Ventilation system of sauna

Abstract

A ventilation system of a sauna that consists of at least a sauna stove (1), a feed channel (4) for the heat energy of the sauna stove to feed the fresh (6) air to be heated into the system and a way out for the dirty air to be removed from the sauna which in-house room consists of upon each other formed essentially same height lowest, middle, and top zones (L, M, T) and in which system the exhaust duct (2) of the continuously with a fuel heated sauna stove (1) has been adapted above the sauna stove and surrounded either partly or totally the width of its circle and a certain height (h) with a mantle so that between it and the mentioned mantle there is a space (5), and • the space (5) is open of its top to the room of the sauna, • the first end (4.1) of the feed channel (4) has been adapted inside or outside the sauna, • the other end (4.2) of the feed channel (4) has been led into the opening (3.1) in the mantle (3) and / or the bottom of the equipment (10) so that the fresh air (6) coming from the feed channel (4) has been arranged to be led into the mentioned space in order to transfer the heat energy from there from the surface of the hot exhaust duct (2). • the fresh air (6) has been adapted to get heated into a higher temperature than the lowest and the middle (L, M) in-house air and is forced to move as its density decreases smaller than the two lowest mentioned areas into the sauna top zone where the bather's breathing takes place.

Description

[0001] VENTILATION SYSTEM OF SAUNA

[0002] The object of this invention Is ventilation system of sauna that consists of at least a sauna stove, a feed channel to feed fresh air that is heated by the sauna stove heat into the sauna and a way to remove the dirty air.

[0003] The intention of the invention is to make the steam room air quality better by pro- ducing oxygen rich heated fresh air to be breathed to the top part of the steam room and to ensure at the same time the efficient removal of the so called dirty air from the steam room maintaining there at the same time sufficiently high pleasant tem- perature also between throwing water on the heated stones. The dirty air is as known bathers' of the sauna exhalation, sweat, and skin impurity effected air.

[0004] For the usage of the invention, all the continuously heated saunas, where the sauna stoves are heated using fuel or electricity are suitable. The ventilation according to the invention can be realized both basing on the gravity or by machine forced sys- tem.

[0005] One usage example of the invention can be mentioned detached houses, row hous- es, or summer cottages wood heated saunas where the fresh air is led to the steam room through its wall from outside and a second one any continuously heated sauna, electric saunas included, where the fresh air is acquired from inside of the building.

[0006] It is known that the fresh air of a wood heated sauna of a detached house, row house, summer cottage is led into the steam room through an opening in its wall and through a ventilator in the opening. Another known and in this connection used way is to lead the fresh air with a channel above the sauna stove.

[0007] For instance the apartment house fiats electric saunas intake of fresh air happens generally through under the door situated gap from the neighboring room, from bath room and / or through ventilation channel. With the search words "ventilation of wood heated sauna" we can find in net a pic- ture / video presenting a fresh air channel from outside Ute steam room to above the sauna stove. In this solution, the air led above the sauna stove gets heat energy from the hot stones of the sauna stove. The meaning of the arrangement is that the air is heated warmer than the steam room air in its down part and when It gets changed lighter than it rises upwards.

[0008] The greatest disadvantages of the above mentioned known technology are found in its weak ability to heat and transfer the fresh air to the top part of the steam room where the bathers get the breathing air. Especially as far as the ventilation is con- cerned between throwing water on hot stones the heating of the fresh air and its transfer to the top part of the steam room is in this solution relatively poor for in- stance because just thrown water cools the stove stones efficiently. This brings us in- to the drawback the dirty air removal from the steam room is in this known ventila- tion system with the natural circulation poor.

[0009] Despite the developed state of the before mentioned technique in comparison with the before that ventilation systems, e.g. under the door, the problem remains that the steam room low part air temperature is in most cases even uncomfortably low.

[0010] The intention of this Invention is to achieve such ventilation system of sauna that disadvantages of the known technology are avoided. It Is characteristic for the inven- tion solution what has been presented in the characterizing parts of the claims 1 and 7.

[0011] The greatest advantage of the invention in comparison with the known technology can be seen to be the rapid and efficient heating of the fresh air coming into the steam room and thus its swift transfer to the top part of the steam room and so the bathers get more than earlier oxygen rich breathing air.

