JP7723965B2 - Heating units and heating appliances - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a heater unit and a heating appliance.

One type of heating appliance used indoors is the so-called oil heater. An oil heater is a heating appliance that includes multiple finned tubes filled with heat-storing, non-flammable oil as a heat medium, and a heating means such as an electric heater. When powered on, the heating means heats the oil, which is then radiated from the surface of the finned tubes, warming the air in the room.

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

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

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-28927 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-181354

The oil used in oil heaters is repeatedly used within the oil flow passages in the sealed finned tubes, and there is no need to replace the oil itself, so they can be used semi-permanently unless the oil heater itself breaks down. In this respect, oil heaters can be said to be desirable, environmentally friendly products, but to be even more environmentally friendly, it would be even more desirable to be able to offer to the market heating appliances that offer the same functions and characteristics as oil heaters without using oil.

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

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

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a heating appliance that achieves the same functions and characteristics as an oil heater without using oil, and to provide a heater unit that can be suitably used in such a heating appliance.

One aspect of the present invention provides a heater unit suitable for use in indoor heating appliances. The heater unit comprises a cylindrical body, consisting of a plurality of adjacent small cylinders, each with an opening on the top and bottom, arranged to form a generally cylindrical overall shape, and a heating means connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface of the cylinder. The heater unit is configured to heat the cylinder with the heating means, thereby heating air drawn in through the lower opening inside the small cylinder, generating an ascending air current, and blowing the heated air out through the upper opening, generating natural convection.

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

Another aspect of the present invention provides a heating appliance for indoor use. The heating appliance includes the heater unit of the above-described aspect, a controller electrically connected to the heating means of the heater unit and controlling the operation of the heater unit, and a housing that covers at least a portion of the heater unit.

The heater unit of the present invention makes it possible to create a heating appliance that has the same functions and characteristics as an oil heater without using oil. Furthermore, the heating appliance of the present invention makes it possible to create a heating appliance that has the same functions and characteristics as an oil heater without using oil.

1 is a perspective view of a heater unit 1 according to a first embodiment. 1 is a plan view of a heater unit 1 according to a first embodiment when viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the AA cross section for explaining natural convection and radiation of air by the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the cross section B-B for explaining natural convection of air by the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a heater unit 2 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a heater unit 2 according to a second embodiment, as viewed from above. 1 is a side view of a heat dissipation unit 25 consisting of a heat dissipation plate 30 and a heating means 20', viewed along the direction in which fins 32 extend. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of an intermediate member 180. FIG. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing how a cylindrical body 10'' using an intermediate member 180 and a heater unit 3 including the cylindrical body 10'' according to a third embodiment are constructed. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a heating appliance 8 according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a block diagram of a heating appliance 8 according to a fourth embodiment.

The heater unit and heating appliance according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the explanations already given for symbols common to all figures can be applied to the other figures, and therefore explanations for those symbols will be omitted. Each drawing is a schematic diagram showing an example, and does not necessarily strictly reflect actual dimensions, proportions, etc.

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

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

1 and 2, the cylindrical body 10 is formed by combining a plurality of small cylinders 100. The cylindrical body 10 is formed by arranging a plurality of small cylinders 100 adjacent to each other.
The cylindrical body 10 may be formed by integrally molding a plurality of small cylinders 100 using a mold or the like, or may be formed by connecting or linking individual small cylinders 100 to each other, as in the third embodiment described below.

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

In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tube body 10 is a slightly flattened rectangular tube (square tube) overall, but it is not limited to this and may be, for example, a circular cylinder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Effects of the Heater Unit 1 of Embodiment 1 FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the A-A cross section for explaining the natural convection and radiation of air caused by the heater unit 1 of embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the B-B cross section for explaining the natural convection of air caused by the heater unit 1 of embodiment 1. In the figure, thin arrows schematically represent the movement of heat, thick arrows represent the movement of air, and lightning arrows represent the radiation. In FIG. 4, small circles with a center point schematically represent the direction in which heat moves from the back side to the front side of the page. Note that the symbol NC represents natural convection, and the symbol RA represents radiation.

