JP2017003226A - Combustion appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a combustion appliance mounted with a notification device capable of displaying a message that operation of a burner is stopped immediately after the same is extinguished.SOLUTION: A combustion appliance comprises: a combustion chamber to fire up a burner stored in a housing; and a thermoelectric transducer 40 mounted with a high temperature section which is heated through a high temperature side heat sink exposed in the combustion chamber and a low temperature section which is positioned opposite to the combustion chamber and has a low temperature side heat sink cooled by a blast fan 50. The combustion appliance discharges combustion heat of the burner through a blowoff port provided on the housing. The blast fan 50 is driven only with electromotive force generated by the thermoelectric transducer 40. The combustion appliance also has a notification device 59 which notifies a combustion state of the burner while the same is in operation and a flame detection device 26 to detect a combustion flame of the burner. The notification device 59 displays a notification on the basis of a detection result of the flame detection device 26.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

  The present invention relates to a combustion device that drives a blower fan by an electromotive force generated by using combustion heat.

In a conventional combustion device, when a part of the functions of the device is driven by electricity, there is one that uses electric power obtained by generating electricity using heat generated by combustion without relying on an external power source.
Patent Document 1 is an example of a combustion device that enables such power generation, and as shown in FIG. 1, is a fan heater 100 including a thermoelectric generator 4 inside.
Specifically, the thermoelectric generator 4 has a high-temperature part 2 heated by combustion heat obtained by burning gas in the burner part 10 and a low-temperature part 3 cooled by taking in air from the outside. 2 and the low temperature part 3 have a thermoelectric element 1.
The fan heater 100 has a fan 12, and the fan 12 is driven by the thermoelectromotive force of the thermoelectric generator 4.
Thereby, the fan heater 100 can blow out the combustion heat which burned gas in the burner part 10 as a warm air using the fan 12 driven with the thermoelectric generator 4, even if it does not connect to a commercial power source.

JP 2001-255018 A

  By the way, in such a combustion apparatus, installation of a notification device that notifies the combustion state is required for safety, and the user is notified of the distinction between abnormal combustion and normal combustion using means such as an LED lamp. There must be. Various methods are conceivable for operating the notification device. However, when the notification device is driven by an electromotive force generated by a thermoelectric conversion element as one means, there are the following disadvantages.

That is, a burner is provided in the combustion equipment to burn the fuel gas in the combustion chamber, and the temperature difference between the high temperature portion of the thermoelectric conversion element heated by the combustion heat and the low temperature portion cooled by the blower fan or the like occurs. When the electromotive force is used as the driving current of the notification device, the temperature in the combustion chamber does not drop quickly even after the burner is extinguished.
Therefore, even after the burner is extinguished, the above-mentioned electromotive force remains, and even though the fan heater is not actually operated, a considerable period of time has passed while the alarm device continues to display the “burning state”, and the burner is extinguished. There arises a problem that simultaneous notification cannot be performed.
Further, as another means, if the alarm device is driven by another power source, for example, a thermocouple, such a problem can be solved, but actually, it is necessary to turn on the LED only by the electromotive force of the thermocouple. It is difficult to obtain current.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems. Even in a combustion device that uses the electromotive force of a thermoelectric conversion element as a driving power source, a combustion that can immediately notify an operation stop after extinguishing a burner. The purpose is to provide equipment.

  The present invention provides a combustion chamber for burning a burner accommodated in a housing, a high temperature portion heated via a high temperature heat sink exposed in the combustion chamber, and a surface opposite to the combustion chamber. And a thermoelectric conversion element including a low-temperature part to which a low-temperature heat sink cooled by a fan is attached, and a combustion device that emits combustion heat heated by the burner from a blowout port formed in the housing The air blower fan is driven only by an electromotive force generated by the thermoelectric conversion element, and a notification device for notifying the combustion during combustion of the burner, and a flame for detecting the combustion flame of the burner A detection device, and a configuration in which a notification result by the notification device is shown based on a detection result of the flame detection device.

  According to the above configuration, when the combustion flame of the burner disappears, regardless of the presence or absence of the electromotive force generated by the thermoelectric conversion element, based on the non-detection of the combustion of the flame detection device, the notification result is immediately notified to the user. Even if the electromotive force of the thermoelectric conversion element remains after the burner is extinguished, it is possible to notify at almost the same time as the burner is extinguished. And such notification can be performed not only when the user finishes driving, but also when the burner flame disappears, so the user knows the disappearance without delay, You can take the necessary action promptly.

Preferably, a circuit for supplying a drive current based on an electromotive force from the thermoelectric conversion element to the blower fan and a circuit for supplying the drive current to the blower fan are branched in parallel, and the drive current to the notification device is And a switch device that opens and closes a circuit that supplies a drive current to the notification device, and the switch device is turned off when the combustion flame is no longer detected by the flame detection device. It is characterized by.
According to the above configuration, the switch device that opens and closes the circuit that supplies the drive current to the notification device has a configuration that turns off when the flame detection device stops detecting the combustion flame. Without providing any control means, the drive current flowing from the thermoelectric conversion element to the notification device can be stopped when the burner does not detect the combustion flame. In this way, it is possible to easily obtain a configuration that can immediately notify the combustion state.

