electric heater

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, specifically to an electric heater. The electric heater includes: a heater body; a tilt switch, disposed on the heater body and having an open and closed state, wherein the tilt switch is in the open state when the heater body is tilted; and a locking part, disposed on the heater body, having a locked and unlocked state. When the locking part is in the locked state, it abuts against the tilt switch and locks the tilt switch in the closed state; when the locking part is in the unlocked state, it separates from the tilt switch. When moving the electric heater, the locking part is adjusted to the locked state, abutting against the tilt switch and locking the tilt switch in the closed state. The electric heater continues to heat normally, remaining operational throughout the movement. Moving the electric heater does not affect its operation, the time required to reach the preset temperature is short, it can be moved freely without power interruption, making it more convenient and versatile to use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, specifically to an electric heater. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, electric heaters have become increasingly popular, and ensuring safety performance is an important evaluation criterion for household appliances. At the same time, cost control is also an unavoidable indicator for designers.

[0003] In existing technology, electric heaters are equipped with a tilt switch to prevent them from tipping over. The operation of the electric heater is controlled by the signal from the tilt switch. For example, when the tilt switch is in the normally closed state, the electric heater can operate normally, that is, it can heat normally. When the electric heater is lifted, the tilt switch is in the normally open state, and the electric heater cannot work normally, thus protecting the electric heater. However, when the electric heater is lifted and moved, it is also in a power-off state. After being moved into place, the electric heater restarts heating. For users, the electric heater cannot heat up during the moving process, and it takes a long time to reach the preset temperature, which is inconvenient to use and affects the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defect that electric heaters in the prior art cannot generate heat when moved, which makes them inconvenient to use, and thus provide an electric heater.

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides an electric heater, comprising: a heater body; a tilt switch disposed on the heater body and having an open state and a closed state, wherein the tilt switch is in the open state when the heater body is tilted; and a locking part disposed on the heater body, having a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein when the locking part is in the locked state, the locking part abuts against the tilt switch and locks the tilt switch in the closed state, and when the locking part is in the unlocked state, the locking part separates from the tilt switch.

[0006] Optionally, the locking part includes a movable member that is movably mounted on the electric heater body. One end of the movable member forms an operating end and the other end forms an abutment end, which can selectively abut against the tilt switch.

[0007] Optionally, the locking part also includes an elastic element disposed between the movable part and the heater body, the elastic element providing an elastic force to keep the movable part in the locked state.

[0008] Optionally, the movable part is a swingable swinging part. The extension and retraction direction of the elastic part and the swing axis of the swinging part are the same as the movement direction of the contacts of the tilt switch. When the swinging part is in the unlocked state, under the action of the elastic part, the bottom surface of the swinging part is higher than the ground surface of the electric heater body and the bottom surface when the tilt switch is in the closed state.

[0009] Optionally, the swing element includes a knob and a swing arm. The electric heater body has a mounting through hole along its height direction. The upper end of the swing arm extends into the mounting through hole from one end, and the lower end of the knob extends into the mounting through hole from the upper end and is connected to the upper end of the swing arm.

[0010] Optionally, a limiting block is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the knob, and a positioning groove is provided on the main body of the electric heater that communicates with the mounting through hole. The limiting block and the positioning groove are set in correspondence to position the swing component.

[0011] Optionally, a limiting plate is provided on the abutting end, which is suitable for limiting the swinging component.

[0012] Optionally, a guide ramp is provided on the side of the contact end facing the tilt switch.

[0013] Optionally, the moving part is a moving part that moves in a horizontal direction, and / or the electric heater body includes a base, a tilt switch and a locking part are disposed on the base.

[0014] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0015] 1. When the electric heater needs to be moved, adjust the locking part to the locked state. The locking part abuts against the tilt switch, which can lock the tilt switch in the closed state. At this time, the electric heater can heat normally, so that the electric heater is always working during the movement. Moving the electric heater does not affect its operation. The time required to reach the preset temperature is short. It can be moved at will without power interruption, making it more convenient to use, versatile, and improving the user experience.

[0016] 2. The user operates the moving part to switch the locking part between the unlocked and locked states, thereby selectively locking the tilt switch in the closed state. The locking part can achieve the desired effect with the simplest mechanical structure, indirectly saving costs.

