Heating units and heating appliances

Abstract

To provide a heater unit capable of obtaining functions / characteristics similar to those of an oil heater without using an oil, and a heating appliance.SOLUTION: A heater unit 1 comprises: a cylindrical body 10 which is configured by arraying a plurality of small cylinders 100 each including openings 11 and 12 at an upper side and a lower side adjacently to each other and formed substantially cylindrical as a whole; and heating means 20 connected directly or indirectly to an outer side face 14 of the cylindrical body 10. The cylindrical body 10 is heated by the heating means 20, such that a rising air flow is generated by heating air sucked from the lower-side opening 12 inside of the small cylinder 10 and that a natural convection is generated by blowing the heated air out of the upper-side opening 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heater unit and a heating appliance. [Background technology]

[0002] One type of indoor heating appliance known as an oil heater is a heating appliance that includes multiple finned tubes filled with heat-storing, non-flammable oil as a heat medium, and a heating means such as an electric heater.When powered on, the heating means heats the oil, which is then radiated from the surface of the finned tubes to warm the air in the room.

[0003] The heating functions of oil heaters can be broadly classified into a "natural convection" heating function, which heats the air on the surface of the finned tube, causing the warmed air to rise and create convection, warming the air in the room, and a "radiation" heating function, which uses radiation emitted from the surface of the finned tube to warm nearby people, walls, floors, etc. (see, for example, non-patent document 1). Unlike heating appliances that burn kerosene indoors to heat the air, oil heaters provide warmth without polluting the air inside the room or making noise. Oil heaters are also highly portable and can be easily moved to different locations. Due to these characteristics, oil heaters have long been popular as a healthy and easy-to-use heating appliance. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] Eurek's website, "What is an oil heater?" [online], [Retrieved September 2, 2021], Internet (URL: http: / / eureks.co.jp / oilheater / ) [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-28927 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-181354 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The oil used in oil heaters is repeatedly used within the oil passages of the sealed finned tubes, and does not need to be replaced, so it can be used almost indefinitely unless the oil heater itself breaks down. In this respect, oil heaters can be said to be desirable products that are considerate of the global environment, but to be even more considerate of the global environment, it would be even more desirable to be able to offer heating appliances on the market that do not use oil but have the same functions and characteristics as oil heaters.

[0007] As for indoor heating without using oil, for example, the idea of heating using a sheath heater or an electric heating wire as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is known. In the heating appliance described in Patent Document 1, although not shown, a heater unit 4 including a sheathed heater 8 and heat dissipation fins 10 is disposed within a space surrounded by a housing 2 and a front cover 3, with an air intake 6 at the bottom and an air outlet 8 at the top (see Figures 1 and 2). When electricity is applied to the sheathed heater 8, this heating appliance generates an ascending air current within the space, generating "natural convection" and heating the room. However, this heating appliance is installed under a window (see the top right column on page 1) and is expected to be large, making it difficult to transport.

[0008] Although illustrations are omitted, Patent Document 2 describes a configuration in which "a plate-shaped heating element 5 is installed parallel to and spaced apart from a wall surface 3 (all glass), with openings 10 and 11 provided on the lower and upper sides of the plate-shaped heating element 5, and an electric heating wire 8 and a latent heat storage unit 9 are arranged between plates 6 and 7 of the plate-shaped heating element 5" (see the "Abstract" and representative diagram on page 1 of Patent Document 2). However, this heating facility is installed in a fixed position near windows and other indoor perimeters to prevent cold drafts and the like, making it difficult to ensure portability. Furthermore, it cannot be expected to heat up as quickly as an oil heater.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a heating appliance that can achieve the same functions and characteristics as an oil heater without using oil, and to provide a heater unit that can be suitably used in such a heating appliance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heater unit suitable for use in a heating appliance for indoor use. The heater unit includes a cylindrical body having a generally cylindrical shape formed by an array of adjacent small cylinders each having an upper and lower opening, and a heating means connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface of the cylinder. The heater unit is configured to heat the cylinder with the heating means, thereby heating air drawn in through the lower opening inside the small cylinder to generate an ascending air current, and then blowing the heated air out through the upper opening, thereby generating natural convection.

[0011] In this specification, the "lower" side refers to the side that is roughly in the direction of gravity (vertical direction) when viewed from the heater unit when the heater unit is placed upright (installed using the correct installation method), and the "upper" side refers to the side opposite the lower side.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating appliance for indoor use, the heating appliance comprising: the heater unit according to the aspect described above; a controller electrically connected to the heating means of the heater unit and controlling the operation of the heater unit; and a housing covering at least a portion of the heater unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The heater unit of the present invention makes it possible to configure a heating appliance that can achieve the same functions and characteristics as an oil heater without using oil. Also, the heating appliance of the present invention can achieve the same functions and characteristics as an oil heater without using oil. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a heater unit 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view of a heater unit 1 according to a first embodiment as viewed from above. [Figure 3] 2 is a schematic diagram of a cross section taken along the line AA for explaining natural convection and radiation of air by the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 5 is a schematic diagram of a cross section taken along the line BB for explaining natural convection of air caused by the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a heater unit 2 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a heater unit 2 according to a second embodiment as viewed from above. [Figure 7] 10 is a side view of a heat dissipation unit 25 including a heat dissipation plate 30 and a heating means 20', viewed along the direction in which fins 32 extend. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of an intermediate member 180. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing how a cylindrical body 10'' using an intermediate member 180 and a heater unit 3 including the cylindrical body 10'' according to a third embodiment are constructed. FIG. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a heating appliance 8 according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a block diagram of a heating appliance 8 according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The heater unit and heating appliance according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals as those in the drawings are omitted from the description of the other drawings, since the contents already explained for those reference numerals can also be used in the description of the other drawings. The drawings are schematic diagrams showing examples, and do not necessarily strictly reflect the actual dimensions, proportions, etc.