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

In particular, the cylindrical body 10 of the first embodiment has a plurality of small cylinders arranged adjacent to each other. In other words, it can be said that the cylindrical body 10 has a plurality of compartments (spaces inside each small cylinder) separated by walls of the small cylinders 100.
If the cylindrical body 10 were to consist of only one large-diameter tube, the air near the inner surface 140 inside the tube would certainly warm up and tend to rise, but the air near the center of the tube (in cross section) would not easily receive heat and would tend to stagnate without rising, making it difficult for the air inside the tube to escape.
On the other hand, in the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment, the air within the narrow compartments inside each small cylinder 100 is heated with little localized unevenness in each small cylinder 100. As a result, in the heater unit 1 according to the first embodiment, the entire air inside the small cylinder 100, including the air near the center of the cylinder, can easily escape upward, and the flow rate of natural convection can be increased, resulting in natural convection comparable to or even greater than that of an oil heater.

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

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

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

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

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

(4) The heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1 does not require any rotating body such as a fan for blowing air (although, of course, adding a fan is not prohibited). Therefore, no noise is generated when the heater unit 1 is operating.

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

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

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

The heater unit 2 according to embodiment 2 basically has the same configuration as the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1, but differs from the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1 in that it has a structure that further enhances output efficiency. The structure that enhances output efficiency is described in detail below.

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

In the heater unit 2 according to embodiment 2, by further providing such internal fins 150 on the small cylinder 100, the area of the small cylinder 100 that comes into contact with the air inside can be increased. As a result, the indoor air can be heated more efficiently and quickly than with the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1.

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

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

The heating means mounting portion 31 may have any structure as long as it can embrace the heating means 20'. Here, the heating means mounting portion 31 is connected to the base 34 of the heat sink 30 as a generally U-shaped or C-shaped groove (linear long groove 38) with a cross-sectional shape that opens to the front side. The linear sheathed heater 200 serving as the heating means 20' is then fitted into and mounted in this long groove 38.

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

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

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

In addition, multiple fins 32 are provided on the front side, allowing radiation to occur from a larger surface area, thereby further improving heating efficiency.

Furthermore, because heat is released to the outside via the fins 32, it is possible to suppress temperature increases in the heating means 20' (sheathed heater 200) itself placed on the heating means placement section 31. This also extends the life of the heating means 20, 20'.

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

In the heater unit 2 according to embodiment 2, as described above, multiple heat dissipation units 25 are arranged facing each other on either side of the cylindrical body 10 (small cylinder 100). This allows the air inside the cylinder sandwiched between the heating means 20 to be heated intensively from both sides, quickly creating an ascending air current. This allows natural convection to occur quickly (fast heating).

Furthermore, when attempting to obtain the same overall output, if a heat dissipation unit 25 is placed on only one side, the load per heating means 20' will be large. However, if heat dissipation units 25 are placed on multiple sides, the load is distributed to both heat dissipation units 25, reducing the load on each heating means 20'. This allows for an extended lifespan of the heating means 20'.

The heater unit 2 according to embodiment 2 has a configuration that is basically the same as the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1, except that it has a structure that further enhances output efficiency. Therefore, it also has the same effects as the heater unit 1 according to embodiment 1.

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

Therefore, below we will first explain the intermediate member 180, then explain how to adjust the dimensions by appropriately cutting and combining the intermediate member 180, and then explain the heater unit 3 created using these techniques.

1. An example of the intermediate member 180

Figure 8 is a diagram used to explain an example of an intermediate member 180. Figure 8(a) is a plan view of the intermediate member 180 as viewed from above, and Figure 8(b) is a perspective view of the intermediate member 180.

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

The intermediate member 180 has at least one small tube 100 and has openings 110, 120 at one and the other ends in the length (height) direction. In some cases, the intermediate member 180 can be used alone as the smallest size tube 10. When the small tube 100 (tubular body 10) to be created is, for example, a roughly square tube, a roughly square tube with four outer surfaces is prepared as the intermediate member 180.

