FR3043175A1 - ELECTRICAL HEATING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH AIR EXIT ZONES - Google Patents

Abstract

An electric heater includes a first housing (1) that includes a first heater (11) and a first air outlet (12) located at the top of said first housing (1). The apparatus also comprises a second housing (2) having a second air outlet zone (22) and a front wall (201) provided with a second surface heating element (21). The upper part of the second housing (2) is higher than the upper part of the first housing (1). The second air outlet zone (22) is located at a height greater than that of the first air outlet zone (12) and oriented towards the space left free above the first housing (1).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to electric heaters.

PRIOR ART

The so-called old generation heaters, usually manufactured and installed in the 1970s or 1980s, usually have an air outlet area on the front of the unit or on an upper part of the unit that can be seen directly from the unit. when the device is mounted on the wall.

The high visibility of the air outlet area of such devices makes them unattractive. In addition, these heaters are generally inefficient so that users are led to replace them.

However, we note that the replacement of these older generation devices with new generation devices can be problematic because of the greater size of new generation devices. Indeed, the size of these devices may require changing the wall attachment part screwed into the wall and / or need to change the location of the device if the surrounding space is not enough.

The present invention aims to provide a new heater for bearing all or part of the problems described above.

In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a new aesthetic heater, limited space and for heating effectively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To this end, the subject of the invention is an electric heating apparatus, such as a radiator, characterized in that said apparatus comprises: a first housing which comprises a first heating element and a first heating zone; air outlet located in the upper part of said first housing; a second housing having a second air outlet zone and a front panel provided with a second surface heating element, the upper part of the second housing being higher than the upper part of the first housing; the second air outlet zone being located at a height greater than that of the first air outlet zone and oriented towards the space left free above the first housing.

In other words, the second exit zone is directed in a direction opposite to the front facade of said second housing. In particular, the normal to the exit zone has a component opposite the normal to the front facade.

Such a design of the apparatus according to the invention makes it possible to obtain two visually discrete air outlet zones, since the second air outlet zone is oriented in a direction opposite to the front facade, while the first air outlet area is located at a lower height of the first air outlet area and behind the second housing for a user who is facing the front panel of the apparatus.

In addition, these two air outlet zones make it possible to distribute the heat provided by the convective heating body and the surface heating element efficiently and rapidly.

Thus, the air heated by the first heating body is discharged by natural convection through the first outlet zone, that is to say in the upper part of the first housing located on the rear side of said apparatus, and the heated air inside the second housing by the surface heating body is evacuated by natural convection through the second outlet area located in the upper part of the second housing but the opposite side to the front panel.

Such an arrangement of the first and second air outlet zones makes it possible to benefit from two discrete air outlet zones and efficient heating. The arrangement of these air outlet zones so as to discharge the heated air present inside the housings in the upper part and towards the rear of the apparatus, in combination with the heating on the front facade of the appliance. air outside the device, allows to maintain a limited space of the device while enjoying a satisfactory aesthetic and efficient heating of the room in which the device is installed.

The fact of keeping a small footprint makes it possible to replace an older generation apparatus with a device according to the invention that is more efficient, particularly in terms of the comfort felt, substantially in the same space. In particular, the maintenance of the reduced footprint makes it possible to keep the part of the wall fixing system of the old device which remains secured to the wall and thus not to have to remove this part and to punch the wall to hang the device according to the invention. The fact of not having to re-pierce the wall presents a sanitary advantage especially when the wall includes asbestos.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the second air outlet zone of said second housing is also oriented in a direction opposite to the bottom wall of the second housing.

In other words, the second air outlet zone is directed towards the top and the rear of the apparatus.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the wall of the second housing in which is formed the second air outlet zone is inclined in an upward direction with reference to a direction of travel of said wall from a point of said wall close to the first housing to a point of said wall near the front facade.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the wall of the second housing in which is formed the second air outlet zone is inclined at an angle in the range [40 °; 50 °], preferably an angle of the order of 45 ° with respect to the front panel.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the wall of the first housing in which is formed the first air outlet zone is inclined in an upward direction with reference to a direction of travel of said wall from a point of the inclined wall close from the rear face of the first housing to a point of said wall near the second housing.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the first housing comprises a first fin system housed in said first housing opposite the first air outlet zone formed in the upper part of said first housing.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, at least a portion of the fins of the first fin system each have: a first portion inclined relative to the front facade by an angle in the range [0 °, 10 °] ; the length of this first portion preferably being between 2 and 5 millimeters; a second portion, extending the first portion inclined with respect to the wall in which the corresponding air outlet zone is formed by an angle lying in the range [100 °, 145 °]; the length of this second portion preferably being between 5 to 10 millimeters; a thickness preferably of between 2 and 5 millimeters; a spacing between fins preferably between 6 and 9 millimeters.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the second housing comprises a second system of fins housed in said second housing facing the second air outlet zone formed in the upper part of said second housing.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the fins of the second fin system have the following characteristics: a first portion inclined with respect to the front facade by an angle in the range [0 °, 10 °]; the length of this first portion preferably being between 5 and 10 millimeters; a second portion, extending the first portion inclined with respect to the wall in which the corresponding air outlet zone is formed by an angle in the range [55 °, 80 °]; the length of this second portion preferably being between 5 and 10 millimeters; a thickness preferably of between 2 and 5 millimeters; a spacing between fins preferably between 5 and 8 millimeters.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, at least a portion of the fins of the first and / or the second fin system each has a first portion and a second portion inclined relative to the first portion.