[0016] [Embodiment 1] 1. Configuration of heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1 as viewed from above. The subscripts of the reference numerals 100, 110, and 120 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 represent indexes, and the same applies to Fig. 5 and subsequent drawings.

[0017] The heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment basically comprises a cylindrical body 10 and a heating means 20.

[0018] 1 and 2, the cylindrical body 10 is made up of a combination of a plurality of small cylinders 100. The cylindrical body 10 is made up of a plurality of small cylinders 100 arranged adjacent to each other. The cylindrical body 10 may be formed by integrally molding a plurality of small cylinders 100 using a mold or the like, or may be formed by connecting or coupling individual small cylinders 100 to each other, as in the third embodiment described below.

[0019] The cylindrical body 10 has an opening 11 on the upper side and an opening 12 on the lower side, and is closed by a side wall 16, forming a generally cylindrical shape as a whole. The lower opening 12 and the upper opening 11 are connected via the space inside the cylindrical body 10, allowing fluids such as air to flow through the space inside the cylindrical body 10. Here, "side wall 16 is closed" refers to a state in which side wall 16 is basically closed so as to surround the entire interior of the cylinder when viewed from above. In Fig. 1, outer surfaces 14a to 14d, which are the outer surfaces of side wall 16, are visible, and these are connected in the order of outer surfaces 14a, 14d, 14c, and 14b so as to surround the interior of cylinder 10 and close it. Note that a case in which side wall 16 is partially divided (partially open) is also included in the equivalent of cylinder 10 as long as it provides the functions and effects of embodiment 1.

[0020] In the example of Figs. 1 and 2, the tubular body 10 is a slightly flattened square tube (rectangular tube) as a whole, but is not limited to this and may be, for example, a circular cylinder.

[0021] Similar to the definition of the cylindrical body 10, the small cylinder 100 also has openings on the upper and lower sides (upper opening 110, lower opening 120), and is basically closed by a side wall (unnumbered). The upper opening 110 and the lower opening 120 communicate with each other via the space inside the cylinder, allowing fluids such as air to flow through the space inside the cylinder. When the heater unit 1 is placed upright and operated, the lower opening 110 serves as an air intake port, and the upper opening 120 serves as an outlet port for heated air.

[0022] The cylindrical body 10 and the small cylinder 100 are preferably made of a material with a higher thermal conductivity than oil, water, etc., so that heat can be transferred to the air inside the cylinder immediately (to increase rapid heating) when electricity is applied to the heating means 20 described below. Materials such as metal, such as aluminum, can be used as materials for making up the cylindrical body 10 and the small cylinder 100.

[0023] When viewing the cylindrical body 10 from a direction perpendicular to the height direction (longitudinal direction), the height of some small cylinders 100 may be different from the height of other small cylinders 100.

[0024] The heating means 20 is an electric heater that converts electrical energy into thermal energy, and is a means for heating the cylindrical body 10. In Figures 1 to 3, the heating means 20 is depicted as a schematic rectangular parallelepiped, but a sheathed heater, for example, can be used as the heating means 20. Note that electrical connection terminals to the heating means 20 are not shown in the figures.

[0025] The heating means 20 is directly or indirectly connected to the outer surface 14 of the cylinder 10 . In other words, the heating means 20 may be connected (arranged) so as to be in direct contact with the outer surface 14 of the cylindrical body 10, or may be indirectly connected (arranged) to the outer surface of the cylindrical body 10 via some indirect member such as the heat sink 30 of embodiment 2 described below. In the first embodiment, the heating means 20 can be introduced singly or in plural, and the heating means 20 can be connected (placed) at any location on the outer surface 14 of the cylindrical body 10 . 1 to 3, the heating means 20 is directly connected to the outer surface 14a on the first side of the cylindrical body 10, and is further directly connected to the outer surface 14b on the second side opposite the first side. These two heating means 20 are disposed at the same height below the middle of the cylindrical body 10. It is preferable that the heating means 20 are disposed so that the longitudinal direction is approximately horizontal.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 and 4 (details will be described later), the heater unit 1 of embodiment 1 is configured to heat the cylindrical body 10 (small cylinder 100) with the heating means 20, thereby warming the air sucked in from the lower opening 120 inside the small cylinder 100 and generating an ascending air current, and then blowing the warmed air out from the upper opening 110, thereby generating natural convection.

