EP1231530B1 - Control element for a heating apparatus for heating a room to a certain temperature - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for controlling an appliance for heating a room at a determined ambient temperature.

Such a device is known of the type comprising a temperature adjustment knob rotatably mounted to a wall of a control box electrically connected to the heater and can be manually operated to position a selected one of several graduated values of setpoint temperature, which can be carried by the knob, facing or facing a mark, which can be fixed and carried on the wall of the control box, so as to allow the heating apparatus to heat the room to the determined ambient temperature value corresponding to the selected setpoint.

However, in many cases, the temperature setpoint located opposite the mark does not correspond to the actual temperature actually measured in the room by the user using a thermometer.

This has the disadvantage that users can not rely on the temperature setpoints indicated on the adjustment knob to make a precise adjustment of the temperature in the room to be heated.

FR-A-2,759,840 discloses a control device for a heater according to the preamble of claim 1. This known device has the disadvantage of requiring a large number of parts and, therefore, to be of a complex structure.

The present invention aims to eliminate the above disadvantage by providing a control device comprising the features set forth in the characterizing part of claim 1.

In one embodiment of the invention, the ring gear and the toothed wheel are made of a rigid plastic material.

In one embodiment of the invention, the operating knob is a rigid plastic material and the toothed wheel is integrally molded with the button.

In one embodiment of the invention, the operating knob has an annular outer portion engaging in a circular inlet passage of the ring adjacent to its internally toothed portion and a central wall connected to the annular portion, shaped spherical cap, in which is secured an external diametral tab can be grasped by two fingers of a person to turn the operating knob and, if necessary, to block the button and allow the rotation of the ring gear relative to the gearwheel to bring opposite the reference the setpoint temperature value corresponding to the measured temperature value.

In one embodiment of the invention, the operating knob acts on an electronic component, such as a potentiometer, to provide an electronic control circuit housed in the control box of the heating apparatus with a corresponding electrical signal. to the graduated temperature value next to the mark.

In one embodiment of the invention, the ring gear bears on the front face of the front wall.

In one embodiment of the invention, the control unit is integral with the heater which is constituted by an electric heater or water heater with immersion heater.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un boîtier de commande électronique d'un radiateur de chauffage à bouton de manoeuvre de réglage de température conforme à l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective éclatée du boîtier de commande de la figure 1 ; et
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective suivant la flèche III en figure 2 du bouton de manoeuvre de l'invention.

The invention will be better understood, and other objects, characteristics, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the explanatory description which will follow with reference to the accompanying drawings given solely by way of example illustrating an embodiment. of the invention and in which:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electronic control unit of a heating radiator with temperature control operating knob according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the control box of Figure 1; and
• Figure 3 is a perspective view along the arrow III in Figure 2 of the operating knob of the invention.

Referring to the figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing having therein an electronic circuit 2 for controlling a heating apparatus, such as an electric radiator or an immersion heater with water circulation, for controlling the heater so that it can heat the where it is at an ambient temperature determined by a user.

The housing 1 comprises a flap 3 pivotally mounted at each of its ends to two hinge lugs 3 integral with the end face 1a of the housing 1 projecting substantially perpendicularly thereof. The flap 3 can thus occupy a closed position of the front wall 1a to hide different buttons that will be detailed or an open folded position to access these buttons.

The flap 3 comprises, at its opposite ends to those articulated to the tabs 4, two notches 5 in which can snap respectively two lugs 6 integral with the front wall la projecting on each side thereof in the direction of its length, so as to allow the locking of the shutter 3 to the housing 1.

The front wall 1a of the housing 1 comprises a first push-button 7 for turning the control circuit 2 on and off and a second push-button 8 for programming the operation of the heating apparatus in the so-called forced operation mode. in said reduced program mode depending on whether this push button is depressed or not. An indicator or indicator light 9, such as an electroluminescent diode, of the panel 1a is associated with the push-button 7 to indicate whether the electronic circuit of the control unit 1 is powered or not and the panel 1a comprises another indicator or LED 10 associated with the push button 8 to indicate whether the heater is in forced or reduced program mode.

The wall 1a of the housing 1 further comprises a rotary knob 11 for adjusting the heater so that it heats the room in which it is at a desired temperature.

The button 11 comprises a certain number of set temperature temperature values, one of which is chosen can be arranged opposite a mark 12 so that the heater can heat the room to the temperature corresponding to the chosen set temperature value.

If the push-button 11 is represented as carrying the set temperature graduations indicated in degrees centigrade and the mark 12 is fixed and carried on the external face of the wall 1a of the housing 1, the mark 12 can be carried by the rotary knob 11 while the graduations can be carried on the wall 1a in an arc concentrically to the button.

According to the invention, the button 11 comprises, integral with it, an internal gear 13 on which is mounted in mesh an internally toothed ring 14 which has on its annular face visible outside the graduated temperature setpoint values. . In the case where the ring 14 is marked 12, the temperature graduations on the wall 1a will be in an arc outside the ring concentrically to it. As best shown in Figure 2, the ring 14 has only a limited number of teeth 14a, for example four in number, angularly distributed equidistantly.