Preferably, the switch device is connected to the flame detection device via an amplifier, and the amplifier amplifies a current from the flame detection device using an electromotive force of the thermoelectric conversion element as a power supply. It is characterized by becoming.
According to the above configuration, even if the current from the flame detection device is weak, the amplifier can be amplified and turned on by the amplifier, but this amplifier uses the electromotive force from the thermoelectric conversion element as a power source. For example, when the electromotive force generated by the thermoelectric conversion element becomes smaller than a predetermined value, the ability cannot be fully exhibited, and the switch device can be turned off. Then, the notification device is not turned on, and the user can know the success or failure of the stable operation state including not only the presence or absence of the combustion flame of the burner but also the state of the thermoelectric conversion element.

Preferably, the notification device is a light emitting diode (LED).
According to the above configuration, since the LED is turned on using the electromotive force of the thermoelectric conversion device, even if the device cannot generate power with a margin, the alarm device can be driven without any problem by saving energy. Can do.
Note that the notification device of the present invention is not limited to the LED. For example, a safety valve that moves based on the detection result of the flame detection device is used, and the predetermined marker is moved so as to be visible and hidden in synchronization with the movement of the safety valve. Thus, a notification device that notifies the user of the disappearance of the flame may be used. According to this configuration, since the safety valve is also used, the component utilization efficiency is high, and the combustion stop of the burner can be detected without requiring a separate circuit for an alarm device such as a transistor circuit.

Preferably, a thermocouple is used as the flame detection means.
According to the above configuration, a thermocouple having a configuration in which a hot junction is inserted into a combustion flame of a burner such as a thermocouple can be used as a flame detection device. In this case, flame loss due to burner combustion stop can be immediately detected. Even if soot adheres to the hot junction, it operates reliably. Moreover, since the thermocouple can obtain a detection result based on its own electromotive force, it is possible to eliminate the need for separate power when detecting the flame.

Preferably, a transistor is used as the switch device, and a signal based on a detection result by the flame detection device is input to a base terminal of the transistor.
According to the above configuration, since the transistor performs a switching operation without requiring a mechanical contact, a reliable operation of the notification device can be achieved.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a combustion apparatus provided with a notification device capable of displaying an operation stop immediately after extinguishing a burner.

The front side perspective view of the combustion equipment concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. The AA schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic combined cross-sectional view when cut at the position B-C-D-E in FIG. 2. The schematic perspective view which shows the combustion part inside the housing | casing of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The schematic perspective view which shows the low temperature part side inside the housing | casing of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the thermoelectric conversion unit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The perspective view which shows the fixing member of the thermoelectric conversion unit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The top view of the fixing member of the thermoelectric conversion unit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The right view of the fixing member of the thermoelectric conversion unit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The horizontal sectional view of the thermoelectric conversion unit of the combustion apparatus of FIG. The block diagram which shows the electrical structure of the alerting | reporting apparatus which alert | reports that the thermoelectric conversion apparatus of the combustion equipment of FIG. 1 is producing electric power. The timing chart which shows operation | movement of the alerting | reporting apparatus which alert | reports that the thermoelectric conversion apparatus of the combustion equipment of FIG. 1 is generating electric power. The schematic block diagram of the combustion equipment which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

The combustion device of the present invention is a combustion device in which fuel such as gas or kerosene is burned and the blower fan is driven by an electromotive force generated by using the combustion heat, and its use is limited to heating. It includes not only devices but also general devices that exert a heating effect by combustion. In the following description, a fan heater will be taken as an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention and will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The embodiment described below is a preferred specific example of the present invention, and thus various technically preferable limitations are given. However, the scope of the present invention is particularly limited in the following description. Unless otherwise stated, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.
Further, in the following drawings, the portions denoted by the same reference numerals have the same configuration unless otherwise noted, and thus redundant description is omitted.

1 to 3 show the configuration of a fan heater as a combustion device according to a preferred first embodiment of the present invention.
In these drawings, the fan heater 10 is preferably sized to be portable and can be used even in a place where there is no external power source.
The fan heater 10 includes a housing 12, a fuel supply unit 20, a combustion chamber 30, a thermoelectric conversion unit 40 as a thermoelectric conversion device including a thermoelectric conversion element to be described later, a blower fan 50, and cooling air from the blower fan 50 is sent. A low-temperature space S2 and the like.
[Outline of the housing]
Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG.
The housing 12 is formed, for example, by applying heat-resistant coating to steel, and has a rectangular shape as a whole. A handle is provided on the side surface 12B so that it can be easily carried.
As shown in FIG. 2, a fuel supply unit 20 and a combustion chamber 30 are disposed inside the housing 12, and a blower fan 50 is attached to the back surface 12 </ b> C.