[0027] 2. Effects of the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the AA cross section for explaining natural convection and radiation of air by the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the BB cross section for explaining natural convection of air by the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1. In the figure, thin arrows schematically represent heat transfer, thick arrows represent air transfer, and lightning arrows represent radiation. In Fig. 4, small circles with a center point schematically represent the direction in which heat transfers from the back side to the front side of the page. Note that the symbol NC represents natural convection, and the symbol RA represents radiation.

[0028] (1) Natural convection (1-1) In the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment, the heating means 20 is connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface 14 of the cylindrical body 10 . 3 and 4, when electricity is applied to the heating means 20 to cause it to generate heat (activate), the heat moves to the cylindrical body 10 (i.e., small cylinder 100; the same applies below) connected to the heating means 20, and is further conducted sequentially through the inside 16a of the side wall of the cylindrical body 10 (small cylinder 100), warming the air inside the cylindrical body 10 (small cylinder 100) that is in contact with the inner surface 13 (130) of this side wall. As a result, inside each small cylinder 100, the air sucked in from the lower opening 120 is heated, generating an ascending air current, and the heated air is blown out from the upper opening 110, generating natural convection NC.

[0029] In particular, the cylindrical body 10 of embodiment 1 has a plurality of small cylinders arranged adjacent to each other. In other words, it can be said that the cylindrical body 10 has a plurality of compartments (spaces inside each small cylinder) separated by walls of the small cylinders 100. If the cylindrical body 10 were to consist of only one large-diameter tube, the air near the inner surface 140 inside the tube would certainly warm up and tend to rise, but the air near the center of the tube (in cross section) would not easily receive heat and would tend to remain in place rather than rise, making it difficult for the air inside the tube to escape. On the other hand, in the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1, the air within the narrow compartments inside each small cylinder 100 is heated with little localized unevenness in each small cylinder 100. As a result, in the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1, all of the air inside the small cylinder 100, including the air near the center of the cylinder, is easily released upward, and the flow rate of natural convection can be increased, resulting in natural convection comparable to or even greater than that of an oil heater.

[0030] (1-2) In the example of the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1 (Figures 1 to 4), the two heating means 20 are arranged below the midpoint of the height of the cylindrical body 10 and at the same height. In this way, by arranging the two heating means 20 facing each other at the same height, the air inside the cylinder at the height sandwiched between the two heating means 20 is heated intensively from both sides, and an updraft can be quickly generated. Furthermore, if the heating means 20 were placed above the middle height of the cylindrical body 10, the heating means 20, which is the heat source, would be close to the air outlet (opening 12 at the top of the cylindrical body 10), which could cause the temperature of the cylindrical body 10 near the outlet to rise excessively.However, by placing the heating means 20 below the middle height of the cylindrical body 10, this possibility can be reduced.

[0031] (1-3) For reference, the heating appliance described in Patent Document 1 is indeed configured to generate an ascending air current in the space within the heating appliance, resulting in “natural convection.” However, because the heater section 4, which is composed of pipes 9, heat dissipation fins 10, etc., is positioned in the air flow path, the heater section 4 creates air resistance, hindering the generation of an ascending air current and ultimately “natural convection.” (The inventor of Patent Document 2 also acknowledges that the air resistance of the fins 10 is a problem (see, for example, the upper left column of page 2)). In this regard, the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment is configured to generate an ascending air current by passing air through the heated cylinder 10 while heating the cylinder 10 itself. In other words, there is nothing to obstruct the movement of the ascending air current in the air flow path (the path that passes through the interior of the small cylinder 100 from the lower opening 120 to the upper opening 110). Therefore, compared to the heating appliance described in Patent Document 1, natural convection can be generated much more effectively, and the room can be heated more quickly (fast heating).

[0032] (1-4) Furthermore, the heating facility described in Patent Document 2 does indeed generate an updraft within the air flow path, resulting in "natural convection." However, the wall 3 that forms part of the air flow path does not heat the air within the flow path, but rather absorbs heat from the air within the flow path, and therefore does not generate an accelerating updraft or natural convection. This is because Patent Document 2 creates an updraft and natural convection for passive reasons, in that a part of the air flow path is made up of a wall 3, and then cold drafts generated from the wall 3, which is made of glass or the like, are raised by air heated by a plate-shaped heating element 5, and this is also related to the fact that the premise is different from that of the present invention. In this regard, the heater unit 1 of embodiment 1 heats the air inside using the entire inner wall of the cylindrical body 10, and can generate natural convection much more quickly (fast heating) than the heating facility described in Patent Document 2.

[0033] (2) Radiation In the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment, the heating means 20 is connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface 14 of the cylindrical body 10, and therefore, when the heating means 20 is operated, the cylindrical body 10 itself and the intermediate member on which the heating means 20 is placed also become hot. As a result, natural convection is generated inside the cylindrical body 10, while "radiation RA" can be realized outside the cylindrical body 10 in the outward direction as viewed from the cylindrical body 10 (see FIG. 4).