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

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

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

As shown in Figure 9(a), first, four intermediate members _180-1 to _180-4 are prepared. The leftmost intermediate member _180-1 is pre-cut along cut surface D to a predetermined height H1 (see Figure 9(c) described below). Then, the second engagement portion 162 (engagement protrusion 164) on the second surface 180b of the intermediate member _180-1 and the first engagement portion 161 (engagement long groove 163) on the first surface 180a of the intermediate member _180-2 are engaged by sliding them vertically, thereby connecting the two intermediate members. Similarly, the second engaging portion 162 on the second surface 180b of the intermediate member _180-2 is engaged with the first engaging portion 161 on the first surface 180a of the intermediate member _180-3 , and the second engaging portion ₁₆₂ on the second surface 180b of the intermediate member 180-3 is engaged with the first engaging portion 161 on the first surface 180a of the right-end intermediate member _180-4 .
By carrying out these steps, a cylindrical body 10'' is assembled in which four intermediate members _180-1 to _180-4 are connected to one another as shown in FIG. 9(b).

As shown in Figures 9(b) and 9(c), when looking at the assembled cylindrical body 10'', the height dimension has been adjusted so that the height H1 of the small cylinders _100-1 and _100-2 corresponding to the intermediate member _180-1 is smaller than the heights H2 of the other small cylinders _100-3 to _100-8 . In addition, the width W of the cylindrical body 10'' is determined by connecting four intermediate members 180.

3. Configuration of heater unit 3 according to embodiment 3 made of intermediate member 180 In heater unit 3 including cylindrical body 10″ assembled as described in 2. above, each of small cylinders _100-1 to _100-8 is made of intermediate members _180-1 to _180-4 having common specifications, and the height dimension of cylindrical body 10″ is determined by cutting intermediate member 180 to a desired length, and the width dimension and/or depth dimension of cylindrical body 10″ is determined by combining a desired number of intermediate members 180 (see FIG. 9(c)).

9(b) and 9(c), a local view of some of the connection points of the assembled heater unit 3 shows that one small cylinder _100-5 has a first engagement portion 161 on one of its four outer surfaces facing a first direction (leftward in the figure), and another small cylinder _100-4 has a second engagement portion 162 on one of its four outer surfaces facing a second direction (rightward in the figure) opposite to the first direction, with the first engagement portion 161 and the second engagement portion 162 engaging with each other to connect the one small cylinder _100-5 and the other small cylinder _100-4 . However, it is assumed that each small cylinder 100 is a substantially rectangular cylinder.

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

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

(2) Furthermore, since the external dimensions can be adjusted as needed, it can also contribute to the creation of small, portable heating appliances, thereby contributing to the provision of heating appliances with excellent portability similar to oil heaters.

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

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

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

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

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

2. Electrical Configuration Example of Heating Device According to Fourth Embodiment FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a heating appliance 8 according to a fourth embodiment.
The heating appliance 8 includes a controller 50. The controller 50 can include a power supply circuit 52, an overall control unit 53, a drive circuit 54, and the like, as shown in FIG.
The power supply circuit 52 supplies a predetermined amount of power to the overall control unit 53 and the drive circuit 54 based on power input from a power plug 51 connected to a commercial power source. The overall control unit 53 is connected to the drive circuit 54 and the power supply circuit 52 and performs predetermined overall control. The drive circuit 54 is connected to four sheathed heaters _200-1 to _200-4 which are the heating means 20, and controls the operation of each of the heating means _20-1 to _20-4 based on instructions from the overall control unit 53.
The heater unit introduced here is assumed to be heater unit 3 according to embodiment 3, and has a total of four sheathed heaters, two on the outer surface 14a of the first side and two on the outer surface 14b of the second side.

Here, heaters with the same output specifications (for example, 300 W) may be introduced for all of the sheathed heaters _200-1 to _200-4 . Since only one type of sheathed heater needs to be prepared, standardization is promoted and costs can be reduced.

