JP6518522B2 - Combustion equipment - Google Patents

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a combustion apparatus for driving a blower fan by an electromotive force generated by using combustion heat.

In the conventional combustion apparatus, when it is intended to drive a part of the function of the apparatus with electricity, there is one that uses electric power obtained by generating electricity using heat from combustion without relying on an external power supply.
In order to realize such a mechanism with a combustion device, for example, an electric heat module as shown in Patent Document 1 is used.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the thermoelectric module 20, the heat radiating member 21 disposed in contact with the heat radiating side of the thermoelectric module 20, and the heat absorbing side of the thermoelectric module 20 are disposed in contact with each other. A cooling and heating apparatus is disclosed that includes a heat transfer block 22 and a heat absorption member 23 connected to the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric module 20 with the heat transfer block 22 interposed therebetween.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-229606

By the way, in forming the high temperature part and the low temperature part, the thermoelectric conversion element used for the thermoelectric module receives heat from the heating means and the cooling means, respectively, and transmits it to the thermoelectric conversion element (heat dissipation member 21, heat absorption The member 23) is attached.
In order to efficiently transmit heating energy and cooling energy given to each heat sink from the heating means and cooling means to the high temperature part and the low temperature part of the thermoelectric conversion element, the high temperature part and the low temperature part of the thermoelectric conversion element correspond to each other If the heat sink is not in close contact with the heat sink for heat exchange, the heat efficiency is low.
Regarding this point, referring to Patent Document 1, “The ... heat dissipation member 21 penetrates the second seal member 27 through the bolt hole formed in the flange portion 25 b and covers the cover 25 by the bolt 31 fastened to the heat dissipation member 21. The heat absorption member 23 is also bolted to the heat transfer block 22 by a plurality of bolts 32 as in the heat radiation member 21, and the cover 25 and the heat absorption member 23 are A sealing 29 such as silicone is attached to the space between the inner surface and the inner surface "(specification paragraph 0031).

That is, the thermoelectric conversion element and the heat sink are only screwed on the outer side than the thermoelectric conversion element, and the vicinity of the center of the thermoelectric conversion element is not in close contact with the heat sink.
Furthermore, each member involved to fix the heat sink and the thermoelectric conversion element is exposed to high heat, so the shape is likely to change over time, and this causes the adhesion between the thermoelectric conversion element and the heat sink to deteriorate, The heat conduction efficiency to the thermoelectric conversion element is lowered, and the conversion efficiency of the (inputted) heat into electric power is further lowered.
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and improves the heat transfer efficiency by improving the adhesion accuracy between the thermoelectric conversion element and the heat sink and preventing the deterioration of the adhesion degree due to aging. Aims to provide a combustion device that can

According to the present invention, a combustion chamber for burning a burner housed in a housing, a high temperature portion heated via a high temperature heat sink exposed in the combustion chamber, and a surface opposite to the combustion chamber are provided. And a thermoelectric conversion element including a low temperature portion attached with a low temperature side heat sink cooled by a fan, and a combustion device for discharging combustion heat heated by the burner from an outlet formed in the housing The blower fan is driven by the thermoelectromotive force generated by the thermoelectric conversion element, and the high temperature side heat sink and the low temperature side heat sink have a plate-like base in close contact with the thermoelectric conversion element has a plurality of fins that protrude at a predetermined distance from each other from the base, and the hot-side heat sink and the cold-side heat sink, the thermoelectric conversion element The biasing member is configured to be pressed down with a biasing force so that the high temperature portion and the low temperature portion are in close contact with each other, and the biasing member is configured to move the central region of the high temperature side heat sink and / or the low temperature side heat sink In addition, the low temperature side heat sink and / or the low temperature side heat sink is interposed between the high temperature side heat sink and / or the low temperature side heat sink so as to hold the base, and the low temperature temperature is obtained by interposing the biasing member and the high temperature side heat sink. A fixing member connected to the heat sink, the fixing member being a frame-like body, and pressing the biasing member against the high-temperature heat sink by the frame-like body, and the central opening to the high-temperature heat sink It is characterized by making a fin project .

According to the above configuration, the blower fan is driven by the electric power supplied from the thermoelectric conversion element, so that the blower fan can be driven to use the combustion apparatus even when, for example, outdoors or in the event of a power failure.
In addition, the high temperature side heat sink and the high temperature side of the thermoelectric conversion element are provided with the biasing member so as to be pressed with an urging force so that the high temperature side heat sink and the low temperature side heat sink closely contact the high temperature portion and the low temperature portion of the thermoelectric conversion element. The low temperature side heat sink and the low temperature side heat sink and the low temperature part of the thermoelectric conversion element can be brought into contact with each other with a high degree of adhesion, and can be brought into contact over the widest possible area, thus improving the thermoelectric conversion efficiency. Then, since the heat sink and the thermoelectric conversion element are held down by the biasing force, even if the related members are thermally deformed due to the secular change and the biasing force is somewhat changed, the biasing member continues to be pressed and the degree of adhesion As much as possible.
Furthermore, since the biasing member holds down the central region of the high temperature side heat sink and / or the low temperature side heat sink, the floating of the central region due to the thermal deformation of the heat sink and the thermoelectric conversion element is prevented, It is also possible to prevent a decrease in the contact area of the conversion element.

  According to the above configuration, the biasing member enters between the fins of the high temperature side heat sink and / or the low temperature side heat sink to press down the central region of the base, so that the base and the thermoelectric conversion element can be reliably made. It is possible to prevent the floating due to the thermal deformation and to prevent the decrease in the contact area between the heat sink and the thermoelectric conversion element.

According to the above Symbol configuration, the fixing member, so be interposed between the biasing member and the hot-side heat sink is connected to the cold-side heat sink, can be positioned and fixed so as to sandwich the biasing member and the hot-side heat sink . And since the biasing member is pressed against the high temperature side heat sink by the fixing member while holding the biasing member and the high temperature side heat sink between the fixing member and the low temperature side heat sink in this way, even if it is not pressed from the low temperature side heat sink side By pressing only from the high temperature side heat sink side, the high temperature side heat sink and the high temperature portion of the thermoelectric conversion element, and the low temperature side heat sink and the low temperature portion of the thermoelectric conversion element can be brought into close contact by exerting an urging force. Further, since the fixing member is a frame-like body and the fins of the high-temperature side heat sink are made to project from the central opening, the projecting fins can be easily heated.

Preferably, the fins of the high temperature side heat sink projected from the fixing member are exposed in the combustion chamber from through holes formed in a wall portion of the combustion chamber, and the fixing member is on the low temperature side heat sink side And a butt portion which partially protrudes on the opposite side to abut the wall portion of the combustion chamber.
According to the above configuration, the high temperature side heat sink can be efficiently heated by exposing the high temperature side heat sink projected from the central opening of the fixing member into the combustion chamber from the through hole formed in the wall portion of the combustion chamber it can. Then, the butting portion protruding from the fixing member is abutted against the wall portion of the combustion chamber, thereby providing position regulating means for preventing the high temperature side heat sink from being excessively exposed in the combustion chamber. Furthermore, the heat transmitted to the fixing member via the biasing member and the high temperature side heat sink can be prevented as much as possible from flowing to the wall of the combustion chamber without passing through the thermoelectric conversion element.

