Heater

Abstract

To provide a user-friendly heater which can prevent heating at an excessively high temperature when being operated by an operation terminal, and can suppress increase in the cost with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A heater includes a heater body 1, and an operation terminal 2 for remotely controlling the heater body 1. The heater body 1 includes a first operation part 11 for performing start operation of heating operation, first heating temperature setting operation parts 12, 13 for setting a heating temperature, and a control part 5 for controlling the heating operation. The operation terminal 2 includes a second operation part 16 for performing start operation of the heating operation of the heater body 1, and second heating temperature setting operation parts 17, 18 for setting the heating temperature. The control part 5 controls the heating operation of the heater body 1 in accordance with the operation of the respective operation parts. The first heating temperature setting operation parts 12, 13 can set the heating temperature within a first temperature range, and the second heating temperature setting operation parts 17, 18 can set the temperature within a second temperature range having an upper limit temperature lower than the first temperature range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a heater, and more particularly to a heater that can be remotely operated to start a heating operation and set a temperature by an operation terminal such as a remote control.

Background Art

[0002] [[ID=ll]] Conventionally, a heater including a heater main body and an operation terminal such as a remote control is known. The heater main body is provided with a main body side operation unit for performing operations such as starting and stopping the heating operation and setting the heating temperature. The operation terminal is also provided with a terminal side operation unit for performing substantially the same operation as the heater main body. The heater main body includes a control unit that controls the heating operation according to the operations of the main body side operation unit and the terminal side operation unit.

[0003] Furthermore, in this type of heater, when the operation terminal is in a positional relationship at a predetermined distance from the heater main body, although the operation terminal can perform an operation for setting the heating temperature, it is known that the operation terminal does not accept an operation for starting the heating operation (see Patent Document 1 below).

[0004] According to this, if the user who tries to operate the operation terminal is not near the heater main body, the operation of the heater main body cannot be started. Therefore, for example, when there are articles that are not suitable for a rapid temperature rise in the vicinity of the hot air outlet of the heater main body, or when there are children or pets, it is possible to prevent these from being hit by relatively high-temperature hot air.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, with the conventional system described above, even if the user has a precise understanding of the surrounding conditions of the heater unit before operating the control terminal, it is not possible to start the heating operation from a control terminal located at a predetermined distance from the heater unit, making it inconvenient to use.

[0007] Furthermore, because a means is required to determine that the control terminal is located at a predetermined distance from the heating unit, the number of parts and processing steps increase, resulting in higher costs.

[0008] Furthermore, if the heating operation does not start even after operating the control terminal, the user may become confused because they do not know the cause. Therefore, it is necessary to inform the user by sound or display that the control terminal is located at a certain distance from the heating unit, which also increases the number of parts and processing steps, thus increasing costs.

[0009] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a user-friendly heater that can prevent excessive heating at high temperatures when operated via an operating terminal, and has a simple configuration while keeping costs down. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve this objective, the present invention provides a heater comprising a heater body and an operation terminal for remotely operating the heater body, wherein the heater body comprises a first operation unit for starting the heating operation, a first heating temperature setting operation unit for setting the heating temperature, and a control unit for controlling the heating operation, the operation terminal comprises a second operation unit for starting the heating operation of the heater body and a second heating temperature setting operation unit for setting the heating temperature, and the control unit controls the heating operation of the heater body in accordance with the operation of each of the operation units, wherein the first heating temperature setting operation unit is capable of setting the heating temperature within a predetermined first temperature range, and the second heating temperature setting operation unit is capable of setting the temperature within a predetermined second temperature range with a lower upper temperature limit than the first temperature range.

[0011] According to the present invention, the second temperature range that can be set by the second heating temperature setting operation unit of the operating terminal is lower than the upper limit of the first temperature range that can be set by the first heating temperature setting operation unit of the heating unit body. Therefore, it is possible to prevent heating at excessively high temperatures when the operating terminal is operated. Furthermore, because the present invention has a configuration that limits the temperature range that can be set by the operating terminal in this way, it is possible to keep the cost increase down with a simple configuration, and since it is possible to prevent heating at excessively high temperatures when the operating terminal is operated without the user being aware of it, a user-friendly heating unit can be provided.

[0012] Furthermore, in the heater of the present invention, the first temperature range of the first heating temperature setting operation unit is configured with at least a normal temperature setting range selected during normal use and a high setting temperature higher than the upper limit of the normal temperature setting range, and the second temperature range of the second heating temperature setting operation unit is configured with at least the normal temperature setting range, excluding the high setting temperature.