Such a design of at least a portion of the fins promotes aeraulic performance of the device while allowing to hide the inside of the device vis-à-vis a user who would lean over one or air outlet areas, which further improves the aesthetics of the device.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said apparatus comprises fixing means for a wall installation.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said apparatus comprises a control unit which comprises: means for determining the overall heating power to be supplied by the apparatus in order to reach a set temperature; - Power control distribution means configured to distribute, between the first heating body and the second surface heating body, said global heating power to be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, which is purely illustrative and not limiting and should be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic view in side section of an electric heater according to a first embodiment of the invention; - Figure 2 is a detail view of the upper part of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The concept of the invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the attached figure. In the figure, the size and relative sizes of the components of the apparatus may be exaggerated for the sake of clarity. However, this concept of the invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided so that this description is complete, and communicate the scope of the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is therefore defined by the appended claims. The following embodiments are examined, for the sake of simplicity, in relation to the terminology and structure of an electric heater. However, the embodiments are not limited to these systems, but may be applied to other heaters.

Reference throughout the specification to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or feature described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" at various locations throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, the particular features, structures, or features may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

FIG. 1 represents an electric heater, such as a radiator, which comprises a first housing 1. The first housing 1 houses a first heater 11 and has a first air outlet zone 12 located in the upper part of said first housing 1. Advantageously, the first heater 11 operates in natural convection. The apparatus also comprises a second housing 2 which has a front panel 201 and a second air outlet zone 22 which comprises an opening in a wall 222 of said second housing 2. Said wall 222 connects the rear of said second housing 2 the front facade 201. The front facade 201 is provided with a second surface heating element 21. Preferably, the second surface heating element 21 is a resistive film applied to the front facade 201.

The first housing 1 is intended to be oriented on the side of the wall to which the apparatus is intended to be fixed.

A housing means a hollow body delimited by walls. Each housing can also be referred to as the box. In the illustrated example, said housings are formed by plate assemblies. Said housings define the body of the apparatus. In the fixed state of the apparatus to a wall, the first housing 1 which forms the rear of the apparatus is located between the wall and the second housing 2 which forms the front of the apparatus. Said boxes are juxtaposed and communicate with each other.

The upper part of the second housing 2 is higher than the upper part of the first housing 1. The second air outlet zone 22 is located at a height greater than that of the first air outlet zone 12 and facing the free space located above the first housing 1. The second air outlet zone 22 is thus oriented in a direction opposite to the front panel 201 of said second housing 2, that is to say towards the rear of the housing. 'apparatus. In other words, in the fixed state of the radiator to a fixing wall such as a wall, the second air outlet zone 22 is directed towards the fixing wall. Moreover, the second outlet zone is also directed upwards, that is to say in a direction opposite to the lower wall 210 of the second housing 2.

The wall 222 of the second housing 2 is inclined in an upward direction with reference to a direction of travel of said wall 222 from a point of the wall near the first housing 1 to a point of said wall near the front facade 201.

In particular, the wall 222 of the second housing 2 is inclined at an angle A222 in the range [40 °; 50 °], preferably an angle of the order of 45 ° with respect to the front facade 201.

The wall 112 of the first housing 1 in which the first air outlet zone 12 is formed is also inclined in an upward direction with reference to a direction of travel of said wall 112 from a point of the wall near the rear face 100 from the first housing 1 to a point of said wall near the second housing 2. According to one embodiment, the angle of inclination A112 of the wall 112 relative to the front facade 201 is in the range [95 °; 120 °], for example at an angle of the order of 105 °.

A first fin system 13 is housed in said first housing 1 facing the first air outlet zone 12 formed in the upper part of said first housing 1. A second fin system 23 is housed in said second housing 2 in view of the second air outlet zone 22 formed in the upper part of said second housing 2.

The fins 13, 23 form between them air passages which open out into the corresponding air outlet zones 12, 22 formed in the walls of the first housing 1 and the second housing 2.

According to different embodiments, these air outlet zones 12, 22 are characterized by technical parameters making it possible to comply with the normative criteria and constraints relating to both the outlet air temperature of the products and the accessibility to the parts. electrical product. These technical parameters can be expressed by the total surface of the air outlet, and / or by the spacing between the fins and / or the angle of the fins.

In the detail view of the example illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the fins of the second system has two portions having two distinct inclination values.