Preferably, the fixing member has a convex portion partially projecting toward the low temperature side heat sink, and a region of the convex portion is connected to the low temperature side heat sink.
According to the above configuration, the fixing member is connected to the low temperature side heat sink only in the region of the convex portion, so the heat transferred to the fixing member via the biasing member or the high temperature side heat sink is used to It can be prevented as much as possible from flowing to the low temperature side heat sink without intervention. That is, for example, when the biasing member and the low temperature side heat sink are directly connected by interposing the high temperature side heat sink, much heat is transmitted to the low temperature side heat sink along the biasing member without passing through the thermoelectric conversion element. However, high thermoelectric conversion efficiency can be realized by preventing such a situation.

Preferably, the high temperature side heat sink is smaller in outer diameter than the low temperature side heat sink.
According to the above configuration, since the high temperature side heat sink has a smaller outer shape than the low temperature side heat sink, the thermal gradient of the heat transmitted to the high temperature portion and the low temperature portion of the thermoelectric conversion element becomes large, and the generated current Potential difference can be increased. Further, since the high temperature side heat sink has a small thermal capacity, it can be easily heated quickly, and a thermal gradient capable of driving the blower fan can be realized quickly.

Preferably, a heat transfer member for flattening each contact surface is interposed between each heat sink and the high temperature part and the low temperature part of the thermoelectric conversion element.
According to the above configuration, a uniform contact surface without unevenness such as unevenness can be formed between each heat sink and the high temperature portion and the low temperature portion of the thermoelectric conversion element, and the substantial contact area is close to the maximum It can be done. This optimizes the heat exchange efficiency.

The fuel source of the burner may be a cartridge type gas cylinder containing compressed liquefied gas.
According to the above configuration, it is not necessary to guide the fuel from the outside, and it is possible to obtain a combustion device excellent in portability and portability.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the combustion device can improve the heat transfer efficiency by improving the adhesion accuracy between the thermoelectric conversion element and the heat sink and preventing the deterioration of the adhesion degree due to aging. Can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The front side perspective view of the combustion apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. AA schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic combined cross-sectional view in the case of cutting at the position of B-C-D-E in FIG. The schematic perspective view which shows the combustion part inside the housing | casing of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The schematic perspective view which shows the low temperature part inside the housing | casing of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the thermoelectric conversion unit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The perspective view which shows the fixing member of the thermoelectric conversion unit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The top view of the fixing member of the thermoelectric conversion unit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The right view of the fixing member of the thermoelectric conversion unit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The horizontal sectional view of the thermoelectric conversion unit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the alerting | reporting apparatus which alert | reports that the thermoelectric conversion apparatus of the combustion apparatus of FIG. 1 is producing electric power. The timing chart which shows operation | movement of the alerting | reporting apparatus which alert | reports that the thermoelectric conversion apparatus of the combustion apparatus of FIG. 1 is producing electric power. The schematic block diagram of the combustion apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

The combustion apparatus of the present invention is a combustion apparatus which burns fuel such as gas and kerosene and drives the blower fan by electromotive force generated by using the combustion heat, and the application thereof is limited to heating It does not mean anything but includes general devices that exert a heating action by combustion. In the following description, a fan heater is taken as an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The embodiment described below is a preferable specific example of the present invention, and therefore, various technically preferable limitations are given. However, the scope of the present invention particularly limits the present invention in the following description. As long as there is no statement of purport, it is not limited to these modes.
Further, in the following drawings, portions denoted with the same reference numerals have the same configuration unless otherwise specified, and therefore redundant description will be omitted.

1 to 3 show the configuration of a fan heater as a combustion device according to a preferred first embodiment of the present invention.
In these figures, the fan heater 10 is preferably sized to be portable and can be used even where there is no external power supply.
The fan heater 10 includes a housing 12, a fuel supply unit 20, a combustion chamber 30, a thermoelectric conversion unit 40 as a thermoelectric conversion device including a thermoelectric conversion element described later, a blower fan 50, and cooling air of the blower fan 50 Low-temperature space S2 and the like.
[Overview of case]
Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG.
The housing 12 is formed, for example, of a heat-resistant coating on steel, is entirely rectangular, and is provided with a handle on the side surface 12B so as to be easily carried.
As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel supply unit 20 and the combustion chamber 30 are disposed inside the housing 12, and a blower fan 50 is attached to the back surface 12 </ b> C.

A blowout port 18 is formed on the front surface 12A of the case 12 so that the heat in the case 12 is blown out as the warm air by the blowing fan 50. The blowout port 18 adjusts the blowout direction. A plurality of louvers 19 are provided for this purpose. The louver 19 is fixed at an inclination θ1 similar to that of the turning portion 71 described later, but the wind direction may be changeable by changing the inclination manually or automatically. In the front surface 12A, as shown in FIG. 1, a viewing window 16 composed of a large number of through holes is formed so that the flame of the combustion chamber 30 can be visually recognized.
As shown in FIG. 2, the rear surface 12C of the housing 12 has a door 27 which can be opened and closed. The door 27 is opened to allow the gas cylinder 22 to be taken in and out.
[About the top surface]

At the top of the housing 12, a dome-shaped top surface portion 14 formed of a curved surface that is convex upward is provided. As can be understood from FIG. 1, the top surface portion 14 is formed with an appropriate number of heat dissipation openings 14 a which are slit portions arranged in parallel and long in the width direction. The heat release port 14a is a hole for releasing the combustion heat to the outside until the blower fan 50 is driven, and will be described later.
As described above, since the top surface portion 14 does not have a flat surface, safety is achieved by preventing placing an appliance such as a pan on the fan heater 10 in a general sense.

Furthermore, when the top surface portion 14 is in a high temperature state, if it is carelessly touched, there is a risk of burns. Therefore, on at least the upper surface of the top surface portion 14, characters and symbols that may be called up only when the temperature is high may be printed in advance.
As a component of the paint which is colored or discolored only at such high temperature, for example, as a reversible type thermochromic functional material, Ag, Cu, Hg, such as Ag ₂ HgI ₄ or Cu ₂ HgI ₄ in inorganic compounds. The iodides and complexes of heavy metals such as Pb have been put to practical use. Further, as the organic compound, a fused aromatic ring-substituted ethylene derivative, cholesteric liquid crystal, 3, 6-dimethoxyfluoran, rhodamine B lactam and the like can be used. In particular, in the case of an organic compound based material, it exhibits discoloration in the range of 50 to 100 ° C., which is preferable.

