Heating device

Abstract

The heating device (10) comprises a box-shaped casing (11) formed by a plurality of walls (15) and is provided with an air inlet (12) and an air outlet (13) which define a direction of travel (A) of an air flow (F); inside said casing (11) there is an elongated heating member (19) which is arranged transversely to the direction of travel (A) between two opposite first walls (15a, 15b) of said plurality of walls (15).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a heating device, preferably a wall-mounted or portable type, which can be applied to the field of household appliances for heating homes or workplaces. Background Technology

[0002] Heating devices such as electric radiators and electric convection heaters are well-known and are commonly used to heat rooms, hallways, or similar spaces, whether for residential or office use.

[0003] These known heating devices typically consist of a box-shaped housing with an opening at the bottom and an opening at the top, inside which are arranged several resistors; when the resistors are activated, they heat the air inside the box-shaped housing, thereby inducing natural convection and sending the hot air into the space to be heated.

[0004] A known drawback of the heating device is that, during stable operation, the temperature rise in the upper part of the casing is much greater than that in the lower part. Therefore, the upper temperature can even exceed 100°C, while the lower temperature is only slightly above room temperature. This is because the air flowing through the box-shaped casing is gradually heated as it rises from the lower opening to the upper opening.

[0005] This defect makes known heating devices particularly dangerous, increasing the risk of burns if a user touches the upper part of the heating device's box-like casing.

[0006] Uneven heat distribution on the outer wall of the heating device can reduce or cause uneven heat transfer to the space through radiation, thereby reducing user comfort.

[0007] Uneven heat transfer within a space can cause thermal stratification, resulting in temperatures at the floor level being significantly lower than those at mid-height or ceiling levels. This problem is particularly pronounced in Asian countries like Japan, where traditional activities often take place on or near the floor, necessitating even heating of rooms, especially the lower areas.

[0008] US Patent 5197111A describes a convection heating device suitable for wall mounting. The device has an air inlet on the front wall and includes multiple finned heating elements arranged in a stepped manner or aligned with each other in a horizontal direction. This allows the hot air rising above each heating element to cause the airflow rising above the adjacent heating element to flow outward from the outlet slot and away from the wall, so as to avoid marks on the wall and damage to the coating.

[0009] Document NL43409C describes a convection heating device suitable for wall placement. The device has an air inlet and an air outlet on the front wall. During use, the front wall will be moved away from the wall, and heating components are centrally located at the lower part of the heating device.

[0010] Document KR101258199Bl describes a convection electric boiler comprising multiple heat exchange chambers equipped with electric heaters, which are sequentially separated and connected to achieve progressive heat exchange, wherein the electric heaters are arranged in such a way that they can rotate circumferentially between the inlet and outlet.

[0011] None of the above solutions can effectively heat the area near the floor or the area near the surface where the heating device is placed.

[0012] Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve a heating device to overcome at least one of the shortcomings of the existing technology.

[0013] Therefore, the technical challenge that needs to be solved is to reduce the maximum temperature of the upper part of the heating device shell under steady-state conditions without affecting the heating efficiency.

[0014] One object of the present invention is to provide a heating device that can limit the maximum temperature at which its outer casing is heated to a level that is less dangerous to the user.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a heating device that can improve the temperature distribution on the outer wall surface of its casing, thereby improving the uniformity of heating of the surrounding space.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide a heating device that can radiate heat into the surrounding space, even at the corresponding position at the lower part of the heating device.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a heating device that optimizes convective and radiative heat transfer in order to accelerate and uniformly heat the surrounding space.

[0018] The applicant designed, tested and implemented the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to achieve the above-mentioned objectives and other beneficial effects. Summary of the Invention

[0019] The invention is set forth and described in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other features of the invention or variations of the main inventive concept.

[0020] To achieve the above objectives and solve the aforementioned technical problems in a novel and unique manner, while gaining significant advantages compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a heating device for home and workplace heating. The device includes: a box-shaped shell with a cavity formed by multiple side walls, an air inlet at the bottom of the shell and an air outlet at the top, the air inlet and the air outlet defining the direction of airflow; wherein the cavity contains separate and independent heating components, which are elongated and arranged laterally relative to the direction of airflow between two opposing first main walls.