[0034] (3) The heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment mainly comprises the heating means 20 and the cylindrical body 10 (plurality of small cylinders 100). In other words, the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment can achieve natural convection and radiation without using a means of burning fossil fuels. This allows the user to stay warm without polluting the air in the room.

[0035] (4) The heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment does not require any rotating body such as a fan for blowing air (although, of course, adding a fan is not prohibited). Therefore, the heater unit 1 does not generate any noise when it is operating.

[0036] (5) The heater unit 1 of embodiment 1 has a relatively simple configuration, with the heating means 20 and the cylindrical body 10 (multiple small cylinders 100) as its main components. Therefore, by adjusting the dimensions of the cylindrical body 10 and the heating means 20 to suit the purpose, a heating appliance with excellent portability can be constructed.

[0037] From the above (1) to (5), by using the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1, it is possible to provide a heating appliance that can obtain the same functions and characteristics as an oil heater without using oil. Also, it is possible to provide a heater unit that can be suitably used in such a heating appliance.

[0038] [Embodiment 2] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of heater unit 2 according to embodiment 2. Fig. 6 is a plan view of heater unit 2 according to embodiment 2 as viewed from above. Fig. 7 is a side view of heat dissipation unit 25 made up of heat dissipation plate 30 and heating means 20' as viewed in the direction in which fins 32 extend (the direction along arrow C in Fig. 5).

[0039] The heater unit 2 according to the second embodiment basically has the same configuration as the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment, but differs from the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment in that it has a structure that can further improve output efficiency. The structure that can improve output efficiency will be described in detail below.

[0040] 1. Internal fins 150 It is preferable that the small cylinders 100 of the heater unit 2 of embodiment 2 further be provided with internal fins 150 that protrude from the inner wall 132 toward the central region of the small cylinders 100 (the central region in the space inside each small cylinder) when viewed from above (see Figures 5 and 6). These internal fins 150 are provided in a convex shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the small cylinder 100. The internal fins 150 shown in Figures 5 and 6 are shown as an example, and extend fully from the upper opening 110 to the lower opening 120 of the small cylinder 100. However, this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the internal fins 150 may rise from a position slightly below the upper opening 110 and extend downward from there. The same applies to the area near the lower opening 120. Furthermore, the internal fins 150 may be provided intermittently rather than continuously from top to bottom.

[0041] In the heater unit 2 according to the second embodiment, the small cylinder 100 is further provided with such internal fins 150, thereby increasing the area of the small cylinder 100 that comes into contact with the air inside. As a result, the heater unit 2 according to the second embodiment can heat the air in the room more efficiently and quickly than the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0042] 2. Heat sink 30 The heater unit 2 according to the second embodiment preferably further includes a heat sink 30 (see FIGS. 5 to 7). The heat sink 30 has a heating means mounting portion 31 on which the heating means 20' is mounted, and is provided with a plurality of fins 32 on its front side, and a bonding surface 33 (see FIG. 7 in particular) on its back side that is bonded to the outer surface 14 of the cylindrical body 10. The heating means 20' is mounted on this heating means mounting portion 31. The heat sink 30 is positioned so that the bonding surface 33 is in close contact with the outer surface 14 of the cylindrical body 10. In the illustrated example, two heating means 20' (sheathed heaters 200) are arranged on the heat sink 30 in parallel and spaced apart from each other.

[0043] The fins 32 are formed so as to protrude from the base 34 toward the front side. The fins 32 may have any protruding shape. Here, the fins 32 form convex stripes extending along the longitudinal direction of the sheathed heater 200, which is the heating means 20′.

[0044] The heating means mounting portion 31 may have any structure as long as it can embrace the heating means 20'. Here, the heating means mounting portion 31 is connected to the base 34 of the heat sink 30 as a groove (linear long groove 38) having a substantially U-shaped or C-shaped cross section that is open on the front side. A linear sheathed heater 200 serving as the heating means 20' is placed so as to be fitted into this long groove 38.

[0045] The joining surface 33 is the surface that is joined to the outer surface 14 of the cylindrical body 10 as described above. Here, the joining surface 33 is a surface formed as part of the base 34. The shape of the joining surface 33 roughly follows the shape of the outer surface 14 of the cylindrical body 10. In this case, the cylindrical body 10 is a square tube and the outer surface 14 is flat, so the joining surface 33 is also flat. As will be described later, if the cylindrical body 10 has a cylindrical shape, for example, the joining surface 33 will also be a curved surface that follows this shape. By adopting such a shape, the joining surface 33 of the heat sink 30 is in close contact with the outer surface 14 of the cylindrical body 10, and the mutual contact area can be maximized, thereby enabling efficient heat conduction.

[0046] In the above structure, the heating means 20' is "indirectly" connected to the cylindrical body 10 via the heat sink 30. Therefore, the heat path is such that the heating means 20' heats the base 34 of the heat sink 30 via the heating means mounting portion 31, and the heat is conducted from the heated base 34 through the joint surface 33 to the cylindrical body 10 and also to the fins 32.