[0012] What has been told earlier means that the invention gives also the advantage that the dirty air exits quickly from the steam room and the fresh air flows in instead. A meaningful advantage in comparison to the known technology is achieved with the invention also as the from outside into the steam room coming fresh air does not go at all - not even during the subzero temperatures to the down part of the steam room because the invention ventilation system has set to heat it sufficiently to avoid this disadvantage before it is freed into the steam room. So with the help of the in- vention the harmful big temperature differences in different layers of the steam room are avoided and the lower levels like the foot level of bathers could feel even uncomfortably cold in the feet.

[0013] Investigations tell that a wood heated sauna with the known technology ventilation over 90 % of the make-up air goes to combustion air for the sauna stove and thus the fresh air Is too little as to what is needed.

[0014] In this document the term "sauna" means in the following a steam room. This is be- cause in the Finnish language this term means generally also a larger entity, e.g. the sauna building with the washing room and changing room.

[0015] The term "fresh air” means the sauna inside air taken for the time of heating it and sauna bathing there.

[0016] The invention is described in more detail in the enclosed drawings where figure 1 shows in 3D the setting of the first solution where a continuously heated wood sauna stove is applied, figure 2 shows the previous setting seen directly from the front of the sauna stove, figure 3 shows in 3D a setting of another solution, figure 4 shows the previous setting seen directly from the front of sauna stove, figure 5 shows an equipment in 3D that belongs in the previous setting, figures 6 and 7 show another equipment and Its usage in connection of the previous solutions, figures 8 and 9 show an application of the invention where an electric sauna stove is used, figure 10 shows a solution that is different from previous one, figure 11 shows the cut A-A of the figure 10.

[0017] Next an explanation about a favorable application of the invention, its structure and operation as an example referring into previous figures.

[0018] In figures 1 and 2 there is a setting that is used to realize one application ventilation system of sauna according to the invention. There is a duct 2 Joined to a smoke duct (not shown in the figures) that smoke duct goes through the continuously heated sauna stove 1 burning chamber which duck 2 has been positioned essentially verti- cally upon / over the sauna stove and that goes through the ceiling 50 of the sauna. The equipment 10 is used in connection of the duck 2 which equipment consists of around the duck winding installed mantle 3 and in the down part of the mantel lo- cated opening 3.1 from its one end 4.2 connected feeding channel 4. The cross- sectional area Al limited by the mantle has adapted to be greater than the cross- sectional area A2 of the duck in such a way that between them there is a space 5 around the duck. When the sauna stove 1 is hot and fresh air 6 flows into the feed channel 4 and it advances into the space 5 it gets heat energy from the surface 2.1 of the duck 2. In the duck 2 of a continuously heated sauna stove 1 advancing flue gas temperature is normally over 200 *C when the height h of the mantle 3 has been adapted favorably for instance 500- 1000 mm the heat amount of the transferred fresh air 6 causes its abrupt temperature rise and this causes the flow of the fresh air 6 from the open upper end 3.2 of the mantle to the top zone T of the sauna. The building up of the flow Is based on the gravity so that when the fresh air 6 warms up warmer than the air of the lowest and middle zones L, M its density decreases under their density and it changes lighter than they. The feed channel 4 can be led to the opening 3.1 of the sauna from outside or inside of the sauna where its first end 4.1 is adapted. As one favorable application of the invention we can mention that the feed channel is led from outside through the sauna wall.

[0019] The opening 3.1 can be adapted to the bottom of the equipment 10 or to reach the area of the mentioned bottom of the mantle 3. To illustrate the problems of the ventilation the sauna has been divided in this doc- ument vertically in three zones (figure 2), the lowest zone L, the middle zone M, and top zone T. The zones have been adapted essentially of same height and so the low- est zone L is seen to reach from the floor average up to the top of the sauna stove (the level of the sauna bathers' feet), the middle zone M reathes from this up to av- erage the chest of a grown up sauna bather, and the top zone T where the breathing of the sauna bather happens, from this zone M to the ceiling 50 of the sauna. With the ventilation system of sauna according to the invention, especially the breathing air quality of the top zone T is ameliorated and the temperature of the lowest zone L is increased so that the differences of the temperatures in the different zones get smaller.

