Patent ID: 7686011

Claim:
A modular heating unit for burning a pelletized fuel and adapted to be mounted in a window of an existing building, comprising: (a) a burn chamber housing with an interior and an exterior, the housing having a burn chamber in the interior of the housing and heat radiating fins along the exterior of the housing for facilitating the heating of the air surrounding the housing, the housing defining a combustion air inlet for receiving combustion air into the burn chamber and a flue gas outlet for expelling a flue gas from the burn chamber; (b) a first blower for creating an airflow effective to induce a first airflow between the combustion air inlet and the flue gas outlet; (c) a burn pot mounted within the burn chamber for receiving the pelletized fuel; (d) a window mounting apparatus for mounting the heating unit on the window, the window mounting apparatus having a substantially planar interior support portion which extends horizontally into the building when the heating unit is mounted on the window, the interior support portion effective thereon to support the housing inside the window; a substantially planar exterior support portion which extends horizontally away from the building when the heating unit is mounted on the window; and a step portion connected between the exterior support portion and the interior support portion, the step portion extending vertically and engaging the outside of the building when the heating unit is mounted on the window, the interior support portion vertically elevated with respect to the exterior support member when the heating unit is mounted on the window; (e) a room air passage surrounding a portion of the exterior of the housing; (f) a second blower effective to induce a second airflow through the room air passage, the second airflow being exclusive of the first airflow, wherein air from inside the building is heated by the housing and expelled into the building; (g) a hopper effective to store pelletized fuel, the exterior support portion effective thereon to support the hopper outside the building when the heating unit is mounted on the window; (h) an incline plane connected to the hopper and extending inside the building when the heating unit is mounted on the window; and (i) an auger connected to the hopper and effective to deliver pelletized fuel stored in the hopper to the interior of the burn chamber.