[0013] The aforementioned normal temperature setting range is a heating temperature range that many users find comfortable and includes settings that are relatively frequently selected during normal use. The aforementioned high temperature setting is a setting used to quickly warm the room and is higher than the upper limit of the normal temperature setting range. Heating at the aforementioned high temperature setting may adversely affect items that are not suitable for rapid temperature increases and may cause discomfort to children and pets due to the heat.

[0014] If the user is near the heater unit, they can check the area around the unit, operate the first heating temperature setting control unit, select a high temperature, and quickly heat the room.

[0015] On the other hand, if the user operates the second heating temperature setting control unit on the control terminal, they cannot select a high temperature setting. Therefore, even if the user is located far from the heater unit and cannot immediately check the surroundings, it is possible to prevent the unit from operating at a high heating temperature that could adversely affect items unsuitable for rapid temperature increases or cause discomfort to children or pets. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] A diagram showing a heating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heating unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the heater of this embodiment comprises a heater body 1 and a remote control 2 which serves as an operating terminal for remotely controlling the heater body 1.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, the heating unit 1 is placed on the floor in a space to be heated, such as the interior of a house, and contains a gas burner 3, a convection fan 4 that forcibly blows out air heated by the gas burner 3, and a control device 5 (control unit) that controls the heating operation.

[0019] A control panel 6, described later, is provided on the top surface of the heater unit 1. An air intake port 7 is formed on the rear surface of the heater unit 1 to draw in air drawn in by the operation of the convection fan 4. A room temperature sensor 8 for detecting room temperature is mounted near the air intake port 7.

[0020] Furthermore, a hot air outlet 9 is formed at the lower front of the heater unit 1 to guide the air (hot air) sent out by the convection fan 4 forward. A louver 10 is provided at the hot air outlet 9 to determine the direction of the airflow.

[0021] In the gas burner 3, part of the air taken in from the air intake 7 due to the operation of the convection fan 4 is supplied as combustion air. The fuel gas is supplied from a gas supply path (not shown) to the gas burner 3.

[0022] The combustion exhaust gas generated by the gas burner 3 is mixed with the other air taken in from the air intake 7 and sent into the room from the hot air outlet 9 as hot air for heating.

[0023] Note that the amount of fuel gas supplied to the gas burner 3 is controlled by the control device 5 via a flow rate adjustment valve such as a gas proportional valve provided in the gas supply path (not shown). The amount of fuel gas supplied to the gas burner 3 is proportional to the combustion amount of the gas burner ३.

[0024] Also, the amount of combustion air supplied to the gas burner 3 can be increased or decreased by the rotation speed of the convection fan 4. The convection fan 4 is rotationally driven by an electric motor (not shown), and the rotation speed of the convection fan 4 is controlled by the control device 5 via the electric motor.

[0025] The control device 5 is composed of an electronic circuit unit including a CPU, RAM, ROM, interface circuit, etc. The control device 5 controls the combustion of the gas burner 3 and the operation of the convection fan 4 based on the operation by the main body side operation panel 6.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, on the main body side operation panel 6, there are provided a main body side operation switch 11 for operating the start and stop of the heater main body 1, a main body side up switch 12 and a main body side down switch 13 for adjusting the heating temperature.

[0027] Also, a display unit 14 is provided on the main body side operation panel 6. The display unit 14 displays various information such as the set heating temperature and the current room temperature.

[0028] The control panel 6 on the main unit also has several switches for setting and changing the operating status of the heating unit 1 and setting the timer, but a description of these will be omitted. The up switch 12 and down switch 13 on the main unit are used not only to adjust the heating temperature but also to change the timer duration, etc.

[0029] The main unit-side operation switch 11 corresponds to the first operation unit in the present invention, and the main unit-side up switch 12 and the main unit-side down switch 13 correspond to the first heating temperature setting operation unit in the present invention.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the remote control 2 is configured to communicate wirelessly with the heating unit 1. In this embodiment, infrared communication is used as the communication method between the remote control 2 and the heating unit 1.

[0031] Remote control 2 is equipped with a remote control side operation panel 15 that has multiple switches. The remote control side operation panel 15 mainly includes a remote control side operation ON switch 16, a remote control side operation OFF switch 17, a remote control side up switch 18, and a remote control side down switch 19.