[0021] According to one aspect of the invention, the heating element is arranged along the direction of travel and distributed at different heights, and the distance between it and at least one first main wall gradually increases from the air inlet.

[0022] With the above-described configuration, the heating device of the present invention can improve the temperature distribution on the outer wall of the housing, increase the temperature in the lower region, and thereby improve the heating uniformity of the surrounding space, especially suitable for areas near the floor.

[0023] In some embodiments, the heating elements are substantially parallel to each other and to the sidewalls.

[0024] According to one aspect of the invention, at least one first heating element is disposed in the lower half of the housing, preferably near the bottom of the housing.

[0025] According to one aspect of the invention, at least one second heating member is disposed in the upper half of the housing, separated from and spaced apart from the first heating member, preferably near the top.

[0026] According to one aspect of the invention, the distance between the air inlet and the two first main walls gradually increases from the air inlet to the air outlet.

[0027] According to another aspect of the invention, the heating device includes a heat distribution mechanism formed by at least one shielding element disposed between the first main wall and the heating member.

[0028] According to another aspect of the invention, at least one shielding element is provided with a solid portion having a plurality of openings.

[0029] According to another aspect of the invention, at least one shielding element may also be provided with at least one reinforcing part.

[0030] According to another aspect of the invention, the ratio of the surface area of ​​the solid portion to the total surface area of ​​an ideal shielding element having the same external dimensions (length, width) and being pore-free can be between about 0.1 and about 0.45, preferably between about 0.15 and about 0.35.

[0031] According to another aspect of the invention, the ratio of the volume of the solid portion to the total volume of an ideal shielding element having the same external dimensions (length, width, and thickness) and being pore-free can be between about 0.05 and about 0.3, preferably between about 0.1 and about 0.25.

[0032] According to another aspect of the invention, the heating members are preferably arranged in a configuration symmetrical with respect to the central plane between the first main walls, wherein the symmetrical configuration is in the form of an isosceles triangle or trapezoid.

[0033] According to another aspect of the invention, each heating element preferably has a tubular U-shape, with its two elongated arms connected to at least one second wall of a plurality of walls, wherein the heating elements are vertically aligned and overlap. In particular, each heating element is preferably arranged such that its arms are vertically aligned and overlap.

[0034] According to another aspect of the invention, the heating elements are divided into at least two different groups, wherein each group includes at least one heating element and is disposed at a certain position along the height of the housing.

[0035] According to another aspect of the invention, at least one group is arranged in the lower half of the housing, particularly near the bottom; and at least one group is arranged in the upper half of the housing, particularly near the top.

[0036] In some embodiments, there are at least three sets of heating elements, two of which are arranged in the lower half of the housing, preferably one set near the bottom of the housing and the other set arranged in the middle region.

[0037] In some embodiments, at least one shielding element is disposed corresponding to the second group of the above-described groups, which is located between the air inlet and the air outlet.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the heating components are divided into three groups, and the shielding elements are arranged corresponding to the second group, which is located between the first group and the second group.

[0039] According to one aspect of the invention, the two arms of a set of heating elements are respectively located above or below the corresponding heights of the two arms of the preceding or following set of heating elements.

[0040] According to another aspect of the invention, the vertical distance or gap between the two heating elements in the above group gradually increases along the height of the heating device in the direction of travel from the air inlet to the air outlet.

[0041] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the heating device may include independent and different power supply devices to autonomously power each group of heating components.

[0042] According to other embodiments of the invention, the heating device may include independent and different power supply devices to simultaneously power at least one heating element of the second group and at least one heating element of the first group; the heating elements of the first group are closer to the air inlet than those of the other groups. According to one embodiment of the invention, the heating elements of the first and second groups that are simultaneously energized are preferably arranged in an "alternating" manner, that is, closer to one and the other of the two first main walls of the heating device housing, respectively.

[0043] Some embodiments of the present invention relate to an operating method of a heating device, wherein airflow flows from an air inlet through a box-shaped housing formed by multiple walls and sweeps over a heating member along the direction of travel, and flows toward an air outlet, wherein the heating member is elongated and arranged inside the housing, and is laterally arranged between two opposing first main walls of the multiple walls relative to the direction of travel; the heating member is located at different heights along the direction of travel, and the distance between the heating member and at least one first main wall gradually increases from the air inlet. Attached Figure Description

[0044] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings (which are by way of non-limiting example only).

