A heated shower cubicle

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of heating shower room, solve the problem of low thermal efficiency and existing safety hazard of existing shower room heating scheme.The heating shower room includes heating glass panel and intelligent temperature controller.Heating glass panel seals transparent conductive film heating layer between two pieces of toughened glass substrate by interlayer bonding process.Intelligent temperature controller is electrically connected with heating layer, and its inside is integrated with surface temperature sensor and environmental temperature sensor.Temperature controller is based on the double feedback of surface temperature sensor and environmental temperature sensor, carries out power supply control to heating layer, while efficiently heating shower space, real-time monitoring and limiting glass surface temperature, prevent scald, realize the unity of efficient heating and use safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of smart home equipment technology, and in particular to a safety shower room that integrates a built-in heating and intelligent temperature control system. Background Technology

[0002] Shower rooms are widely used bathroom facilities in modern homes. In winter or in low-temperature environments, users feel cold and uncomfortable while showering. To solve this problem, existing technologies usually use external devices such as bathroom heaters or fan heaters for heating, but these solutions have drawbacks such as low thermal efficiency, large heat loss, space occupation, low waterproof and safety levels, and their exposed structure affecting the overall aesthetics.

[0003] While existing patents disclose safety laminated glass for shower rooms (e.g., Chinese patent CN207794681U), they only focus on the explosion-proof safety of the glass and do not have heating functions. Other technologies, such as Chinese patent CN218894565U, disclose electrically heated glass for windows, intended to prevent fogging, but their control logic and application environment are fundamentally different from the combined needs of human safety and space heating in shower rooms.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide a solution that can safely and aesthetically integrate the heating function into the shower room glass in a completely transparent manner, while simultaneously achieving both anti-scalding control of the glass surface temperature and comfortable control of the shower space temperature, has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a heated shower room, which aims to solve the technical problems of existing shower room heating solutions, such as low thermal efficiency, safety hazards, aesthetic defects, limited functionality, and lack of precise safety control for the shower environment.

[0006] This utility model provides a heated shower room, including an intelligent thermostat and a room body composed of at least one heated glass panel, wherein...

[0007] The heated glass panel includes:

[0008] The first tempered glass substrate and the second tempered glass substrate are arranged opposite to each other and in parallel.

[0009] A transparent conductive film heating layer is applied to the inner surface of one of the first tempered glass substrate and the second tempered glass substrate.

[0010] An adhesive film is filled between the first tempered glass substrate and the second tempered glass substrate, and a transparent conductive film heating layer is hot-pressed and sealed therein to form an integrated laminated structure.

[0011] Conductive electrodes are disposed at opposite ends of the transparent conductive film heating layer, and wires are connected to the electrodes and led out from the edge of the laminated structure;

[0012] The intelligent temperature controller is electrically connected to the wires and integrates the following internal components:

[0013] Surface temperature sensor used to monitor the surface temperature of heated glass panels;

[0014] And an ambient temperature sensor for monitoring the ambient temperature inside the shower room;

[0015] The intelligent temperature controller can control the power supply to the transparent conductive film heating layer based on dual feedback from surface temperature sensors and ambient temperature sensors.

[0016] As can be seen, this solution achieves two major breakthroughs by completely heat-sealing an invisible transparent conductive film heating layer between two pieces of tempered glass. Firstly, structurally and aesthetically, it integrates the heating function completely "invisibly" within the glass, preserving the original transparent beauty of the shower enclosure, while the laminated structure provides an extremely high level of waterproof safety. Secondly, in terms of function and safety, it introduces a dual feedback control system that coordinates surface temperature sensors and ambient temperature sensors. This system not only provides efficient heating based on environmental needs but also monitors and limits the glass surface temperature in real time, fundamentally solving the core safety risk of users being burned by the high-temperature glass surface while ensuring heating efficiency, thus achieving a balance between efficient heating, visual transparency, and safe use.

[0017] Optionally, the intelligent thermostat is equipped with an overheat protection module. When the surface temperature sensor detects that the surface temperature of the heated glass panel exceeds a preset safety threshold, the overheat protection module controls the intelligent thermostat to cut off the power supply to the heating layer.