[0020] The ventilation system of sauna according to the invention includes at least one way out for going out of the dirty air that the heated fresh air 6 pushes out of the sauna. The mentioned way out can be made in different ways in different versions of the in- vention. The most natural way to realize this in a sauna where there is a sauna stove with a combustion chamber is to direct the dirty air to be the combustion air to the combustion chamber through its air intake openings or gaps and in this kind of situa- tion it is not favorable to have any other air intake openings open during the heating and sauna bathing. In an electric sauna the air out way can be realized for instance by locating a valve in the lowest zone L that is calibrated a little more open than the feed channel.

[0021] The figures 3 and 4 show another setting that realizes another ventilation system of sauna according to the invention. The setting consists like the example before of a continuously heated combustion chamber sauna stove 1 and an equipment 10 put around its duck 2 where to the first end 4.1 of the feed channel 4 it has been at- tached another channel 7 that has been adapted to the side of the sauna stove 1. In the figure 5 has been described the combination of the equipment 10 and to it con- nected channel 7. In this application of the invention the fresh air 6 is taken into the channel 7 through its down part openings 7.1 7.2 in the lowest zone L of the sauna and Is led through feed channel 4 into the space 5. This solution can be used for In- stance when the outside intake air directly to feed channel 4 is not favorable to ar- range for a reason or other and the fresh air 6 brought into the sauna is colder than the other sauna air in the lowest zone L especially in its lowest part. The mentioned settings can also be used at the same time and then two feed channels 4 are needed or a forked version.

[0022] The before mentioned Invention applications is suitable to use with any fuel operat- ed continuous sauna stove 1.

[0023] The sauna stove duck 2 can be adapted also in a different position than vertical what has been mentioned before. Also the duck 2 that is tilted or that contains at least one bend is suitable to the ventilation system of sauna. The best way to realize the duct is a round tube but also other shapes fulfill the invention.

[0024] The mantle 3 can be realized in many different ways. Its cross section can be round, cornered, or it can have straight and round parts and it can be adapted all around the duck 2 or a part of it. It can also be a spiral channel going round the duck. The height h of the mantie can be adapted case by case taking into account the capabilities of the sauna. These capabilities are for instance the volume of the sauna, density, the Isolation capability of its walls, and the effect of the sauna stove. The mantle 3 can be supported to its place for instance by fixing it with fasteners 3.3 or base plate 3.4 to the duck 2. For the darity it is mentioned that the structure can also be realized without the base plate.

[0025] The figures 6 and 7 show an equipment and setting that can be connected to the in- vention equipment 10. To the space 5 between the duck 2 and the mantie 3 the cross sections of which are essentially different size circles there has been fixed and adapted a spiral plate 8 that forces the fresh air 6 to rotate the duck 2 with a certain pitch. This is at the same time one way to fix the mantle 3 to the duck 2. The opening 3.1 can be located In any favorable place of the mantle 3. When the lower bottom part of the mantle 3 Is realized either partly or altogether without the bottom plate the other end 4.2 of the channel 4 is led alternatively to its bottom end opening and then this opening operates as the mentioned opening 3.1. The figure 7 sketches with dot-and-dash line the feed channel 4 belonging to this alternative solution. The height h of the mantle 3 can be defined fully freely and it is not limited to previously mentioned example measures.

[0026] The size of the feed channel 4 can be defined by the fresh air 6 amount taken through it and its shape can be selected freely, in the figures 1 and 2, 3- 5 and 7 shown feed channels are completely of different shape but they all realize the inven- tion.

[0027] When realizing the space 5 its most favorable shape can be a "pillar" with the cross section of a circle. The invention can also be realized at the same time with all the mantle alternatives giving space 5 its shape.

[0028] The second channel 7 can be realized case by case with different shapes and sizes and locate in the sauna in different ways. In the figures 3-5 shown flat near the sauna stove located second channel 7 is favorable because then the heating of the fresh air 6 begins already inside it in the large sauna stove side area and is thus preheated when it arrives into the space 5. The isolation of the sauna stove at the place of the second channel 7 can be adapted so that a wanted amount of heat energy gets trans- ferred into the second channel.

