Patent Abstract:
A portable heater includes a housing, a heating element incased in the housing, and a tool box comprising part of the housing. A method of providing heat and tool storage in a portable unit includes providing a heating element, housing heating element, and attaching a tool box to the housing thereby creating a unified tool box and heater housing.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a portable heater. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable heater with a tool box integrated with the heater. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Often workers who are working on a construction project, such as building a new building, have to work in an environment where the air is not conditioned. For example, when constructing a new home or commercial building, the heating system may not be installed and the environment may be very cold for the workers. One solution to this problem is to bring small portable heaters into the area where the workers are working to provide heat. One problem with some portable heaters is that they may be bulky and hard to move from one space to another. 
         [0003]    An additional problem faced by workers, is that they often require using many different tools. While tool belts are one way to permit the workers to easily carry several different tools, some workers may require more tools that can be fit on a tool belt. Workers may have tool boxes in order to store all the tools they may require. Additionally, tool boxes provide a small measure of security to store tools. Additionally, tool boxes provide a means for transporting tools from one place to another. One problem with tool boxes that they may be bulky and heavy thus awkward to move to place to place as workers finish one area and move on to another area. 
         [0004]    In addition to heaters and tools, workers may also require lights, latters, and other pieces of equipment in order perform their job. Often when work is finished for the day, at end of a week, or other time period, in order to minimize tools lost to theft or corrosion due being exposed to the elements, workers pack up their equipment and take them with them when they leave the work area. 
         [0005]    Because there are so many different pieces of equipment, many which may be heavy, awkward, and bulky, a substantial amount of time is spent moving, packing and unpacking equipment. This time could have been spent working. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus that and method that performs several functions desired by workers. Such an apparatus and method may provide heating to a space, tool storage, and a means of tool transportation in a easy to move and manipulate manner. Such a method or apparatus can reduce the amount of pieces of equipment that need to be moved. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect an apparatus and method is provided that in some embodiments provide tool storage and heat in a portable and easy to move around piece of equipment. By combining both tool boxes and the heater, two large bulky pieces are consolidated into one and by equipping the apparatus with wheels it may be easily manipulated and moved from place to place. 
         [0008]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a portable-heater is provided. The portable heater includes a housing; a heating element encased in the housing; and a tool box comprising part of the housing. 
         [0009]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, 
         [0010]    a portable heater is provided. The portable heater may include means for housing; means for creating heat encased in the housing means; and means for storing tools comprising part of the housing means. 
         [0011]    In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of providing heat and tool storage in a portable unit is provided. The method includes providing a heating element; housing the heating element; and attaching a tool box to the housing thereby creating a unified tool box and heater housing. 
         [0012]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0013]    In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0014]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating the portable heater and tool box according one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a cutaway side view of the tool box heater of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a partial view of the mechanism that permits locking of the handle when the handle is extended to an extended position. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the portable heater with accessories. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a portable heater and tool box combined together into a single unit 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a portable heater  10  in accordance with the invention. A portable heater  10  has a housing  12 . The housing  12  includes a tool box portion  14  located above a heater portion  16 . The tool box portion  14  and heater portion  16  share a common housing  12 . 
         [0021]    In some embodiments of the invention the housing  12  may be metal. In other embodiments the housing  12  may be plastic. The portable heater  10  is equipped with wheels  18 . While only one wheel  18  is shown in the view illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a second wheel is provided but is hidden by the heater portion  16 . 
         [0022]    Two feet  20  are attached to the housing  12  of the heater portion  16 . The feet  20  permit the portable heater  10  to remain stationary when the heater  10  is left on substantially horizontal surfaces. In other words, if a floor has a minor incline, the heater  10  will not roll as the feet  20  will provide friction between the heater  10  and the floor. 
         [0023]    The heater  10  is equipped with a handle  22 . The handle  22  in some embodiments of the invention can be retracted between an extended position as shown in solid lines in  FIG. 1 , and retracted position as shown in broken lines in  FIG. 1 . In other embodiments in the invention, the handle  22  is fixed and remains in the extended position. 
         [0024]    A tool box handle  24  is mounted to the tool box lid  44  via the handle brackets  25 . 
         [0025]    Several controls for the heater are mounted on the tool box portion  14 . For example, an on/off switch  26 , thermostat  28  and a warning light and/or reset button  30  are mounted on the tool box portion  14  of the housing  12 . 
         [0026]    The on/off switch  26  in some embodiments of the invention may be a simple toggle switch for supplying or denying power to the heating element  40  (see  FIG. 2 ). The thermostat  28  in some of the embodiments of the invention and as shown in  FIG. 1 , may be a rotating knob that can vary the intensity of heat out put from the heating element  40  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0027]    The warning light  30  and/or reset button  30  may be illuminated when power is supplied to the heating element  40  (see  FIG. 2 ). Some embodiments of the invention may be equipped with a safety device such as a tip switch. 
         [0028]    The tip switch will shut off the heating element  40  (see  FIG. 2 ), when an undesirable condition is detected such as the heater  10  being tipped at an unacceptable angle. In such instances the tip switch will cut off power to the heating element  40  (see  FIG. 2 ). Such embodiments may be equipped with a reset button  30  where an operator can push the reset button  30 , once the undesirable condition has been eliminated and restore power to the heating element  40  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0029]    in embodiments of the invention where the portable heater  10  is an electric heater, the heater  10  may be equipped with a power inlet  32 . The power inlet  32  may be a high voltage inlet configured to receive a high voltage power line such as a 220 volt line. Also mounting on heater  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , some embodiments of the invention may also be equipped with power outlets  34 . The power outlets  34  may be protected by outlet covers  36  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The power outlets  34  may be a standard power outlet delivering household voltage such as 120 voltage. In other embodiments of the invention, the voltages and outlets may be modified to conform with whatever power standards are used in the location where the portable heater  10  will be used. 