[Combustion relationship]
The fuel supply unit 20 is a portion for supplying fuel to the burner 32 of the combustion chamber 30.
Gas, kerosene or the like can be used as the fuel used in the combustion apparatus of the present invention, but the fuel in the case of the present embodiment is a gas, and as shown in FIG. The fuel source is a cartridge type gas cylinder 22 containing compressed liquefied gas so as to be removable from the fuel supply unit 20.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the gas cylinder 22 is attachable to and detachable from the cylinder connection portion 23. The fuel gas discharged from the gas cylinder 22 enters a governor provided in the cylinder connection portion 23, is pressure-regulated, and is supplied to the burner 32 via a gas valve 33 schematically shown. Thus, the fuel gas is burned by the burner 32. The gas valve 33 can use, for example, a normally closed solenoid valve.
When the gas cylinder 22 is heated and its internal pressure rises abnormally, the safety mechanism is operated and the attachment and detachment between the cylinder connection portion 23 and the gas cylinder 22 is made a magnet. The cylinder connector 23 is connected to the operation knob 28 of FIG.

The user manually opens the gas valve 33 formed of the solenoid valve in FIG. 2 by manually rotating the operation knob 28, and subsequently moving the operation knob 28 in the same direction to perform piezoelectric ignition (not shown). A spark discharge is performed from an igniter electrode 34 which is a means, and the fuel gas ejected from the burner 32 is ignited.
A flame detector is disposed in the combustion flame. In this embodiment, for example, a thermocouple 26 schematically shown in FIG. 2 can be used as a flame detection device, and while the burner 32 is burning, the hot junction 26a of the thermocouple is heated and disposed at a location other than the flame. Since a temperature gradient is generated between the cold junction 26b and the cold junction 26b, an electromotive force is generated in the thermocouple 26. This electric power drives the electromagnet of the gas valve 33 constituted by a solenoid valve to keep it in the open state, so that the combustion gas continues to be discharged from the burner 32, and the combustion is continued. For example, a Bunsen burner can be used as the burner 32.

  In addition, although the thermocouple 26 can be used as a flame detection device as described above, it is also possible to detect a flame current using a flame rod electrode. However, since the flame rod electrode itself does not generate an electromotive force, a separate electric power is required to detect the flame and to obtain the driving power of the gas valve (electromagnetic valve) 33. In the fan heater 10 which makes a power supply and a storage battery unnecessary, it can not be said that it is the most preferable aspect. In this respect, the thermocouple 26 is preferable because it can detect the flame FR and drive power of the gas valve 33 by its electromotive force, and operates reliably even if soot due to combustion adheres to the hot contact 26a.

  Furthermore, in FIG. 1, a thermal power changing knob 35 is provided on the knob 28 on the front surface of the fan heater 10. The thermal power changing knob 35 switches a two-stage adjusting valve (not shown) at a stage subsequent to the gas valve 33 and at a stage preceding the burner 32. By this switching, in the fan heater 10 of the present embodiment, the amount of gas supplied to the burner 32 can be adjusted to be set in a plurality of stages. In this embodiment, the power of the burner 32 can be changed into two levels, F1 and F2, as two stages.

[Composition of combustion chamber and its surroundings]
Please refer to FIG.
In the figure, the inside of the housing 12 is located slightly behind the central portion, and a dividing wall 29 vertically disposed so as to divide the internal space, the front region on the left side of the drawing with respect to the depth direction X; The two spaces are divided into the rear area. The front region is a high temperature space S1 having a combustion chamber 30, and the rear region is a low temperature space S2.
The combustion chamber 30 has a high temperature space S1 in which the fuel gas is burned, and a burner 32 and an igniter electrode 34 are disposed in the high temperature space S1. The fuel gas supplied from the fuel supply unit 20 is sent to the burner 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the burner 32 is, for example, a rod-like member elongated in the lateral width direction Y of the high-temperature space S1, and by arranging the plurality of flame ports 32a in a row in the longitudinal direction, the lateral width direction Y of the high-temperature space S1. I try to form a flame evenly in a row along.
Further, a part or the whole of the front wall 30b of the combustion chamber 30 is formed of heat-resistant glass, so that the inside can be seen through the viewing window 16 of FIG.
The upper end portion of the front wall 30b shown in FIG. 2 is a wall surface that inclines so as to ascend toward the blower fan 50 side (rear surface 12C side), whereby the straightening wall 37 of the air flow path toward the outlet 18 is formed. As a result, the flow passage cross-sectional area of the air flow rising in the combustion chamber 30 is narrowed.
The upper end of the dividing wall 29 is bent 90 degrees toward the front of the device, and a horizontally extending baffle plate 39 is provided.

The heat of combustion rising in the combustion chamber 30 is disposed at the upper part of the combustion chamber 30 by the action of the straightening wall 37 and the baffle plate 39, and the upward opening 82 directed to the front of the device suppresses the flow just upward. It is designed to be directed to the front of the device, that is, to the outlet 18.
Further, between the upper opening 82 and the heat radiation port 14a, the combustion heat from the upper opening 82 is prevented from coming out from the heat radiation port 14a when the blower fan 50 is driven, and the suppressed combustion heat is A diverting portion 71 is provided to direct in the direction of the outlet 18 by the wind.
Specifically, the deflection part 71 is slightly lowered toward the front (outlet 18 side) of the device with the rear end of the device at the upper end of the housing 12 at the position reaching the top surface portion 14. It is formed as a plate shape which inclines to
Then, the front side of the diverting portion 71 is an opening 72 which passes upward, and the combustion heat until the blower fan 50 is driven passes through the opening 72 and is directed to the top surface 14 and is released from the heat radiation port 14a. It has become. On the other hand, between the diverting portion 71 and the baffle plate 39, a part of the main flow path for releasing the warm air by connecting the intake port 53 for taking in the outside air of the back face 12C and the outlet 18 for the front face 12A. The heat of combustion coming out of the upper opening 82 after becoming the air flow path 83 constituting the air flow fan 83 is mixed with the cooling air while the flow changes the vector in the direction of the outlet 18 with the cooling air by the air blowing fan 50 It becomes a hot air and blows forward from the blowout port 18 to the outside.
Thus, the presence of the diverting portion 71 changes the flow of combustion heat from the upper opening 82 before and after driving the blower fan 50.

The blower fan 50 shown in FIG. 2 mainly performs a “warm air blow-out function” for blowing out warm air from the blow-off port 18 of FIGS. 1 and 3 and simultaneously cools the low temperature portion of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40. To have a "cooling function". That is, if the burner 32 continues to burn, the temperature of the low temperature part of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 also easily rises due to the combustion heat, but once the blower fan 50 is started, the low temperature part will be described later by the wind. The temperature difference between the high temperature part 43 and the low temperature part 44 can be maintained while the blower fan 50 is driven by cooling through the heat sink 44.
Specifically, the blower fan 50 is located at the upper opening 82 of the combustion chamber 30 in the main flow path (the flow path of the air flow AR4 in the figure for performing the hot air blowing function) connecting the air inlet 53 and the air outlet 18. It is disposed more upstream than the air intake port 53. Outside air is taken into the housing 12 from the air intake port 53, and the air for cooling is sent to the low temperature heat sink 44, and the air is sent to the air outlet 18 as well. The blower fan 50 shown in FIG. 2 is preferably an axial flow fan having a propeller 51 that blows air along the axial flow direction (the same as the X direction in the drawing) by the drive of the motor 52.
The blower fan 50 is driven by the thermoelectromotive force generated by the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 of FIG. 3 without using an external power supply.

