Patent Publication Number: US-9404671-B2

Title: Radiant heat lifting device for outdoor flame heater

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an outdoor flame heater, and more particularly to the radiant heat lifting device having a heat-resistant net tube mounted on a top of a glass tube for accumulating the heat of a flame and producing infrared to increase the radiation thermal of the heater and thus enhance the effect of the outdoor heating. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1A through 1C , US Patent Public No. 2010/0236544 A1 discloses an outdoor flame heater  100  comprising: a bottom housing  10  being composed of a set of four lower support members  11 , a set of four panels  12 , and other relative members for installing a gas barrel (not shown); a control box  13  releasing a flame to a gas flame outlet  141  of a base  14  on a top of control box  13 ; a set of four upper support members  15  together with a plurality of protection guards  16  forming a space for installing a glass tube  17 ; and a reflector  19  mounted onto a damper  191  and the damper  191  mounted on the upper plate  18  being affixed to the upper support members  15 . 
     Base on the prior features disclosed, a flame F in the glass tube  17  is extended upward by the chimney effect, and the thermal energy radiates from the glass tube  17  while an upper outlet  171  of the glass tube  17  discharges an exhaust gas. Such flame heater  100  not only has a heating function but provides a visual perception of exuberant vitality by looking at the flaming flame. The flame heater  100  also increases the atmosphere and decoration. According to the safety regulations, the overall height of the flame heater  100  is at least 200 cm above to avoid people being in danger of the flame from a top end of the glass tube  17 . 
     Therefore, the kind of flame heater  100  has some drawbacks; for example, the height of the flame heater demanded over 200 cm to comply with the safety regulations but the height h 1  of the flame F is only ½˜⅔ height of the glass tube  17 ; such that there is no flame at an upper region h 2  of the glass tube  17 . With the reference to  FIG. 1C , the heat f from the flame F is discharged through the upper outlet  171  of the glass tube  17 , resulting in low temperature at the upper region h 2  of the glass tube  17  and affecting the heating effect. Therefore, there is room for improvement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a radiant heat lifting device for outdoor flame heater, which provides a heat-resistant net tube mounted on a top of a glass tube for accumulating the heat of a flame and producing infrared to increase the radiation thermal of the heater and thus enhance the effect of the outdoor heating. 
     In order to achieve the above object, the invention includes: a housing providing an inside space for installing a gas barrel; a base mounted on the housing and having a burner therein and a flame outlet at a top thereof; a plurality of support members standing straight on the housing and having a bottom end arranged at a periphery of the flame outlet; a frame body arranged at a top of the plurality of support members and having a mounted space between the pluralities of support members; a glass tube having a lower opening mounted on the flame outlet for positioning the glass tube in the mounted space between the pluralities of support members; wherein the glass tube has a section of heat-resistant net tube made of high-temperature resistant material and mounted on an upper opening thereof; the heat-resistant net tube includes countless meshes at a periphery thereof, a top outlet sealed and a bottom outlet connected to the upper opening of the glass tube; and a cover being a bowl-shaped, arranged on the heat-resistant net tube and including a multitude of circulation holes at a periphery thereof; whereby a flame emitted from the flame outlet along the glass tube up to the top outlet of the heat-resistant net tube by chimney effect to heat the heat-resistant net tube, and after accumulating the heat, the heat-resistant net tube produces infrared to increase the radiation thermal of the glass tube; an exhaust in the glass tube outflows from the meshes of the heat-resistant net tube to the circulation holes of the cover and discharges upward. 
     Base on the features disclosed, the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises the heat-resistant net tube has a lid body sealed the top outlet thereof and an annular sleeve body mounted on the bottom outlet and the annular sleeve body has an inserted hole at a bottom edge thereof for inserting the upper opening of the glass tube and a plurality of elastic pieces at a periphery thereof for positioning the upper end of the glass tube. 
     Further, the cover includes a bottom surface locked at a top of the lid body by a plurality of bolts. 
     Further, the cover further includes a convex ring at a top periphery thereof and the convex ring is locked between a top end of the plurality of support members and a bottom surface of the frame body by a plurality of bolts. 
