FR3097941A1 - Radiant heater for equines and heating system. - Google Patents

Abstract

Radiant heater (10) for equines, especially for breeding and competition horses (12), the radiant heater (10) comprising a heater (16) configured to be connected to a power source electric (11) and to emit heating radiation (162) at least partly in the infrared range when the heating body (16) is supplied with electricity by the electric power source (11), the emission of the radiation heating (162) taking place in a substantially directional field directed in a main direction, the heating radiation (162) having the ability to heat the inside of the flesh of a horse (12) at least partly positioned in the heating radiation field (162). Figure 4

Description

Radiant heater for equines and heating system.

The present invention relates to a radiant heating device suitable for equines, in particular for horse breeding and competition.

The present invention also relates to a radiant heating system comprising such radiant heaters.

In the field of equine breeding, especially horses, animals need to be warmed up depending on the circumstances, for example at birth or during foaling when they are hypothermic.

In the field of training, competition or work of equines, especially racehorses, it is necessary to bring their muscles up to temperature before exercise. After the effort, they are subjected to showers and therefore need to be dried quickly. Their muscles can also be relaxed by heating.

To meet these needs, solutions using heating bulbs are currently used.

This method is unfortunately not optimal, firstly because heating bulbs have a low thermal efficiency (ratio between the heat generated and the electricity consumed).

An additional disadvantage comes from the nature of the radiation emitted by these heating bulbs, whose wavelength is less than 1 micrometer. Such radiation heats only the surface of the skin of the exposed equine and only the part directly exposed to the rays emitted by the heating bulbs. Thus, in addition to the fact that it is not heated inside its body, this may even cause discomfort, or even burns, on the skin.

Another disadvantage is that heating bulbs are fragile and can break, which can be dangerous.

Even if the problems presented above mainly concern horses, they can affect equidae as a whole such as donkeys, ponies, mules or equivalent or even zebras, which may all be likely to have a need for means of heating. also.

The present invention aims to provide a radiant heating solution for equines, responding to all or part of the drawbacks presented above and in particular:

- provide a solution that can provide heated equidae, especially in their foaling phase, with protection against hypothermia;

- propose a solution providing a rise in temperature of the muscles of equines before an effort;

-offer a solution for drying equidae;

- propose a solution to obtain satisfactory immune stimulation;

- offer a solution to relax their muscles;

- propose a safe and robust solution allowing the best possible thermal efficiency and the lowest possible electrical consumption.

For this purpose, it is proposed a radiant heating device for equines, in particular for horse breeding and competition, the radiant heating device comprising a heating body configured to be connected to an electrical power source and to emit heating radiation at least in part in the infrared range when the heating body is supplied with electricity by the electrical power source, the emission of the heating radiation taking place in a substantially directional field directed in a main direction, the heating radiation having the ability to heat the interior of a horse's flesh at least partially positioned in the field of the heating radiation.

An advantage of this heating device is that it allows vasodilation to be obtained in the muscles of equines in a depth greater than 4 cm.

Another benefit of this heater is that it provides enhanced immune stimulation through vascular drainage.

Another advantage of this heating device is that it relaxes the muscles of equines.

Another advantage of this heating device is that it reduces joint and muscle inflammation in horses.

Another advantage of this heating device is that it is more robust than the heating bulbs of the state of the art which makes it possible to limit accidents.

Another advantage of this heating device is that it makes it possible to limit electrical risks, and to limit electrical consumption and improve thermal efficiency.

The radiant heater may implement the following advantageous features, taken alone or in combination.

In one implementation of the radiant heater, the heater body is configured such that the heating radiation field is contained within an emission angle of 60° .

In one implementation of the radiant heater, the heating body is configured such that the heating radiation is composed of at least one wavelength having a value within a range from 50 micrometers to 5 millimeters.

In one implementation of the radiant heating device, the heating body comprises a high-emissivity support layer and at least one low-emissivity electrically conductive layer deposited on the support layer.

In one implementation of the radiant heater, the electrically conductive layer is a thin layer made by a vacuum metallization process.

In one implementation of the radiant heating device, the electrically conductive layer comprises a film made of a plastic or electrically insulating material incorporating at least one electrically conductive wire.

In one implementation of the radiant heater, the electrically conductive layer has an emissivity less than or equal to 0.2.

In one implementation of the radiant heater, the support layer has an emissivity greater than or equal to 0.9.

In one implementation of the radiant heating device, the support layer is made of a material having an electrical conductivity less than or equal to 10 power 17 S/m.

In one implementation of the radiant heater, the support layer has at least one planar glass wall on which the electrically conductive layer is formed.