[0047] In the heater unit 2 of embodiment 2, by introducing the heat sink 30 as described above, heat can be transferred through the surface of the cylindrical body 10 rather than through a line, as viewed from the heating means 20', and the heat sink 30 acts as a booster, thereby improving the heating speed.

[0048] Furthermore, since multiple fins 32 are provided on the front side, radiation can be achieved from a larger surface area, thereby further improving heating efficiency.

[0049] Furthermore, since heat is released to the outside via the fins 32, it is possible to suppress a rise in temperature of the heating means 20' (sheathed heater 200) itself placed on the heating means placement portion 31. This also makes it possible to extend the life of the heating means 20, 20'.

[0050] 3. Arrangement of a plurality of heat dissipation units 25 including heat dissipation plates 30 A set of the heating means 20' and the heat dissipation plate 30 on which the heating means 20' is placed is provisionally defined as a "heat dissipation unit 25." In the heater unit 2 of embodiment 2, it is preferable that the heat dissipation unit 25 is arranged on the outer surface 14a of the first side of the cylindrical body 10 and on the outer surface 14b of the second side opposite the first side (see Figures 5 and 6).

[0051] In the heater unit 2 according to the second embodiment, by arranging a plurality of heat dissipation units 25 facing each other so as to sandwich the cylindrical body 10 (small cylinder 100) as described above, the air inside the cylinder sandwiched between the heating means 20 is heated intensively from both sides, and an ascending air current can be generated quickly. This allows natural convection to be generated quickly (fast heating).

[0052] Furthermore, when attempting to obtain the same overall output, if the heat dissipation units 25 are arranged on only one side, the load per heating means 20' increases, but if the heat dissipation units 25 are arranged on multiple sides, the load is distributed to both heat dissipation units 25, reducing the load on each heating means 20'. This allows the life of the heating means 20' to be extended.

[0053] The heater unit 2 according to the second embodiment has basically the same configuration as the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment, except that it has a structure that can further increase the output efficiency. Therefore, it similarly has the corresponding effects among the effects of the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0054] [Embodiment 3] The heater unit 2 of embodiment 3 basically has the same configuration as the heater unit 1 of embodiment 1 and the heater unit 2 of embodiment 2, but differs from the heater unit 1 of embodiment 1 and the heater unit 2 of embodiment 2 in that the small cylinder 100 is made of an intermediate member 180 that has standardized common specifications.

[0055] Therefore, in the following, first the intermediate member 180 will be explained, then the dimensional adjustment by appropriately cutting and combining the intermediate member 180 will be explained, and then the heater unit 3 using these techniques will be explained.

[0056] 1. An example of the intermediate member 180

[0057] 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining an example of the intermediate member 180. Fig. 8A is a plan view of the intermediate member 180 as viewed from above, and Fig. 8B is a perspective view of the intermediate member 180.

[0058] Intermediate members 180 are the original members that make up small cylinder 100 (or cylindrical body 10). Intermediate members 180 are made to standardized common specifications. By appropriately cutting each of these common-specification intermediate members 180 or by appropriately changing the number of intermediate members 180 combined together (number of connected pieces), the height, width, or depth of the final cylindrical body 10 can be freely changed.

[0059] Intermediate member 180 has at least one small cylinder 100 and has openings 110, 120 at one end and the other end in the length (height) direction. In some cases, intermediate member 180 can be used alone as the smallest size cylinder 10. When the small cylinder 100 (cylinder 10) to be made is, for example, a substantially square cylinder, an approximately square cylinder with four outer surfaces is prepared as intermediate member 180.

[0060] The intermediate member 180 may have any structure as long as it can be adjusted in the length direction by cutting or the like and multiple intermediate members 180 of the same specifications can be connected adjacent to each other. For example, a simple rectangular tube structure with four completely flat outer surfaces may be used. In this case, multiple intermediate members 180 may be arranged and bonded appropriately, and then clamped or otherwise treated to connect and fix the intermediate members 180 to each other.

[0061] Furthermore, for example, when multiple intermediate members 180 are arranged and connected, a structure may be adopted in which the outer surfaces facing each other can engage with each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the first surface 180a is provided with a first engaging portion 161 for coupling with the second surface 180b of another adjacent intermediate member (an intermediate member (not shown) to be positioned on the left side of the intermediate member 180 shown in the figure), and the second surface 180b is provided with a second engaging portion 162 for coupling with the first surface 180a of yet another adjacent intermediate member (an intermediate member (not shown) to be positioned on the right side of the intermediate member 180 shown in the figure). Note that, among the four outer surfaces, predetermined surfaces that are parallel to each other are defined as the first surface 180a and the second surface 180b. When multiple intermediate members 180 are coupled together, the first engaging portion 161 of one intermediate member 180 (e.g., the intermediate member positioned on the right) engages with the second engaging portion 162 of another intermediate member (e.g., the intermediate member positioned on the left), thereby joining the first surface 180a of one intermediate member to the second surface 180b of the other intermediate member. Specifically, the first engagement portion 161 may be realized by an engagement long groove 163 extending linearly in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate member 180, and the second engagement portion 162 may be realized by an engagement protrusion 164 similarly extending linearly (see FIG. 8). The intermediate member 180 here is made up of two small cylinders 100 -1 ,100 -2 It contains the following. The reference numeral 15 is utilized as a nut groove into which a nut for fixing the heat sink 30 is embedded.