[0018] As can be seen, by setting up an overheat protection module, when an abnormal situation occurs that causes the glass surface temperature to exceed the safety threshold, the power supply can be automatically cut off, thereby avoiding the risk of damage to the glass panel or accidental burns to users due to local overheating, and further improving the product's active safety.

[0019] Optionally, the intelligent thermostat integrates a wireless communication module for connecting to mobile terminal devices to remotely start / stop, set the temperature, or switch modes of the heated glass panel.

[0020] As can be seen, by integrating a wireless communication module, users can remotely control the shower room through mobile terminals such as smartphones, realizing intelligent operations such as preheating and timed on / off switching, greatly improving the convenience and comfort of use, and giving the product the attributes of modern smart home.

[0021] Optionally, the probe of the surface temperature sensor is disposed in the adhesive film and is tightly attached to the inner surface of the first tempered glass substrate or the second tempered glass substrate.

[0022] As can be seen, placing the probe of the surface temperature sensor in the film and closely attaching it to the inner surface of the glass ensures the accuracy and real-time performance of temperature measurement. This is because the probe directly senses the temperature of the heat source rather than the indirect ambient temperature, and its fixed position and protection by the laminated structure ensure that the temperature control system can perform precise and reliable control based on the most accurate data.

[0023] Optionally, the transparent conductive film heating layer is an indium tin oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide, or fluorine-doped tin oxide coating formed by magnetron sputtering.

[0024] It is evident that using a specific oxide coating formed by magnetron sputtering as a transparent conductive film is a technically mature and reliable method for achieving this solution, ensuring that the heating layer has good conductivity uniformity and high light transmittance.

[0025] Optionally, the sheet resistance of the transparent conductive film heating layer is 10-50 Ω / □.

[0026] It is evident that by limiting the sheet resistance to the range of 10-50Ω / □, an ideal balance can be achieved between heating power and light transmittance, ensuring effective heating while maximizing the transparency and aesthetics of the glass.

[0027] Optionally, the electrode is a silver paste electrode formed on the surface of the transparent conductive film heating layer by a screen printing process.

[0028] It is evident that screen printing is a cost-effective and stable method for preparing silver paste electrodes. It ensures a good electrical connection with low resistance and high adhesion between the electrode and the transparent conductive film, thus guaranteeing the long-term stable operation of the heating system.

[0029] Optionally, the adhesive film is an EVA adhesive film; at the position where the lead wire is led out from the edge of the laminated structure, the EVA adhesive film forms a fully encapsulated waterproof and insulating seal structure for the lead wire.

[0030] It is evident that by using EVA film and utilizing its hot-melt properties to form a sealing structure that covers the lead wires, not only is physical bonding of laminated glass achieved, but the problem of waterproofing and insulation of electrical lead points is also solved in a clever way. The structure is simple and reliable, further enhancing the safety of the product in humid environments.

[0031] Optionally, the transparent conductive film heating layer is divided into at least two heating zones that can be independently powered and controlled by a smart temperature controller.

[0032] As can be seen, by dividing the heating layer into zones and enabling independent control, users can selectively turn on the heating function of specific areas according to their actual needs. For example, they can turn on only the area for drying towels, or only the core shower area when taking a shower, thereby achieving more refined energy management and significant energy-saving effects.

[0033] Optionally, at least one magnetic hanger interface is provided on the outer surface of the heated glass panel for adsorbing and fixing the matching magnetic hanger.

[0034] As can be seen, by setting up a magnetic hanging rack interface, the storage function is cleverly integrated with the heated glass. Users can easily hang towels, bath towels and other items, and use the heat of the glass itself to dry them quickly. This not only improves the space utilization rate, but also gives the shower room unprecedented practical functions, realizing the integration of "heating + drying".

[0035] Optionally, the room includes two fixed heated glass panels and a door-type heated glass panel movably connected to one of the fixed heated glass panels.

[0036] As can be seen, by configuring the room structure as a multi-panel heated glass structure, a three-dimensional, surround-like heated space can be formed. Compared to single-sided heating, this results in faster heating and a more uniform temperature distribution, thereby improving overall heating efficiency and comfort. Other features and advantages of this invention will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the heated glass panel in this utility model.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of one embodiment of the heated shower room of this utility model.