In one implementation of the radiant heating device, the radiant heating device comprises a temperature probe for determining a temperature at a support surface on which a horse rests during its exposure to the heating radiation and a unit control for controlling the power supply of the heating body by the power supply source so as to control the temperature determined by the temperature sensor according to a set temperature.

In one implementation of the radiant heater, the temperature probe belongs to the group comprising a thermocouple and a laser thermometer.

In one implementation of the radiant heater, the control unit adjusts the setpoint temperature.

In one implementation of the radiant heating device, the radiant heating device comprises a light source of the heating body and configured to emit lighting radiation distinct from the heating radiation capable of illuminating at least all or part of the horse without the heating, the illuminating radiation being composed of at least one wavelength having a value comprised in a range extending from 380 to 750 nanometers.

In one implementation of the radiant heater, the light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

There is also proposed a heating system for equines and in particular for the breeding and competition of horses comprising at least two radiant heating devices as described above in which the radiant heating devices are arranged so that each heating radiation emitted by each radiant heater reaches, at least in part, a different portion of the horse.

The heating system may implement the following advantageous features, taken alone or in combination.

In one implementation of the heating system, each support layer of each radiant heater is arranged in a plane different from the other support layers so that the heating radiation emitted by each of the radiant heaters of the heating system reaches, at least in part, a different portion of the horse.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of particular embodiments of the invention given by way of non-limiting examples and represented in the appended drawings, in which:

is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first example of radiant heating device for equines and in particular for horse breeding and competition, according to the invention.

is a schematic sectional view of a second example of a radiant heating device for equines, in particular for breeding and competition of horses, according to the invention.

is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third example of a radiant heating device for equines and in particular for the breeding and competition of horses according to the invention.

is a schematic sectional view of an example radiant heating system according to another aspect of the invention, in particular for equines and in particular for the breeding and competition of horses, comprising radiant heating devices.

DETAILED EXPLANATION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the appended Figures 1 to 3 as presented briefly above, the invention firstly relates to a radiant heating device 10 for equines, in particular for breeding and competition of horses. The radiant heating device 10 comprises a heating body 16 configured to be connected to an electrical power source 11. The heating body 16 is capable of emitting heating radiation 162 located at least partly in the long infrared range when it is supplied with electricity by the electrical power source 11. This emission of the heating radiation 162 is practiced according to a substantially directional field directed in a main direction, the heating radiation 162 having the ability to heat the interior of the flesh and muscles of the horse 12 at least partially positioned in the field of the heating radiation 162. Even if the following description refers to a horse 12, the invention can find an application for each member of the equine family. , such as donkeys, ponies, mules or zebras for example

By the term “substantially” is meant “within plus or minus 10°”.

In a particular embodiment, the heating body 16 of the radiant heating device 10 is configured so that the heating radiation field 162 is contained within an emission angle having a value of 60° for example from the edge of the heating element 16. Such a low emission angle is advantageous for promoting increased heating selectivity towards horse 12.

In a particular embodiment, the heating body 16 of the radiant heating device 10 is configured so that the heating radiation 162 is composed of at least one wavelength having a value comprised in a range ranging from 50 micrometers at 5 millimeters. This is advantageous because these wavelengths easily penetrate the flesh and muscles of the horse 12 up to 6 centimeters deep and allow the interior of its flesh and its muscles to be heated without intensely heating its skin. surface. This also allows the horse 12 to be heated in the dark, which improves his comfort when he sleeps.

Another advantage is that it allows the horse to be dried after its stump, for example.

Advantageously, a radiant heating device 10 also makes it possible to raise the internal temperature of the muscles of the horse 12 before training or competition sessions or even work.

Advantageously, such a radiant heating device 10 makes it possible to relax the muscles of the horses, which is advantageous for administering care.

Another advantage is that such wavelengths activate vasodilation inside the horse's body 12 which improves its recovery, stimulates its immunity and can reduce joint pain.

For the breeding of horses 12, such a radiant heating device 10 advantageously makes it possible to warm the foals in depth just after their birth and during their foaling, which advantageously makes it possible to minimize their propensity to hypothermia.

In another particular embodiment, the heating body 16 comprises a support layer 161 with high emissivity, that is to say here greater than 0.85 and preferably greater than 0.9, and at least one electro- conductor 13 with low emissivity, that is to say here less than 0.2, and deposited on the support layer 161. The emissivity means the capacity of a real material to emit thermal radiation. It is evaluated relative to that of the blackbody. The latter is a purely fictitious body from which the basic laws of thermal radiation can be obtained. It describes an ideal object whose electromagnetic spectrum depends only on its temperature, that is to say, an object which re-emits all of its energy at all wavelengths. Real objects, on the other hand, re-emit a quantity of radiative energy that is always lower than that of a black body at the same temperature. The emissivity of a surface represents the ratio between the quantity of energy emitted by the surface and the energy emitted by a black body brought to the same temperature. Emissivity therefore provides information on the ability of a material to emit radiation, here infrared. The emissivity is therefore unitless and between 0 and 1 (1 being the value for a perfect black body).