[0062] 2. Adjustment of the configuration and dimensions of the cylindrical body 10'' using the intermediate member 180 Next, a procedure for constructing (assembling) the cylindrical body 10'' while adjusting the outer dimensions using the intermediate member 180 having the first engaging portion 161 and the second engaging portion 162 described above will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing how a cylindrical body 10'' using intermediate members 180 and a heater unit 3 according to embodiment 3 including the cylindrical body 10'' are configured. Here, as an example, a case where four intermediate members 180 are used is shown. FIG. 9(a) is a perspective view showing adjustment of the height and width dimensions of the cylindrical body 10'', and FIG. 9(b) is a plan view of the assembled cylindrical body 10'' as viewed from above. FIG. 9(c) is a perspective view showing the assembled cylindrical body 10''. Note that FIG. 9(c) shows a state in which a heat dissipation unit 25 is added to the cylindrical body 10'' to form the heater unit 3 (heater unit 3 according to embodiment 3).

[0063] As shown in FIG. 9(a), first, four intermediate members 180 ―1 ~180 -4 The leftmost intermediate member 180 is prepared. ―1 In order to set the intermediate member 180 to a predetermined height H1, the intermediate member 180 is cut in advance along a cutting surface D (see FIG. 9(c) described later). ―1 The second engaging portion 162 (engaging protrusion 164) of the second surface 180b of the intermediate member 180 ―2 The first engaging portion 161 (engagement long groove 163) of the first surface 180a of the intermediate member 180 is engaged with the first engaging portion 161 (engagement long groove 163) of the first surface 180a by sliding the first engaging portion 161 in the vertical direction, thereby connecting the two intermediate members. ―2 The second engaging portion 162 of the second surface 180b and the intermediate member 180 ―3 The intermediate member 180 is engaged with the first engaging portion 161 of the first surface 180a. ―3 The second engaging portion 162 on the second surface 180b of the right-hand intermediate member 180 ―4 The first engaging portion 161 of the first surface 180a is engaged with the first engaging portion 161 of the first surface 180a. By performing these steps, four intermediate members 180 as shown in FIG. 9(b) are obtained. ―1 ~180 -4 These are connected to each other to form a cylindrical body 10''.

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 9(b) and 9(c), when the assembled cylindrical body 10″ is viewed, the intermediate member 180 ―1 Corresponding to small cylinder 100 -1 ,100 -2 The height H1 is 100mm.-3 ~100 -8 The height dimension is adjusted so that it is smaller than the height H2 of the cylindrical body 10''. The width W of the cylindrical body 10'' is determined by connecting four intermediate members 180 together.

[0065] 3. Configuration of heater unit 3 according to embodiment 3, which is made up of intermediate member 180 The heater unit 3 including the cylindrical body 10 ″ assembled as described in 2 above is -1 ~100 -8 Intermediate member 180 with common specifications ―1 ~180 ―4 The height dimension of the cylindrical body 10'' is determined by cutting the intermediate member 180 to a desired length, and the width dimension and / or depth dimension of the cylindrical body 10'' is determined by combining the desired number of intermediate members 180 (see Figure 9(c)).

[0066] 9(b) and 9(c), when a portion of the connection points of the assembled heater unit 3 is viewed locally, one small cylinder 100 -5 The small cylinder 100 has a first engaging portion 161 on one of its four outer surfaces facing a first direction (leftward in the drawing), and is connected to another small cylinder 100. -4 The small cylinder 100 has a second engaging portion 162 on one of the four outer surfaces facing a second direction (to the right in the drawing) opposite to the first direction, and the first engaging portion 161 and the second engaging portion 162 engage with each other to hold the small cylinder 100 in place. -5 and 100 other small cylinders -4 However, each small cylinder 100 is assumed to be a substantially square cylinder.

[0067] 4. Effects of the heater unit 3 according to the third embodiment (1) When attempting to obtain a metal cylindrical body 10 in which a plurality of small cylinders 100 are arranged, it is conceivable to manufacture the cylindrical body 10 by, for example, casting or die-casting. However, when using casting or die-casting, whenever the external dimensions (height, width, or depth) of the cylindrical body 10 are changed in accordance with changes in the external dimensions and shape of the heating appliance, a mold or die corresponding to the dimensional change must be manufactured, which makes it difficult to increase manufacturing flexibility and also results in a corresponding increase in manufacturing costs.