[0017] 3. When the swinging part is in the unlocked state, under the action of the elastic part, the bottom surface of the swinging part is higher than the ground surface of the electric heater body, which can ensure that the electric heater body is placed stably on the ground. Attached Figure Description

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the specific embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 A partial perspective view of an electric heater according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0020] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 An enlarged schematic diagram of point A on the electric heater;

[0021] Figure 3 Shown Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of an electric heater from another angle;

[0022] Figure 4 Shown Figure 3 Enlarged schematic diagram of point B on the electric heater;

[0023] Figure 5 Shown Figure 1 A diagram showing an electric heater viewed from below;

[0024] Figure 6 Shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an electric heater with its locking mechanism in the unlocked state;

[0025] Figure 7 Shown Figure 6 A cross-sectional diagram of an electric heater when lifted;

[0026] Figure 8 Shown Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the electric heater's oscillating component swinging to the position below the tilt switch;

[0027] Figure 9 Shown Figure 8 A cross-sectional diagram showing the oscillating component of an electric heater pressing down on the contacts of a tilt switch;

[0028] Figure 10 Shown Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a horizontally cut-out electric heater;

[0029] Figure 11 Shown Figure 10 An enlarged schematic diagram of point C on the electric heater.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] 10. Electric heater body; 11. Base; 111. Mounting through hole; 112. Positioning groove; 20. Tilting switch; 21. Contact; 30. Locking part; 31. Swinging part; 311. Knob; 3111. Limiting block; 312. Swing arm; 3121. Limiting plate; 3122. Guide slope; 32. Elastic part. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0036] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the electric heater in this embodiment includes: a heater body 10, a tilt switch 20, and a locking part 30. The tilt switch 20 is disposed on the heater body 10 and has an open state and a closed state. When the heater body 10 is tilted, the tilt switch 20 is in the open state. The locking part 30 is disposed on the heater body 10 and has a locked state and an unlocked state. When the locking part 30 is in the locked state, the locking part 30 abuts against the tilt switch 20 and locks the tilt switch 20 in the closed state. When the locking part 30 is in the unlocked state, the locking part 30 is separated from the tilt switch 20, and the locking part 30 is no longer locking the tilt switch 20. It should be noted that the closed state means that the two contacts of the tilt switch are conductive, which can also be called the normally closed state. The open state means that the two contacts of the tilt switch are disconnected, which can also be called the normally open state. When the tilt switch 20 is in the open state, the electric heater is de-energized.

[0037] When the electric heater of this embodiment needs to be moved, the locking part 30 is adjusted to the locked state. The locking part 30 abuts against the tilt switch 20, which can lock the tilt switch 20 in the closed state. At this time, the electric heater can heat normally, so that the electric heater is always in working state during the movement. Moving the electric heater does not affect the operation of the electric heater. The time required to reach the preset temperature is short. It can be moved at will without power interruption, making it more convenient to use, more versatile, and improving the user experience.

[0038] Specifically, the tilt switch is connected to the power supply circuit of the electric heater body 10, or the main board of the electric heater body 10 controls the power supply circuit of the electric heater body 10 according to the signal from the tilt switch. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the locking part 30 is located on one side of the circumference of the tilt switch 20 to prevent the locking part 30 from being locked in the tilt switch.

[0039] In this embodiment, as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the locking part 30 includes a movable member movably mounted on the heater body 10. One end of the movable member forms an operating end, and the other end forms an abutment end, which can selectively abut against the tilt switch 20. The user operates the movable member to switch the locking part between an unlocked state and a locked state, thereby selectively locking the tilt switch 20 in the closed state. The locking part achieves the desired effect using the simplest mechanical structure, indirectly saving costs. It is understood that, as an alternative implementation, the locking part can also be a lock, where a key is inserted into the lock hole, and turning the key causes the bolt to extend and press against the contact 21. Any structure that can lock the tilt switch 20 in the closed state when the heater is moved is acceptable and is not limited to this.