The support layer 161 is made, for example, of a material that is not very conductive, or even electrically insulating, such as glass or ceramic. Preferably, the support layer 161 is resistant to shocks, in particular thermal and physical shocks, and comprises a thermally resistant glass, such as for example a borosilicate or a glass-ceramic.

This embodiment makes it possible to obtain a particularly robust radiant heating device 10 which makes it possible not to risk electric shocks due to humidity and which makes it possible to avoid breaking bulbs.

In a particular embodiment, support layer 161 comprises at least one flat glass wall on which electrically conductive layer 13 is formed. The flat glass wall makes it possible to improve the return towards the horse 12, by reflection on the flat wall, of the infra-red radiation generated directly or indirectly by the horse 12. The flat wall also makes it possible to advantageously obtain a flow of directional radiation towards the horse 12.

In one example, the support layer 161 is made of a material having an electrical conductivity less than or equal to 10 power 17 S/m. This makes it possible in particular to generate surface powers of between 150W/m²and 4000 W/m².

In another embodiment, the electrically conductive layer 13 is a thin layer produced by a vacuum metallization process. The vacuum metallization processes used can be, for example, evaporation or plasma-assisted deposition or magnetron deposition. The thickness of the electroconductive layer 13 is between 500 and 7000 angstroms. It can be composed of several superimposed layers of one or more conductive materials. Deposition in a thin layer makes it possible in particular to obtain the emission of a homogeneous radiation flux. Materials for producing this layer are, for example, chromium or chromium oxide or an alloy of nickel and chromium. The electrically conductive layer 13 can, by its metallic nature, be reflective, which is advantageous for redirecting the infrared radiation induced by the horse 12, and the various reflections, towards the horse 12. Advantageously, this architecture makes it possible to achieve high energy efficiency and therefore allows substantial savings in use.

In a particular example not shown, the electrically conductive layer 13 comprises a film made of a plastic or electrically insulating material incorporating at least one electrically conductive wire. This film can be glued directly to the rear face of support layer 161.

In a particular and advantageous embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the radiant heating device 10 comprises a temperature probe 18 making it possible to determine a temperature T1 at the level of a support surface 14 on which a horse 12 rests during its exposure to heating radiation 162. The support surface 14 is for example the ground. The temperature probe 18 can for example be a thermocouple or a laser thermometer. The radiant heating device 10 also comprises a control unit 15 making it possible to control the electric power supply of the heating body 16 by the electric power source 11. In this way, it is possible to control the temperature T1 determined by the temperature probe 18 according to a setpoint temperature T2. The setpoint temperature T2 can advantageously be between 38 and 24°C.

In an example of this embodiment, the control unit 15 makes it possible to adjust the setpoint temperature T2, for example according to the age of the horse 12 exposed to the heating radiation 162. Indeed, the heating needs can evolve throughout the life of the horse 12, depending on its age or any other desired result such as drying, muscle relaxation, comfort...

The radiant heating device 10 may comprise a light source 17 independent of the heating body 16. The light source 17 is configured to emit lighting radiation distinct from the heating radiation 162. It is also capable of illuminating at least all or part horsepower 12 without heating it. The illuminating radiation is in particular composed of at least one wavelength having a value comprised in a range extending from 380 to 750 nanometers. The lighting radiation thus produced makes it possible to illuminate the horse 12 with visible light, for example by reproducing at least in part the natural lighting of the sun in order to improve the well-being of the horse 12.

Light source 17 may include at least one light-emitting diode. This is advantageous to reduce operating costs and/or also to reproduce the natural light spectrum as faithfully as possible. Light-emitting diodes also have the advantage of not heating up at all.

An example, illustrated in Figure 2, is preferably suitable for heating foals just after birth and during foaling. The radiant heating device 10 then has a reduced total thickness of less than 4 cm. This makes it possible to have dimensions of the radiant heating device 10 greater than one square meter.

The overall architecture of the radiant heating device 10 advantageously allows the materials used to be recyclable or recycled during their use in the radiant heating device 10. Thus, such a radiant heating device 10 makes it possible to meet the ETV criteria of the English “European Technology Verification”.

Such a radiant heater 10 is also advantageously durable and robust in use.

