a bimetallic element comprising, at its end,

  mite libre, two lower and upper blocks 97 and 98, the lower block

  The movable contact 93 is disposed in the vicinity of the catalytic combustion heater 40 so as to be biased by heating to move from a normal position where the first contact 91 and the upper contact come to touch the second contact 92. lower pad 97 comes to touch the first contact 91 and an inflected position o the upper pad 98 comes to touch the second

contact 92.

  When the switching handle 90 is moved from the position

  of FIG. 10 to the operating position of FIG.

  11, the needle valve 32 is opened to deliver the fuel.

  gas in the tank 30 in the catalytic combustion heater 40 and simultaneously the first contact 91 contacts the lower stud 97 of the movable contact 93 so as to

  supplying the ignition element 46 to initiate the combustion process.

  catalytic reaction. Once the catalytic combustion process occurs in the heater 40, it can proceed without

  using the ignition element 46 to produce a sufficient quantity of

  health of heat. The movable contact 93 of the bimetallic element is then urged by the heat to pass into the inflected position of FIG. 12 so as to bring its upper stud 98 against the second contact 92 to supply the fan 50 so that the air flow begins to be on the catalytic combustion heater 40 thereby producing a flow of hot air which is discharged through the outlet orifice of the

  blowing (not shown) connected to the casing 1 by means of the

  21. A shutdown of the hot air flow can be achieved simply by

  By sliding the switching handle 90 backwards into the off position, the second contact 92 is moved away from the moving contact 93 so as to stop supplying the fan 50 and

  simultaneously, the needle valve 32 and closed to stop the food

  fuel. In the case where it is necessary to reengage the blower heater while the catalytic combustion heater 40 remains hot enough to resume catalytic combustion without being ignited, the opening of the needle valve 32 is sufficient for the recovery of the catalytic combustion and, consequently, the supply of the ignition element 46 is not necessary. In fact, with the control device described above, the movement of the switching handle 90 from the stop position to the on position in the condition defined above does not make contact with the first contact 91 with the movable contact 93 but makes contact with the second contact 92 with the movable contact 93 which has remained in the inflected position, thus resetting the blowing

  air without unnecessary power supply of the ignition element 46.

  In this embodiment, the user only needs to manipulate

  the switching handle 90 from its off position to its operating position for supplying fuel to the catalytic combustion heater 40 and also to supply the ignition element 46 after what the fan 50 is engaged to automatically produce the airflow in response to

  the initiation of the catalytic combustion process. Although the

  The switching mechanism described above involves the moving contact.

  93 of the bimetallic element for detecting the start of catalytic combustion to subsequently provide the sequential supply of the fan automatically in response to this detection, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein. above and can use any thermo-sensitive control element that is capable

  to operate under the influence of the heat generated in the

  tif of catalytic combustion heating, instead of the bimetallic element. The fourth embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16. This embodiment relates to a portable blower heater which comprises a casing 100, which in itself defines a blowing nozzle 101 provided with an air outlet 109, and in which are mounted all the elements constituted by the fuel tank 30, the heating device

  by catalytic combustion 40, the fan 50 and a rechargeable battery

  70. The casing 100 is made by molding a resistive material

  heat to form a tubular member provided with a bulge portion 103 located between these ends and is provided with a gate air inlet 102 in the stepped wall between the bulge portion 103 and the rear portion of the casing 100. The blast nozzle 101 is formed on the front part of the casing 100 so as to comprise

  its free end a sleeve 105 provided with the air outlet 109 preci-

  On this sleeve 105, it is possible to mount a detachable hairdressing aid such as those described above and as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. Thus, an airflow duct extending from the air inlet 102 and leading to the air outlet 109 is defined inside the casing 100, which establishes a difference with the previous embodiment in which the hose connects the housing to the

blow nozzle.