[0040] Specifically, the locking part 30 also includes an elastic element 32, which is disposed between the movable part and the heater body 10. The elastic element 32 provides an elastic force to keep the movable part in the locked state. The elastic element 32 allows the locking part 30 to remain in either the locked or unlocked state at all times; the movable part only switches between the locked and unlocked states when it is operated. It is understood that the elastic element 32 may not be included; any structure that allows the movable part to move and locks the tilt switch is acceptable, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0041] In this embodiment, as Figures 7 to 9As shown, the movable component is a swinging component 31. The extension and retraction direction of the elastic component 32 and the swing axis of the swinging component 31 are the same as the movement direction of the contact 21 of the tilt switch 20. When the swinging component 31 is in the unlocked state, under the action of the elastic component, the bottom surface of the swinging component 31 is higher than the ground surface of the electric heater body 10 and the bottom surface of the tilt switch 20 when it is in the closed state, which can ensure that the electric heater body is placed stably on the ground. The swinging component 31 can move up and down along the height direction of the electric heater and can swing. The elastic component 32 provides an upward elastic force for the swinging component 31. The upper end of the elastic component abuts or is fixedly connected to the swinging component 31, and the lower end of the elastic component abuts or is fixedly connected to the electric heater body 10. When the swing element 31 is in the unlocked state, it is located on one side of the circumference of the tilt switch 20. When moving the electric heater, first lift the electric heater, and the tilt switch 20 switches from the closed state to the open state. Press down on the operating end of the swing element 31 and rotate it by a preset angle. The abutting end of the swing element can swing to the bottom of the tilt switch 20 and then abut against the contact 21 of the tilt switch 20. At this time, the elastic element is compressed. Release the swing element 31, and under the upward elastic force of the elastic element, the swing element 31 presses up on the contact 21 of the tilt switch 20, so that the tilt switch 20 switches from the open state to the closed state again. During the process of moving the electric heater, the tilt switch 20 is always in the closed state, which effectively solves the problem of the electric heater stopping working when moving the electric heater, making it more convenient to use the electric heater.

[0042] It should be noted that the swing axis of the oscillating component is along the height direction of the electric heater, which is also the vertical direction. Here, "vertical" and "upper" refer to... Figure 6 The direction indicated by the middle arrow: "up" or "down".

[0043] It is understood that, as an alternative implementation, the movable part is a horizontally moving part. By pressing the movable part, the movable part is kept between a locked state and an unlocked state. For example, when it is necessary to move the electric heater, the movable part is pressed inward once, and the abutting end moves to abut against and press against the contact 21 of the tilt switch, so that the tilt switch is in the closed state and the locking part is in the locked state. Then the electric heater is lifted and moved. After the electric heater is moved into place, the movable part is pressed inward once more, and the abutting end moves to one side of the tilt switch, the locking part is in the unlocked state, and the locking part no longer locks the tilt switch 20. The structure of the movable part can be a push rod or a push plate, which will not be described in detail here.

[0044] In this embodiment, the swing member 31 includes a knob 311 and a swing arm 312. The electric heater body 10 has a mounting through hole 111 along its height direction. The upper end of the swing arm 312 extends into the mounting through hole 111 from one end, and the lower end of the knob 311 extends into the mounting through hole 111 from the upper end and connects to the upper end of the swing arm 312. The knob 311 and the swing arm 312 are connected together after being inserted from both ends of the mounting through hole 111, which is convenient for assembly and easy to implement. The mounting through hole 111 is a stepped hole, and an elastic element is sleeved on the upper end of the swing arm 312. The lower end of the elastic element abuts between the stepped surface of the mounting through hole 111 and the lower end of the knob 311. Specifically, the swing arm 312 is L-shaped, etc.

[0045] Specifically, the elastic element is a spring or elastic sleeve, which is convenient to use and has low cost.

[0046] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, a limiting block 3111 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the knob 311, and a positioning groove 112 communicating with the mounting through hole 111 is provided on the electric heater body 10. The limiting block 3111 is correspondingly set with the positioning groove 112 to position the swing member 31. When the abutting end is located on one side of the contact 21 of the tilt switch 20, the limiting block 3111 corresponds to the side wall of the positioning groove 112. When the knob is pressed down, the limiting block 3111 of the knob 311 approaches the side wall of the positioning groove 112 (e.g., Figure 11 (As shown), then rotate knob 311. The limiting block 3111 of knob 311 moves in positioning groove 112. When the limiting block 3111 abuts against the side wall on the other side of positioning groove 112, it means that knob 311 has been rotated to the correct position. At this time, knob 311 can be released. Under the action of elastic element, knob 311 is pushed out. The position of swinging element 31 can be determined by the cooperation of limiting block 3111 and positioning groove 112, thereby improving the accuracy of locking tilt switch 20.