The invention also relates to a radiant heating system 30 for equines and in particular for the breeding and competition of horses 12 comprising at least two radiant heating devices 10 as described previously, in which the radiant heating devices 10 are arranged so that each heating radiation 162 emitted by each radiant heating device 10 reaches, at least in part, a different portion of the horse 12.

In one implementation of the radiant heater 30 illustrated in FIG. 4, each support layer 161 of each radiant heater 12 of the heater 30 is arranged in a different plane from the other support layers 161 so that the radiation from heat 162 emitted by each of the radiant heating devices 10 of the heating system 30 reaches, at least in part, a different portion of the horse 12. The directions of the directional heating fields 162 emitted by the different radiant heating devices 10 used can in particular form an angle between them and converge when approaching the area where the equine is supposed to be.

This implementation is advantageous because it allows a large part of the body of the horse 12 to be heated at the same time.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments represented and described above, but on the contrary covers all variants and combinations thereof.

Claims (17)

Radiant heating device (10) for equines, in particular for breeding and competition of horses (12), the radiant heating device (10) comprising a heating body (16) configured to be connected to a power source (11) and for emitting heating radiation (162) at least partly in the infrared range when the heating body (16) is supplied with electricity by the electrical power source (11), the emission of the radiation heating (162) being practiced according to a substantially directional field directed along a main direction, the heating radiation (162) having the ability to heat the inside of the flesh of a horse (12) at least partly positioned in the heating radiation field (162). A radiant heater (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heater body (16) is configured such that the field of heating radiation (162) is contained within an angle of emission of 60° . Radiant heating device (10) according to one of Claims 1 or 2, in which the heating body (16) is configured so that the heating radiation (162) is composed of at least one wavelength having a value within a range from 50 micrometers to 5 millimeters. Radiant heating device (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the heating body (16) comprises a high-emissivity support layer (161) and at least one low-emissivity electrically-conductive layer (13). deposited on the support layer (161). A radiant heater (10) according to claim 4, wherein the electrically conductive layer (13) is a thin layer made by a vacuum metallization process. A radiant heater (10) according to claim 4, wherein the electrically conductive layer (13) comprises a film made of a plastic material or electrical insulator incorporating at least one electrically conductive wire. Radiant heating device (10) according to one of Claims 4 to 6, in which the electrically conductive layer (13) has an emissivity less than or equal to 0.2. Radiant heating device (10) according to one of Claims 4 to 7, in which the support layer (161) has an emissivity greater than or equal to 0.9. Radiant heating device (10) according to one of Claims 4 to 8, in which the support layer (161) is made of a material having an electrical conductivity less than or equal to 10 to the power of 17 S/m. Radiant heater (10) according to one of Claims 4 to 9, in which the support layer (161) comprises at least one planar glass wall on which the electrically conductive layer (13) is formed. Radiant heating device (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 10, in which the radiant heating device (10) comprises a temperature probe (18) making it possible to determine a temperature (T1) at the level of a surface of support (14) on which a horse (12) rests during its exposure to the heating radiation (162) and a control unit (15) making it possible to control the electrical supply of the heating body (16) by the source of power supply (11) so as to control the temperature (T1) determined by the temperature probe (18) as a function of a set temperature (T2). A radiant heater (10) according to claim 11, wherein the temperature probe (18) belongs to the group comprising a thermocouple and a laser thermometer. Radiant heating device (10) according to one of Claims 11 or 12, in which the control unit (15) makes it possible to adjust the setpoint temperature (T2). Radiant heating device (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 13, in which the radiant heating device (10) comprises a light source (17) of the heating body (16) and configured to emit an illuminating radiation distinct heating radiation (162) capable of illuminating at least all or part of the horse (12) without heating it, the illuminating radiation being composed of at least one wavelength having a value comprised in a range ranging from 380 at 750 nanometers. A radiant heater (10) according to claim 14 wherein the light source (17) comprises at least one light emitting diode. Heating system (30) for equines and in particular for the breeding and competition of horses (12) comprising at least two radiant heating devices (10) each according to any one of Claims 1 to 15, in which the heating devices radiant heaters (10) are arranged so that each heating radiation (162) emitted by each radiant heater (10) reaches, at least in part, a different portion of the horse (12). Heating system (30) according to Claim 16, in which the heating body (16) of each of the two radiant heating devices (10) comprises a support layer (161) with high emissivity and at least one electrically conductive layer ( 13) with low emissivity deposited on the support layer (161), and in which each support layer (161) of each radiant heating device (12) is arranged in a different plane from the other support layers (161) so that the radiation heat (162) emitted by each of the radiant heaters (10) of the heating system (30) reaches, at least in part, a different portion of the horse (12).