     Base on the features disclosed, the design of the present invention provides the combination of the heat-resistant net tube and cover to increase the radiation thermal of the heater, which solves the problem of previous heater being lack of high temperature on the top thereof, and thus enhance the effect of the outdoor heating. Moreover, there is not any baffle plates between the heat-resistant net tube and glass tube to block the infrared of heat-resistant net tube. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C  are schematic views of conventional outdoor flame heater; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded schematic view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the present invention in a fully assembled state; 
         FIG. 4  is an application example view of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the main structures of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 through 5 , the preferred embodiment of a radiant heat lifting device for outdoor flame heater in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing  20  providing an inside space  21  for installing a gas barrel; a base  30  mounted on the housing  20  and having a burner  31  therein and a flame outlet  32  at a top thereof; a plurality of support members  40  standing straight on the housing  20  and having a bottom end arranged at a periphery of the flame outlet  32 ; a frame body  50  arranged at a top of the plurality of support members  40  and having a mounted space  41  between the pluralities of support members  40 ; a glass tube  60  having a lower opening  61  mounted on the flame outlet  32  for positioning the glass tube  60  in the mounted space  41  between the pluralities of support members  40 . The glass tube  60  is made of quartz glass having a high-temperature resistant effect. In this embodiment, the present invention further comprises several pieces of protective wire mesh  42  fixing between the pluralities of support members  40  to avoid contacting with the high-temperature glass tube  60 . However, the above-mentioned structure is a prior art and thus will not be described in details here. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the present invention is characterized in that the glass tube  60  has a section of heat-resistant net tube  70  made of high-temperature resistant material and mounted on an upper opening  62  thereof; the heat-resistant net tube  70  includes countless meshes  71  at a periphery thereof, a top outlet  73  sealed and a bottom outlet  72  connected to the upper opening  62  of the glass tube  60 . In this embodiment, the heat-resistant net tube  70  is made of a high-temperature resistant metal of the stamping forming or a heat-resistant ceramic. the heat-resistant net tube  70  has a lid body  74  sealed the top outlet  73  thereof and an annular sleeve body  75  mounted on the bottom outlet  72  and the annular sleeve body  75  has an inserted hole  76  at a bottom edge thereof for inserting the upper opening  62  of the glass tube  60  and a plurality of elastic pieces  77  at a periphery thereof for positioning the upper end of the glass tube  60 . 
     A cover  80  being a bowl-shaped arranged on the heat-resistant net tube  70  and including a multitude of circulation holes  82  at a periphery thereof. The cover  80  includes a bottom surface locked at a top of the lid body  74  by a plurality of bolts  81 . The cover  80  further includes a convex ring  83  at a top periphery thereof and the convex ring  83  is locked between a top end of the plurality of support members  40  and a bottom surface of the frame body  50  by a plurality of bolts  51 . 
     Whereby a flame emitted from the flame outlet  32  along the glass tube  60  up to the top outlet  73  of the heat-resistant net tube  70  by chimney effect to heat the heat-resistant net tube  70 , and after accumulating the heat, the heat-resistant net tube  70  produces infrared IR to increase the radiation thermal of the glass tube  60 ; an exhaust A in the glass tube  60  outflows from the meshes  71  of the heat-resistant net tube  70  to the circulation holes  82  of the cover  80  and discharges upward. 
     Base on the features disclosed, the flame F reaches to a certain height h 1  as shown in  FIG. 4 , and a high temperature T of an outer flame of the flame F extends through the heat-resistant net tube  70  to the sealed lid body  74  as shown in  FIG. 5 , in order to accumulate the heat so that the heat-resistant net tube  70  produces the infrared IR to increase the radiation thermal of the glass tube  60 . On the contrary, if the high temperature T of the flame F is discharged without the sealed lid body  74  on the top of the heat-resistant net tube  70 , the heat-resistant net tube  70  may not accumulate the heat and produce the infrared IR. Therefore, the design of the present invention provides the combination of the heat-resistant net tube  70  and cover  80  to increase the radiation thermal of the heater, which solves the problem of previous heater being lack of high temperature on the top thereof, and thus enhance the effect of the outdoor heating. Moreover, there is not any baffle plates between the heat-resistant net tube  70  and glass tube  60  to block the infrared of heat-resistant net tube  70 .