The front surface 12A of the housing 12 is formed with a blowout port 18 in which heat inside the housing 12 is blown out as warm air by blowing air from the blower fan 50, and the blowout direction of the blowout port 18 is adjusted. For this purpose, a plurality of louvers 19 are provided. The louver 19 is fixed by the same inclination θ1 as that of the direction changing section 71 described later, but the direction of the wind may be changeable by changing the inclination manually or automatically. Note that, as shown in FIG. 1, the front window 12 </ b> A is formed with a large number of through-holes 16, so that the flame of the combustion chamber 30 can be visually recognized.
As shown in FIG. 2, the rear surface 12 </ b> C of the housing 12 has a door 27 that can be opened and closed, and the gas cylinder 22 can be taken in and out by opening the door 27.
[About top panel]

A dome-shaped top surface portion 14 having a curved surface that protrudes upward is provided at the uppermost portion of the housing 12. As can be understood from FIG. 1, the top surface portion 14 is formed with an appropriate number of heat radiation ports 14 a made up of slit portions arranged in parallel in the width direction. The heat radiation port 14a is a hole for releasing combustion heat until the blower fan 50 is driven to the outside, and will be described later.
As described above, since the top surface portion 14 does not have a flat surface, safety is achieved by preventing an appliance such as a pan from being placed on the fan heater 10 in a general sense.

Furthermore, when the top surface portion 14 is in a high temperature state, there is a risk of burns if touched carelessly. Therefore, characters or symbols that call attention only at high temperatures may be printed in advance on at least the upper surface of the top surface portion 14.
As a component of a coating material that develops or changes color only at such a high temperature, for example, as a reversible type thermochromic functional material, inorganic compounds such as Ag ₂ HgI ₄ and Cu ₂ HgI ₄ , Ag, Cu, Hg, Heavy metal iodides and complexes such as Pb have been put into practical use. As the organic compound, condensed aromatic ring-substituted ethylene derivatives, cholesteric liquid crystals, 3,6-dimethoxyfluorane, rhodamine B lactam, and the like can be used. In particular, organic compound materials are preferred because they exhibit discoloration in the range of 50 to 100 ° C.

[About combustion]
The fuel supply unit 20 is a part for supplying fuel to the burner 32 of the combustion chamber 30.
Gas, kerosene, or the like can be used as the fuel used in the combustion apparatus of the present invention, but the fuel in the present embodiment is a gas, and further, for supplying fuel as shown in FIG. The fuel source is a cartridge-type gas cylinder 22 in which compressed liquefied gas is accommodated so as to be detachable from the fuel supply unit 20.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the gas cylinder 22 is detachable from the cylinder connection portion 23. The fuel gas discharged from the gas cylinder 22 enters a governor provided in the cylinder connection portion 23, is pressure-adjusted, and is supplied to the burner 32 through a gas valve 33 schematically shown. Thereby, the fuel gas is burned by the burner 32. As the gas valve 33, for example, a normally closed electromagnetic valve can be used.
In addition, when the gas cylinder 22 is heated and the internal pressure rises abnormally, the cylinder connection part 23 and the gas cylinder 22 are attached and detached with a magnet so that the safety mechanism is activated and removed. The cylinder connecting portion 23 is connected to the operation knob 28 shown in FIG.

The user manually rotates the operation knob 28 to forcibly open the gas valve 33, which is an electromagnetic valve in FIG. 2, and subsequently moves the operation knob 28 in the same direction, thereby causing piezoelectric ignition (not shown). Spark discharge is performed from the igniter electrode 34 as a means, and the fuel gas ejected from the burner 32 is ignited.
A flame detection device is disposed in the combustion flame. In this embodiment, for example, the thermocouple 26 schematically shown in FIG. 2 can be used as a flame detection device. During the combustion of the burner 32, the hot junction 26a of the thermocouple is heated and disposed at a place other than the flame. A temperature gradient is generated between the cold junction 26b and an electromotive force is generated in the thermocouple 26. Since this electric power drives the electromagnet of the gas valve 33 composed of an electromagnetic valve to keep it open, combustion gas continues to be emitted from the burner 32 and combustion is continued. As the burner 32, for example, a Bunsen burner can be used.

As the flame detection device, the thermocouple 26 can be used as described above, but it is also possible to detect a flame current using a frame rod electrode. However, since the frame rod electrode itself does not generate an electromotive force, additional power is required to detect a flame or obtain driving power for the gas valve (electromagnetic valve) 33, and external power is required. In the fan heater 10 which does not require a power supply or a storage battery, it cannot be said to be the most preferable aspect. In this respect, the thermocouple 26 is preferable because it can detect the flame FR and drive power of the gas valve 33 by its electromotive force, and can operate reliably even if soot adheres to the hot junction 26a.

  Further, in FIG. 1, a heating power changing knob 35 is provided on the knob 28 on the front surface of the fan heater 10. The heating power changing knob 35 switches a two-stage adjusting valve (not shown) to a stage after the gas valve 33 and before the burner 32. By this switching, in the fan heater 10 of the present embodiment, the amount of gas supplied to the burner 32 can be adjusted to be set in a plurality of stages. In this embodiment, as two stages, the heating power of the burner 32 can be changed in two ways of F1 and F2.