As shown in FIG. 3, the high-temperature space S1 which is the combustion chamber 30 is a space such as an internal housing surrounded by the front wall 30b, the side walls 30c and 30d, and the back wall 30e (the same place as the dividing wall 29). It is made up.
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a specific configuration in a state where only the front wall 30b is removed from this space.
Returning to FIG. 3, the wind of the blower fan 50 winds forward on the outside of the side walls 30 c and 30 d as indicated by the inner wall flow of the housing 12 as indicated by AR 1 and AR 1. That is, since the combustion chamber 30 is considerably heated, the heat from the combustion chamber 30 can be stored by providing a layer of air between the side walls 30 c and 30 d of the combustion chamber 30 and the inner wall of the housing 12. It prevents movement to the outer surface of the body 12 so that the outer surface of the housing 12 does not get excessively hot during the burning of the burner 32.
Then, the cooling air from the blower fan 50 cools the low temperature side heat sink 44 of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 in the low temperature space S2, and as shown in FIG. The air flows AR1 and AR1 toward the front of the device, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the air flow AR4 toward the upper side in the low-temperature space S2 passes through the air flow path 83.
Thus, the air flow AR2 having the heat of combustion from the upper opening 82 is appropriately guided to the outlet 18 by the air flow AR4 that has passed through the air flow path 83.

  Here, between the periphery of the lower end portion 18 a of the blowout port 18 and the combustion chamber 30, a sealing member 81 is provided which prevents the air flow AR 3 rising toward the blowout port 18 generated by the blower fan 50 from entering. ing. In the case of the present embodiment, the sealing member 81 is a flat plate which closes the vicinity of the base end of the straightening wall 37 from the proximal end of the straightening wall 37 to the lower end 18a of the outlet 18 at the upper portion of the front wall 30b. It is assumed. The sealing member 81 is disposed in a range indicated by parallel oblique lines in FIG. 3 in a plan view and seals this range.

The function of the sealing member 81 will be described in detail below.
As indicated by AR1 in FIG. 3, air from the air blowing fan 50 not only passes through the inside of the housing as AR 4 in FIG. 2, but also wraps around the front surface (the outlet 18 side) of the front wall 30b. Thus, the space between the front wall 30b and the housing is raised as AR3. The sealing member 81 prevents the upward flow AR3 from being sent to the top of the housing 10 by blocking the entry of the upward flow AR3. As a result, it is possible to prevent the upward flow AR3 from obstructing the momentum of the air flow AR4 passing through the air flow path 83 toward the outlet 18. Further, heat is accumulated in the upper region of the housing 10 by the upward flow AR3, and heat damage and the like of the parts due to the internal temperature rise can be effectively prevented.
In addition to this, since the sealing member 81 covers the front wall 30 b of the combustion chamber 30 to the lower end 18 a of the outlet 18, the sealing member 81, the front wall 30 b of the combustion chamber 30, and By defining the space S5 between the upper opening 82 in the housing 12 and the outlet 18 with the diverted portion 71, the hot air guided in the direction of the outlet 18 can be efficiently discharged from the outlet 18 it can.
In addition, when foreign matter such as dust or dust falling from the heat radiation port 14a of the top surface 14 into the inside of the equipment enters when the equipment is not operated, etc., those falling on the diverting portion 71 are inclined. It is moved to the opening 72 along the plane. The foreign matter passes through the opening 72 and falls on the sealing member 81. Then, the foreign matter and the like are discharged from the outlet 14 on the front of the device along the inclined surface of the sealing member 81 to the outside. As described above, the sealing member 81 also exhibits a function as a foreign matter discharge unit that appropriately guides the foreign matter or the like that has entered the inside of the housing 12 and discharges it to the outside of the device.

Specifically, the tip end 71a of the deflecting portion 71 is closer to the outlet 18 side than the rear end 81a of the sealing member 81 in the depth direction X of the device, as shown by the phantom line in FIG. It is arrange | positioned on the left side of FIG. 2, and, thereby, the falling foreign material is made possible to fall on the sealing member 81 easily. Further, the straightening wall 37 (the upper end portion of the front wall 30b) is inclined to rise toward the blower fan 50 (right side in FIG. 2), whereby the tip of the diverting portion 71 in the depth direction X It is made to be located in the ventilation fan 50 side rather than 71a. Therefore, even if foreign matter such as dust or dirt falling from the heat radiation port 14a before driving the blower fan 50 floats above the combustion chamber 30 or in the space S5, the foreign matter is made to contact the rectifying wall 37, It can be dropped on the sealing member 81 and intrusion into the upper opening 82 can be prevented as much as possible.
Further, the tip end portion 81 b of the sealing member 81 is bent above the lowermost step of the blowout port 18 to make it easier to take out the foreign matter, and is bent to prevent the upward flow AR3 from blowing out from the blowout port 18 .

[Thermoelectric conversion unit etc.]
In this embodiment, the thermoelectric conversion device is configured as, for example, a thermoelectric conversion unit 40.
The thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is fixed to the dividing wall 29 as understood from FIG. The fixing method will be described later.
The arrangement position of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, and the horizontal cross section of the thermoelectric conversion unit is shown in FIG.
The configuration example will be described with reference to these as appropriate.
The high temperature side heat sink 43 connected to the high temperature part 41a (see FIG. 6) of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 exposed to the combustion chamber 30 (high temperature space S1) in FIG. 2 and the thermoelectric conversion element exposed to the low temperature space S2. The low temperature side heat sink 44 connected to the low temperature part 41b (see FIG. 6) of 41 is a heat sink formed of the same material respectively, and is a material selected from metals having good thermal conductivity such as iron, copper, aluminum and the like Is used.

As understood from FIG. 6 and FIG. 10, the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44 sandwich the thermoelectric conversion element 41 in a close contact state, and a plate-like base 43b in close contact with the thermoelectric conversion element 41. , 44b and a plurality of fins 43a, 44a which project from the base 43b, 44b at a predetermined distance from each other, so as to have a large surface area suitable for heat exchange and a heat capacity corresponding to the size. ing.
Here, the thermoelectric conversion element 41 uses a Seebeck element (semiconductor element) that generates a thermoelectromotive force by using the Seebeck effect. Such a thermoelectric conversion element 41 is formed by bonding an n-type semiconductor and a p-type semiconductor, and when heated, carriers move between boundaries of dissimilar semiconductors to generate an electromotive force.
In this case, assuming that the potential difference of the current is V, and the temperature difference between the high temperature side and the low temperature side is ΔT,
V = aΔT (a is the Seebeck coefficient)
The higher the temperature gradients on the high temperature side and the low temperature side, the larger the voltage due to the generated electromotive force.