[0068] On the other hand, the heater unit 3 of embodiment 3 is configured so that the small cylinder 100 is made up of an intermediate member 180 having standardized common specifications, and the height dimension of the cylinder 10'' is determined by cutting the intermediate member 180 to the desired length, and the width dimension and / or depth dimension of the cylinder 10'' is determined by combining the desired number of intermediate members 180. Therefore, even if the external dimensions of the heating appliance are changed, the external dimensions of the heater unit can be easily changed by appropriately cutting the intermediate members 180 or adjusting the number of combinations, thereby solving the problem of manufacturing flexibility described above. Also, because the intermediate members 180 have standardized common specifications, it is sufficient to manufacture multiple members with the same specifications as preparation, and the manufactured intermediate members 180 will eventually be used, so the manufacturing cost problem described above can be suppressed.

[0069] (2) Furthermore, since the external dimensions can be changed as needed, it can contribute to the creation of small, portable heating appliances, and thus contribute to the provision of heating appliances with excellent portability similar to oil heaters.

[0070] The heater unit 3 according to embodiment 3 has a configuration basically similar to that of the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1 and the heater unit 2 according to embodiment 2, except that the small cylinder 100 is made of an intermediate member 180 having standardized common specifications. Therefore, the heater unit 3 according to embodiment 3 has the same effects as the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1 and the heater unit 2 according to embodiment 2.

[0071] [Embodiment 4] A heating appliance 8 according to embodiment 4 is a heating appliance that uses the heater units 1 to 3 according to the above-described embodiments 1 to 3. The description of the heater units themselves will be omitted here, as the description of embodiments 1 to 3 will be used.

[0072] 1. Heating device 8 according to embodiment 4 FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a heating appliance 8 according to the fourth embodiment.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 10, the heating appliance 8 of the fourth embodiment includes one of the heater units 1 to 3 described above (for example, heater unit 3), a controller 50 electrically connected to the heating means 20 of the heater unit 3 and controlling the operation of the heater unit 3, and a housing 60 covering at least a portion of the heater unit 3. Reference numeral 68 denotes an air intake port, and reference numeral 67 denotes an outlet port for heated air. Reference numeral 65 denotes an induction plate that guides the heated air so that it does not directly hit the controller 50. Electrical wiring to be connected to the heating means 20 (reference numeral not shown) is not shown. Here, the heater unit 3 according to embodiment 3 has been used as an example of the heater unit, but this is not limited to this, and the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1 and the heater unit 2 according to embodiment 2 can also be applied.

[0074] The heating appliance 8 according to embodiment 4 includes any one of the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1, the heater unit 2 according to embodiment 2, and the heater unit 3 according to embodiment 3, and therefore has the same effects as the heater units described in any one of embodiments 1 to 3. As a result, the heating appliance 8 according to embodiment 4 is a heating appliance that can obtain the same functions and characteristics as an oil heater without using oil.

[0075] 2. Electrical Configuration Example of Heating Device According to Embodiment 4 FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a block diagram of a heating appliance 8 according to the fourth embodiment. The heating appliance 8 includes a controller 50. The controller 50 may include a power supply circuit 52, an overall control unit 53, a drive circuit 54, and the like, as shown in FIG. The power supply circuit 52 supplies a predetermined amount of power to the overall control unit 53 and the drive circuit 54 based on the power input from the power plug 51 connected to the commercial power supply. The overall control unit 53 is connected to the drive circuit 54 and the power supply circuit 52 and performs predetermined overall control. The drive circuit 54 controls the four sheathed heaters 200 which are the heating means 20. -1 ~200 -4 and each heating means 20 -1 ~20 -4 Controls the behavior of The heater unit introduced here is assumed to be heater unit 3 according to embodiment 3, and has a total of four sheathed heaters, two on the outer surface 14a of the first side and two on the outer surface 14b of the second side.

[0076] Here, the sheath heater 200 -1 ~200 -4 It is possible to use heaters with the same output specifications (for example, 300 W) for all of the above. Since only one type of sheathed heater needs to be prepared, standardization is promoted and costs can be reduced.

[0077] On the other hand, of the 2n sheath heaters (which can be read as heating means), n may be heaters with output specifications (wattage) that are multiples of 2, and the remaining n may be heaters with output specifications (wattage) that are multiples of 3, where n is an integer of 2 or greater. For example, of the four sheath heaters, two can be 300 W heaters and the other two can be 450 W heaters. By setting the heater output specifications with this internal configuration and appropriately changing the combination of heaters that are turned on, it is possible to set the overall output in 150W increments, which is finer than the minimum output of 300W for a single heater, such as 300W, 450W, 600W (2 x 300W), 750W (300W + 450W), etc.

[0078] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and for example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0079] (1) The number, material, shape, position, size, etc. of the components described in the above embodiment are examples and can be changed within the scope that does not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0080] (2) In the third embodiment, an example has been described in which the width dimension of the cylindrical body 10 is adjusted by adjusting the number of connected intermediate members 180 in the width direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the depth dimension of the cylindrical body 10 may be adjusted by adjusting the number of connected intermediate members 180 in the depth direction.