  The fuel tank 30, the fan 50 and the catalytic combustion heater 40, which are all of the same design as in the previously described embodiments, are arranged coaxially inside the housing 100 so as to leave around sufficient space for the passage of the air flow. The fuel tank 30 is placed in a position adjacent to and in front of the air inlet 102 and is connected to the catalytic combustion heater 40 near the air outlet 109 by means of a feed pipe 31 likewise having a needle valve 32. The fan 50, consisting of a

  motor 51 and a fan rotor 52, is arranged between the

  see fuel 30 and the catalytic combustion heater 40, the motor 50 being supported in the housing 100 by stator blades 53. A switching handle 110 is slidably mounted on the blower nozzle 101 of the housing 100 and it is operably connected to an electrical switch (not shown) and to the needle valve 32 to perform the same control operation as in the second embodiment. The ignition element 46 is carried by the switch handle 110 to move therewith and arrives in close proximity to the catalytic combustion heater 40 when the switch handle 110 is

  brought into its operating position, as best shown in Figure 14.

  The filling orifice 34 of the fuel tank 30 is acces-

  sible through an opening 106 formed in the bulge portion 103

  with a view to filling the fuel.

  The casing 100 also has, at its rear end, a rectangular endpiece 115 provided with two female pins 116 electrically connected to the opposite poles of the rechargeable battery 70. When the blower heater is not in use, it is held on a battery recharging station 120 so that its rear end 115 is inserted into a cell 121 of the station 120, as shown in FIG. 16. Two male pins 122 protruding from the base of the cell 121 can be inserted in the female terminals 116 so as to establish an electrical connection with them. The station 120 comprises a battery recharging unit (not shown) of a conventional construction whose input is connected via a power cable 123 to a conventional AC power source and whose output is connected. at the male terminals 122. Accordingly, the battery 70 is recharged each time the heater

  blowing is set up on station 120.

  Referring to FIG. 17, there is shown a variant of the fourth embodiment which is of identical design to the embodiment described above, except with respect to the structure of the catalytic combustion heater 140. catalytic combustion heater 140 comprises a tubular casing 141 which is formed of foam or spongy metal having

* continuous and finely divided pores, for example spun aluminum

  and carrying the catalytic material or catalyst, such as platinum or palladium formed by deposition from a solution of the catalytic material. The casing 141 is closed at one end by a solid plate 142, while its other end is connected to the supply pipe 31 via a connection 145 so as to receive the fuel coming from the tank 30. By a better use of the spongy metal in the form of the envelope 141 carrying the catalyst, the fuel from the reservoir 30 can be introduced satisfactorily by diffusion inside the wall of the envelope so as to be in effective contact with the catalyst over the entire surface of the casing 141 without requiring the use of the

  diffuser tube 42 which is involved in the embodiments previously

  described or in similar arrangements. By eliminating this

  diffuser tube, the catalytic combustion

  that 140 or its casing 141 may be designed to have a smaller diameter than those of the previously described embodiments, resulting in more peripheral space in a limited flow section for the air flow duct and which allows, by

  consequently, the passage of a higher quantity of air, and consequently

  to give the blower heater a more compact structure. In addition, when the envelope 141 above is formed of a

  sponge metal, the catalytic combustion heater

  that 140 can be conveniently attached to the carrier member due to the

  intrinsic rigidity of the spongy metal.

  Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, but it is capable of many variants accessible to those skilled in the art without one deviates from the spirit of the art. 'invention.

Claims (10)

