FI98787C - Electric sauna heater - Google Patents

Description

98787 Electric sauna heater Eldriven bastuugn

The invention relates to an electric sauna heater or a similar space heater according to the preamble of the appended claims. Accordingly, the invention also relates to a method for heating an electric heater heat accumulator, such as a stone housing.

Electric sauna heaters are already known, which usually comprise a wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted frame and electrical resistors fitted to it. A stone housing is usually fitted to the top of the frame, which acts as a heat storage device.

Also known are electric sauna heaters, which are substantially planar, wall-mounted devices, in which the heat storage means is a planar plate, often formed of soapstone or the like, extending substantially vertically, behind which there are electrical resistors.

The heat storage capacity of the heater is used during saunaing both as a temperature equalizer in the steam room and especially as a steam-water evaporator. For the latter function, the stone surfaces of the quarry should be hotter than 100 ° C, and ·:: the stones should be able to dissipate as much heat as possible through their surface.

m • · «• · j ··. The problem with electric heaters known so far has been, in particular, the size and relative inefficiency of the structures to ensure that the heat of the heater takes a relatively long time to heat up. A large stone nest requires high electrical power to heat up fast enough. In a small stone nest, the amount of heat that can be detected for the steam remains small, so that the steam becomes weak. Furthermore, the susceptibility of electric heaters to interference and poor interchangeability have been a particular problem in electric heaters. Especially in vertical heaters, the non-volatile water flowing through the stone housing cools the electrical resistors in the stone housing rapidly and unevenly, whereby the electric resistors break over time. If, on the other hand, the resistors are placed so that water does not hit them, then at the same time overheating problems have formed due to the weak heat dissipation, in which case the resistors are also broken. The problem with wall-mounted flat heaters has also been e.g. the complexity of the structures, which is partly due to the requirement to protect the rear wall.

In known electric heater solutions, the heating control is essentially based on a thermostat which has switched on the current resistors when the room has been colder than the set value, and has accordingly switched off the power when the set value has been reached. Such a control system is quite slow to react to temperature changes, especially if the specific mass of the heating elements of the stove is high. In this respect, it is an object of the invention to show a heater in which the heating resistors of the heater react faster than at present, both in the initial stage of heating and during temperature control.

Planetary hobs, in which lamp-like infrared radiators are used as the heating element, are again known from kitchen technology. One example is the Finnish. . U.S. Patent No. 77109, which discloses a wood-based heater for a special halogen lamp. Such hobs use * ♦ mainly the quick adjustment of the lamp, in which case the layer of protective material * between the cookware: the pan and the infrared radiator must be very thin in order to have a specific mass of • · f. small. Such hotplates cannot be successfully used as sauna heaters.

The starting point of the invention is therefore to show a new type of sauna heater, which combines small size, fast and efficient heating and good steam output, good power adjustability and still flexible and simple replacement of heating elements.

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The features of the invention appear from the appended claims. Thus, the invention is characterized in that incandescent lamps known per se are used as heating elements, which, in addition to light, also produce infrared radiation, which is considered to be waste heat in lighting use.

Here, the definition of an incandescent lamp comprises devices having one or more resistance wires arranged in a substantially gas-tight enclosure, the walls of which enclosure being at least partially transmissive. A further characteristic of conventional lamps is that the environment of the filament is formed in such a way that the filament can withstand a fairly high temperature without the risk of "burning" across. In lamps, this is generally achieved by removing air and in particular oxygen from the space surrounding the filament, and correspondingly by filling the space preferably with gases which prevent the material released from the filament by heating, i.e. mainly metal vapors, from escaping from the filament.

From the point of view of the invention, e.g. known lamps commonly used in luminaires. Conventional halogen lamps, the excess heat of which is used for sauna use, have proved to be particularly advantageous in this respect. . for heating the stone housing of the stove, whereby the diffused light obtained therefrom is preferably still used in some embodiments of the invention for illuminating the sauna space. The advantage of halogen lamps · 1 is based in particular on the fact that the filament temperature of these • · · <1 lamps can be considerably high due to the beneficial effects of halogen gas. However, from the point of view of the invention, other types of lamps are also possible, in which case the suitability of the lamp for the use according to the invention mainly depends on the relative amount of heat production and in particular on its speed.

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The arrangement according to the invention has thus replaced the traditional special resistance elements with lamps, in particular suitably tubular conventional lamps which are very commonly available on the market. Particularly preferred in this respect are lamps based on halogen or similar gases, the operating temperature of which is substantially higher than the temperature of conventional stove resistors. The particularly advantageous solution according to the invention is based in part on the fact that the heating mass in the lamps is very small compared to the lamp power, whereby the lamps achieve very fast heating, despite the fact that the main function of the lamps is usually to produce light. as a harmful factor.