Thus, it can be expected that at least a portion of the fins 13 of the first fin system each has a first portion 131 inclined relative to the front panel 201 of the product of an angle in the range [0 °, 10 ° ], The first portion is closest to the air outlet zone 112 formed in the wall 12.

A second portion 132 extends the first portion 131 inwardly of the first housing 1 by being inclined with respect to the wall 12 by an angle A132 lying in the range [100 °, 145 °]. Said angle is oriented towards the back of the device.

The length of the first portion 131 is preferably between 2 and 5 millimeters. The length of the second portion 132 is preferably between 5 and 10 millimeters. The thickness of each portion is preferably between 2 and 5 millimeters. The spacing between the fins is preferably between 6 and 9 millimeters.

Advantageously, it is also provided as illustrated in Figure 2, at least a portion of the fins 23 of the second fin system each has a first portion 231 inclined relative to the front panel 201 of the product of an angle included in the range [0 °, 10 °], the first portion is closest to the air outlet zone 222 formed in the corresponding wall 22. A second portion 232 extends the first portion 231 inwardly of the second housing 2 by being inclined relative to the wall 22 by an angle A232 in the range [55 °, 80 °]. Said angle is oriented towards the rear of the apparatus.

The length of the first portion 231 is preferably between 5 and 10 millimeters. Similarly, the length of the second portion 232 is preferably between 5 and 10 millimeters. The thickness of each fin portion 23 is preferably between 2 and 5 millimeters. The spacing between the fins 23 is preferably between 5 and 8 millimeters.

Fixing means (not shown) are fitted to the rear of the device and allow for its wall installation. In particular, the fixing means are adapted to cooperate with fixing means already fixed to the wall from the installation of an old device. The apparatus also comprises a control unit 3, also called electronic unit and computer processing and calculation. Said unit may be in the form of an electronic card provided with a microcontroller or a microprocessor associated with a memory. Thus, when in the following description, it is specified that given means of the unit are configured to perform a given operation, it means that the electronic and computer unit includes computer instructions for performing said operation. The control unit 3 comprises means for determining the overall heating power to be supplied by the apparatus to reach a set temperature. The control unit 3 comprises power control distribution means 6 configured to distribute said global heating power to be supplied, between the first heating element 11 and the second surface heating element 21. The apparatus also comprises means determining a temperature 4, called ambient temperature, such as a temperature sensor, and means for setting a target temperature. The definition means can be included in the control unit and automatically set a target temperature according to outside parameters. Said means for defining a target temperature may also be in the form of a data entry interface through which the user can define the setpoint which is transmitted to the control unit.

The power determining means thus determine, taking into account the set temperature Te and the ambient temperature Tamb determined, the power P1 of global heating to be supplied by the apparatus 1 to reach the set temperature Te.

The specific arrangement of the zones or air outlet surfaces can thus be used in association with a distribution of the total power to be supplied, on the surface-type heating element present on the front facade and on the heating body located at the inside the device. Such an association makes it possible to reach the set temperature more quickly while maintaining an aesthetic device.

Claims (10)

An electric heater, such as a radiator, characterized in that said apparatus comprises: a first housing (1) which includes a first heater (11) and a first exhaust air zone (12) located in the upper part of said first housing (1); a second housing (2) having a second air outlet zone (22) and a front wall (201) provided with a second surface heating element (21), the upper part of the second housing (2) being more high than the upper part of the first housing (1); the second air outlet zone (22) being located at a height greater than that of the first air outlet zone (12) and oriented towards the space left free above the first housing (1). 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the second air outlet region (22) of said second housing (2) is also oriented in a direction opposite to the bottom wall (210) of the second housing. 3. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall (222) of the second housing (2) in which is formed the second outlet zone (22) of air is inclined in an upward direction with reference to a direction of travel of said wall (222) from a point of said wall near the first housing (1) to a point of said wall near the front wall (201). 4. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall (222) of the second housing (2) in which is formed the second air outlet zone (22) is inclined at an angle (A222) within the range [40 °; 50 °], preferably an angle of the order of 45 ° with respect to the front panel (201). 5. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall (112) of the first housing (1) in which is formed the first air outlet zone (12) is inclined in an upward direction with reference to a direction of travel of said wall (112) from a point of the inclined wall near the rear face (100) of the first housing (1) to a point of said wall near the second housing (2). 6. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first housing (1) comprises a first fin system (13) housed in said first housing (1) facing the first air outlet zone (12) formed in the upper part of said first housing (1). 7. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second housing (2) comprises a second fin system (23) housed in said second housing (2) opposite the second air outlet zone (22) formed in the upper part of said second housing (2). 8. Apparatus according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that at least a portion of the fins of the first and / or the second fin system (13, 23) each has a first portion and a second inclined portion compared to the first portion. 9. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said apparatus comprises fixing means for a wall installation. 10. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said apparatus comprises a control unit (3) which comprises: - means for determining (5) the overall heating power to be supplied by the apparatus to achieve a set temperature; - Power control distribution means (6) configured to distribute between said first heating body (11) and the second surface heating element (21) said global heating power to be supplied.