  Moreover, what is characteristic in this embodiment is that the sizes of the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44 are different, and they have different heat capacities. Thereby, an appropriate temperature gradient is obtained to generate a sufficient electromotive force, and a high rotational speed of the blower fan 50 is effectively obtained. Further, by reducing the heat capacity of the high temperature side heat sink 43, the high temperature side heat sink 43 can be easily heated quickly at the time of start-up, whereby the blower fan 50 can be driven quickly. In the case of the present embodiment, the ratio of the sizes of the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44 is set to about 1: 2.

  In the combustion chamber 30, the distance between the flame FR and the high temperature side heat sink 43 at the time of combustion may be reduced, and the high temperature side heat sink 43 may be rapidly heated at the time of start up. However, the closer the distance between the flame FR and the high temperature side heat sink 43, the larger the heat conduction to the high temperature side heat sink 43, but if too close, there is a risk of damaging the thermoelectric conversion element 41 in the thermoelectric conversion unit 40. . Therefore, in the case of the present embodiment, as described above, the input amount of fuel gas to the burner 32 of FIG. 2 can be switched in two steps by the thermal power changing knob 35 of FIG. In the adjustment, the size of the high-temperature side heat sink 43 and the degree of projection into the combustion chamber 30 are determined to the extent that heating of the high-temperature side heat sink 43 can prevent damage to the thermoelectric conversion element at the maximum combustion. The size of the heat sink 44 is determined in relation to the resulting electromotive force.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the casing is divided into the high temperature space S1 and the low temperature space S2 from the front side to the rear side in the erected state of the device with reference to the division wall 29. By arranging the combustion chamber 30 with the burner 32 in the high temperature space S1 and the blower fan 50 in the low temperature space S2, the combustion chamber 30 and the thermoelectric conversion unit in the housing 12 along the depth direction of the device The components of the blower fan 50 can be arranged to face each other, and a very compact combustion device can be realized. Moreover, the blower fan 50 can be made close to and opposed to the low temperature side heat sink 44 as an axial fan, and the cooling efficiency is also high.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 in an exploded perspective view.
In the figure, the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is a thin square or rectangular thermoelectric conversion element 41, and two heat transfer members disposed in close contact so as to sandwich the high temperature part 41a and the low temperature part 41b of the thermoelectric conversion element 41. A high temperature side heat sink 43 and a large low temperature side heat sink 44, which are closely fixed so as to sandwich them from the front and back, and a high temperature side heat sink 43, enclose the thermoelectric conversion element 41 and the heat transfer member 42 inside. Frame member 45, an urging member 46 housed in the opening inner periphery of the frame member 45 and applying adhesion of the heat sinks 43 and 44 to the thermoelectric conversion element 41, and fixed to the low temperature side heat sink 44 , The heat conversion element 41, the heat transfer member 42, the high temperature side heat sink 43, and the fixing member 6 which holds down the frame member 45 And it has a door.

As already described, the thermoelectric conversion element 41 is a Seebeck element, and is constituted by bonding two dissimilar semiconductors, and the power supply cord 41c is drawn around to drive the motor 52 (see FIG. 2) of the blower fan (not shown). Connected to the circuit.
The heat transfer member 42 is particularly filled with a fine uneven surface on a contact surface of a heat sink made of cast aluminum or the like, thereby creating a uniform surface, ie, a flat surface, to be adhered uniformly. . For this reason, it can obtain by apply | coating liquid agents, such as a synthetic resin excellent in heat conductivity, etc., For example, a silicone grease etc. can be used.
The configurations of the heat sinks 43 and 44 on the high temperature side and the low temperature side are as described above, and the high temperature side heat sink 43 is smaller than the low temperature side heat sink 44 for two reasons. This is to change the heat capacity so as to rapidly obtain a sufficient thermal gradient to be required for driving. Another reason is that the size of the high temperature side heat sink 43 is maintained to maintain the distance between the flame and the heat sink to such an extent that the flame of the burner 32 does not damage the thermoelectric conversion element 41 during the two stages of combustion already described. It is to decide. It is necessary to prevent a failure due to overheating that exceeds the heat resistant temperature of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 (in the case of this embodiment, 250 ° C.). The high temperature part 41a of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 is a means for notifying the driving of the blower fan 50 and the notifying means 59 (the fact that the fan heater is being driven, see FIG. 1) as long as the lighting can be maintained. After the blower fan 50 is driven, the high temperature side heat sink 43 may be cooled so that the heat resistance temperature of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 is not exceeded (for example, 220 ° C.).

  The frame member 45 encloses and accommodates the base 43b of the high temperature side heat sink 43, the thermoelectric conversion element 41, and the heat transfer member 42, and the heat of the high temperature side heat sink 43, the thermoelectric conversion element 41, and the heat transfer member 42 is a fixing member 67 It is a heat insulating material that prevents it from being transmitted, and also prevents the entry of foreign matter such as dust. The shape of the inner opening of the frame member 45 is substantially the same as the outer shape of the high temperature side heat sheath 43, and has a slightly larger inner opening. The frame member 45 is formed of, for example, a heat insulating material made of inorganic fibers such as ceramic.

  The biasing member 46 is a member for pressing with a biasing force so that the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44 are in close contact with the high temperature portion 41 a and the low temperature portion 41 b of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 In the case of this embodiment, there is a biasing force that presses the high temperature side heat sink 43 against the thermoelectric conversion element 41 side. The biasing member 46 is not limited in shape or material as long as it can exert a biasing force, but in the present embodiment, the biasing member 46 is formed of a metal plate spring whose central portion curves and protrudes toward the thermoelectric conversion element 41 side. There is. In FIG. 6, the biasing members 46 are bridged so as to connect the strip portions 46b and 46b arranged in parallel with each other at a predetermined distance from each other, and are formed parallel to have a gap therebetween. It has a plurality of curved comb portions 46a. As shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of the high temperature side heat sinks 43 can be exposed so that the fins 43a can be exposed to the combustion chamber 30 as shown in FIG. The fin 43a has a narrow width that can be inserted between the fins 43a. In other words, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 10, four curved comb portions 46a are provided, the gaps between them are opened as wide slits, and the fins 43a of the high temperature side heat sink 43 are slits between the respective curved comb portions 46a. It is supposed to leave the