[0029] The intake of the fresh air 6 into the second channel 7 can be realized through its bottom opening 7.1, through the openings 7.2 made to its side / s or through both of these. When the fresh air 6 comes into the sauna through under the door situated gap it knowingly cools even too much the temperature of the air in the lowest zone L but this application of the invention is efficient to remove the cool air from the floor of the sauna and thus levels out the temperature differences of the different zones L, M,T. The equipment 10 and the channel 7 can be made of any suitable material. One fa- vorable for that suitable material is steel and another light metal.

[0030] The figures 8 and 9 show a third application of the ventilation system of sauna ac- cording to the Invention. The sauna stove 1 is In this example an electric sauna stove and the feed channel 4 is led into its stone space 11 so that its open other end 4.2 is surrounded by sauna stove stones 12. When the fresh air 6 is sucked / fed into the feed channel 4 and moves forward between the hot sauna stove stones it gets heat energy from the stones 12 and the resistor 13 winding between the stones. The heated fresh air 6 pushes away the cooler and heavier air above the sauna stove middle zone M and rises into the top zone T. The capacity of the sauna stove 1 de- fines of Its part the speed of the fresh air 6 temperature rise and how quickly and what amount of it gets to the top level T where the breathing of the sauna bathers takes place.

[0031] The before mentioned application of the invention can also be realized so that the other end 4.2 of the feed channel is led into the space 14 above the floor 51 under the sauna stove stones 12, into the opening 1.1 in the bottom of the sauna stove stone space and then the fresh air 6 flows through whole stone space 11.

[0032] The figure 10 shows an application of the Invention that is different from the previ- ous ones. In tills application the other end 4.2 of the feed channel has been led to top open third duck 17 adapted between sauna stove shell 15 and shell 16 around the sauna stove stone space 11 where to duck 17 coming fresh air 6 temperature ris- es heated by the heat energy coming from the stone space 11 through the men- tioned shell and flows to the top zone T. The third duck 17 can be adapted as pre- sented in the figure 11 to surround the whole stone space 11 or only a part of it. In the example of the mentioned figures the shell 15 has Insulation 15.1. The shell 16 can be for instance a plate of the structure or a grid supporting the sauna stove stones. All the known shell structures realize the invention.

[0033] The before described solutions can be applied also together in any combination. The figures 8-11 showing In the electric sauna environment applied second end 4.2 of the feed channel 4 locating solutions can be also realized in all previously present- ed wood or other fuel operated sauna stove 1 invention applications, it has been sketched in the figure 2 with dot-and-dash line the combustion chamber 18, the third top open channel 17 and the stone space 11. The fresh air 6 can be led with the feed channel 4 between the mentioned combustion chamber and the stone space under the sauna stove stones or into the mentioned stone space. When it is led to the third duck 17 this duck can be adapted around the combustion chamber and / or the stone space. The third duck 17 can in this application of the invention surround the stone space 11 and / or combustion chamber 18 altogether or partly. Even if it reaches one side of the sauna stove 1 It is regarded to surround stone space and / or combustion chamber.

[0034] The fresh air 6 can be led through the second channel 7 also to the stone space 11 of the sauna stove 1 and then the other end 4.2 of the feed channel 4 is led there. This solution according to the invention is especially suitable to be used with the electric sauna stove.

[0035] Additionally, it is favorable to adapt into the sauna a vent with a regulating valve through which the sauna can be ventilated after bathing. One favorable location for the vent is the upper part of the top zone T. The vent can also be used to cool the sauna when it has become too hot. The cooling of the sauna can then be sped up. The third application of the vent can be to bring additional combustion air for a sau- na stove 1 having a combustion chamber. 1.

[0036] The zones L, M, T of the ventilation system of sauna according to the invention have been presented in these documents essentially of the same height so that their each height is essentially 1 / 3 of the height of the sauna but their scopes can be adapted differently. It should be noted that even though this description sticks to one for the invention favorable realization example this does not, however, want anyhow limit the usage of the invention for only this type example application. Instead, many variations are possible in the invention idea defined in the claims.