         [0030]    The examples stated above as the high voltage inlet being 240 and the standard being 120 volts, are merely mentioned as these are standard voltages for the United States. However, other voltages may be used in accordance of the invention. 
         [0031]    Located within the housing  10 , are wiring configurations to permit the power outlets  34  to be wired to the power inlet  32  in such a manner as to supply the voltages described above from power inleted to the power inlet  32 . Power obtained from the power inlet  32  in some embodiments of the invention, is also used to supply power to the heating element  40  ( FIG. 40 ). Thus, the power inlet  32  is operably connected to both the heating element  40  (see  FIG. 2 ) and the power outlet  34 . In embodiments of the invention where the warning light  30  is illuminated to indicate that power is being supplied to the heater  10 , the warning light  30  is also operatively connected to the power inlet  32  in order to supply the appropriate amount of power to the warning light  30 . 
         [0032]    The portable heater  10  is equipped with a grill  38  which protects the heating element  40  (see  FIG. 2 ), while at the same time allows air to pass in and out of the housing  12 . 
         [0033]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , a cutaway side view of the portable heater  10  is shown.  FIG. 2  illustrates the tool box lid  44  in an open position exposing the interior portion  42  of the tool box  14 . The lid  44  secured to the toolbox  14  with a hinge  46 . The hinge  46  may be any suitable hinge capable of securing the lid  44  to the tool box  14  and permitting the lid  44  to be raised and lowered as desired. The tools will be stored in the interior portion  42  of the tool box  14 . 
         [0034]    The heater portion  16  of the portable heater  10  includes a heating element  40 . The heating element  40 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , is a tubular shaped electric heating element A reflector  39  is configured to provide a conduit for air to flow through the heater  10  and to, in some embodiments, reflect the heat through the grill  38  and out into the environment in which the heater  10  is located. In some embodiments of the invention and as shown  FIG. 2 , insulation  41  may be located behind the reflector  39  providing insulation between the heater portion  16  and the tool box portion  14 . The insulation  41  my also be configured to permit the housing  12  to be cool enough as to avoid burning objects that come in contact with the housing  12 . 
         [0035]    In embodiments of the invention where the electric heater  10  is a forced air heater, a fan motor  43  and fan  45  are mounted in the heater  10  and configured to cause air to flow through the heater, the electric heating element  40  and through the grill  38 . 
         [0036]    The wheel  18  is connected to the heater  10  via an axle  48 . The axle  48  is in turn connected to the heater  10  by a series of brackets  50 . The handle  22  is attached to the portable heater  10  via brackets  51 . The heater  10  may be moved from place to place by a user grasping the handle  22 , pivoting the heater  10  about the axel  48  to lift the feet  20  to no longer be in contact with a floor and then wheeling the heater  10  to a desired location on the wheels  18 . 
         [0037]    When the heater  10  is in the desired location, the heater  10  may be rotated about the axle  48  until the feet  20  are again in contact with the floor. The feet  20  may be equipped on their ends with a rubber or plastic cup  53  that provides a skid-resistance surface to help keep the heater  10  in place once the feet  20  are in contact with the floor. The feet  20  are connected to the heater  10  via brackets  54  in some embodiments of the invention. In other embodiments of the invention, the feet  20  may be attached to the heater  10  in any suitable manner. 
         [0038]    In the embodiments of the invention where the handle  22  can be in a raised extended position or a lower retracted position as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the raising and lowering of the handle  22  may be accomplished by a telescoping portion of the handle  22  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  shows a larger diameter portion  58  of the handle tube  22 . A smaller diameter portion  52  of the handle fits inside the larger diameter portion  58  of the handle  22 . The difference in diameter permits the smaller diameter portion  52  to telescope within the larger diameter portion  22 . In order to secure the smaller diameter portion  52 , in a particular place within the larger diameter portion  22 , the small diameter portion  52  is equipped with spring loaded buttons  54 . 
         [0039]    The spring loaded buttons  54 , when they are aligned with holes  56  located in the larger diameter portion  58  of the handle  22 , extend through the holes  56  the buttons  54  extending through the holes  56  secure the small diameter portion  52  within the larger diameter portion  58  of the handle  22 . When it is desired to collapse the handle  22 , an operator may push in the spring loaded buttons  54  in through the holes  56 . Once the spring loaded buttons  54  have retreated inside the large diameter portion  58 , the small diameter portion  52  may telescope and move inside the large diameter portion  58  allowing the handle  22  to move to a retracted position. 
         [0040]    Other suitable means for allowing the handle  22  to move between an extended and retracted position, may also be done in accordance with the invention. The larger diameter portion  22  may also be equipped with several sets of holes  56  permitting the small diameter portion  52  to be secured within the large diameter portion  58  of the handle  22  at multitude of different positions as selected by a user. 
         [0041]      FIG. 4  shows a heater  10  with optional attachments  60 - 66 . A light  60  is mounted to the handle  22  and is plugged into the power outlet  34 . A battery charger  62  is also plugged into the power outlet  34 . The battery charger  62  can charge battery  64  for tools such as a cordless drill  66  or other tools. The power outlets  34  can be used for any other desired attachments in accordance with the invention. Attachments may include but are not limited to fans, blowers, saws, vacuums, drills, radios or any other electric device. 
         [0042]    The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5