Electronic furnace powered by electric resistors with carbon filaments

Abstract

An electronic furnace (100), comprising a connector (11) for the connection to the electrical mains, a base (101) made of metal and possibly equipped with wheels, wherein is fixed an aluminium frame (102) provided with an external protective and / or aesthetic element (107), made of wood and / or tiles, in various materials and / or metals, and an upper cover (103) to close the structure of the furnace, made of wood and / or tiles, in various materials and / or metals. An electrical resistive module is mounted inside the frame (102) comprising a glass-ceramic central tube (104) or another similar material, on the outside of which a resistive cable is placed complete with electrical resistors; the electrical resistive module is inserted into the metal base (101) and inside the aluminium frame (102).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic furnace powered by electrical resistors made of carbon filaments, adapt for heating rooms; the furnace is advantageously controlled by an electronic control unit capable of connecting in a wireless manner with a smartphone.

[0002] In particular, the invention relates to an electronic furnace with a metal base that can include wheels to be easily moved and wherein is fixed an aluminium frame apt to contain an electrical resistive module comprising a glass-ceramic tube based on lithium silicate (unbreakable and unattackable by corrosive substances) or other similar material, on the outside of which is placed a resistive cable with electrical resistances, preferably consisting of carbon filaments embedded in an adhesive glass fibre sheath or in two adhesive and heat- sealed glass fibre webbing; the resistive cable is fixed to the glass-ceramic tube with high-temperature resistant plastic cement.

[0003] A protective material is then placed on the outside of the frame for the glass-ceramic tube including the electrical resistive module; this material, which can also have an aesthetic effect, can be wood, tiles and / or metal.

[0004] Above the protective and aesthetic material, a cover is placed to close the furnace structure, made of wood or tiles of various materials and / or metal.

[0005] An electronic control unit has the aim of managing and programming the use of the electronic furnace and regulating the absorption of electrical power (and therefore energy consumption) with a significant reduction in electricity consumption; the aforementioned control unit is also able to connect to a smartphone where a dedicated software application (APP) operates to manage the programming of the activities of the furnace.

[0006] There are currently several types of electric furnaces on the market, generally with copper electric resistances, which usually employ one or more high-efficiency fans to facilitate heat diffusion.

[0007] Depending on the amount of heat required, they have a power consumption ranging from 2000Watt (maximum heat) to 700Watt (minimum heat) and do not have an electronic control unit to programme the use of the furnace, to regulate the absorption of electric power and, therefore, consumption at preset rates, nor do they have remote programmable control units via a digital device and a dedicated software application (APP).

[0008] In order to reduce the consumption of electrical energy, with the same thermal performance, an objective that is in line with worldwide policies of environmental protection, such as those defined in the European Community's Green Deal, the solution identified by the present invention is to use electrical resistors with carbon filaments and an electronic control unit (comprising an electronic board with a microprocessor a regulator for the absorption of electrical power in Watt, a management chip for one or more temperature probes, a management chip for the calendar and daily hours, a wireless transmission chip and an internet transmission chip) capable of regulating the absorption of electrical power while the furnace is in use.

[0009] It is therefore possible to generate heat up to 80°C, with a consumption of less than 1000W in the start-up phase and less than 500W at steady state.

[0010] The use of electrical resistances made of carbon filaments to produce heat energy is little used to date; some applications are provided for in patent documents IT102022000007577 and IT102022000007583, however, the electronic heater which is the subject of the present invention differs from the above-mentioned prior art, in particular, in the construction method of the electrical resistive module and the integration of advanced electronic systems for its management and programming.

[0011] Further features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description, relating to a preferred embodiment, illustrative and indicative, but not limiting, of an electronic heater, suitable for heating rooms, powered by electrical resistors with carbon filaments and managed by an electronic control unit also capable of connecting to a smartphone where a dedicated software application (APP) operates, according to the present invention.

[0012] The aforementioned technical features and advantages are also evident from the attached drawing tables, also provided for illustrative purposes and preferred, but not limited to, where: figure 1 shows a front view of the electronic furnace, in its cylindrical conformation, with its control and programming display operated by the associated electronic control unit hardware components and its connection to a smartphone where a software application (APP) operates, according to the present invention; figure 2 shows a front view of the individual components of the electronic furnace, according to the present invention; figure 3 shows a view of the individual operating steps for the construction of the electronic furnace, according to the present invention.

[0013] With reference to the above-mentioned figures, the electronic furnace (100) object of the invention, herein configured in a cylindrical shape but also realizable in other types of conformation (for example, circular, triangular, rectangular, etc.), comprises a base (101) made of metal and advantageously comprising wheels, wherein an aluminium frame (102) is fixed, an external protection and / or aesthetic element (107), made of wood and / or tiles, in various materials and / or metals, and an upper cover (103) to close the furnace structure, made of wood and / or tiles, in various materials and / or metals.