[Composition of the combustion chamber and its surroundings]
Please refer to FIG.
In the figure, the inside of the housing 12 is located slightly rearward from the central portion, and the dividing wall 29 arranged vertically to divide the internal space, the front area on the left side of the figure with respect to the depth direction X and the right side of the figure Two spaces are divided into a rear region. The front region is the high temperature space S1 having the combustion chamber 30, and the rear region is the low temperature space S2.
The combustion chamber 30 has a high temperature space S1 in which fuel gas burns, and a burner 32 and an igniter electrode 34 are disposed in the high temperature space S1. The fuel gas supplied from the fuel supply unit 20 is sent to the burner 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the burner 32 has, for example, a rod shape that is long in the lateral width direction Y of the high-temperature space S1, and a plurality of flame openings 32a are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction, thereby extending in the lateral width direction Y of the high-temperature space S1. A flame is formed uniformly in a line along the line.
Further, a part or the whole of the front wall 30b of the combustion chamber 30 is formed of heat-resistant glass so that the inside can be visually recognized from the observation window 16 of FIG.
The upper end portion of the front wall 30b shown in FIG. 2 is a wall surface that is inclined so as to rise toward the blower fan 50 side (rear surface 12C side). At the same time, the flow passage cross-sectional area of the air flow rising in the combustion chamber 30 is narrowed.
An upper end portion of the partition wall 29 is bent 90 degrees toward the front of the device, and a baffle plate 39 extending horizontally is provided.

Due to the action of the rectifying wall 37 and the baffle plate 39, the combustion heat rising in the combustion chamber 30 is arranged in the upper part of the combustion chamber 30, and the flow directly above is suppressed by the upper opening 82 facing the front of the device as much as possible. In particular, it is directed to the front of the device, that is, toward the outlet 18.
Further, between the upper opening 82 and the heat radiating port 14a, the combustion heat from the upper opening 82 is prevented from being removed from the heat radiating port 14a when the blower fan 50 is driven, and the suppressed combustion heat is transmitted from the blower fan 50. A turning portion 71 is provided to be directed in the direction of the blow-out port 18 by the wind.
Specifically, the turning portion 71 is slightly lowered toward the front (outlet 18 side) of the device at the position reaching the top surface portion 14 at the top of the housing 12 with the rear portion of the device as the base end. In this way, it is formed as an inclined plate.
An opening 72 is provided on the front side of the turning portion 71 so as to escape upward, and the combustion heat until the blower fan 50 is driven passes through the opening 72 toward the top surface 14 and escapes from the heat radiation port 14a. It has become. On the other hand, between the turning portion 71 and the baffle plate 39, a part of the main flow path for releasing hot air by connecting the intake port 53 for taking in the outside air on the back surface 12C and the blowout port 18 on the front surface 12A is provided. After the air blowing fan 50 is driven, the combustion heat emitted from the upper opening 82 changes the vector in the direction of the outlet 18 by the cooling air from the air blowing fan 50 and is mixed with the cooling air. It becomes warm air and blows out forward from the outlet 18 toward the outside.
Thus, the presence of the turning portion 71 changes the flow of combustion heat from the upper opening 82 before and after driving the blower fan 50.

The air blower fan 50 shown in FIG. 2 mainly fulfills a “warm air blowing function” for blowing hot air from the air outlet 18 of FIGS. 1 and 3 and simultaneously cools the low temperature part of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40. It has a “cooling function”. That is, if the burner 32 continues to burn, the temperature of the low temperature portion of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is likely to rise due to the combustion heat. The temperature difference between the high temperature part 43 and the low temperature part 44 can be maintained during a period in which the air blowing fan 50 is driven by cooling through the heat sink 44.
Specifically, the blower fan 50 has an upper opening 82 of the combustion chamber 30 in the main flow path (the flow path of the air flow AR4 in the drawing for performing the hot air blowout function) connecting the intake port 53 and the blowout port 18. It is arranged further upstream than the intake port 53 and takes in outside air into the housing 12 to send cooling air toward the low-temperature heat sink 44 and to send air toward the blowout port 18. The blower fan 50 shown in FIG. 2 is preferably an axial fan having a propeller 51 that blows along the axial flow direction (same as the X direction in the drawing) by driving the motor 52.
The blower fan 50 is driven by the thermoelectromotive force generated by the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 of FIG. 3 without using an external power source.

As shown in FIG. 3, the high-temperature space S <b> 1 that is the combustion chamber 30 is formed by a space such as an internal housing surrounded by a front wall 30 b, side walls 30 c and 30 d, and a rear wall 30 e (the same location as the partition wall 29). It is defined.
4 and 5 show a specific configuration in a state where only the front wall 30b is removed from this space.
Returning to FIG. 3, the wind of the blower fan 50 wraps around the outside of the side walls 30 c and 30 d forward like the inner wall surface flow of the housing 12 as indicated by AR <b> 1 and AR <b> 1. That is, since the combustion chamber 30 is considerably heated, by providing an air layer between the side walls 30c and 30d of the combustion chamber 30 and the inner wall of the housing 12, the heat from the combustion chamber 30 is accommodated. The movement to the outer surface of the body 12 is prevented, so that the outer surface of the housing 12 does not become excessively hot during the combustion of the burner 32.
The cooling air from the blower fan 50 cools the low-temperature heat sink 44 of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 in the low-temperature space S2, and as shown in FIG. The air flows AR1 and AR1 are directed to the front of the device, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the air flow AR4 is directed upward in the low temperature space S2 and passes through the air flow path 83.
Thus, the air flow AR2 having the combustion heat passing through the upper opening 82 is appropriately guided to the outlet 18 by the air flow AR4 passing through the air flow path 83.