The body of the push button 11 has an annular outer portion 11a engaging in a circular inlet passage 14b of the ring 14 and which is contiguous to its inner circular portion with the teeth 14a. The button 11 further comprises a central wall shaped spherical cap 11b whose outer edge is connected to the outer portion 11a and in which is secured an outer diametral tab 11c allowing a user to grasp it with his two fingers to allow the turning the knob 11 to its desired temperature setting position.

The knob 11 also comprises a central rod 11d passing through a bore 1b of the front wall 1a of the housing 1 and integral with the central wall 11b of the knob 11 protruding from it opposite tab 11c. The end of the central rod 11d is connected to an electric potentiometer 15, partially shown in FIG. 2, of the electronic circuit 2 so that the latter can supply an electrical signal representative of the temperature setpoint value selected by the button 11. to set the heater to the desired room temperature.

As represented in FIG. 3, the central rod 11d comprises a groove 11e capable of receiving a stop ring (not shown), such as a circlip, abutting on the internal face of the front wall 1a to hold the button 11 to the front wall 1a. FIG. 3 shows that the internally toothed ring 14 is not yet in the mounting position, by meshing, on the toothed wheel 13 of the button 11.

Advantageously, the parts 11a, 11b, 11c and the rod 11d of the button 11 are made of a rigid plastic material and the toothed wheel 13, which is also made of a rigid plastic material, is integrally molded with these parts of the button 11 so that the toothed wheel 13 is secured to the inner face of the wall 11b of the button 11. In addition, the toothed wheel 13 is housed in an annular groove 1c of the front wall 1a of the housing 1 so that the ring 14 bears sliding on the outer face of this wall.

The internally toothed ring 14 is also made of a rigid plastic material.

The housing 1 comprises a bottom 1a removably attached to the body of the housing to access in particular to the control circuit board 2 and an upper orifice for the passage of the electrical connection cable to the heater.

The control unit 1, in particular in the case of a heater consisting of a water heater radiator with immersion heater, is integrated therein, but it is understood that the housing 1 may be independent of the heater being connected thereto by the electrical connection cable for transmission including control signals of the apparatus.

When a user wishes to adjust the temperature of a room to a determined value, he turns the rotary knob 11 so as to bring the desired temperature graduation in front of the mark 12. At the end of a determined period of time, the user measures the room temperature of the room heated by the radiator controlled by the housing 1 and, if it finds a difference in actual temperature measured in the room with the selected set temperature, it enters the tab 11c of the button 11 to immobilize this last and the other hand moves the ring 14 to force the teeth of the latter to pass over the teeth of the wheel 13 and thus bring the temperature scale corresponding exactly to the ambient temperature measured opposite the mark 12 so as to calibrate the set temperature values to exactly match the desired room temperature values of the room to be heated.

The device of the invention thus allows a precise adjustment of the ambient temperature of a room to be heated using extremely simple means.

Claims (7)

1. Control element for a heating apparatus for heating a room to a certain temperature, comprising a movable button (11) able to be manipulated manually to position one value chosen from among several graduated set temperature values relative to a point of reference (12) so as to enable the heating apparatus to heat the room to the specific temperature value corresponding to the set value selected, characterized in that the movable button (11) can be mounted in rotation on a front wall of a control housing (1), which is able to be electrically connected to the heating device and comprises a toothed wheel (13) integral with the button (11) whereon is mounted a crown (14), meshing and having interior teeth, and comprising on its externally visible annular surface the reference (12) or the graduated set temperature values, depending respectively on whether the temperature values are inscribed in a circular arc on the outside surface of the wall (1a) of the housing (1) concentrically to the crown (14) on the exterior of said crown, or the reference (12) is located on the external surface of this wall (1a), the toothed crown (14) and the toothed wheel (13) being able to be forcibly turned in relation to each other against the meshing engagement of their respective teeth for calibration purposes, meaning to cause the reference (12) to coincide with the temperature graduation corresponding to a temperature previously measured in the room after a given time period during which the heating apparatus maintains the temperature of the room at a stabilized temperature.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the crown (14) and the toothed wheel (13) are made of a stiff plastic material.
3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the movable button (11) is in a stiff plastic material and the toothed wheel (13) is molded integrally with the button.
4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movable button (11) has an annular external part (11a) engaging in a circular inlet (14a) of the crown (14) adjacent to its interior toothed part, and a central wall (11b) connected to the annular part (11a), having a spherical cup shape wherein an external diametral tab (11c) is made integral, said tab being able to be grasped by two fingers of a person to turn the movable button (11) and to enable rotation of the toothed wheel (13) relative to the crown (14) so as to position the set temperature value opposite the reference corresponding to the value of the measured temperature.
5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movable button (11) acts on an electronic component (15), such as a potentiometer, to provide an electronic control circuit housed in the control housing (1) of the heating apparatus with an electrical signal corresponding to the graduated set temperature value facing the reference.
6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the crown bears on the front surface of the front wall (1a).
7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control housing is integral with the heating apparatus made up of an electric radiator or water circulation immersion heater.

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