In this context, it should be noted that although cooker hobs and ovens are known in the household appliances sector, where heating is based on the operation of halogen lamps, they do not involve the rapid heating of a relatively large space and in particular a stone nest. A particular problem with these home appliance structures has been that uniform heat transfer has generally required the use of a special glass-ceramic level, which in most cases has significantly increased costs. The described cooker solutions have also generally used specially manufactured halogen pipes, in which case. . their production batches have remained small. The heat generated in all cooker or similar solutions is conducted from the user in a substantially enclosed space where the food to be prepared is stored. The solution according to the invention again relates to • ·. ·, A heater or similar space heater with heating

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. the object is primarily a stone level or a similar heat • • · ··· · charging element arranged as an outer portion of the device extending towards the user.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a top view of a heater according to the invention, Fig. 2 showing a stone plane partially cut away for clarity, Fig. 2 BB, and Figures 4a ... 4c show some alternative stone level structures of the heater according to the invention.

According to Figure 1, the stone level 1 heating arrangement according to the invention comprises one or more conventional halogen lamps 4. The halogen lamps 4 shown in the drawing are straight tubular cavity halogen lamps generally a plurality of supports 7. The glass tube is filled with a gas of suitable composition which, by means of the halogens contained therein, in a manner known per se, allows a very high operating temperature of the filament 6 without the filament burning due to uneven material transfer. Due to the very high operating temperature, the halogen lamp 4 is excellent as a heat generator, despite the fact that the main purpose of the «· ♦ V 'halogen lamp is to produce light and not: \ heat. Due to its high temperature, the halogen I · · - # lamp is able to heat the stone level much faster than the traditional electric resistance i ·.

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As such, the light generated as a by-product in a sauna application can be used to illuminate a steam room. For this purpose, the heater according to the invention may have light openings located at suitable locations. These openings are usually covered with glass so that the steaming water cannot hit the halo- 6 98787 gene lamps directly. In a preferred embodiment, the glass is further stained to provide atmospheric light.

In order to direct the heat output from the halogen lamps as efficiently as possible to the stone plane, a preferred embodiment of the structure according to the invention comprises mirrors 8 arranged behind the halogen lamps, i.e. background reflectors 8, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Behind the back reflectors there are suitably one or more other shells 9, 10 which prevent heat transfer to the back side of the heater.

Although the heat transfer from the halogen lamps 4 to the stone level 1 on the one hand and directly to the air space of the steam room on the other hand is usually sufficient without any special arrangement, some embodiments of the invention further comprise that the stone surface 1 is shaped to increase the surface area. In another embodiment, a separate ceramic plane 11, i «is also placed between the halogen lamps 4 and the stone plane, which equalizes the heat coming from the halogen lamps. In one embodiment, the transparent ceramic plane 11 is further utilized to make the rather bright light of the halogen lamps more atmospheric. Since the ceramic layer 11 in the latter embodiments per se protects the halogen lamps from splashing steam water, e.g. in the solution there may be even large gaps in the stone level 1, in which case, for example, a reddish light is visible between the separate stones.

• t <• · «· ♦»:: A typical halogen lamp of the stove according to the invention is a standard tubular lamp with a suitable wattage. * · *. about 1000.. . 1500 W / 230 V, where the stove usually comprises • · «% • f several tubular halogen lamps arranged in parallel. Other lamp arrangements are possible, and instead of standard tubular halogen lamps, halogen lamps of other shapes may even be used in some special embodiments of the invention. However, it is clear that the good interchangeability achievable on the basis of the standard shape of the lamps is a particularly great advantage.

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In the embodiment according to the drawing, the traditional stone housing of the stove has been replaced by a specially shaped stone level 1. The stone level preferably comprises a base 2 and suitably pyramidal projections 3 extending outwards therefrom. Thus, the transfer of heat from the rock level 1 to the steam water poured on it is efficient and the steam "good". Although the surface of the stone plane 1 shown in the figures is illustrated with the exception of pyramids 3, the surface of the stone plane 1 within the scope of the invention can also be formed slightly uneven, e.g. with additional grooves / protrusions or similar deformations to expand the surface area.

As such, the stone level 1 can be formed as a single unit or alternatively assembled from several pieces. In the latter case in particular, the waste pieces of the aggregate industry can be efficiently utilized in the structure according to the invention, whereby a large useful surface area of the stone level and resistance to temperature fluctuations are achieved at the same time. Soapstone in particular is considered to be a preferred stone-level material, but other natural materials may also be considered. In some cases, the stone level can be formed from an artificial material, e.g. a casting mass such as mortar or the like.

• · • · i «· <* * ·. e * V? Fig. 4a shows an example of a stone level structure according to an embodiment of the invention, where the stone level 1 forms * *, *. consists of separate juxtaposed rod-shaped stone blocks 12, 12a with brush-like protrusions 13 for increasing the volume of the aggregate, in particular the stone surface. These projections 13 may in some embodiments still have a transverse groove or the like, whereby the surface encountered by the steam water is even larger. Figures 4b and 4c show some alternative embodiments of this embodiment.