  Here, a sealing member 81 is provided between the periphery of the lower end portion 18a of the air outlet 18 and the combustion chamber 30 to prevent the air flow AR3 rising toward the air outlet 18 generated by the blower fan 50 from entering. ing. In the case of this embodiment, the sealing member 81 is a flat plate that closes from the vicinity of the proximal end of the rectifying wall 37 to the lower end portion 18a of the outlet 18 at the upper part of the front wall 30b and gently descends and slopes toward the outlet 18 side. It is said that. The sealing member 81 is arranged in a range indicated by a parallel oblique line of a one-dot chain line in FIG. 3 in a plan view, and seals this range.

The function of this sealing member 81 will be described in detail below.
As indicated by AR1 in FIG. 3, the air blown from the blower fan 50 not only passes through the housing as AR4 in FIG. 2, but also wraps around the front surface (the outlet 18 side) of the front wall 30b, thereby showing in FIG. Thus, the space between the front wall 30b and the housing rises as AR3. The sealing member 81 prevents the upward flow AR3 from entering and prevents the sealing member 81 from being sent to the upper portion of the housing 10. As a result, it is possible to prevent the upward flow AR3 from inhibiting the momentum of the airflow AR4 passing through the air flow path 83 toward the outlet 18. Further, the upward flow AR3 causes heat to be accumulated in the upper region of the housing 10, and it is possible to effectively prevent thermal damage to components due to an internal temperature rise.
In addition, since the sealing member 81 blocks from the front wall 30b of the combustion chamber 30 to the lower end portion 18a of the outlet 18, the sealing member 81, the front wall 30b of the combustion chamber 30, and the above-mentioned By defining the space S <b> 5 between the upper opening 82 in the housing 12 and the blowout port 18 with the deflected portion 71, the hot air guided toward the blowout port 18 can be efficiently discharged from the blowout port 18. it can.
Moreover, when foreign matter such as dust or dust that falls into the device through the heat radiation port 14a of the top surface portion 14 enters the device when the device is not in operation or the like, It is moved to the opening 72 along the surface. The foreign matter passes through the opening 72 and falls on the sealing member 81. Then, the foreign matter or the like is discharged to the outside from the outlet 14 on the front surface of the device along the inclined surface of the sealing member 81. As described above, the sealing member 81 also exhibits a function as a foreign matter discharge unit that appropriately guides foreign matter or the like that has entered the housing 12 and discharges it to the outside of the device.

Specifically, the tip 71a of the turning portion 71 is, as indicated by the phantom line of the dashed line in FIG. 2, the outlet 18 side of the rear end 81a of the sealing member 81 in the depth direction X of the device ( In this way, the foreign matter that has fallen can be easily dropped onto the sealing member 81. Furthermore, the rectifying wall 37 (the upper end portion of the front wall 30b) described above is inclined so as to rise toward the blower fan 50 side (the right side in FIG. 2), whereby the distal end of the turning portion 71 in the depth direction X. It is located closer to the blower fan 50 than 71a. Therefore, even if foreign matter such as dust or dust that has fallen from the heat radiation port 14a before driving the blower fan 50 is floating above the combustion chamber 30 or in the space S5, the foreign matter is applied to the rectifying wall 37, It can be dropped onto the sealing member 81, and entry into the upper opening 82 can be prevented as much as possible.
Further, the tip 81b of the sealing member 81 is positioned above the lowermost stage of the blowout port 18 to prevent the foreign matter from being blown out and to prevent the upward flow AR3 from being blown out of the blowout port 18 while being easily taken out. .

[Thermoelectric conversion unit, etc.]
In this embodiment, the thermoelectric conversion device is configured as a thermoelectric conversion unit 40, for example.
As understood from FIG. 2, the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is fixed to the partition wall 29. The fixing method will be described later.
The arrangement position of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, and FIG. 10 shows a horizontal section of the thermoelectric conversion unit.
An example of the configuration will be described with reference to these as appropriate.
In FIG. 2, the high temperature side heat sink 43 connected to the high temperature portion 41a (see FIG. 6) of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 exposed in the combustion chamber 30 (high temperature space S1), and the thermoelectric conversion element exposed in the low temperature space S2. The low-temperature side heat sinks 44 connected to the low-temperature part 41b (see FIG. 6) 41 are heat sinks formed of the same material, and are selected from metals having good thermal conductivity, such as iron, copper, and aluminum. Is used.

As can be understood from FIGS. 6 and 10, the high-temperature heat sink 43 and the low-temperature heat sink 44 sandwich the thermoelectric conversion element 41 in a close contact state, and a plate-like base 43 b that adheres to the thermoelectric conversion element 41 in a planar shape. 44b and a plurality of fins 43a, 44a projecting from the bases 43b, 44b with a predetermined distance from each other, it has a large surface area suitable for heat exchange and a heat capacity corresponding to the size. ing.
Here, the thermoelectric conversion element 41 uses a Seebeck element (semiconductor element) that generates a thermoelectromotive force using the Seebeck effect. Such a thermoelectric conversion element 41 is formed by bonding an n-type semiconductor and a p-type semiconductor, and when heated, carriers move between boundaries of different semiconductors to generate an electromotive force.
In this case, if the electric potential difference is V, and the temperature difference between the high temperature side and the low temperature side is ΔT,
V = aΔT (a is Seebeck coefficient)
The higher the temperature gradient between the high temperature side and the low temperature side, the larger the voltage due to the generated electromotive force.