  1.- Portable blower heater, characterized in that it comprises: - an air duct (11, 21), connecting an air inlet (2) to an air outlet (9); an electrically operated fan (50) placed in an area adjacent to the air inlet for sucking air into the duct   air through the air inlet (2) and for the discharge of   ger via the air outlet (9); - a catalytic combustion heater (40) disposed downstream of the fan (50) for heating air passing through said air duct (11, 21); a fuel tank (30) for containing a source of liquefied fuel which is supplied to the catalytic combustion heater (40) where it is catalyzed in the presence of air within the air duct to produce heat; an electric ignition element (46) for lighting the device   to initiate the catalytic combustion process.   tick; and - an electric battery (70) for supplying the fan (50) and the ignition element (46).   2.- Portable blower heater according to the revendica-   1, characterized in that the catalytic combustion heater (40) comprises an envelope (41) formed of a porous material carrying a catalyst, said envelope (41) defining a chamber in which a gaseous fuel from the reservoir ( 30) comes into contact with the catalyst in the presence of the air inside the air duct to ensure the combustion process   catalytic converter for heat generation.   3.- Portable blower heater according to one of   1 or 2, characterized in that said heating device   catalytically-catalyzed fuse (40) comprises a casing (41) formed   a porous material carrying a catalyst, said envelope defined   a chamber in which a diffuser tube (42) provided with perforation   rations (45) extends to deliver a gaseous fuel from the reservoir (30) through the perforations and with diffusion into the chamber where the fuel contacts the catalyst in the presence of air located inside the air duct to perform the catalytic combustion process used to heat generation.   4.- Portable blower heater according to one of   Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said air duct   consists of an air flow channel (11) defined inside a housing (1) and a hose (21) extending therefrom so as to communicate at one end with the air flow channel and provided at the other end with a blast nozzle (20) having said air outlet (9), said housing (1) containing the   fan (50), the catalytic combustion heater   that (40), the ignition element (46) and the battery (70) and the blowing nozzle (20) being provided with means (22) for supporting   selectively a detachable hairdressing aid (23, 24, 25, 26).   5.- Portable blower heater according to one of   Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said air duct   consists of an airflow channel (11) defined inside a housing (1) and a hose (21) extending therefrom and one end of which is in communication with the air flow channel while at the other end a blow nozzle (20) is provided   having said air outlet (9), said housing containing the fan   tor (50) and the battery (70), said blast nozzle (20) containing   said catalytic combustion heater (40) and the   ignition nozzle (46) and the blow nozzle (20) being provided with means (22) for selectively supporting a hairdressing aid removable (23, 24, 25, 26).   6. Portable blower heater according to the revendica-   1, characterized in that said air duct is defined in the   a single casing, said air inlet being placed at one end and said air outlet at another end, said casing containing   said battery (70), said fan (50), said fuel tank   (30), said catalytic combustion heater   that (40) and said ignition element (46).   7.- Portable blower heater according to the revendica-   1, characterized in that said fan (50) is arranged to   to be energized after the ignition element (46) has started the process   catalytic combustion in the heating device by catalytic combustion (40).   8.- Portable blower heater according to one of   Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the ignition element (46) and   the fan (50) are electrically connected in parallel with the battery   furthermore, there is provided a switching means which comprises a first and a second electrical switch (61, 62) and a switch handle (60) of said switches, the first switch (61) ) being connected in series with the ignition element (46), while the second switch (62) is connected in series with the fan (50), and said switching handle (60) being slidably mounted between a stop position and a running position, and in that the first and second switches (61, 62) are aligned with the sliding path of the switching handle (60)   to be closed in this order in response to the movement of   switch (60) from its off position to its on position, so that the fan (50) is energized only after the ignition element (46) has been energized to prime the   catalytic combustion process.   9.- Portable blower heater according to one of   Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a means of   switch which comprises a switching handle (90) and an interrup-   electric motor (94) driven by the latter to connect the battery to either the ignition element (46) or the fan (50) for their purpose.   selective power supply, said electric switch being an interrup-   dual-pole unipolar master (94) having a movable contact (93) engageable with one or the other of a first or second contact (91, 92) which is respectively connected to an element   ignition (46) and the fan (50), said switching handle   (90) being operably connected to the electrical switches in such a manner that the movable contact is moved away from the first and second contacts (91, 92) when the switch handle is in its off position and comes into contact with one or the other of the first and second contacts (91, 92) when the switching handle (90) is brought into its operating condition, and said movable contact (93) is in the form of a bi-metallic element which is placed in   a position adjacent to the catalytic combustion heater   lytically (40) so as to be maintained in a contacting situation with the first contact (91) when it is not stressed by the heat produced by the catalytic combustion heater (40) while being inflected in a situation where it comes into contact with the second contact (92) when it is influenced by the heat produced by said device.   10. Portable blower heater according to the revendica-   2, characterized in that said envelope (141) is formed of a   foam or spongy metal on which the catalyst is deposited.