[0040] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. First wall; 2. Adhesive film; 3. Transparent conductive film heating layer; 4. Electrode; 5. Ground; 6. Door handle; 7. Second fixed glass panel; 8. Second wall; 9. Frame; 10. First fixed glass panel; 11. Intelligent thermostat; 12. Door-type glass panel; 13. First tempered glass substrate; 14. Second tempered glass substrate. Detailed Implementation

[0041] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0042] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use.

[0043] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, they should be considered part of the specification.

[0044] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0045] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0046] See Figure 2 This utility model discloses a heated shower enclosure. The enclosure is installed between a first wall 1 and a second wall 8 connected at a preset angle, and the floor 5. It comprises a first fixed glass panel 10, a second fixed glass panel 7, a door-type glass panel 12, and a frame 9, forming an independent shower space. In a preferred embodiment, the enclosure consists of two fixed heated glass panels (the first fixed glass panel 10 and the second fixed glass panel 7) and a door-type heated glass panel 12. The door-type glass panel 12 is movably connected to the second fixed glass panel 7 via hinges or other hardware. A door handle 6 is provided on the door-type glass panel 12. The core of this utility model is that the first fixed glass panel 10, the second fixed glass panel 7, and the door-type glass panel 12 constituting the enclosure are all heated glass panels with built-in heating functions. An intelligent thermostat 11 is installed on the first wall 1 outside the shower enclosure; this thermostat is the control center of the entire heating system.

[0047] See Figure 1 The figure shows in detail the layered cross-sectional structure of the heated glass panel.

[0048] The heated glass panel is mainly composed of a first tempered glass substrate 13, a second tempered glass substrate 14, an adhesive film 2, a transparent conductive film heating layer 3, and an electrode 4.

[0049] The first tempered glass substrate 13 and the second tempered glass substrate 14 are arranged opposite to each other and parallel to each other. They are made of tempered safety glass with a thickness of 6-12mm and have excellent mechanical strength and impact resistance.

[0050] The transparent conductive film heating layer 3 is the core functional layer for achieving glass heating. In one specific embodiment, a nanoscale transparent conductive film is uniformly deposited on the inner surface of the second tempered glass substrate 14 (i.e., the side facing the first tempered glass substrate 13) using a magnetron sputtering process. The material of this film can be selected from indium tin oxide (ITO), aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO), gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO), or fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO). To ensure excellent electrothermal conversion efficiency and high transparency, the sheet resistance of this conductive film is preferably controlled within 10-50 Ω / □, so that the total light transmittance of the heated glass panel can reach more than 60%. This conductive film itself is highly transparent and invisible to the naked eye, thus ensuring that the heating function is completely "invisible" visually and does not affect the transparent aesthetics of the glass.

[0051] It is important to emphasize that the beneficial effect of this invention lies in achieving overall transparency of the heated glass panel. This is mainly due to the fact that the transparent conductive film heating layer 3, which serves as the main heating element, is completely transparent and occupies the majority of the glass panel's area. Although the electrodes 4 positioned along the glass edge, and the magnetic components that may be locally embedded to achieve the magnetic hanging bracket function, are opaque, these opaque parts occupy a very small area and are usually located at the glass edge or in inconspicuous positions. Therefore, from the user's overall visual perspective, these localized opaque structures do not disrupt the overall transparent and clean aesthetic of the glass panel, thus perfectly integrating the heating function with the minimalist aesthetics of modern homes.

[0052] Electrodes 4 are disposed on opposite sides of the transparent conductive film heating layer 3. Specifically, conductive silver paste can be printed onto the surface of the conductive film using screen printing technology and then cured. Lead wires are soldered onto the electrodes 4 for connecting to an external intelligent temperature controller 11.