[0081] (3) The intermediate member 180 of the third embodiment is made up of two small cylinders 100 -1 ,100 -2However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the intermediate member may contain only one small cylinder, or may contain three or more small cylinders.

[0082] (4) In each embodiment, the description has been given assuming that the outer surface of the cylindrical body 10 is substantially flat. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the outer surface of the cylindrical body 10 may be curved. In this case, the bonding surface 33 of the heat sink 30 in embodiment 2 can also be configured as a curved surface following such a curved surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1,2,3...heater unit, 8...heating appliance, 10,10''...cylinder, 11...upper opening of cylinder, 12...lower opening of cylinder, 13...inner surface of cylinder, 14,14a,14b,14c,14d...outer surface of cylinder, 16...side wall, 16a...inside of side wall, 20,20'...heating means, 25...heat dissipation unit, 30...heat dissipation plate, 31...heating means mounting portion, 32...fin, 33...joint surface, 34...base, 38...long groove, 50...controller, 51...electric Power plug, 52...power supply circuit, 53...overall control unit, 54...drive circuit, 60...casing, 100...small cylinder, 110...upper opening of small cylinder, 120...lower opening of small cylinder, 132...inner wall of small cylinder, 140...inner surface of small cylinder, 150...internal fin, 161...first engaging portion, 162...second engaging portion, 163...engaging long groove, 164...engaging protrusion, 180...intermediate member, 180a...first surface of intermediate member, 180...second surface of intermediate member, 200...sheathed heater

Claims

1. a cylindrical body having a generally cylindrical shape as a whole, in which a plurality of small cylinders each having an opening on the upper side and an opening on the lower side are arranged adjacent to each other; a heating means connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface of the cylindrical body; By heating the cylinder with the heating means, the air drawn in from the lower opening is heated inside the small cylinder to generate an ascending air current, and the heated air is blown out from the upper opening to generate natural convection, a heat sink having a heating means mounting portion on which the heating means is mounted, a plurality of fins on the front side, and a bonding surface on the back side that is bonded to the outer surface of the cylindrical body, the heating means is placed on the heating means placement portion, The heat sink is disposed so that the joint surface thereof is in close contact with the outer surface of the cylindrical body. A heater unit characterized by:

2. The heater unit according to claim 1, When the set of the heating means and the heat sink on which the heating means is placed is defined as a "heat sink unit," The heat dissipation units are respectively arranged on an outer surface of a first side of the cylindrical body and an outer surface of a second side opposite to the first side. A heater unit characterized by:

3. A cylindrical body having a generally cylindrical shape as a whole, in which a plurality of small cylinders each having an opening on the upper side and the lower side are arranged adjacent to each other; a heating means connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface of the cylindrical body; By heating the cylinder with the heating means, the air drawn in from the lower opening is heated inside the small cylinder to generate an ascending air current, and the heated air is blown out from the upper opening to generate natural convection, The small cylinder further includes an internal fin that projects from an inner wall toward a central region of the small cylinder when viewed from above. A heater unit characterized by:

4. A cylindrical body having a generally cylindrical shape as a whole, in which a plurality of small cylinders each having an opening on the upper side and the lower side are arranged adjacent to each other, a heating means connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface of the cylindrical body; By heating the cylinder with the heating means, the air drawn in from the lower opening is heated inside the small cylinder to generate an ascending air current, and the heated air is blown out from the upper opening to generate natural convection, The small cylinder is made of an intermediate member having common specifications, the height dimension of the cylindrical body is determined by cutting the intermediate member to a desired length; The width dimension and / or depth dimension of the cylindrical body are determined by combining a desired number of the intermediate members. A heater unit characterized by:

5. The heater unit according to claim 4, the intermediate member is a substantially rectangular tube having four outer surfaces, When predetermined surfaces among the four outer surfaces that are parallel to each other are defined as a first surface and a second surface, a first engaging portion is provided on the first surface for coupling with a second surface of another adjacent intermediate member, and a second engaging portion is provided on the second surface for coupling with a first surface of yet another adjacent intermediate member, the first engaging portion of one intermediate member and the second engaging portion of the other intermediate member engage with each other, thereby joining the first surface of the one intermediate member and the second surface of the other intermediate member. A heater unit characterized by:

6. A cylindrical body having a generally cylindrical shape as a whole, in which a plurality of small cylinders each having an opening on the upper side and the lower side are arranged adjacent to each other, a heating means connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface of the cylindrical body; By heating the cylinder with the heating means, the air drawn in from the lower opening is heated inside the small cylinder to generate an ascending air current, and the heated air is blown out from the upper opening to generate natural convection, When the small cylinder is a substantially rectangular cylinder, One of the small cylinders has a first engagement portion on one of its four outer surfaces facing a first direction, The other small cylinder has a second engaging portion provided on one of the four outer surfaces facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, The first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are engaged with each other to connect one small cylinder to the other small cylinder. A heater unit characterized by:

7. The heater unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a controller electrically connected to the heating means of the heater unit and controlling the operation of the heater unit; a housing that covers at least a portion of the heater unit; Heating appliances equipped with.

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