[0045] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the heating device according to the present invention, wherein a portion of the housing is cut out to show the internal structure.

[0046] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the heating device shown.

[0047] Figure 3a , Figure 3b schematically shown Figure 2 The heating components are identified by the letters "A", "B", and "C" to illustrate their different driving methods.

[0048] Figure 4 It is a 3D diagram, showing Figure 1 and Figure 2 A feasible implementation of the shielding element visible in the image.

[0049] It should be noted that the wording and terminology used in this specification, as well as the illustrations in the accompanying drawings, are only for better illustration and explanation of the invention, and are intended to provide non-limiting examples of the invention. The scope of protection is defined by the claims.

[0050] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used to identify the same general parts in the figures. It is understood that the parts and features of one embodiment can be readily combined or incorporated into other embodiments without further explanation. Detailed Implementation

[0051] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the heating device 10 according to the present invention is mainly designed to provide heating for a home or workspace through both radiation and convection. More specifically, the heating device 10 can be an electric radiator or an electric convection device, or a device that combines the characteristics of both. Therefore, the heating device 10 can be a convection radiator type device.

[0052] The heating device 10 includes a housing 11, preferably box-shaped, which has an air inlet 12 and an air outlet 13.

[0053] The height of the air inlet 12 is lower than that of the air outlet 13, and it is preferably opposite to, facing and aligned with the air outlet 13 in the vertical direction.

[0054] In other words, the air inlet 12 is located at the bottom of the housing 11, and the air outlet 13 is located at the top of the housing 11.

[0055] The housing 11 may be provided with support elements, such as feet, casters, or conventional supports, for example, located near the air inlet 12, so that the heating device 10 can be placed on the floor of the room.

[0056] The air inlet 12 and the air outlet 13 are in fluid communication, and their relative positions define the basic straight-line direction A of the airflow F from the air inlet 12 to the air outlet 13.

[0057] Filter elements in the form of grilles, screens, or other similar components can be configured in a known manner to cooperate with the air inlet 12 and the air outlet 13.

[0058] For example, the housing 11 may include four walls 15, preferably made of metal, such as aluminum or steel, which are connected to each other to form a box with a rectangular tubular cross-section, with openings corresponding to the air inlet 12 and the air outlet 13.

[0059] Since the shell 11 is essentially a hollow structure, there is no need to strictly ensure structural integrity. Assembly is simple, with fewer parts, and the wall 15 can be made thin and light. The heating device 10 heats up extremely quickly, providing users with instant heating; at the same time, it is lighter in weight, allowing users to place it anywhere in the room.

[0060] The housing 11 may include two opposing first walls or main walls 15a, 15b, which extend relatively long; and two opposing second walls or top walls 15c, 15d, which extend relatively short and are substantially perpendicular to the two main walls 15a, 15b. Each top wall 15c, 15d is connected to the two main walls 15a, 15b.

[0061] The height H of the wall 15 is basically the same, and can be basically equal to the distance between the air inlet 12 and the air outlet 13.

[0062] The distance between the main walls 15a and 15b defines the width W of the heating device 10, while the distance between the top walls 15c and 15d defines the depth T of the heating device 10.

[0063] The two main walls 15a and 15b can be parallel to each other or slightly inclined to each other. For example, the two main walls 15a and 15b can converge towards the air outlet 13. Figure 2This creates a Venturi effect on the airflow F passing through the interior of the housing 11. In this case, at least the width W of the housing 11 can vary linearly along its height H.

[0064] In some embodiments, in addition to the main walls 15a and 15b, the top walls 15c and 15d can also be retracted toward the air outlet 13.

[0065] However, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the number of walls 15 of the housing 11 may not be four, and their shapes may differ from those described herein. Therefore, even though the air inlet 12 and air outlet 13 in the illustrated embodiment have generally rectangular cross-sections, they may have other shapes in other feasible embodiments, such as circular or elliptical, or each opening may be defined by a plurality of slits arranged side by side.

[0066] Each wall 15 has an inner surface 16 facing the interior of the housing 11 and an outer surface 17 facing the exterior of the housing 11. For example, the outer surface 17 of at least one wall 15 may face the space or room to be heated.

[0067] The heating device 10 also includes a plurality of heating elements 19, which are at least partially, preferably completely disposed inside the housing 11.