[0047] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 and Figure 8As shown, a limiting plate 3121 is provided on the abutting end. The limiting plate 3121 is suitable for limiting the swing member 31. After the swing member 31 is rotated by a preset angle, the limiting plate 3121 is blocked by the contact 21 of the tilt switch 20. At this time, it indicates that the swing member 31 has rotated to the correct position and cannot continue to rotate. This prevents the swing member 31 from rotating too much or too little and failing to lock the tilt switch 20, thus locking the tilt switch 20 more accurately. The limiting plate 3121, the limiting block 3111, and the positioning groove 112 can play a dual protection role. It can be understood that the limiting plate 3121 can also be omitted, with only the limiting block 3111 and the positioning groove 112 provided, or the limiting block 3111 and the positioning groove 112 can also be omitted, with only the limiting plate 3121 provided.

[0048] In this embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, a guide slope 3122 is provided on the side of the abutment end facing the tilt switch 20. The guide slope 3122 serves as a guide, making it easier for the abutment end to press against the contact 21 of the tilt switch 20.

[0049] In this embodiment, if Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown, the electric heater body 10 includes a base 11, a tilt switch 20, and a locking part 30, all mounted on the base 11. When the base 11 is placed on the ground, the contact 21 of the tilt switch 20 is pressed down by the ground, and the tilt switch 20 is in a closed state. When the electric heater is lifted, the contact 21 of the tilt switch extends from the base 11, and the tilt switch is in an open state. At this time, the bottom surface of the contact 21 is lower than the ground surface of the base 11. The contact 21 of the tilt switch 20 can also be called a push rod, meaning the tilt switch 20 is a push rod type tilt switch.

[0050] In this embodiment, the electric heater is a portable electric heater, that is, the base of the electric heater does not have wheels, and the electric heater is moved by the user manually lifting it.

[0051] Specifically, the electric heater is a fan heater, which can be a tower fan heater or a small electric heater, etc.

[0052] The following is combined with Figures 6 to 9 Instructions for using a tower-type warm air heater:

[0053] When the user does not need to move the heater, the locking part is in the unlocked state, the spring applies an upward force to the knob 311, and the bottom surface of the swing arm 312 is always higher than the contact surface of the base 11 (e.g., Figure 6 As shown), ensure the base is placed stably on the ground so as not to affect the normal operation of the heater. During use, the tilt switch 20 is pushed up by the ground, and is in the normally closed state (as shown). Figure 6 As shown), the machine can operate normally; when the heater is lifted, the tilt switch 20 returns to its original state, at which point the tilt switch is in the normally open state (as shown). Figure 7 (As shown), and the heater is not working.

[0054] When the user needs to move the heater, first lift the heater (e.g., Figure 7 As shown), the tilt switch switches from the normally closed state to the normally open state, then a downward force is applied to knob 311, the spring is compressed, and the entire swing arm moves downward. Simultaneously, knob 311 is rotated (as shown). Figure 8 As shown), when the bottom surface of the swing arm is flush with or slightly lower than the bottom surface of the tilt switch, the guide slope of the swing arm presses the tilt switch 20 upward. Even when the tilt switch is lifted, as it transitions from the normally closed to the normally open state, the abutting end of the swing arm presses against the tilt switch, using the spring force itself to press the tilt switch upward (as shown). Figure 9 As shown in the figure, the tilt switch switches from the normally open state to the normally closed state, so that the tilt switch is always in the normally closed state when the heater is moved, the heater can always be in working state, and the user can move the heater at will, making it more convenient for the user.

[0055] It should be noted that, in Figure 11 When the limiting block 3111 of the knob 311 corresponds to the right side of the positioning groove 112, the locking part is in the unlocked state. Press the knob 311 down and rotate it. When the limiting block 3111 of the knob 311 abuts against the left side wall of the positioning groove 112, it means that the knob 311 has been rotated to the correct position.