Claims

ClaimsVentilation system of sauna that consists of at least a sauna stove (1), a feed channel 4) for the heat energy of the sauna stove to feed the fresh air (6) to be heated into he system and a way out for the dirty air to be removed from the sauna which in- house room consists of upon each other formed essentially same height lowest, mid- dle, and top zones (I, M, T) and in which system the duck (2) of the continuously with fuel heated sauna stove (1) has been adapted above the sauna stove and surround- d either partly or totally the width of its circle and a certain height (h) with a mantie 3) so that between it and the mentioned mantle there is a space (5), characterized hereof that: a. the space (5) is open of its top to the room of the sauna, b. the first end (4.1) of the feed channel (4) has been adapted outside or in- side the sauna, c, the other end (4.2) of the feed channel (4) has been led into the opening (3.1) in the mantie (3) and / or the bottom of the equipment (10) so that the fresh air (6) coming from the feed channel (4) has been arranged to be led into the mentioned space in order to transfer the heat energy from there from the surface (2.1) of the hot duck (2), and d. the fresh air (6) has been adapted to get heated into a higher tempera- ture than the lowest and the middle (L, M) zone air and is forced to move as Its density decreases smaller than the two lowest mentioned zones in- to the sauna top zone (T) where the bathers breathing takes place.

2. Ventilation system of sauna according to the ciaim 1 characterized thereof that the duck (2) has been adapted essentially In a vertical position.

3. Ventilation system of sauna according to the claim 1 or 2 characterized thereof that the cross-section of the duck (2) and the mantle (3) are drcles and the cross-section of the space (5) Is circle ring.

4. Ventilation system of sauna according to some of the claims 1-3 characterized thereof that the height (h) of the mantle is 500-1000 mm.

5. Ventilation system of sauna according to some of the claims 1*4 characterized thereof that a spiral plate (8) has been adapted into the space (5) in order to cir- culate fresh air (6) around the duck (2).

6. Ventilation system of sauna according to some of the claims 1-5 characterized thereof that the opening (3.1) has been adapted to the down part of the mantle (3).

7. Ventilation system of sauna according to some of the claims 1-6 characterized thereof that to the first end (4.1) of the feed channel (4) there has been con- nected another channel (7) to intake fresh air (6) from the lowest zone (L) of the sauna into the space (5) through the openings (7.1, 7.2) adapted to the down end of the second channel.

8. Ventilation system of sauna according to the claim 7 characterized thereof that the second channel (7) has been adapted against the sauna stove side (1.2) or beside it.

9. Ventilation system of sauna that consists of at least sauna stove (1), feed chan- nel (4) to feed the fresh air (6) to be heated with the heat energy of the sauna stove into the system and a way out for the dirty air to be removed from the sauna in-house space which consists of above each other situated essentially of the same height lowest, middle, and top (L, M, T) zones characterized thereof that: a. the first end (4.1) of the feed channel (4) has been located inside or out- side the sauna, b. the second end (4.2) of the feed channel has been led into a continuously by fuel or electricity heated sauna stove, to its; i. stone space ( 11), and / or«. top open third channel (17) that has been adapted between the shell (15) of the sauna stove and the mentioned stone space and / or com- bustion chamber surrounding shell (16), when c. the fresh air (6) has been adapted to warm up by the heat energy com- ing from the combustion chamber (18) and / or stone space (11) into a higher temperature than the lower and middle zones (L, M) and as its density thus decreases lower than the density of the mentioned zones it is forced to move to the top zone (T) of the sauna where the bathers breathing takes place.

10. Ventilation system of sauna according to the claim 9 characterized thereof that the third channel 17 has been adapted to surround the whole sauna stove stone space (11).

11. Ventilation system of sauna according to some of the claims 1-10 characterized thereof that the shell (15) of the sauna stove (1) contains isolation (15.1).

12. Ventilation system of sauna according to some of the claims 1-11 characterized thereof that the flow of the dirty air out has been regulated greater than the flow of the feed channel (4) by machine or gravity.

13. Ventilation system of sauna according to some of the claims 1-12 characterized thereof that It contains a vent with a regulator valve that has been adapted to ventilate the sauna and / or cool it or to produce additional combustion air for the sauna stove (1) with a combustion chamber.

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