  In addition, the feature of this embodiment is that the high-temperature side heat sink 43 and the low-temperature side heat sink 44 are different in size and have different heat capacities. Thus, an appropriate temperature gradient is obtained, a sufficient electromotive force is generated, and a high rotational speed of the blower fan 50 is effectively obtained. Further, by reducing the heat capacity of the high temperature side heat sink 43, the high temperature side heat sink 43 can be easily heated quickly at the time of start-up, whereby the blower fan 50 can be driven quickly. In the case of this embodiment, the ratio of the size of the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44 is set to about 1: 2.

  In the combustion chamber 30, the distance between the flame FR and the high temperature side heat sink 43 during combustion may be reduced, and the high temperature side heat sink 43 may be rapidly heated during startup. However, the closer the distance between the flame FR and the high temperature side heat sink 43, the greater the heat conduction to the high temperature side heat sink 43. However, if the distance is too close, the thermoelectric conversion element 41 in the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 may be damaged. . Therefore, in the case of the present embodiment, as described above, the input amount of the fuel gas to the burner 32 in FIG. 2 can be switched in two stages by the heating power changing knob 35 in FIG. In the adjustment, the size of the high-temperature heat sink 43 and the degree of protrusion into the combustion chamber 30 are determined to such an extent that damage to the thermoelectric conversion element can be prevented by heating the high-temperature heat sink 43 during maximum combustion. The size of the heat sink 44 is determined in relation to the obtained electromotive force.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the housing is divided into the high temperature space S1 and the low temperature space S2 from the front surface side to the rear surface side on the basis of the partition wall 29 in the upright state of the device. By disposing the combustion chamber 30 with the burner 32 in the high temperature space S1 and the blower fan 50 in the low temperature space S2, the combustion chamber 30 and the thermoelectric conversion unit are arranged in the casing 12 along the depth direction of the equipment. 40 and each part of the blower fan 50 can be arranged so as to face each other, and an extremely compact combustion device can be realized. Moreover, the blower fan 50 can be made close to the low-temperature heat sink 44 as an axial fan, and the cooling efficiency is high.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration example of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40.
In the figure, a thermoelectric conversion unit 40 includes two heat transfer members arranged in close contact with each other so as to sandwich a thermoelectric conversion element 41 having a thin square or rectangle and a high temperature portion 41a and a low temperature portion 41b of the thermoelectric conversion element 41. 42a and 42b, a high-temperature heat sink 43 and a low-temperature heat sink 44 larger than the high-temperature heat sink 43, which are fixed in close contact with each other, and a high-temperature heat sink 43 are enclosed, and the thermoelectric conversion element 41 and the heat transfer member 42 are accommodated therein. The frame member 45 is fixed to the low-temperature heat sink 44 and the biasing member 46 that is accommodated in the inner periphery of the opening of the frame member 45 and applies the adhesion of the heat sinks 43 and 44 to the thermoelectric conversion element 41. , The thermoelectric conversion element 41, the heat transfer member 42, the high-temperature heat sink 43, and the fixing member 6 that presses the frame member 45 therebetween. And has a door.

As already described, the thermoelectric conversion element 41 is a Seebeck element, which is formed by bonding two different semiconductors, the power supply cord 41c is routed, and the fan 52 motor (see FIG. 2) (not shown) is driven. Connected to the circuit.
The heat transfer member 42 creates a uniform surface that is evenly adhered, that is, a flat surface, by filling a fine uneven surface on a contact surface of a heat sink made of cast aluminum or the like. . For this reason, it can be obtained by applying a liquid agent such as a synthetic resin having excellent thermal conductivity. For example, silicone grease or the like can be used.
The structure of the heat sinks 43 and 44 on the high temperature side and the low temperature side is as described above, and there are two reasons why the high temperature side heat sink 43 is smaller than the low temperature side heat sink 44. This is because the heat capacity is changed so that a sufficient thermal gradient required for driving can be obtained quickly. Another reason is that the size of the heat sink 43 on the high temperature side is set to keep the distance between the flame and the heat sink so that the thermoelectric conversion element 41 is not damaged by the flame of the burner 32 during the two-stage combustion described above. This is to decide. Failure due to overheating exceeding the heat-resistant temperature of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 (in this embodiment, 250 ° C.) must be prevented. The high temperature part 41a of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 is a temperature that can maintain the lighting of the driving of the blower fan 50 and the notification means 59 (notification means that the fan heater is driven, see FIG. 1). The high-temperature heat sink 43 may be cooled after the blower fan 50 is driven so that it does not exceed the heat resistance temperature of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 (for example, 220 ° C.).

