GB2529159A - Snooker table electric heaters - Google Patents

Abstract

A snooker table electric heating system comprising of individual panels that are located under the table slate 2 and have insulating boards 5 and electrical heating wire 6 which is used to heat the underside of the slate, which will then radiate through and increase the performance of snooker balls on the playing cloth. The heating system will preferably have the ability to change the temperature via user input through a heating controller 10.

Description

Description of Snooker Table Electric Heaters

Snooker Table Electric Heaters Snooker Tables contain moisture within their slate bed and cloth. The greater the moisture levels the greater the resistance for how the snooker balls roll around the table.

To overcome this issue, if snooker tables are heated from the underside the heat travels through the slate bed and cloth which reduces the moisture content of the slate bed and cloth and in turn makes the balls roll more quickly and creates greater cue ball (white ball) reaction when using spin.

The system I have designed uses insulation technology to produce an efficient heating system which heats the slate bed and cloth uniformly, quickly and efficiently via the electrical heating wire. It is fully controllable to give the user flexibility in their desired snooker table temperature.

Figure 1-Shows a full size snooker table frame with a section of slate which would normal cover the Figure 2-Shows the electric heating panel's construction with its components Figure 3 -Shows down view of the heating area zones off a full size snooker slate The underside of a full size snooker table has a frame work to which the slate bed sits on and on this is the green snooker cloth. Typically a snooker table frame has 6-8 open sections within frame structure (1) as shown on Figure 1 (this a 6 section table frame work). Slate sits on the frame of a snooker table and covers all the frame and hangs over all of the edge by approx 200 mm, a section of which is shown on figure 1 (2). The heating panels as shown by drawing Figure 2 are made to measure panels which slot into the frame openings (1) and are sited touching the underside of the slate bed (2) and screwed into position to each of the 4 sided timber frame (3) of open sections (1).

The heating panel/panels are constructed by the following layers, MDF/PLY sheet timber (4), attached to this is 25 mm Foil backed insulation (5), and on top of that is electric heating wire (Electrically rated @ 220-240 voltage Ac) (6) which is stuck down by heat resistant tape (7). The edge of the panel is taped up using heat resistant tape and metal edging for protection, only a section shown (8). The electric supply wire (9) is brought out the MDF/PLY sheet and ready for connection onto the electrical control system. All 6-8 panels are connected to an electrical controls connection point which is controlled by a programmer (user input for required temperature and time control) and remote under table/slate touching thermostat (10). All electrical connections and power point to electrically supply this system our outside this invention scope and must be carried out by a qualified electrician (11). Figure 3 shows a complete top side of a snooker table (slate & cloth) (12) with the main heating radiant zone (13) and heat dispersion zone/secondary heating part (14). Once the system is switched on the heating zone of the snooker table is governed by the perimeter frame work as the slate hangs over the perimeter frame (15) leaving the perimeter area with no direct heat source underneath, but this area (14) receives dispersed heat from the main heating wire.