The fixing member 62 is connected to the low temperature side heat sink 44 so as to press the urging member 46, thereby fixing the members 46, 45, 43, 42 and 41 between the low temperature side heat sink 44 and the fixing member 62. It is a jig and is shown in detail in FIGS.
The fixing member 62 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10 and FIGS. 4 and 5.
The fixing member 62 is a frame-like body made of a metal frame having a stepped recess, and the biasing member 46 and the frame member 45 are interposed between the frame-like body and the low temperature side heat sink 44, and the biasing member By pressing 46 against the high temperature side heat sink 43 side (low temperature side heat sink 44 side), not only the biasing member 46 and the frame member 45 but also the high temperature side heat sink 43, the heat transfer member 42, and the thermoelectric conversion element 41 is also positioned and fixed. As a result, the main surface of the high temperature side heat sink 43 pressed down with the biasing force comes into close contact with the main surface of the high temperature portion 41 a of the thermoelectric conversion element 41. The fixing member 62 is, for example, a sheet metal product.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7-9, folded portions 63 and 63 are provided on the upper and lower sides of the fixing member 62, which is a frame-like body, and are folded toward the low temperature heat sink side. . The folded portions 63, 63 are locking portions that are locked to the biasing member 46. That is, the belt-like portions 46b and 46b of the biasing member 46 shown in FIG. 6 are engaged with the folded portions 63 and 63, whereby the biasing member 46 does not come off even when pressed against the high temperature heat sink 43. , Can exert a biasing force. Then, when the biasing member 46 is pressed against the high temperature side heat sink 43, as shown in FIG. 10, the plurality of curved comb portions 46a inserted between the fins 43a form the central region of the base 43b of the high temperature side heat sink 43 (thermoelectric conversion The region corresponding to the central region of the element 41 is pressed in a balanced manner. Furthermore, the curved comb portion 46 a exerts an urging force while bending so as to increase the region in close contact with the high temperature side heat sink 43, so the contact area between the base 43 b of the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the thermoelectric conversion element 41 ( In this case, the area of close contact via the heat transfer member 42 can be made as large as possible.
As described above, the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44 adhere to the high temperature portion 41 a and the low temperature portion 41 b of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 shown in FIG. Do. Furthermore, the bending comb portion 46a exerts an urging force on the low temperature side heat sink 44 while bending so as to increase a region in close contact with the high temperature side heat sink 43. For example, the fixing member 62 or the combustion for attaching the fixing member 62 Even if the back wall 30e of the chamber 30 thermally deforms over time and the bending method of the curved comb portion 46a pressing the high temperature side heat sink 43 changes, the high temperature side heat sink 43 can be held continuously. Moreover, since the curved comb portion 46a enters between the fins 43a and presses the central region of the base 43b to enhance the adhesion between the base 43b and the central region of the thermoelectric conversion element 41, the base 43b and the thermoelectric conversion device 41 It is possible to prevent the floating of the central region due to the thermal deformation of Thus, high thermoelectric conversion efficiency can be maintained for a long time, and a decrease in performance can be prevented.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 9, the fixing member 62 has a plurality of convex shapes partially protruding toward the low temperature heat sink 44 in the pair of left and right band portions 67, 67 of the frame-like body. A portion 84 (four in total in the case of the drawing) is formed, and only the region of the convex portion 84 is connected to the low temperature side heat sink 44 as shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the convex portion 84 is formed with a screw hole 84a for connection to the low temperature side heat sink 44, and only the periphery 84b of the screw hole 84a is in contact with the low temperature side heat sink 44 doing. Therefore, the heat of the high temperature side heat sink 43 can be prevented as much as possible from escaping to the low temperature side heat sink 44 via the fixing member 62 without being transmitted to the thermoelectric conversion element 41.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the fixing member 62 causes the fins 43a of the high-temperature side heat sink 43 not directly pressed by the curved comb portion 46a to protrude from the central opening 69, and the protruding fins 43a are shown in FIG. And it is set as the structure made to expose in the combustion chamber 30 (it protrudes in the case of the figure) from the through-hole 49 formed in the wall part (back wall 30e) of the combustion chamber 30 shown in FIG. Therefore, in the thermoelectric conversion unit 40, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the high temperature side heat sink 43 is exposed on the burner side of the division wall 29 (rear wall 30e), and the low temperature side heat sink 44 is on the blowing fan 50 side. Exposed. The through hole 49 has the same shape as the outer shape of the high temperature side heat sink 43 and is slightly enlarged.

Thus, the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is assembled by being connected to the back wall 30 e of the combustion chamber, but in the case of this embodiment, it is connected to the back wall 30 e of the combustion chamber as follows.
That is, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, the hooks 67 and 67 of the fixing member 62 are bent toward the back wall 30e near the middle between their outer edges, and the tip is bent. 66, 66 are formed. The hooking pieces 66, 66 are inserted into fixing holes 29a formed of small vertical slits in the back wall 30e shown in FIG. 5, and the whole is slid slightly downward so as to be hooked. The conversion unit 40 is connected to the back wall 30e (section wall 29) of the combustion chamber to allow easy assembly.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, the fixing member 62 partially protrudes to the side opposite to the low temperature side heat sink 44 side, and abuts on the wall portion (back wall 30 e) of the combustion chamber. have. The abutment portion 65 is position control means in the depth direction, and the outer edges of the strip portions 67, 67 are formed to be folded back toward the back wall 30e of the combustion chamber, and are equally spaced at four outer positions. It is arranged. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5, even if the low temperature side heat sink 44 is held by the fastener 86 so as to be pressed against the back wall 30e, the tip of the butting portion 65 abuts against the back wall 30e (section wall 29). The high temperature side heat sink 43 protruding into the combustion chamber indicated by 4 is prevented from protruding too much. Therefore, excessive heating of the high temperature side heat sink 43 can be suppressed, and damage to the thermoelectric conversion element 41 can be prevented.

[Relationship between combustion chamber and high temperature part]
In the case of this embodiment, the following various contrivances are made so that the high temperature side heat sink 43 can be heated quickly and the start-up time of the blower fan 50 can be shortened.
First, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the high temperature side heat sink 43 is disposed in the combustion chamber 30 (exposed to the high temperature space S1). Specifically, the fins 43 a of the high temperature side heat sink 43 protrude from the rear wall 30 e of the combustion chamber 30 toward the front side.
Further, the high temperature side heat sink 43 is in a state in which the plurality of fins 43a are arranged in the lateral width direction Y of the high temperature space S1.
Also, the high temperature side heat sink 43 is smaller than the low temperature side heat sink 44, and when the amount of fuel gas supplied to the burner 32 is maximized, the temperature difference with the low temperature side heat sink 44 is about 150 ° C. in about 40 seconds. It is done.
In the state where the amount of fuel gas supplied to the burner 32 is maximized and the flame FR is maximized, the main surface (front face) of the high temperature side heat sink 43 is disposed to face the tip of the flame FR There is. Note that the burner 32 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the high temperature side heat sink 43 so that the flame FR does not contact the high temperature side heat sink 43 even during high output combustion.

[About the heat release port]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the high-temperature side heat sink 43 is heated quickly to shorten the start-up time of the blower fan 50, but it is still necessary to start the blower fan 50 for a certain amount of time. . That is, when a temperature difference of, for example, 150 ° C. is generated between the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44, an electromotive force is generated in the semiconductor thermoelectric conversion element 41. It takes about a second.
For this reason, during the time period until the blower fan 50 starts up, the combustion heat of the burner 32 may stay in the housing 12 and the internal temperature may increase, which may cause damage to internal components.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the heat radiation port 14a for radiating the combustion heat to the start of the blower fan 50 is formed separately from the blowout port 18.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the heat radiation port 14a is formed by arranging a plurality of slit-like through holes in a row, and at least an object larger than the through holes is housed through the heat radiation port 14a. It has a shape that does not intrude into the body 12. The heat radiation port 14a is not limited to the slit-like through hole, but may be, for example, a large number of round or polygonal small holes, or a net shape.
That is, the heat radiation port 14a exerts a function to release heat so that the heat does not stay in the housing 12. From this, the heat radiation port 14a is located above the blowout port 18, more preferably in the present embodiment. , As described above, it is formed on the top surface portion 14 of the housing 12.
The blowout port 18 is also formed in the upper portion of the housing 12 (in the case of the present embodiment, a portion above the upper opening 82 of the combustion chamber 30 is shown as indicated by a phantom line in FIG. 2). Therefore, even when the space S4 in the upper side of the outlet 18 is smaller than the outlet 18, the heat for activating the blower fan 50 is not only from the heat radiation outlet 14a but also from the outlet 18 I also try to escape.

