Heating device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heating appliances fail to provide a warm feeling immediately after startup, as they require skin surface temperature to exceed a warm feeling threshold, leading to inefficient energy use.
Innovation Solution
A heating device with temperature change units and induction units that apply tactile and visual stimuli to non-overlapping areas on the skin surface, allowing the controller to coordinate temperature changes and stimulus applications to create a thermal referral effect, enhancing the perception of warmth without significant heat output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heating appliances heat the air or increase skin surface temperature to exceed the warm feeling threshold, then a warm feeling is achieved, but energy consumption increases and warmth is not felt immediately after startup
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the skin surface into multiple temperature change areas and induction areas. By applying thermal referral to specific segmented areas rather than the entire skin surface, the system creates a warm feeling illusion in targeted zones without heating the whole body, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while still providing perceived warmth.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces tactile and visual stimuli as intermediaries between the heating system and the user's thermal perception. These stimuli act as mediators that trick the nervous system into perceiving warmth without actual thermal energy transfer, allowing the system to achieve the warm feeling effect with minimal actual heating and thus lower energy consumption.
2Loss of time
If heating appliances increase heat output to provide immediate warmth, then warm feeling is achieved faster, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies tactile and visual stimuli preliminarily to induction areas before or without actual thermal heating. This preliminary action of stimulating the nervous system creates an immediate warm feeling perception, eliminating the waiting time normally required for thermal heating to raise skin temperature, while avoiding the high energy consumption associated with rapid heating.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/thermal heating process with a neurosensory stimulation approach. Instead of using thermal energy to physically raise skin temperature over time, the system uses tactile and visual stimuli to substitute the thermal sensation pathway, achieving immediate warm feeling without the energy-intensive thermal heating process.
3Area of stationary object
If heating appliances heat large areas of the skin surface, then warm feeling coverage is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the skin surface into multiple discrete temperature change areas and induction areas. This segmentation allows the system to apply thermal referral effects to specific small zones rather than heating large continuous areas, reducing the total energy required while still providing distributed warm feeling coverage across the body surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different qualities to different areas: temperature change units are placed in specific locations to create localized thermal effects, while induction units apply stimuli to different induction areas. This local quality approach allows the system to create perceived warmth in multiple locations without proportionally increasing energy consumption across the entire surface area.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device enables a local warmer feeling at an early stage of heating, reducing energy consumption by heating only specific skin areas, thus providing comfort with minimal heat output.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature change unit that is configured to change a temperature of a temperature change area on a human or animal skin surface
Implementation Method 2
the induction unit is configured to apply at least one of a tactile stimulus and a visual stimulus to the induction area
Implementation Method 3
the induction unit is configured to apply at least one of a tactile stimulus and a visual stimulus to the induction area
Implementation Method 4
allowing the controller to coordinate temperature changes and stimulus applications to create a thermal referral effect, enhancing the perception of warmth without significant heat output
Data Source
AI summary
A heating device includes:a temperature change unit that changes a temperature of a temperature change area;an induction unit that applies a stimulus to an induction area; anda controller,wherein the induction area is an area on skin surface, or an area that occupies a space that can be perspectively projected on the skin surface,the induction area is an area that does not overlap with the temperature change area,the induction unit applies at least one of a tactile stimulus and a visual stimulus to the induction area,the controller executes a first control for changing a temperature of a first temperature change area of the temperature change area and a second control for applying a stimulus to a first induction area of the induction area, andthe second control is performed in accordance with the first control.