[0068] Each heating element 19 is configured to generate heat and heat the air in contact with it by conduction, and is connected to a power supply (not shown).

[0069] In some embodiments, each heating element 19 may include at least one resistor. The resistor is adapted to generate heat using the Joule effect. Preferably, the heating element 19 is in direct contact with air flowing inside the housing 11.

[0070] The power supply device includes multiple electronic components. For example, the power supply device may include at least one, preferably two, three or more components referred to in the art as the abbreviation "triac" (triode for alternating current, three-terminal AC control switching element) for controlling the AC load supplying power to the heating element 19.

[0071] It should be noted that the heating device 10 of the present invention is preferably static, that is, without ventilation components. In fact, during use, the heat generated by the heating element 19 will induce natural convection of air in the heated space, thereby generating airflow F, which enters from the air inlet 12 and exits from the air outlet 13.

[0072] In other feasible embodiments not shown, the heating device 10 may include at least one ventilation component to generate forced airflow. In this case, the heating device 10 can achieve two operating modes: a pure natural convection mode with the ventilation component disabled, or a mixed mode of natural and forced convection with the ventilation component enabled.

[0073] The heating element 19 is preferably elongated and arranged laterally relative to the direction of travel A. For example, if the direction of travel A is vertical, the heating element 19 is arranged horizontally, optionally parallel to the main walls 15a, 15b.

[0074] In a feasible variation, the heating element 19 may be arranged laterally relative to the direction of travel A, but tilted slightly upward (i.e. towards the air outlet 13) or slightly downward (i.e. towards the air inlet 12).

[0075] The heating element 19 is preferably connected to the housing 11 at one end, with its main body exposed to the swept airflow F. In this way, the airflow can be heated instantly, and the higher the temperature of the heating element 19, the faster and more effectively the temperature in the space rises, because heat conduction is enhanced.

[0076] According to the present invention, an installation distance D is provided between the heating member 19 and at least one of the main walls 15a and 15b, which gradually increases from the air inlet 12 along the travel direction A towards the air outlet 13. In other words, the installation distance D between the heating member 19 and the opposing main walls 15a and 15b increases with the increase of the height H of the heating device 10.

[0077] This arrangement of the heating element 19 can concentrate most of the generated heat near the air inlet 12, that is, at the lower part of the housing 11, thereby improving the temperature uniformity inside the housing 11 and improving the diffusion of radiant heat to the floor space.

[0078] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, each heating element 19 preferably has a tubular U-shape, with its two elongated arms 19a connected to one of the top walls 15c, 15d. Although not absolutely necessary, it is more advantageous to have all heating elements 19 connected to the same top wall 15c.

[0079] The extension length of the tubular member 19 may be slightly less than the depth T of the shell 11. The U-shaped bend is located near the top wall 15d opposite the connecting wall.

[0080] The heating element 19 is disposed inside the housing 11, preferably with its arms 19a vertically aligned and overlapping, i.e. disposed on a corresponding vertical plane parallel to the center plane S of the housing 11.

[0081] The heating element 19 is preferably divided into at least two different groups G1, G2, G3, wherein each group includes at least one heating element 19 and is disposed at a certain position along the height H of the heating device 10.

[0082] Groups G1, G2, and G3 can consist of the same or different numbers of heating elements 19. Each group can have one, two, three, or more heating elements 19. If a group has more than one heating element 19, the heating elements 19 are preferably arranged in parallel to each other.

[0083] In some embodiments, the two arms 19a of each heating element 19 in groups G1, G2, and G3 are respectively located above or below the corresponding height H of the two arms 19a of each heating element 19 in the preceding or following group along the direction of travel A.

[0084] In other words, the heating elements 19 of the two different groups G1, G2, and G3 do not overlap in the horizontal direction, not even partially.

[0085] Along the height H of the heating device 10 and toward the air outlet 13, the number of heating elements 19 can be advantageously reduced, or at most remain unchanged.

[0086] Heating element 19 can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the substantially vertical center plane S. Figure 2 The central plane S can be located between the two main walls 15a and 15b, or perpendicular to the air inlet 12 and the air outlet 13.

[0087] In a feasible embodiment, the symmetrical configuration may be in the form of an isosceles triangle or a trapezoid.