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Since the rock level in this embodiment consists of separate rods 12, 12a, the above-mentioned waste pieces of the aggregate industry can be utilized particularly efficiently. A movement seam 14 is formed between the different stone pieces 12, 12a, whereby the resistance of the temperature fluctuations of the stone level 1 is remarkably good. At the same time, however, successive stones also lock each other in place so that the stone plane stays well together. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, such movement seams are also arranged in the transverse direction, the structure being as seen from above as shown in Figure 1.

Due to its compact design, the stove according to the invention, unlike traditional stoves, is very small in relation to its power, whereby the stove can be placed in a substantially arbitrary manner. Thus, in addition to the traditional horizontal installation, a molded wall solution is also possible. The stone level of the stove according to the invention is in itself preferably interchangeable, so that the surface structure of the stone level is selected according to the installation method or e.g. the user's own taste or preferences, where the surface from pine to very complex textures. The design of the heater according to the invention can thus be carried out within the limits of considerably loose space. It is also obvious that the arrangement according to the invention can also be implemented more generally, for the rapid heating of small spaces.

Among the other advantages of the stove according to the invention, mention should be made in particular of the heating rate, which e.g. manifests itself in such a way that halo- • · · · gene lamps immediately give their full power to the stone -. ’level without the delay characteristic of conventional electric heaters.

♦ · f The sauna heater according to the invention can be ready for use in less than 10 minutes. Since the heater according to the invention is largely based on the use of standard components in the new application, the manufacture and maintenance of the heater is particularly simple, which is further emphasized because the number of different components 98787 9 is also quite small. As such, very hot lamps do not withstand the stress of temperature change due to steam water, and thus the structure according to the invention is preferably implemented in such a way that the lamps 4 are protected either by an intact stone level 1 or by a separate ceramic level. Since the heating elements according to the invention are entirely glass-faced, it also has the advantage over conventional electric heaters that the steam-water never hits the metal-metal resistors directly, which prevents the generation of the "rusty" steam typical of older electric heaters.

Another essential advantage of the stove solution according to the invention is the good power control possibility of halogen lamps. Because the operating temperature is very high, lower relative power control is also effective. In order to function satisfactorily, halogen lamps need a Basic Power of about 50% of the maximum power. In the area between the basic power and the maximum power, the power can be adjusted quite easily and can be adjusted very precisely and quickly by means of conventional electrical or electronic means, preferably e.g. a thyristor controller, which has been impossible in traditional electric heaters. In general, it is expedient that the means for adjusting the heater are not located in the heater itself, where they are close to hot surfaces in terms of use and still exposed to water splashes. In one embodiment of the invention, the control means are arranged so that, like other household devices, they are remote. controllable using an infrared transmitter or the like.

• · · • · • · · ♦ It is also an advantage that the device according to the invention is largely based on the design of the module and the standard components of the electrical industry, in which case the implementation of the heater or space heater. Section 1 guarantees a wide range of variations, eg in size, 98787 10 power or equipment, as well as a secure supply of spare parts.

A few preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, but it will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in many other ways within the scope of the claims.

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Claims (10)

1. An electric sauna oven or similar device for heating a space comprising heating element resistors and a heat-storing layer, characterized in that the heating element resistors consist of incandescent lamps (4). 2. A heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the incandescent lamps (4) are lamps which are generally used for lighting. Heating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lamps are halogen lamps which advantageously have the shape of a straight tube. Heating device according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the heat-storing layer consists of a substantially uniform stone plate (1), the lamps (4) being arranged between the stone plate (1) and background reflectors (8). Heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that between the stone plate (1) and the lamps (4) there is arranged a suitable at least partially genomic: ceramic plate (11), wherein in the stone plate (1) and / or the body of the device, advantageously for openings intended to be at least partially illuminated by the light. 6. A heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the stone plate (1) is removed from the surface. the directed surface (2) of the lamps (4) is designed to be uneven, suitably comprising surface formations (3, 13) substantially of pyramidal or etching form. Heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the stone plate (1) is formed 98787 by the stone or a similar natural material, or alternatively of a ceramic casting material, advantageously so as to comprise a plurality of one another. suitably, somewhat engaging, separate pieces of stone material (12, 12a) are arranged. 8. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the stone plate (1) is a modular plate which can thus be exchanged according to the conditions of use. 8. A method for heating the stone tube in a sauna oven, characterized in that the waste heat is used from such incandescent lamps (4) of standard mode11 used in ventilation fittings, which heat is directed with a stone plate (1) on one side directly and on the other side. of reflectors (8) placed behind the lamps (4). 10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the temperature of the stone furnace's stone travel is controlled by controlling the power supply to the lamps (4) with the aid of a control device which guarantees a base load, preferably with the aid of a thyristor or similar regulator. «-« - • - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -