JP2009250455A - Leg heater - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a leg heater capable of economically suppressing power consumption by efficiently finely controlling temperature, and suppressing loss of energy even when a user gets away from the leg heater. <P>SOLUTION: In this leg heater 1 having a heater 3 generating heat by power distribution, a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the heater 3, and a control section 4 controlling the power distribution to the heater 3 and monitoring the detection temperature of the temperature sensor, in a flat case 2, the control section 4 continuously distributes electric power to the heater 3 for a prescribed heating time from the power source-on, and performs ON/OFF control of the power distribution to the heater 3 to keep a predetermined specific temperature on the basis of the detection temperature from the temperature sensor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a foot heater that keeps the heating temperature constant and keeps the foot warm.

  Conventionally, an electric carpet, a floor heater or the like is known as a device for keeping the feet warm, and a device for keeping the feet warm as in the cited document 1 is also known.

JP 2004-219035 A

  However, in the conventional foot heater, it was possible to heat at a constant temperature and set it to a predetermined temperature, but as a method of maintaining this predetermined temperature, a method of controlling the temperature with a relay or the like is common It is. In this case, detailed temperature control cannot be performed efficiently, and power consumption increases, which is uneconomical. In addition, even if you were away from the foot heater during temperature control or when you forgot to turn off the power, the operation was continued as it was, and power consumption could not be suppressed, leading to further energy loss. .

  Therefore, the present invention eliminates the problems of the above-mentioned step heater, performs efficient fine temperature control, suppresses power consumption, is economical, and even when separated from the step heater, energy loss is achieved. It is to provide a foot heater that can be suppressed.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is a flat case in which a heater that generates heat by energization, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater, and energization of the heater are controlled. A step heater having a control unit that monitors a temperature detected by the temperature sensor, wherein the control unit continuously energizes the heater until a predetermined heating time elapses after the power is turned on. After the elapse of time, on / off control of energization of the heater is performed so as to maintain a predetermined temperature set in advance based on the temperature detected from the temperature sensor.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, a human sensor that senses the presence or absence of a foot on the case is provided, and the control unit is configured to turn on when the foot is not sensed within a predetermined first monitoring time. / OFF control is stopped, and when the foot is sensed thereafter, the ON / OFF control is resumed.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the foot is not sensed within a predetermined second monitoring time that exceeds the first monitoring time, the control unit turns off the power.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is economical to suppress energy loss by efficiently performing fine temperature control.

  According to invention of Claim 2 and 3, energy loss is suppressed and it is economical.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the foot heater 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the operation unit of the foot heater 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of temperature control. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of operation control when a person leaves the step heater 1.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the foot heater 1 includes a flat case 2, a heater 3 that generates heat by energization, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater 3, and an energization to the heater 3. And a control unit 4 that monitors the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.
The case 2 includes an upper panel 5, a side cover 6 attached to the peripheral portion of the upper panel 5, a front panel 7 that performs temperature operation, a name plate 8, a base 9 that serves as a base for these, and a base 9 It comprises a leg 11 which is a non-slip, and after assembly, it is as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 12 denotes a power cord.

  The case 2 has a rectangular shape in plan view, and a plurality of oval convex portions extending in the left-right direction are arranged in parallel in the lateral direction on the upper surface of the upper panel 5. And the peripheral part of case 2 is protected by fitting the side cover 6. The front panel 7 is placed on the front side of the case 2 and is screwed from the back side. A name plate 8 is stuck on the front panel 7 to protect the front panel 7. The heater 3 is provided on the back side of the upper panel 5 with an NTC thermistor (not shown) serving as a temperature sensor. The control unit 4 is screwed together with the front panel 7 from the back side. In addition, the power cord 12 is drawn out from the fitting groove 10 on the front side of the base 9.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the front panel 7 of the foot heater 1 includes a power switch 13, a human sensor 14 for confirming the presence or absence of a person, a lamp 15 that senses the movement of the human body by the human sensor 14, and lights up. A changeover switch 16 for switching the temperature, a lamp (weak) 17 indicating a surface temperature of the heater 3 selected by the changeover switch 16 in the range of 39 to 42 °, and a lamp indicating the range of the surface temperature of 40 to 42 °. (Middle) 18 and a lamp (strong) 19 having a surface temperature in the range of 45 to 46 °.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the temperature control of the foot heater 1 is performed by turning on the power switch 13 of the foot heater 1 (S1) and then pressing the changeover switch 16 to select, for example, the lighting position of the lamp (weak) 17 ( S2). As described above, the temperature control range at this time is a range in which the surface temperature of the heater 3 is 39 to 42 ° C. Then, the control unit 4 continuously energizes for 20 seconds, which is a heating time at the same time as turning on the power, and after heating the heater 3, the energization is stopped. At this time, the surface temperature of the heater 3 is about 48 ° C. Then, it is left until the resistance value of the NTC thermistor becomes 222Ω or more (S4). Thereafter, the resistance value of the NTC thermistor is lowered by energizing for about 0.6 seconds. By this energization, the resistance value is reduced to 201Ω, and the surface temperature of the heater 3 becomes approximately 39 to 42 ° C. (S5).

  If this resistance value is not 201Ω or more, the resistance value of the NTC thermistor is lowered by further energizing for about 0.6 seconds (S6). By this energization, the resistance value is reduced to 201Ω, and the surface temperature of the heater 3 becomes approximately 39 to 42 ° C. (S5).

  On the other hand, during the ON / OFF control, it is confirmed whether the surface temperature of the heater 3 is 63 ° or more (S7). As a result, if the surface temperature is 63 ° or less, it is further confirmed whether the surface temperature is 40 ° or less (S8). When the surface temperature is 40 ° or less, the temperature control is performed by normal operation by repeating S5 to S8 by returning to S5. On the other hand, when the surface temperature is 40 ° or more, the control unit 4 is turned off (S9) until the surface temperature of the heater 3 becomes 40 ° or less (S10). Then, after the surface temperature of the heater 3 becomes 40 ° or less, the temperature control by the normal operation is repeated in the same manner by repeating S5 to S8 by returning to S5.

On the other hand, if the surface temperature of the heater 3 is an abnormal temperature of 63 ° or higher, it is confirmed whether the abnormal temperature is 63 ° or higher and lower than 70 (S11). As a result, when the abnormal temperature is not less than 63 ° and less than 70 (S12), the control unit 4 is turned off (S13). After that, when the surface temperature of the heater 3 is 40 ° or less and the resistance value of the NTC thermistor is 180Ω or more, the temperature control is performed by normal operation by repeating S5 to S8 by returning to S5. On the other hand, when the surface temperature is 40 ° or more, the control unit 4 is turned off (S13) until the surface temperature of the heater 3 becomes 40 ° or less (S14).
When the surface temperature is an abnormal temperature of 70 ° or more (S15), the power supply to the foot heater 1 is stopped by cutting the temperature fuse (S16).

  Next, when temperature control is performed in the range where the surface temperature of the heater 3 is in the range of 40 to 42 °, the change-over switch 16 is pressed to select the lighting position of the lamp (medium) 18, and in S4 of FIG. In S5, the resistance value of the NTC thermistor is lowered to 180Ω by conducting the current for about 0.6 seconds in S5, and the surface temperature of the heater 3 is about 40 to 42 ° C. In S6, when the resistance value is not 180Ω or more, the surface temperature of the heater 3 is about 40 to 42 ° C. by further energizing for about 0.6 seconds and lowering the resistance value of the NTC thermistor to 180Ω. This is different from the case where the temperature control is performed when the surface temperature of the heater 3 is in the range of 39 to 42 °, but the other control is the same.

  When the surface temperature of the heater 3 is controlled in the range of 45 to 46 °, the changeover switch 16 is pressed to select the lighting position of the lamp (strong) 19 and the resistance of the NTC thermistor is selected in S4 of FIG. In S5, the resistance value of the NTC thermistor is lowered to 163Ω and the surface temperature of the heater 3 is about 45 to 46 ° C. On the other hand, in S6, if the resistance value is not 163Ω or more, energization is further performed for about 0.6 seconds, and the resistance value of the NTC thermistor is lowered to 163Ω, so that the surface temperature of the heater 3 is about 45 to 46 ° C. This is different from the case where the temperature control is performed when the surface temperature of the heater 3 is in the range of 39 to 42 °, but the other control is the same.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of operation control when a person is away from the foot heater 1. In order to perform heating by the foot heater 1, first, the power switch 13 is turned on, and the switch 16 is pushed (S20) to set the desired temperature, and the operation is started.
The human sensor 14 always senses the presence or absence of a person during temperature control after the power switch 13 is turned on, and the lamp 15 is lit (S21). When a person leaves the step heater 1 and 5 minutes or more, which is the first monitoring time, has elapsed (S22), the lamp 15 is turned on in a standby manner in which it slowly blinks (S23). And when a person returns to the foot heater 1 within 25 minutes, normal driving | operation is restarted. When a person leaves the step heater 1 and 25 minutes or more, which is the second monitoring time, has elapsed, the step heater 1 is automatically turned off (S25), and the lamp 15 blinks continuously (S26). When the operation is resumed, the person returns to the foot heater 1 and presses the power switch 13 (S27) to resume the operation (S28).
Further, when the operation of the foot heater 1 is ended, the power switch 13 is pushed and the lamp 15 is continuously lit. Then, the power plug is removed from the outlet and the lamp 15 is turned off.
When the use is resumed, the basic operation is the same as that described above, but the lighting positions of the strong, medium and weak lamps are in the last used state. For example, when the lamp (weak) 17 is used at the lighting position and the power is turned off, the lamp (weak) 17 is turned on when the power is turned on again.