  The frame member 45 surrounds and accommodates the base portion 43 b of the high temperature side heat sink 43, the thermoelectric conversion element 41, and the heat transfer member 42, and the heat of the high temperature side heat sink 43, the thermoelectric conversion element 41, and the heat transfer member 42 is fixed member 67. It is a heat insulating material that prevents it from being transmitted to the outside, and also prevents foreign substances such as dust from entering. The shape of the inner opening of the frame member 45 is substantially the same as the outer shape of the high temperature side heat sink 43 and has a slightly larger inner opening. The frame member 45 is formed of a heat insulating material made of inorganic fibers such as ceramic.

  The biasing member 46 is a member that is pressed with a biasing force so that the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44 and the high temperature portion 41a and the low temperature portion 41b of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 are in close contact with each other. In the case of this embodiment, it has the urging force which presses the high temperature side heat sink 43 against the thermoelectric conversion element 41 side. The urging member 46 may be of any shape or material as long as it can exert an urging force. In the present embodiment, the urging member 46 is configured by a metal plate spring whose central portion is curved and protrudes toward the thermoelectric conversion element 41 side. Yes. In FIG. 6, the urging member 46 is spanned so as to connect between the belt-like portions 46 b, 46 b arranged in parallel vertically at a predetermined distance from each other, and is formed in parallel so as to have a gap therebetween. It has a plurality of curved comb portions 46a. As shown in FIG. 10, the curved comb portion 46a has a plurality of high temperature side heat sinks 43 so that the fins 43a can be exposed to the combustion chamber 30 as shown in FIG. The width is small enough to be inserted between the fins 43a. In other words, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 10, four curved comb portions 46a are provided, and the gaps between them are opened as wide slits, and the fins 43a of the high-temperature heat sink 43 are slits between the curved comb portions 46a. It has come to pass through.

The fixing member 62 is connected to the low-temperature side heat sink 44 so as to press the urging member 46, thereby fixing the members 46, 45, 43, 42, 41 between the low-temperature side heat sink 44. It is a jig and is shown in detail in FIGS.
The fixing member 62 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10 and FIGS. 4 and 5.
The fixing member 62 is a frame-shaped body made of a metal frame having a stepped recess. The biasing member 46 and the frame member 45 are interposed between the frame-shaped body and the low-temperature heat sink 44, and the biasing member By pressing 46 against the high temperature heat sink 43 side (low temperature heat sink 44 side), not only the urging member 46 and the frame member 45 but also the high temperature heat sink 43, the heat transfer member 42, and the thermoelectric conversion element by the urging force. 41 is also positioned and fixed. As a result, the main surface of the high temperature side heat sink 43 pressed by the urging force comes into close contact with the main surface of the high temperature portion 41 a of the thermoelectric conversion element 41. The fixing member 62 is a sheet metal product, for example.

Specifically, on the upper side and the lower side of the fixing member 62 that is a frame-like body, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, folded portions 63 and 63 that are folded back toward the low-temperature heat sink side are provided. . The folded portions 63 and 63 are engaging portions that are engaged with the urging member 46. That is, the belt-like portions 46 b and 46 b of the urging member 46 shown in FIG. 6 are locked to the folded portions 63 and 63, so that the urging member 46 does not come off even when pressed against the high-temperature heat sink 43. , Can exert the biasing force. When the urging member 46 is pressed against the high temperature side heat sink 43, as shown in FIG. 10, the plurality of curved comb portions 46a inserted between the fins 43a are formed in the central region (thermoelectric conversion) of the base portion 43b of the high temperature side heat sink 43. The area corresponding to the central area of the element 41 is pressed in a well-balanced manner. Further, the curved comb portion 46a exerts an urging force while being bent so as to increase a region in close contact with the high temperature side heat sink 43. Therefore, the contact area between the base portion 43b of the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the thermoelectric conversion element 41 (shown in the figure). In this case, the contact area via the heat transfer member 42 can be increased as much as possible.
As described above, the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44 are in close contact with the high temperature portion 41a and the low temperature portion 41b of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 shown in FIG. To do. Further, since the curved comb portion 46a is deflected so as to increase the area in close contact with the high temperature side heat sink 43 and exerts an urging force on the low temperature side heat sink 44 side, for example, the combustion for attaching the fixing member 62 or the fixing member 62 Even if the back wall 30e of the chamber 30 undergoes thermal deformation due to aging and the bending method of the curved comb portion 46a that presses the high-temperature heat sink 43 changes, the high-temperature heat sink 43 can be kept pressed. Moreover, since the curved comb portion 46a enters between the fins 43a and presses the central region of the base portion 43b to enhance the close contact between the base portion 43b and the central region of the thermoelectric conversion element 41, the base portion 43b and the thermoelectric conversion element 41 It is possible to prevent the central region from being lifted due to thermal deformation. Thus, high thermoelectric conversion efficiency can be maintained for a long period of time, and performance degradation can be prevented.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the fixing member 62 includes a plurality of convex shapes partially protruding toward the low-temperature heat sink 44 side in the pair of left and right belt-like portions 67 and 67 of the frame-like body. A portion 84 (four in total in the case of the figure) is formed, and only the region of the convex portion 84 is connected to the low-temperature heat sink 44 as shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, a screw hole 84 a for connecting to the low temperature side heat sink 44 is formed in the convex portion 84, and only the periphery 84 b of the screw hole 84 a contacts the low temperature side heat sink 44. doing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the heat of the high temperature side heat sink 43 from escaping to the low temperature side heat sink 44 through the fixing member 62 without being transmitted to the thermoelectric conversion element 41 as much as possible.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the fixing member 62 protrudes the fin 43a of the high-temperature heat sink 43 that is not directly pressed by the curved comb portion 46a from the central opening 69, and the protruding fin 43a is shown in FIG. And it is set as the structure exposed in the combustion chamber 30 from the through-hole 49 formed in the wall part (back wall 30e) of the combustion chamber 30 shown in FIG. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the thermoelectric conversion unit 40, the high-temperature heat sink 43 is exposed on the burner side of the partition wall 29 (back wall 30e), and the low-temperature heat sink 44 is on the blower fan 50 side. Exposed. The through hole 49 has the same shape as the outer shape of the high-temperature heat sink 43 and is slightly enlarged.