[0032] The remote control's ON switch 16 is pressed to start the operation of the heater unit 1, and the remote control's OFF switch 17 is pressed to stop the operation of the heater unit 1. The remote control's up switch 18 and remote control's down switch 19 are used to adjust the heating temperature.

[0033] The remote control ON switch 16 corresponds to the second operation unit in the present invention, and the remote control up switch 18 and remote control down switch 19 correspond to the second heating temperature setting operation unit in the present invention.

[0034] The control unit 5 is electrically connected to the operation unit 6, and also to the infrared receiver 21 for receiving signals transmitted from the infrared transmitter 20 of the remote control 2. The infrared receiver 21 is exposed and mounted on the upper front of the heater unit 1.

[0035] Next, the heating operation using the heater of this embodiment will be described. When the user is near the heater unit 1, the user starts the heating operation using the main unit operation switch 11 on the main unit control panel 6. Subsequently, the user sets the desired heating temperature using the main unit up switch 12 or main unit down switch 13, as needed.

[0036] When the heating temperature is set using the main unit-side up switch 12 or the main unit-side down switch 13 on the main unit-side operation panel 6, the control device 5 controls the combustion of the gas burner 3 with a combustion amount corresponding to the set heating temperature.

[0037] At this time, the heating temperatures that can be selected by operating the main unit-side up switch 12 and main unit-side down switch 13 on the main unit-side control panel 6 include temperatures within the normal temperature setting range, a low temperature setting lower than the lower limit of the normal temperature setting range, and a high temperature setting higher than the upper limit of the normal temperature setting range.

[0038] Specifically, for example, in this embodiment, the normal temperature setting range is "12°C to 26°C," and when the user presses the main unit's up switch 12 or down switch 13 multiple times to select any temperature within this range, the display unit 14 displays the selected set heating temperature numerically. When the set heating temperature is within the normal temperature setting range, the control device 5 controls the combustion amount of the gas burner 3 so that the room temperature reaches that temperature. Note that the normal temperature setting range is not limited to "12°C to 26°C," and it is preferable to set it to the temperature range that is selected most frequently and provides the greatest comfort to the user.

[0039] In this embodiment, the minimum set temperature is "10°C". When the user selects this by pressing the main unit's down switch 13 multiple times, "L" is displayed on the display unit 14, indicating that this is the lower limit of the set temperature. The minimum set temperature is not intended to raise the room temperature, but rather to maintain a sufficiently warm room temperature. The control device 5 controls the gas burner 3 by keeping the combustion rate low. Note that the minimum set temperature is not limited to "10°C".

[0040] In this embodiment, the set high temperature is "50°C". When the user selects this by pressing the up switch 12 on the main unit multiple times, "H" is displayed on the display unit 14, and this becomes the upper limit of the set temperature. The set high temperature is intended to quickly warm the room when it is very cold, and the control device 5 controls the gas burner 3 at the maximum combustion rate. Note that the set high temperature is not limited to "50°C" as it causes the gas burner 3 to continue combustion operation at the maximum combustion rate. Furthermore, the control device 5 may also have a control function that forcibly stops the heating operation if the room temperature exceeds 35°C and heating operation continues for 10 minutes. This prevents excessive rise in room temperature.

[0041] When the control device 5 detects operation of the main unit-side up switch 12 or the main unit-side down switch 13 on the main unit-side operation panel 6, it provides the user with a set low temperature, a normal temperature setting range, and a set high temperature as a settable heating temperature range.

[0042] On the other hand, if the user is away from the heater unit 1, the user starts the heating operation by using the remote control operation ON switch 16 on the remote control side control panel 15 of the remote control 2. Subsequently, the user sets the desired heating temperature using the remote control side up switch 18 or remote control side down switch 19, if necessary.

[0043] The control device 5 also controls the combustion of the gas burner 3 with a combustion rate corresponding to the set heating temperature when the heating temperature is set using the remote-side up switch 18 or remote-side down switch 19 on the remote-side operation panel 15.

[0044] At this time, the heating temperatures that can be selected by operating the remote control up switch 18 and remote control down switch 19 on the remote control control panel 15 include the temperatures within the normal temperature setting range and a set low temperature, but the set high temperature cannot be selected.

[0045] In other words, when the user presses the up switch 12 or down switch 13 on the main unit multiple times to select any temperature within this temperature range, the display unit 14 displays the selected set heating temperature numerically. The control device 5 controls the combustion amount of the gas burner 3 so that the heating temperature falls within the set normal temperature range.