[0088] In some embodiments, the heating element 19 has two groups, G1 and G3. Group G1 is arranged in the lower half of the housing 11, especially near the bottom of the housing 11, and group G3 is arranged in the upper half of the housing 11, especially near the top of the housing 11.

[0089] In some embodiments, the heating element 19 has three groups: G1, G2, and G3. Groups G1 and G2 are arranged in the lower half of the housing 11, preferably one group is near the bottom and the other group is arranged in the middle area, while group G3 is arranged in the upper half of the housing 11.

[0090] In some embodiments, the first group G1 is located near the air inlet 12 and includes two heating elements 19; the third group G3 is located near the air outlet 13 and includes a single heating element 19; the second group G2 is located between the first group G1 and the third group G3 and also includes two heating elements 19. In this case, the total number of heating elements 19 is 5.

[0091] In some embodiments, the heating elements 19 of the first group G1 can be arranged at first installation spacings D1' and D1'', for example, when measured from the same main walls 15a and 15b, approximately 1 / 3 and 2 / 3 of the spacing between the two main walls 15a and 15b, respectively. The heating elements 19 of the second group G2 can be arranged at second installation spacings D2' and D2'', which are greater than the first installation spacings D1' and D1'', for example, when measured from the same main walls 15a and 15b, approximately 2 / 5 and 3 / 5 of the spacing between the two main walls 15a and 15b, respectively. The individual heating elements 19 of the third group G3 can be arranged at a third installation spacing D3, which is greater than the second installation spacings D2' and D2'', for example, approximately 1 / 2 of the spacing between the two main walls 15a and 15b.

[0092] In a feasible embodiment, the vertical distance or gap between groups G1-G3 can increase along the height H of the heating device 10. Therefore, the first group G1 is closer to the second group G2 than the second group G2 is closer to the third group G3.

[0093] In a feasible embodiment, the heating element 19 is preferably made of a non-magnetic metallic material, such as austenitic non-magnetic stainless steel, and its surface may be covered with a coating that can increase the emissivity of the material constituting the heating element 19, thereby increasing the heat transferred to the surrounding space.

[0094] The heating device 10 also includes a heat distribution mechanism 20, which is configured to differentially distribute the radiant heat generated by the heating element 19 to the wall 15 along the direction of travel A, thereby making the temperature of at least the main walls 15a and 15b uniform.

[0095] The heat distribution mechanism 20 is positioned midway between the air inlet 12 and the air outlet 13. Preferably, the shielding effect provided by the heat distribution mechanism 20 is greater in the middle of the housing 11 and less in its lower and upper parts.

[0096] Advantageously, during the stable operation of the heating device 10, overheating of the upper part of the housing 11 is avoided, while the heating effect of the lower part of the housing 11 is improved without affecting the performance of the heating device 10. In fact, in this way, the heating device 10 can achieve optimal heating for the area near the floor, providing sufficient comfort for the user, while preventing the upper part of the housing 11 from getting too hot (e.g., exceeding 80°C) during steady-state operation, reducing the risk of burns to the user.

[0097] The applicant verified through experiments that, under conditions of room temperature 25℃ and a 1500W power supply for heating device 10, the surface temperature of the main walls 15a and 15b was basically uniform. Specific test results are as follows: The difference between the highest temperature (approximately 86°C) and the lowest temperature (approximately 47°C) of the main walls 15a and 15b is less than 40°C; More than 90% of the surface temperatures are between 60°C and 86°C; More than 85% of the surface temperatures are between 60°C and 80°C; Approximately 60% of the surface temperature is higher than the average surface temperature (approximately 71°C).

[0098] The heat distribution mechanism 20 includes at least one shielding element 21, 22, which is substantially parallel or approximately parallel to the main walls 15a, 15b.

[0099] The shielding elements 21 and 22 can be primarily flat in shape. For example, the shielding elements 21 and 22 can be rectangular in shape with a certain length, width and thickness.

[0100] In some embodiments, the depth T of at least one shielding element 21, 22 extends substantially to correspond to the extension of the main walls 15a, 15b.

[0101] exist Figure 2 In the example shown, the heat distribution mechanism 20 includes at least one first shielding element 21 disposed between the heating member 19 and the first main wall 15a (left wall); and at least one second shielding element 22 disposed between the heating member 19 and the second main wall 15b (right wall) facing the first main wall 15a.