[0056] The position of the swing arm 312 is controlled by knob 311. The locking mechanism is similar to a mechanical switch. Manually operating knob 311 uses the spring force to fix the swing arm 312 in its final state. When knob 311 and swing arm 312 are in the unlocked state (i.e., the normal state), no force is applied to knob 311. At this time, knob 311 and swing arm 312 are... Figure 6 To use knob 311, a downward force must be applied while simultaneously rotating knob 311 to achieve the desired state. Figure 8 The positional relationship between the swing arm 312 and the knob 311 is such that when the swing arm 312 needs to be used, it should be adjusted according to the above operating method to achieve the desired state. Figure 8 At this position, the spring force is used to retract the swing arm, which will press the tilt switch (e.g., Figure 9 (As shown), this makes the whole machine work. Using the simplest mechanical switch achieves the desired effect and indirectly saves costs.

[0057] As can be seen from the above description, the embodiments of the present invention achieve the following technical effects:

[0058] When moving the portable heater, the lever of the tilt switch under the base is pressed upward by the tilt arm structure formed by the knob 311, spring and tilt arm 312, so that the tilt switch is in the normally closed state. When moving the heater, the tilt switch of the heater remains in the closed state, and the heater can always be in working state, making the use of the heater more diversified. Users can move it at will without interrupting the power supply, making it more convenient and flexible for users, and solving the limitation of power outage when moving the heater.

[0059] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. An electric heater, characterized in that, include: Electric heater body (10); A tilt switch (20) is provided on the electric heater body (10) and has an open state and a closed state. When the electric heater body (10) is tilted, the tilt switch (20) is in the open state. A locking part (30) is provided on the electric heater body (10). The locking part (30) has a locked state and an unlocked state. When the locking part (30) is in the locked state, the locking part (30) abuts against the tilt switch (20) and locks the tilt switch (20) in the closed state. When the locking part (30) is in the unlocked state, the locking part (30) separates from the tilt switch (20). The locking part includes a movable member that is movably disposed on the electric heater. One end of the movable member forms an operating end, and the other end forms an abutment end. The abutment end can selectively abut against the tilt switch, and the user operates the movable member to switch the locking part between an unlocked state and a locked state.

2. The electric heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking part (30) also includes an elastic element (32) disposed between the movable part and the electric heater body (10), and the elastic element (32) provides the movable part with an elastic force to maintain it in the locked state.

3. The electric heater according to claim 2, characterized in that, The movable part is a swingable swinging part (31). The extension and retraction direction of the elastic element (32), the swing axis of the swinging part (31) and the movement direction of the contact (21) of the tilt switch (20) are the same. When the swinging part (31) is in the unlocked state, under the action of the elastic element, the bottom surface of the swinging part (31) is higher than the ground surface of the electric heater body (10) and the bottom surface of the tilt switch (20) when it is in the closed state.

4. The electric heater according to claim 3, characterized in that, The swing element (31) includes a knob (311) and a swing arm (312). The electric heater body (10) is provided with a mounting through hole (111) along its height direction. The upper end of the swing arm (312) extends into the mounting through hole (111) from one end of the mounting through hole (111). The lower end of the knob (311) extends into the mounting through hole (111) from the upper end of the mounting through hole (111) and is connected to the upper end of the swing arm (312).

5. The electric heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, The knob (311) has a limiting block (3111) on its outer peripheral surface. The electric heater body (10) has a positioning groove (112) that communicates with the mounting through hole (111). The limiting block (3111) and the positioning groove (112) are correspondingly arranged to position the swing member (31).

6. The electric heater according to claim 3, characterized in that, The abutting end is provided with a limiting plate (3121), which is adapted to limit the swinging member (31).

7. The electric heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The abutment end is provided with a guide slope (3122) on the side facing the tilt switch (20).

8. The electric heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable component is a component that moves in the horizontal direction.

9. The electric heater according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The electric heater body (10) includes a base (11), the tilt switch (20) and the locking part (30) are disposed on the base (11), and / or the electric heater is a portable electric heater.

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