As described above, the foot heater 1 includes, in the flat case 2, a heater 3 that generates heat by energization, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater 3, the energization of the heater 3, and the temperature sensor. And a control unit 4 for monitoring the detected temperature. The control unit 4 energizes the heater 3 continuously until a predetermined heating time elapses after the power is turned on. After the heating time elapses, the control unit 4 detects from the temperature sensor. Based on the temperature, the energization of the heater 3 is ON / OFF controlled so as to maintain a predetermined temperature set in advance.
As a result, efficient and fine temperature control is performed, and it is economical with reduced energy loss.

Further, a human sensor 14 for detecting the presence or absence of the foot on the case 2 is provided, and the control unit 4 stops the ON / OFF control when the foot is not sensed within the predetermined first monitoring time, After that, when the foot is detected, the ON / OFF control is resumed.
Further, if the foot is not sensed within a predetermined second monitoring time that exceeds the first monitoring time, the control unit 4 turns off the power.
As a result, it is economical with reduced energy loss.

In addition, the structure of the foot heater 1 of this invention is not limited to the aspect of the said embodiment at all, The structure, such as the shape of the case 2, thickness, a material, a structure, the number of unevenness | corrugations, is the meaning of this invention. As long as it does not deviate, it can change suitably as needed.
For example, on the surface of the case 2, a plurality of oval protrusions extending in the left-right direction are arranged in parallel in the lateral direction on the upper surface, but it is not always necessary to have an oval shape, and may be circular or rectangular. However, it is not always necessary to be installed at the top and bottom.

  Also, when resuming use, in this embodiment, the lighting positions of the strong, medium and weak lamps are from the last used state, but it is not always necessary to start from the last used state. Can be changed.

  In addition, the human sensor 14 may be either a contact type or a non-contact type, and can be appropriately changed if a foot is detected.

The block diagram of the whole step heater is shown. The enlarged view of the operation part of a foot heater is shown. The flowchart of the temperature control of a foot heater is shown. The flowchart of the operation control when a person leaves | separates from a foot heater is shown.

Explanation of symbols

  1 .... foot heater, 2 .... case, 3 .... heater, 4 .... control unit, 5 .... upper cover, 6 .... side cover, 7 .... front panel, 8 .... name plate, ... Base, 10 ... Fitting groove, 11 .... Leg, 12 .... Power cord, 13 .... Power switch, 14 .... Human sensor, 15 .... Lamp, 16 .... Changeover switch, 17 .... Lamp (Weak ), 18 ・ Ramp (middle), 19 ・ ・ Ramp (strong).

Claims (3)

Foot heating having a heater that generates heat by energization, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater, and a controller that controls the energization of the heater and monitors the temperature detected by the temperature sensor in a flat case A vessel,
The controller continuously energizes the heater until a predetermined heating time elapses after the power is turned on, and after the heating time elapses, a predetermined predetermined value is set based on a temperature detected from the temperature sensor. A foot heater characterized by ON / OFF control of energization to the heater so as to maintain the temperature.   A human sensor for detecting presence or absence of a foot on the case is provided, and the control unit stops the ON / OFF control when the foot is not detected within a predetermined first monitoring time, and then The foot heater according to claim 1, wherein when the foot is detected, the ON / OFF control is resumed.   The foot heater according to claim 2, wherein when the foot is not sensed within a predetermined second monitoring time that exceeds the first monitoring time, the control unit turns off the power.

Images