FR2700937A1 - Heating device for drying towels - Google Patents

Abstract

Heating device for drying towels, of the type comprising in combination a natural-convection heating box fitted with a thermostatically controlled heating unit, and a forced-convection drying box which blows the air down over the hanging bars (8).

Description

TOWEL DRYER HEATING DEVICE
The present invention relates to a towel dryer heater.

 There are heaters which combine two functions: that of towel drying and that of space heating.

 Some are in the form of multiple horizontal pipes, which can be used as a drying support bar, the pipes being traversed by a heat transfer fluid, others in the form of radiant panels in front of which the drying bars are divided.

 In addition there are devices equipped with a ventilation device disposed behind the pipes or radiant panels.

These devices generally have the following disadvantages
- the heating devices have internal characteristics (thermal inertia, regulation) different from those of the drying devices and hardly compatible for a reduced cost;
- drying is only obtained on fabric sections directly subjected to the heat source; the work of the fans is hampered by these sections which ultimately absorb all the drying heat to the detriment of the others and which also hamper the heating of the room.

 The present invention has for its object a device making it possible to combine the functions of heating and drying towels or the like, while dissociating them so as to propose two different operating modes, adapted to each function, that is to say a drying well distributed over several juxtaposed sections and space heating.

 The subject of the invention is a towel dryer heating device of the type comprising in combination a natural convection heating box provided with a heating body controlled by thermostat, and a forced convection drying box blowing down on clothes bars.

The invention is also remarkable for the following secondary characteristics
- The heating box and the drying box form a single piece, inside which are housed the heating body and a ventilation means.

 - The box is parallelepiped and the ventilation means is a turbine which extends substantially over the entire width of the front of the box.

 - the box carries on its front a control box connected to a power station mounted in the box.

 - the spreading bars are mounted on the same horizontal plane, and pivotable around a vertical axis.

 - The device comprises a locking means of the bars in the drying position.

Further details of the invention will emerge from the description below of a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment in which
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a heater-towel dryer according to the invention;
- Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view along II-II;
- Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view along III-III;
As can be seen in the drawing, the device according to the invention comprises a box 1 of generally parallelepiped shape having
- a flat rear face 2 intended to be fixed to a flat wall 3: wall, partition or the like;
- A front face or facade 4 substantially flat or slightly curved and inclined as in the example illustrated;
- two vertical side cheeks 5;
The horizontal sides 6,7 are grids allowing air circulation between the outside and the inside of the box.

 Under the box, at a distance of about 10 to 30 cm approximately, the device comprises one or more draft bars 8, preferably at least two.

 The bars extend in a plane parallel to the lower grid 7, and over the entire width of the facade, and are supported by two arms 9, 10 at each of their ends. In addition, they are articulated on one of the arms 9 so as to pivot horizontally while the opposite arm 10 comprises locking means in the closed drying position.

 As a variant, the spreading bars are fixedly mounted on a support, itself pivotally mounted on the arm 9.

 Finally, the bars can be pivotally mounted on the support, itself articulated on the arm 9.

 The box internally comprises a heating body 11 consisting of a heating resistor which crosses the entire width of the box.

 Of course, this arrangement is not limiting and other arrangements can be made.

 Under this heating body there is a ventilation turbine 12 which blows vertically downwards. The air is sucked through the upper grid 6, passes through the zone occupied by the heating body 11 and is propelled by the turbine 12 towards the spreading bars 8. The turbine also extends over the entire width of the box of so as to distribute the air well on the bars.

 The heating body and the turbine are connected to a power station 13 which comprises at least one thermostat and a timer connected to the turbine engines and other operating members.

This power station is housed in the box and includes a control box (14) mounted on the front panel which it passes through to present the control members for temperature adjustment potentiometer, timer I switches, indicator lights,
The device operates as follows
1- Drying
Wet towels are installed on the bars and hang vertically. The drying temperature is set on the potentiometer and the desired drying time is indicated. The device is then started up: the turbine then blows dry and hot air over the towels for the determined duration. The vertical air flow between the walls allows a well distributed drying and gives the dried fabrics a pleasant touch (the rough feeling disappears). The device is automatically at rest when the time has elapsed.

2- heating
The appliance can be used as a simple convector, fan stopped, by indicating an ambient temperature on the control panel, the thermostat ensuring the requested temperature.

 When it is desired to dry towels, the heating operation is automatically interrupted.

 As a variant, it is possible to provide a ventilation device operating in both directions; thus when the room is cold, for example after a prolonged absence, heating can be accelerated by using upward ventilation.

Claims (6)

 1- Towel dryer heating device of the type comprising in combination a natural convection heating box provided with a heating body controlled by thermostat, and a forced convection drying box blowing down on drying bars ( 8).  2- Towel dryer heating device according to claim 1 characterized in that the heating box and the drying box form a single piece (1), inside which are housed the heating body (11) and a ventilation means (12).  3- Towel dryer heating device according to claim 2 characterized in that the box (1) is parallelepiped and the ventilation means is a turbine which extends substantially over the entire width of the front (4) of the box.  4- Towel dryer heating device according to claim 3 characterized in that the box (1) carries on its front (1) a control unit (14) connected to a power station (13) mounted in the box.  5- Towel dryer heating device according to claim 1 characterized in that the spreading bars (8) are mounted on the same horizontal plane, and pivoting about a vertical axis.  6- Towel dryer heating device according to claim 5 characterized in that it comprises a locking means of the bars in the drying position.