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

The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, but it is not limited to the above embodiment. It can be implemented in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the following modifications are also possible, for example:

(1) The number, material, shape, position, size, etc. of the components described in the above embodiment are examples only and may be changed as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

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

(3) In the third embodiment, intermediate member 180 is described as including two small cylinders _100-1 and _100-2 . However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the intermediate member may include only one small cylinder, or may include three or more small cylinders.

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

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

Claims (7)

a cylindrical body having a generally cylindrical shape as a whole, in which a plurality of small cylinders each having an opening on the upper side and an opening on the lower side are arranged adjacent to each other;
a heating means connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface of the cylindrical body;
By heating the cylinder with the heating means, the air drawn in from the lower opening is heated inside the small cylinder to generate an ascending air current, and the heated air is blown out from the upper opening to generate natural convection ,
a heat sink having a heating means mounting portion on which the heating means is mounted, a plurality of fins on the front side, and a bonding surface on the back side that is bonded to the outer surface of the cylindrical body,
the heating means is placed on the heating means placement portion,
The heat sink is disposed so that the joint surface thereof is in close contact with the outer surface of the cylindrical body .
A heater unit characterized by: The heater unit according to claim 1 ,
When the set of the heating means and the heat sink on which the heating means is placed is defined as a "heat sink unit,"
The heat dissipation units are respectively arranged on an outer surface of a first side of the cylindrical body and an outer surface of a second side opposite to the first side.
A heater unit characterized by: a cylindrical body having a generally cylindrical shape as a whole, in which a plurality of small cylinders each having an opening on the upper side and an opening on the lower side are arranged adjacent to each other;
a heating means connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface of the cylindrical body;
By heating the cylinder with the heating means, the air drawn in from the lower opening is heated inside the small cylinder to generate an ascending air current, and the heated air is blown out from the upper opening to generate natural convection ,
The small cylinder further includes an internal fin that projects from an inner wall toward a central region of the small cylinder when viewed from above.
A heater unit characterized by: a cylindrical body having a generally cylindrical shape as a whole, in which a plurality of small cylinders each having an opening on the upper side and an opening on the lower side are arranged adjacent to each other;
a heating means connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface of the cylindrical body;
By heating the cylinder with the heating means, the air drawn in from the lower opening is heated inside the small cylinder to generate an ascending air current, and the heated air is blown out from the upper opening to generate natural convection ,
The small cylinder is made of an intermediate member having common specifications,
the height dimension of the cylindrical body is determined by cutting the intermediate member to a desired length;
The width dimension and/or depth dimension of the cylindrical body are determined by combining a desired number of the intermediate members.
A heater unit characterized by: The heater unit according to claim 4 ,
the intermediate member is a substantially rectangular tube having four outer surfaces,
When predetermined surfaces among the four outer surfaces that are parallel to each other are defined as a first surface and a second surface, a first engaging portion is provided on the first surface for coupling with a second surface of another adjacent intermediate member, and a second engaging portion is provided on the second surface for coupling with a first surface of yet another adjacent intermediate member,
the first engaging portion of one intermediate member and the second engaging portion of the other intermediate member engage with each other, thereby joining the first surface of the one intermediate member and the second surface of the other intermediate member.
A heater unit characterized by: a cylindrical body having a generally cylindrical shape as a whole, in which a plurality of small cylinders each having an opening on the upper side and an opening on the lower side are arranged adjacent to each other;
a heating means connected directly or indirectly to the outer surface of the cylindrical body;
By heating the cylinder with the heating means, the air drawn in from the lower opening is heated inside the small cylinder to generate an ascending air current, and the heated air is blown out from the upper opening to generate natural convection ,
When the small cylinder is a substantially rectangular cylinder,
One of the small cylinders has a first engagement portion on one of its four outer surfaces facing a first direction,
The other small cylinder has a second engaging portion provided on one of the four outer surfaces facing a second direction opposite to the first direction,
The first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are engaged with each other to connect one small cylinder to the other small cylinder.
A heater unit characterized by: The heater unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ;
a controller electrically connected to the heating means of the heater unit and controlling the operation of the heater unit;
a housing that covers at least a portion of the heater unit;
Heating appliances equipped with.