[0102] The shielding elements 21 and 22 can be arranged corresponding to the second set of heating elements 19, for example, in the middle position between the nearest main walls 15a and 15b and the nearest heating element 19.

[0103] The shielding elements 21 and 22 can be connected to the two top walls 15c and 15d, and their main extension direction is parallel to the main walls 15a and 15b.

[0104] In some embodiments, each shielding element 21, 22 may include a solid portion 26, such as a mesh 23, preferably made of a metallic material, and provided with openings 25. The mesh 23 may be formed by multiple intersecting or overlapping wires, the wires having circular, square, or other shapes in cross-section. Depending on the shape of the openings 25, the wires may be woven in orthogonal directions, forming a matrix configuration, or arranged in other preferred directions.

[0105] In a feasible embodiment, each shielding element 21, 22 may substantially comprise a plate, preferably made of metal, which defines a solid portion and has a plurality of openings, the shape and position of which can alter the shielding effect provided along the direction of travel A.

[0106] In some embodiments, the openings 25 can be uniformly distributed on the surfaces of the shielding elements 21 and 22. However, it is not excluded that the openings 25 can be arranged in a non-uniform pattern, for example, arranged in patterns of different complexity in specific areas of the shielding elements 21 and 22.

[0107] The openings 25 can be exactly the same or have different shapes and / or sizes.

[0108] The opening 25 can be polygonal in shape, such as a square, rectangle, rhombus, circle, or ellipsoid. In one feasible example embodiment, the opening 25 can be a square with a size of 6mm × 6mm. In another feasible example embodiment, the opening 25 can be a square with a size of 5mm × 5mm. In yet another feasible example embodiment, the opening 25 can be a rhombus with a size of 3mm × 3mm.

[0109] In some embodiments, the ratio of the surface area of ​​the solid portion 26 to the total surface area of ​​an ideal shielding element having the same external dimensions (length, width) and being pore-free may be between about 0.1 and about 0.45, preferably between about 0.15 and about 0.35.

[0110] In some embodiments, the ratio of the volume of the solid portion 26 to the total volume of an ideal shielding element having the same external dimensions (length, width, and thickness) and being hole-free may be between about 0.05 and about 0.3, preferably between about 0.1 and about 0.25.

[0111] In some embodiments, the shielding elements 21 and 22 may be provided with reinforcing portions 24 to maintain their geometry even under high thermal gradient conditions.

[0112] The reinforcing part 24 can be a local deformation area of ​​the shielding elements 21 and 22. Figure 4 In the middle, the reinforcing part 24 is formed by the plastic deformation of the mesh 23. Alternatively, the reinforcing part 24 can be formed by adding ribbed members to the shielding elements 21 and 22.

[0113] In some embodiments of the invention, the heating elements 19 are energized in groups, thereby enabling the heating device 10 to operate in at least two modes: a first mode operating at rated power and a second mode operating at less than rated power. In the first mode, all heating elements 19 are turned on; while in the second mode, some heating elements 19 are turned off to limit energy consumption, or simply because the required heating power is less than the rated or maximum power.

[0114] exist Figure 3a In this system, the G1-G3 groups of heating elements 19 are independently powered according to three operating modes. Simultaneously driving a pair of heating elements 19 (CC) can achieve heat distribution that is beneficial for radiant heating in the area near the floor.

[0115] exist Figure 3b In this configuration, the heating element 19 of the third group G3 is powered independently, while the heating elements 19 of the other two groups G1 and G2 are powered cross-connected. For example, the CC pair and BB pair of the heating elements 19 can be activated simultaneously. This design ensures that the wall 15 of the housing 11 has an extremely uniform temperature.

[0116] The operation mode of the heating device 10 corresponding to the method of the present invention is as follows: the airflow F flows from the air inlet 12 through the housing 11 and sweeps over the heating member 19 arranged in the housing 11 along the travel direction A, and flows to the air outlet 12; the heating member 19 is arranged laterally along the travel direction A, and the distance D between it and at least one first wall 15a, 15b gradually increases from the air inlet 12.

[0117] Obviously, the heating device 10 described above can be modified and / or components can be added without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention as defined in the claims.