[Informing device of driving condition]
Next, a configuration example of the operation state notification device in the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the fan heater 10, not only warm air is obtained by the combustion of the burner 32, but also an electromotive force is obtained by the thermoelectric conversion unit 40, and the wind of the blower fan 50 is generated. Thereby, the blowing of the warm air as a fan heater is realized.
Here, the fan heater 10 is provided with a notification device 59 so that such an operating state can be monitored from the outside.
However, when the fan heater 10 is not provided with a built-in power supply such as a battery, and the notification device 59 is operated electrically, the drive current by the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is supplied to the fan motor 52 of the blower fan. It is preferable not only to give the circuit but also to branch the circuit to supply a drive current to the notification device 59 and to operate it as an operation monitor.
However, immediately after the fan heater 10 completes combustion, the temperature of the combustion chamber 30 in the housing 12 does not rapidly become normal temperature, and residual heat is present, so the high temperature side and low temperature side of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 Since the thermal gradient remains for a while and the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 continues to generate an electromotive force for about 40 seconds, the notification device 59 continues the operation even though the operation of the fan heater 10 is ended. In some cases, although the user has turned off the fan heater 10, the user may misunderstand that the user is still driving.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when monitoring the operation of the fan heater 10, the following configuration of the notification device 59 is employed.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the notification device 59. As shown in FIG.
In the figure, the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 forms a circuit as shown using the power supply cord 41c of FIG. 6, and the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 applies a driving current by the Seebeck effect to the fan motor 52 of the blower fan. Thus, the blower fan 50 is driven.
A feed circuit from this thermoelectric conversion unit 40 to the fan motor 52 is branched in parallel, and a notification device capable of visually recognizing the operating state of the fan heater 10 from the outside of the housing 12 as shown by the reference numeral 59 in FIG. it can.

  In FIG. 11, the notification device 59 has a lighting device in which the power feeding circuit from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is branched in parallel and disposed. The lighting device may be an incandescent lamp or a halogen lamp, but in the present embodiment, a power saving and long life light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as "LED") 59-1 is attached to drive current from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40. It is designed to receive only light. Thus, the notification device 59 is turned on while the fan heater 10 is in operation to notify the user of the fact.

If the switch device 59-2 is connected in the middle of the circuit to which the LED is connected and the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 normally exhibits its performance, only when the switch device 59-2 is turned on, the LED 59-1 Lights up.
The switch device 59-2 may use any means which can be turned on / off, such as a differential amplifier, but this embodiment uses a transistor.
A thermocouple 26 such as a thermocouple as the flame detection device described in FIG. 2 is connected to the base terminal of the transistor 59-2, preferably via an amplifier 59-3. Thereby, the switch device 59-2 is configured to be opened and closed by a signal from the thermocouple 26. Specifically, while the thermocouple 26 is detecting the combustion flame of the burner 32, the switch device 59-2 is turned on. When the thermocouple 26 does not detect the combustion flame of the burner 32, the switch device 59-2 is turned off and the drive current flowing from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 to the LED 59-1 is stopped.

  For example, an operational amplifier is used for the amplifier 59-3, and uses the electromotive force of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 as power supply power to amplify the current from the thermocouple 26. Then, for example, when the thermoelectromotive force generated from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is small for some reason, the capability can not be sufficiently exhibited, the switch device 59-2 is also turned off, and the LED 59-1 does not light up. . In this way, the user can know not only the presence or absence of the combustion flame of the burner 32 but also the success or failure of the stable operation state including the state of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40.

The notification device 59 is configured as described above, and its operation will be described with reference to the configuration of FIG. 2 and the timing chart of FIG. 12.
When the user rotates the operation knob 28 (see FIG. 1) to forcibly open the gas valve 33 composed of the solenoid valve of FIG. 2 and subsequently moves the operation knob 28 in the same direction, the piezoelectric ignition means Spark discharge is performed from the igniter electrode 34, and the fuel gas ejected from the burner 32 is ignited (t1 in FIG. 12). At this time, when the high temperature side heat sink 43 of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is heated by the flame from the burner 32, the Seebeck effect of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 built in the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 due to the temperature difference with the low temperature side heat sink 44 An electromotive force is generated to drive the motor 52 of the blower fan 50. As a result, the high temperature side heat sink 43 is heated while the low temperature side heat sink 44 is cooled by air blowing, so that the rotation of the air blowing fan 50 is maintained during combustion, and at the same time the driving current is also applied to the LED 59-1 of FIG. It flows and lights up.

That is, since the hot junction 26a of the thermocouple 26 is in the flame FR of the burner 32 during the combustion and the temperature is high, an electromotive force is generated between the hot junction 26a and the cold junction 26b, and the current is , And the amplifier 59-3 of FIG. Since the current amplified by the amplifier 59-3 is applied to the base terminal of the transistor 59-2, the switch is turned on, so that the emitter of the transistor 59-2 is energized and the LED 59-1 is lit. .
Thereby, during t1 to t2 of FIG. 12, that is, while the fan heater 10 is burning, the lighting of the LED 59-1 is visually recognized by the notification device 59 of FIG. 1, so the user burns the fan heater 10. You can see what you are doing.

Next, the user returns the operation knob 28 of FIG. 1 to stop the combustion of the fan heater 10 (t2 of FIG. 12).
Then, the temperature gradient of the thermocouple 26 immediately becomes flat, and the electromotive force of the thermocouple 26 disappears, so the emitter side of the transistor 59-2 in FIG. 11 ceases to conduct, and the LED 59-1 also becomes time t2 in FIG. Turn off immediately.
Thus, in the present embodiment, simultaneously with the operation stop of the fan heater 10, the notification device 59 also displays the operation stop.
In the case where such a switch device 59-2 is not provided, the temperature difference between the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44 in FIG. 6 is a thermoelectric conversion unit for a while until the temperature in the combustion chamber 30 decreases. The electromotive force from 40 does not disappear. For this reason, as is clear from FIG. 11, the LED 59-1 continues to be lit during N in FIG. Therefore, the notification device 59 indicates "during operation" despite the fact that the user has stopped the operation of the fan heater 10. Therefore, it is suspected that the failure of the device may be suspected or the operation knob 28 may be turned unnecessary. Will occur.
However, according to the present embodiment, such inconvenience can be properly prevented.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram of a fan heater 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
The fan heater 100 in this figure is different from the fan heater 10 in FIGS. 1 to 12 in the notification device 90.
That is, the notification device 90 is not an LED, but a thermocouple 85 so that the marker 85 can be viewed through the window 87 formed in the housing 12 and the marker 85 can be moved closer to or away from the window 87. The moving unit 91 is moved by an electromotive force of 26.