[0053] Adhesive film 2 is used to firmly bond all the above components into a whole. Preferably, adhesive film 2 is made of EVA adhesive film. During the manufacturing process, the first tempered glass substrate 13, EVA adhesive film 2, and the second tempered glass substrate 14 with conductive film and electrodes are sequentially stacked, and the lead wires are led out from the edge gaps of the two glass substrates. Subsequently, this composite is placed in an autoclave and hot-pressed at a high temperature of 120-150°C and a high pressure of 0.1-1 MPa. During this process, the solid EVA adhesive film completely melts, and its excellent fluidity allows it to fill all the tiny gaps, thereby forming a dense, completely waterproof, and highly insulating sealed structure. In particular, at the location where the lead wires pass through the laminated structure, the melted and then solidified EVA adhesive film forms a completely encapsulated waterproof and insulating sealed structure for the wires, ensuring that all electrical components are absolutely isolated from the humid environment of the shower room, thus guaranteeing the safety of use.

[0054] The intelligent thermostat 11 is the key to achieving safe, comfortable, and efficient heating in this invention. It is typically designed as a standard 86-type wall switch panel, which can be directly installed in the pre-installed junction box on the wall and electrically connected to the lead wires of the heating glass panel.

[0055] Its core lies in the integration of a dual temperature sensing system:

[0056] The first component is a surface temperature sensor, used to monitor the surface temperature of the heated glass panel in real time. The sensor's probe (e.g., an NTC thermistor) is placed in the adhesive film 2 and closely adhered to the inner surface of the glass substrate, thereby enabling direct and delay-free monitoring of the glass temperature.

[0057] The second is the ambient temperature sensor, which is usually built into the panel of the smart thermostat 11 and is used to measure the air temperature inside the shower room.

[0058] During operation, users can set a desired shower space temperature (e.g., 28°C) and a maximum permissible safe temperature for the glass surface (e.g., 60°C) via the smart thermostat 11's panel or a mobile app connected through its integrated wireless communication module (such as a WiFi module, Bluetooth module, etc.). The smart thermostat 11 supports a temperature setting range from room temperature to 70°C. After system startup, the smart thermostat 11 simultaneously collects temperature data from the two sensors mentioned above and makes decisions based on its built-in control algorithm.

[0059] When the ambient temperature is lower than the set value, the thermostat will control the current to pass through the electrode 4 and the transparent conductive film heating layer 3 to generate Joule heating, which will heat the glass panel and thus heat the shower room space.

[0060] During the heating process, the thermostat continuously monitors the readings of the surface temperature sensor. Once the reading approaches or reaches the preset safety threshold of 60°C, even if the ambient temperature has not yet reached the threshold, its internal overheat protection module will immediately intervene, forcibly reducing the heating power or pausing heating to ensure that the glass surface does not overheat and prevent burns to the user.

[0061] Once the surface temperature drops to a safe range, if the ambient temperature still does not meet the set value, the system will resume heating. This cycle will continue until the ambient temperature reaches the user-set value.

[0062] Through this dual-sensing and collaborative control mechanism, this invention not only provides users with a warm and comfortable bathing environment but also ensures absolute safety under various operating conditions. Furthermore, the heating system can also be used for drying towels and clothes after bathing and inhibiting mold growth, achieving multiple uses in one device.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention also incorporates a design for zoned heating and a multi-functional hanging rack.

[0064] The zoned heating is achieved by physically dividing the transparent conductive film heating layer 3 into multiple discontinuous regions during fabrication using processes such as laser etching or masking. For example, it can be divided into a core shower zone for overall heating and an edge drying zone for hanging items. Each region has an independent electrode 4 and lead wires, connected to different control channels of the intelligent temperature controller 11. This allows users to independently start / stop and set the temperature for each region via the temperature controller or a mobile app, achieving on-demand heating.

[0065] To achieve a multi-functional hanging rack, one or more magnetic hanging rack interfaces are provided on the outer surface of the heated glass panel (e.g., the outer surface of the second tempered glass substrate 14). This interface can be created by embedding a thin permanent magnet or ferromagnetic metal sheet in the adhesive film 2 during the lamination process, with its position close to the inner surface of the glass; alternatively, it can be created by fixing a small, flat magnetic base to the outer surface of the glass panel after production using a high-strength adhesive. Towel racks, storage racks, and other hanging racks compatible with this interface have correspondingly strong magnets at their contact ends. In use, the user simply needs to bring the hanging rack close to the interface position, and it will be firmly attached to the glass surface without drilling, maintaining the integrity and aesthetics of the glass. When drying towels, the hanging rack can be attached to the edge drying area, and the heating function of that area can be activated independently for efficient and energy-saving drying.