[0118] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with specific examples, those skilled in the art can implement other equivalent forms of heating devices that possess the features described in the claims, and all of these fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0119] In the following claims, the reference numerals in parentheses are for ease of reading only and should not be regarded as limiting factors of the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A heating device (10) comprising a box-shaped housing (11) with a plurality of sidewalls (15) forming a chamber, the housing having an air inlet (12) at the bottom and an air outlet (13) at the top, the air inlet and the air outlet defining the direction (A) of airflow (F); The chamber is provided with separate and independent heating components (19), which are elongated and arranged laterally between two opposing first main walls (15a, 15b) of the plurality of walls (15) relative to the direction of travel (A). The heating element (19) is located at different heights along the direction of travel (A), and the distance (D) between it and at least one first main wall (15a, 15b) gradually increases from the air inlet (12).

2. The heating device (10) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The distance (D) between the heating element (19) and the two first main walls (15a, 15b) gradually increases from the air inlet (12) to the air outlet (13).

3. The heating device (10) as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It includes a heat distribution mechanism (20) formed by at least one shielding element (21, 22) disposed between at least one first main wall (15a, 15b) and at least one heating member (19).

4. The heating device (10) as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The at least one shielding element (21, 22) has a solid portion (26) with multiple openings (25) and at least one reinforcing portion (24).

5. The heating device (10) as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The depth (T) of the at least one shielding element (21, 22) extends substantially in correspondence with the extension of the first main wall (15a, 15b).

6. The heating device (10) as described in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The ratio of the surface area of ​​the solid portion (26) to the total surface area of ​​the ideal shielding element having the same external dimensions and being pore-free is 0.1 to 0.45, preferably 0.15 to 0.35; and / or the ratio of the volume of the solid portion (26) to the total volume of the ideal shielding element is 0.05 to 0.3, preferably 0.1 to 0.

25.

7. The heating device (10) as described in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The heating element (19) is arranged in an isosceles triangle or trapezoidal symmetrical configuration with respect to the central plane (S) between the first main walls (15a, 15b).

8. The heating device (10) as described in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Each heating element (19) has a tubular U-shape with two elongated arms (19a) connected to at least one second wall (15c, 15d) of the plurality of walls (15), and the respective arms (19a) of each heating element (19) are vertically aligned and overlapped.

9. The heating device (10) as described in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, At least one first heating element (19) is disposed in the lower half of the housing (11), near the bottom of the housing (11); at least one second heating element (19) is disposed in the upper half of the housing, separated from and spaced apart from the first heating element (19), preferably near the top.

10. The heating device (10) as described in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The heating element (19) is divided into three separate groups (G1, G2, G3), each group (G1, G2, G3) includes at least one heating element (19) and is arranged at a different position from the other groups (G1, G2, G3) along the height (H) of the housing (11).

11. The heating device (10) as described in claims 3 and 10, characterized in that, The at least one shielding element (21, 22) is provided in correspondence with the second group (G2), which is located between the first group and the second group (G1, G3) of the group (G1, G2, G3).

12. The heating device (10) as described in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The vertical distance or gap between the heating components (19) increases along the height (H) of the heating device (10) and along the direction of travel (A).

13. The heating device (10) as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that, It includes independent and different power supply units to autonomously power each group (G1, G2, G3).

14. The heating device (10) as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that, It includes independent and different power supply devices to simultaneously power at least one heating element (19) of the second group (G2) and at least one heating element (19) of the first group (G1), wherein the first group (G1) is closer to the air inlet (12) than the other groups (G2, G3).

15. The heating device (10) as described in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, At least the first main wall (15a, 15b) gradually narrows from the air inlet (12) to the air outlet (13).

16. A method of operating a heating device (10), wherein an airflow (F) flows along a direction of travel (A) from an air inlet (12) through a box-shaped housing (11) formed by a plurality of walls (15) and sweeps over a heating member (19) toward an air outlet (13), wherein the air inlet (12) is arranged at the bottom of the housing (11) and the air outlet (13) is arranged at the top of the housing (11); The heating element (19) is elongated and arranged in the housing, and is laterally arranged between two opposing first main walls (15a, 15b) of the plurality of walls (15) relative to the direction of travel (A); The heating element (19) is located at different heights along the direction of travel (A), and the distance (D) between it and at least one first main wall (15a, 15b) gradually increases from the air inlet (12).

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