The window portion 87 is, for example, a through hole for making the marker portion 85 in the housing 12 visible, and is adjacent to the front surface of the housing 12, preferably the operation control portion 28 like the reference numeral 59 in FIG. It is formed.
The marker portion 85 in FIG. 13 is disposed inside the housing 12 and adjacent to the front surface, and in the case of this embodiment, it can be viewed when approaching the window portion 87 by moving in the vertical direction Z. It is not visible when separated. The marker portion 85 is preferably colored in a color opposite to that of the front surface of the housing 12.
The moving means portion 91 has a rod-like connecting member 80 connected to the marker portion 85, and a driving portion 92 which causes the connecting member 80 to slide in the vertical direction Z by the electromotive force of the thermocouple 26.

The drive unit 92 slides on the basis of the detection result of the thermocouple 26, which is a flame detection device for detecting the presence or absence of the flame FR of the burner 32, and the marker unit 85 is synchronized with the drive unit 92. It is supposed to slide.
A safety valve that opens and closes a valve based on the detection result of the thermocouple 26 is used for the drive unit 92 of the present embodiment (hereinafter, the “drive unit 92” is referred to as the “safety valve 92”). By using the safety valve 92 in this manner, the marker unit 85 approaches the window 87 when the flame FR is detected at the position A in the figure separated from the window 87 when the flame FR is not detected. It is possible to move to the position of B in the figure.

That is, when the operation knob 28 is pushed around, the seesaw-like member 76 interlocked with it pushes up the main valve 77 and the safety valve 92 and opens the pipelines RX1 and RX2 blocked by the main valve 77 and the safety valve 92. Gas is passed through, which produces a flame FR from the burner 32. Then, when the warm junction 26a of the thermocouple 26 is heated by the flame FR, an electromotive force is generated, and the electromotive force flows to the electromagnet 94 provided around the safety valve 92, and the safety valve 92 made of a magnet repels to the upper side. And the valve-opened state is maintained, whereby the valve-opened state is maintained even if the operation knob portion 28 is released. Then, in synchronization with the upward movement of the safety valve 92, the marker portion 85 also slides upward through the connecting member 80 to be at the position B, and can be viewed through the window 87. The member 76 pushes up only the main valve 77 in conjunction with the turned operation control portion 28 even when the hand is released from the operation control portion 28.
On the other hand, when the user turns the operation knob 28 back to close the main valve 77 or extinguishes the flame FR to extinguish the flame FR, the electromotive force of the thermocouple 26 disappears and the safety valve 92 is shut off. Moves downward so as to close the conduit RX2, and in synchronization with this movement, the marker portion 85 also slides downward through the connecting member 80 to the position A and can not be seen from the window 87. It becomes.
Thus, the safety valve 92 not only functions as the original safety valve 92 but also functions as a drive means or a switch device for moving the marker portion 85 up and down.

The present embodiment is configured as described above, and the notification device 90 can show the notification result based on the detection result of the thermocouple 26, which is a flame detection device, and the marker unit 85 is synchronized with the safety valve 92 moving up and down. Even if the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 still generates an electromotive force after the disappearance of the flame FR, the user can grasp that the flame FR has disappeared.
By the way, only the electromotive force from the thermocouple 26 is used for the movement of the marker unit 85 in the second embodiment, and the electromotive force generated from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 as in FIG. 11 is not used. . Therefore, even if the thermoelectric conversion element 41 shown in FIG. 2 is broken and the blower fan 50 is not driven as long as the flame FR is attached, the marker portion 85 in FIG. However, if the combustion heat of the burner 32 stays in the housing 12 and the internal temperature rises without the blower 50 being driven, a thermostat (not shown) disposed above the combustion chamber 30 operates before reaching a dangerous temperature. Because the electromotive force flowing from the thermocouple 26 to the electromagnet 94 is shut off to close the safety valve 92, the combustion is stopped. Thereby, in synchronization with the movement of the safety valve 92, the marker portion 85 also slides downward to be at the position A, so that the user can grasp that the flame FR has disappeared.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.
Some of the configurations described in the embodiment can be omitted, and can be combined with other configurations not described.

12: housing, 15: heat dissipation port, 18: blowout port, 30: combustion chamber, 32: burner (gas burner), 37: straightening wall, 40: thermoelectric Conversion unit, 41: thermoelectric conversion element, 43: high temperature side heat sink, 44: low temperature side heat sink, 46: biasing member, 50: air blowing fan, 62: fixing member, 71 ... Diverting part, 59 ... notification device, 81 ... sealing member

Claims (6)

A combustion chamber for burning a burner housed in a housing, a high temperature part heated via a high temperature side heat sink exposed in the combustion chamber, and a surface opposite to the combustion chamber and cooled by a blower fan A thermoelectric conversion element including a low temperature portion attached with a low temperature side heat sink, and emitting combustion heat heated by the burner from the outlet formed in the housing,
The blower fan is configured to be driven by a thermoelectromotive force generated by the thermoelectric conversion element,
The high temperature side heat sink and the low temperature side heat sink have a plate-like base in close contact with the thermoelectric conversion element, and a plurality of fins projecting from the base at predetermined intervals.
And a biasing member configured to be pressed with an urging force so that the high-temperature side heat sink and the low-temperature side heat sink are in close contact with the high-temperature portion and the low-temperature portion of the thermoelectric conversion element.
The biasing member presses the central region of the high temperature side heat sink and / or the low temperature side heat sink, and enters between the fins of the high temperature side heat sink and / or the low temperature side heat sink and Try to hold it down,
A fixing member connected to the low temperature side heat sink with the biasing member and the high temperature side heat sink interposed therebetween;
The said fixing member is a frame-like body, While pressing the said biasing member on the said high temperature side heat sink with the frame-like body, the said fin of the said high temperature side heat sink is made to project from a center opening part . The fins of the high-temperature side heat sink projecting from the fixing member are exposed in the combustion chamber from through holes formed in a wall portion of the combustion chamber.
The combustion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing member has a butting portion that partially protrudes on the side opposite to the low temperature side heat sink side and abuts on a wall portion of the combustion chamber. The fixing member, the low-temperature side heat sink side has a convex portion which partially protrudes, to claim 1 or 2 area of the convex portion is characterized in that it is connected to the cold-side heat sink Combustion device as described. The combustion apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the high temperature side heat sink has a smaller outer shape than the low temperature side heat sink. The claims 1, characterized in that it has a structure interposing a heat transfer member for flattening the respective contact surfaces between the high temperature part and low temperature part of the heat sink and the thermoelectric conversion element 4 The combustion apparatus according to any one. The combustion apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the fuel source of the burner is a cartridge type gas cylinder containing compressed liquefied gas.

Images