Patent ID: 6209796
Filing Date: 2001-04-03
Classification: B60H

Abstract:
In a mobile vehicle having a passenger cabin and an engine compartment, the engine compartment having an internal combustion engine for power, an exhaust system with an exhaust pipe for combustion products and a muffler for noise suppression, an improved heating system for heating the passenger cabin comprising:(A) a heater plenum assembly mounted on an exhaust pipe portion for heating air for the passenger cabin; said plenum assembly comprising:(1) a plurality of individual air-carrying plenum tubes, each tube having an air entry end and an air exit end;(2) a first adapter flange means fastened to said air entry end of said plenum tubes for rigidly holding said plenum tubes in a predetermined orientation to each other, said first flange means forming an air inlet manifold for said air entry end;(3) a second adapter flange means fastened to said air exit end of said plenum tubes, for rigidly holding said plenum tubes in said predetermined orientation to each other, said second flange means forming an air outlet manifold for said air exit end; and(4) said predetermined orientation of said plenum tubes being such that:(a) said plenum tubes extend substantially parallel to each other;(b) each plenum tube substantially contacts at least one adjacent plenum tube; and(c) when said plenum assembly is placed on a portion of said exhaust pipe, said plenum tubes substantially conform to said exhaust pipe outside diameter curvature, while contacting said exhaust pipe with at least one plenum tube; and(B) blower means for:(1) drawing unheated air in through an exterior air inlet;(2) moving said air through said plenum assembly; and(3) moving said air into said passenger cabin through a cabin air outlet.