[0014] Inside the frame (102) is mounted an electrical resistive module, which is realised - Phase A - using a glass-ceramic central tube (104) or another similar material, on the outside of which is positioned a resistive cable complete with electrical resistors, which is preferably realised with carbon filaments (105A) inserted in an adhesive glass fibre sheath or in two adhesive and heat-sealed glass fibre webbings (105B); a temperature sensor (110) is applied to the module.

[0015] The resistive cable is made integral with the glass-ceramic tube using high-temperature resistant plastic concrete (106), so that the electrical resistive module is determined.

[0016] In a subsequent phase - Phase B - the electrical resistive module is placed on the metal base (101), possibly comprising wheels, and inside the aluminium frame (102).

[0017] Finally, according to Phase C, a protective and possibly aesthetic material (107) is fixed externally to the frame (102) with a temperature probe (111) inside; the material may be wood or tiles in various materials and / or metals and acts as a protective element for the glass-ceramic tube comprising the carbon filament resistances and as a protective element for the users.

[0018] To make the electronic furnace (100) complete, a cover (103) is attached above the aluminium frame (102) and the aesthetic material (107), which can be made of wood and / or tiles in various materials and / or metals.

[0019] In operational terms, the electronic furnace (100) is managed by an electronic control unit (20) comprising an electronic board (21) with a microprocessor (22), a absorption controller (23) of electric current (in Watt), a management chip for one or more temperature probes (24), a management chip (25) for the calendar and daily hours, a wireless transmission chip (26) and an Internet transmission chip (27). The electronic control unit (20) controls a display (10) associated with the electronic furnace, for user use, for the management of the electronic furnace (100) itself and for its programming. The aforementioned display allows switching ON / OFF, programming (date / hour / minutes) of switching ON / OFF, programming of the desired temperature and also allows visualisation of the detected temperature, the temperature on the resistences (105A, 105B), the instantaneous electricity consumption (in Watt) and, in the event of faults and / or emergencies, a warning light indicating that the operation of the electronic furnace(100) is blocked.

[0020] The firmware that manages the operating functions provides an additional mode for reducing electricity consumption, which only allows electricity to be used in the event of a 10% reduction in the programmed temperature.

[0021] In practice, the user, after having connected the electronic furnace (100), via the connector (11), to the electrical mains and after having switched it on via the special button provided on the display (10), is able to plan the time frame of its use and determine the required temperature.

[0022] The above operations can also be carried out remotely using a dedicated software application (201) (APP) installed on a smartphone (200).

[0023] The invention thus conceived and illustrated herein is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all within the scope of the inventive concept expressed in the attached claims.

[0024] Furthermore, all details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements and the materials used, provided they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and state of the art. Where the features and techniques mentioned in any claim are followed by reference marks, such reference marks have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and, accordingly, such reference marks have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference marks.

Claims

1. Electronic furnace (100), comprising a connector (11) for connection to the electrical mains, a base (101) made of metal and possibly equipped with wheels, wherein is fixed an aluminium frame (102) equipped with an external protective and / or aesthetic element (107), made of wood and / or tiles, in various materials and / or metals, and an upper cover (103) closing the structure of the furnace, made of wood and / or tiles, in various materials and / or metals, characterised in that inside said frame (102) is mounted an electrical resistive module, optionally equipped with a temperature sensor (110), said electrical resistive module comprising a glass-ceramic central tube (104) or other similar material, outside of which is positioned a a resistive cable with electrical resistances, said resistive module being placed inside said metal base (101) and said aluminium frame (102).

2. Electronic furnace (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said resistive cable is made with carbon filaments (105A) which are inserted in an adhesive glass fiber sheath or in two adhesive and heat-sealed glass fibres webbings (105B).

3. Electronic furnace (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said resistive cable is made integral to said glass-ceramic central tube (104) by means of plastic concrete (106) resistant to high temperatures.

4. Electronic furnace (100) according to at least one of the previous claims, characterized in that a protective material (107) with a temperature probe (111) is fixed externally to said frame (102).

5. Electronic furnace (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that said protective material (107) includes wood or tiles made of metals and acts as a protective element of said glass-ceramic tube (104) and as a protective element for the users.

6. Electronic furnace (100) according to at least one of the previous claims, characterized in that said furnace (100) is managed by an electronic control unit (20) comprising an electronic board (21) with a microprocessor (22), an electric power absorption controller (23), a chip for managing one or more temperature probes (24), a managing chip (25) for the calendar and daily hours, a wireless transmission chip (26) and an internet transmission chip (27).

7. Electronic furnace (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that said electronic control unit (20) drives a display (10), for user use, for the management of the furnace (100) and for its programming, in particular for switching it ON / OFF, programming the desired temperature, displaying the detected temperature and the temperature on the said heating elements (105A, 105B), the instantaneous electricity consumption and the signalling of faults and / or emergencies.

8. Electronic furnace (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that said electronic control unit is remotely managed by the user through a dedicated software application (201) (APP) installed on a smartphone (200).

Images