[0066] In a specific performance verification embodiment, the heated shower room of this invention was tested. The results showed that compared with a traditional 2200W fan-type bathroom heater, this invention achieves an energy saving rate of over 40% while maintaining the same heating effect, demonstrating significant energy efficiency. In the drying function test, a pure cotton bath towel with a moisture content of 30% was hung on the heated glass panel. Under ambient humidity of 80%, the moisture content of the towel could be reduced to below 5% within approximately 15 minutes, demonstrating highly efficient drying capabilities. Furthermore, its waterproof safety rating reaches IPX6, far exceeding that of traditional bathroom heaters, and the laminated glass structure itself possesses excellent explosion-proof performance; even if the glass breaks accidentally, the fragments will be adhered by the adhesive film, preventing them from flying and causing injury.

[0067] In summary, this invention achieves both concealed heating functionality and structural integration by combining a transparent conductive film heating layer with laminated glass technology. Furthermore, it innovatively incorporates an intelligent thermostat based on dual sensors for surface and ambient temperatures. This comprehensive solution not only fundamentally addresses the numerous pain points of traditional shower enclosure heating methods in terms of safety, aesthetics, and thermal efficiency, but also significantly enhances the user experience through precise anti-scalding control and intelligent operation. It represents a safe, efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and intelligent shower enclosure heating solution with significant practical value and market potential.

[0068] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heated shower room, characterized in that, It includes a smart thermostat and a room body consisting of at least one heated glass panel, wherein, The heated glass panel includes: The first tempered glass substrate and the second tempered glass substrate are arranged opposite to each other and in parallel. A transparent conductive film heating layer is applied to the inner surface of one of the first tempered glass substrate and the second tempered glass substrate. An adhesive film is filled between the first tempered glass substrate and the second tempered glass substrate, and the transparent conductive film heating layer is hot-pressed and sealed therein to form an integrated laminated structure. Conductive electrodes are disposed at opposite ends of the transparent conductive film heating layer, and wires are connected to the electrodes and led out from the edge of the laminated structure; The intelligent temperature controller is electrically connected to the wire, and its internal components include: A surface temperature sensor for monitoring the surface temperature of the heated glass panel; And an ambient temperature sensor for monitoring the ambient temperature inside the shower room; The intelligent temperature controller can control the power supply to the transparent conductive film heating layer based on dual feedback from the surface temperature sensor and the ambient temperature sensor.

2. A heated shower room according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intelligent temperature controller is equipped with an overheat protection module. When the surface temperature sensor detects that the surface temperature of the heated glass panel exceeds a preset safety threshold, the overheat protection module controls the intelligent temperature controller to cut off the power supply to the heating layer.

3. A heated shower room according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The intelligent thermostat integrates a wireless communication module for connecting with mobile terminal devices to remotely start / stop, set the temperature, or switch modes of the heated glass panel.

4. A heated shower room according to claim 1, characterized in that: The probe of the surface temperature sensor is disposed in the adhesive film and is tightly attached to the inner surface of the first tempered glass substrate or the second tempered glass substrate.

5. A heated shower room according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transparent conductive film heating layer is an indium tin oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide, or fluorine-doped tin oxide coating formed by magnetron sputtering.

6. A heated shower room according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sheet resistance of the transparent conductive film heating layer is 10-50 Ω / □.

7. A heated shower room according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrode is a silver paste electrode formed on the surface of the transparent conductive film heating layer by screen printing.

8. A heated shower room according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transparent conductive film heating layer is divided into at least two heating zones that can be independently powered and controlled by the intelligent temperature controller.

9. A heated shower room according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one magnetic hanger interface is provided on the outer surface of the heated glass panel for adsorbing and fixing the matching magnetic hanger.

10. A heated shower room according to claim 1, characterized in that: The room includes two fixed heated glass panels and a door-type heated glass panel that is movably connected to one of the fixed heated glass panels.

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