当前申请(专利权)人地址：
Bridge Hall Barn, Hollies Road, Bradwell, Braintree, Essex, CM77 8DZ, United Kingdom
摘要：
An electric roofing torch 1 comprising a tubular body 2 having an upstream end 17a and a downstream end 17b, a fan unit 4 mounted in the tubular body 2 to drive a flow of air through the tubular body 2 and a heater tube comprising a heater matrix, the heater tube 5 being mounted in the tubular body 2 to heat the flow of air as it passes through the tubular body 2. The fan unit 4 comprises an electric vaneaxial fan which is mounted upstream of the heater tube 5. The fan unit 4 is mounted in the tubular body 2 to drive a flow of air through the tubular body 2 at velocity, pressure and volume that is sufficient for roofing operations such as laying roofing membranes, with zero carbon emissions. There is also provided a method of providing a working flow of hot air from the electric roofing torch 1 for such a roofing operation.
权利要求：
Claims
1. An electric roofing torch comprising:
a tubular body having an upstream end and a downstream end;
a fan unit mounted in the tubular body to drive a flow of air through the tubular body; and
a heater tube comprising a heater matrix, the heater tube being mounted in the tubular body to heat the flow of air as it passes through the tubular body,
wherein the fan unit comprises an electric vaneaxial fan which is mounted upstream of the heater tube.
2. The electric roofing torch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electric vaneaxial fan is a three-phase fan unit and the motor is arranged to operate at rotational speeds in excess of more than 15,000rpm, optionally more than 20,000rpm.
3. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fan unit comprises a fan housing and a fan core, the fan core comprising a stator core and an impeller, the impeller being arranged to rotate about a central axis of the electric roofing torch.
4. The electric roofing torch of claim 3, wherein the impeller is provided with a plurality of blades, the impeller being arranged upstream of a plurality of vanes, the plurality of vanes extending between a radially inner surface of the fan housing and a radially outer surface of the fan core.
5. The electric roofing torch of claim 4, wherein the stator core houses a motor for driving the impeller.
6. The electric roofing torch of claim 4 or 5, wherein the impeller blades each comprise a leading edge and a trailing edge, and wherein the trailing edges of the blades have been machined back to provide a cylindrical cut-away profile.
7. The roofing torch as claimed in claim 6, wherein the trailing edge of each blade comprises a radially outer, rectangular cut-away portion and a radially inner, extended rib portion that blends to a domed outer surface of a hub of the impeller.
8. The roofing torch as claimed in claim 7, wherein the trailing edge of the cut- away portion is provided by a flat circumferentially extending trailing surface that extends between pressure and suction surfaces of the blade.
9. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any of claims 4 to 8, wherein there are between 5 and 15 vanes extending between the radially inner surface and the radially outer surface of the core flow path.
10. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tubular body comprises a double-walled structure comprising an inner tube and an outer tube, the inner tube housing the heater tube and providing a conduit for the flow of air between an upstream end of the inner tube and a downstream end of the inner tube.
11. The electric roofing torch as claimed in claim 10, wherein the outer tube provides a housing for the electric roofing torch, the housing being configured to shield an operator from heat from the heater tube during use.
12. The electric roofing torch as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the inner tube is shorter than the outer tube and the fan unit is located within an upstream end of the outer tube extending between the upstream end of the outer tube and an upstream end of the inner tube.
13. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12,.wherein the heater tube is housed within the inner tube of the tubular body, the heater matrix comprising heater elements extending longitudinally within the heater tube and arranged to extend into the flow of air which passes through the electric roofing torch when in use.
14. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the fan housing provides a fan inlet which protrudes beyond the upstream end of the outer tube and a fan outlet that is arranged within the inner tube upstream of the heater tube.
15. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the outer surface of the fan housing comprises a bridging section at a downstream end, which bridges across an annular space between the outer tube and the inner tube of
the tubular housing; the bridging section having an outer diameter dimension that reduces in a downstream, axial direction to bridge from the outer tube to the inner tube of the tubular housing.
16. The electric roofing torch as claimed in claim 15, wherein the outer surface of the fan housing comprises an annular seat of reduced diameter at the downstream end for seating within the inner tube of the tubular housing.
17. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any of claims 10 to 16, wherein a downstream end of the fan unit supports the upstream end of the inner tube within the outer tube.
18. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the heater tube comprises a tubular support for a plurality of electric heater elements, the tubular support being made of mica.
19. The electric roofing torch as claimed in claim 18, wherein the plurality of electric heater elements comprises six resistance circuits.
20. The electric roofing torch as claimed in claim 18 or 19, wherein the plurality of electric heater elements are arranged in a hexagonal configuration when viewed axially.
21. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a carriage mounted on an outer surface of the tubular body, the carriage providing a sling for carrying the electric roofing torch on an arm of an operator.
22. The electric roofing torch as claimed in claim 21, wherein the carriage comprises a control for the operator to control the temperature, volume and/or pressure of the flow to be delivered for the roofing operation.
23. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a delivery nozzle fitted to a nozzle outlet provided on the downstream end of the tubular body to direct hot air from the nozzle outlet of the tubular body for use in a roofing application,
24. The electric roofing torch as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the electric roofing torch comprises a hanging bracket provided on an underside of the electric roofing torch, the hanging bracket being configured to provide a provide a foot for when the electric roofing torch rests on the ground.
25. A method of providing a working flow of hot air from an electric roofing torch for a roofing operation using comprising:
generating a flow of air within a tubular body of an electric roofing torch, heating the flow of air using an electric heater matrix mounted in the tubular body of the electric roofing torch to heat the flow of air as it passes through the tubular body from an upstream end to a downstream end of the tubular body,
wherein the flow is generated by an electric vaneaxial fan which is mounted upstream of the heater tube.