[0046] In this embodiment, since the normal temperature setting range is "12℃ to 26℃", when the remote control side up switch 18 on the remote control side operation panel 15 is operated to reach the upper limit, 26℃ is selected, and it is not possible to select a higher temperature.

[0047] The user can select a low temperature setting by pressing the down switch 19 on the remote control multiple times, just as they can by using the control panel 6 on the main unit.

[0048] Furthermore, if the upper switch 18 on the remote control side is operated and the upper limit temperature of the normal temperature setting range is reached, the remote control 2 may restrict the output of a signal that exceeds the upper limit temperature (in this case, 26°C), or the control device 5, recognizing that the set temperature is determined by the signal from the remote control 2, may control the combustion of the gas burner 3 so that it does not exceed the upper limit temperature of the normal temperature setting range (in this case, 26°C).

[0049] Furthermore, the control device 5 stores the set temperature immediately before the previous heating operation was stopped, and uses the stored set temperature as the set temperature when the next heating operation is started. If a high set temperature (50°C in this embodiment) was selected immediately before the previous heating operation was stopped, and the remote control operation ON switch 16 on the remote control operation panel 15 is pressed to start the heating operation, the control device 5 forcibly sets the temperature to the maximum temperature within the normal temperature setting range (26°C in this embodiment) and starts the heating operation.

[0050] As described above, unlike the operation to start the unit or the operation to set the heating temperature using the control panel 6 on the main unit, when using the control panel 15 on the remote control, it is not possible to select a high temperature setting. This prevents relatively hot air from being unintentionally blown out of the hot air outlet 9 of the heater unit 1.

[0051] This prevents relatively hot air from blowing onto items that are not suitable for rapid temperature increases, or onto children or pets, if they are located near the front of the hot air outlet 9 of the heater unit 1. Moreover, it only requires disabling the selection of the high temperature setting when operating the remote control's control panel 15, and there is no need to detect the distance between the heater unit 1 and the remote control 2, resulting in a simple structure and minimal cost increase. Furthermore, as long as the signal from the remote control 2 (infrared in this embodiment) is within range of the heater unit 1, the heating operation can be smoothly started by operating the remote control 2, making it very user-friendly.

[0052] In this embodiment, a hot air heater equipped with a gas burner 3 as a heat source is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a hot air heater using oil or an electric heater as a heat source, and the same effects as in this embodiment can be obtained.

[0053] Furthermore, although this embodiment shows communication between the remote control 2 and the heater unit 1 being performed by infrared communication, it is not limited to this, and Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi may also be used.

[0054] Furthermore, although this embodiment shows an example using remote control 2 as the operating terminal, the operating terminal is not limited to this, and a smart fan or tablet terminal with remote control functionality provided by application software may also be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1... Heater unit, 2... Remote control (operating terminal), 5... Control unit (control unit), 11... Main unit side operation switch (first operation unit), 12... Main unit side up switch (first heating temperature setting unit), 13... Main unit side down switch (first heating temperature setting unit), 16... Remote control side operation ON switch (second operation unit), 18... Remote control side up switch (first heating temperature setting unit), 19... Remote control side down switch (first heating temperature setting unit).

Claims

1. A heating system comprising a heating unit and an operating terminal for remotely operating the heating unit, wherein the heating unit comprises a first operation unit for starting the heating operation, a first heating temperature setting unit for setting the heating temperature, and a control unit for controlling the heating operation, the operating terminal comprises a second operation unit for starting the heating operation of the heating unit and a second heating temperature setting unit for setting the heating temperature, and the control unit controls the heating operation of the heating unit in accordance with the operation of each of the aforementioned operation units, The first heating temperature setting operation unit in the heating unit body is capable of setting the heating temperature within a predetermined first temperature range. The second heating temperature setting operation unit in the aforementioned operation terminal is capable of setting the temperature within a predetermined second temperature range. A heating device characterized in that the upper limit temperature value of the second temperature range is lower than the upper limit temperature value of the first temperature range.

2. In the heating device according to claim 1, The first temperature range of the first heating temperature setting operation unit is comprised of at least a normal temperature setting range selected during normal use and a high temperature setting range higher than the upper limit of the normal temperature setting range. The heating device is characterized in that the second temperature range of the second heating temperature setting operation unit is configured with at least the normal temperature setting range, excluding the set high temperature.

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