In this way, the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is connected and assembled to the back wall 30e of the combustion chamber. In the present embodiment, the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is connected to the back wall 30e of the combustion chamber as follows.
That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the strips 67, 67 of the fixing member 62 are folded toward the back wall 30 e near the middle of the respective outer edges and bent at the tip. 66, 66 are formed. The latching pieces 66, 66 are hooked by being inserted into a fixing hole 29a formed by a small vertical slit in the back wall 30e shown in FIG. The conversion unit 40 can be connected to the back wall 30e (partition wall 29) of the combustion chamber for easy assembly.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the fixing member 62 partially protrudes on the side opposite to the low-temperature heat sink 44 side and abuts against the wall (back wall 30 e) of the combustion chamber. have. This abutting portion 65 is a position regulating means in the depth direction, and each outer edge of the belt-like portions 67, 67 is formed by being folded back toward the back wall 30e side of the combustion chamber, and is equidistant at four locations on the outer side. Has been placed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, even if the low-temperature heat sink 44 is pressed against the back wall 30e with the fastener 86, the tip of the abutting portion 65 hits the back wall 30e (partition wall 29), The high temperature side heat sink 43 protruding into the combustion chamber shown in FIG. Therefore, excessive heating of the high-temperature heat sink 43 can be suppressed, and the thermoelectric conversion element 41 can be prevented from being damaged.

[Relationship between combustion chamber and high-temperature part]
In the case of this embodiment, the following various ideas are made so that the high temperature side heat sink 43 is heated quickly and the starting time of the blower fan 50 can be shortened.
First, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the high temperature side heat sink 43 is disposed in the combustion chamber 30 (exposed to the high temperature space S <b> 1). Specifically, the fins 43 a of the high temperature side heat sink 43 protrude from the back wall 30 e of the combustion chamber 30 toward the front side.
Moreover, the high temperature side heat sink 43 is a state in which a plurality of fins 43a are arranged in the horizontal width direction Y of the high temperature space S1.
Further, the high temperature side heat sink 43 is smaller than the low temperature side heat sink 44, and when the supply amount of the fuel gas to the burner 32 is maximized, the temperature difference with the low temperature side heat sink 44 becomes 150 ° C. in about 40 seconds. Has been.
Further, in the state where the supply amount of the fuel gas to the burner 32 is maximized and the flame FR is maximized, the main surface portion (front portion) of the high temperature side heat sink 43 is disposed so as to face the tip portion of the flame FR. Yes. Note that the burner 32 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the high-temperature heat sink 43 so that the flame FR does not contact the high-temperature heat sink 43 even during combustion at high output.

[About the heat dissipation port]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the high-temperature heat sink 43 is quickly heated to shorten the start-up time of the blower fan 50. However, a certain amount of time is required for the start-up of the blower fan 50. . That is, when a temperature difference of, for example, 150 ° C. occurs between the high-temperature heat sink 43 and the low-temperature heat sink 44, an electromotive force is generated in the thermoelectric conversion element 41 made of a semiconductor. About a second is required.
For this reason, during the time period until the blower fan 50 is activated, the combustion heat of the burner 32 is confined in the housing 12 and the internal temperature rises, which may cause damage to internal components.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the heat radiating port 14 a for releasing the combustion heat until the start of the blower fan 50 to the outside is formed separately from the blowout port 18.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the heat radiating port 14a is formed by arranging a plurality of slit-shaped through holes, and at least an object larger than the through hole passes through the heat radiating port 14a. The shape does not enter the body 12. The heat radiation port 14a is not limited to the slit-shaped through hole, and may be, for example, a large number of round or polygonal small holes, or a net shape.
That is, the heat radiating port 14a exhibits a function of releasing heat so as not to be accumulated in the housing 12, and from this, the heat radiating port 14a is located above the blowing port 18, more preferably in the present embodiment. As described above, the top surface portion 14 of the housing 12 is formed.
Note that the blow-out port 18 is also formed in the upper portion of the housing 12 (in the case of the present embodiment, the portion above the upper opening 82 of the combustion chamber 30 as shown by the phantom line in FIG. Thus, even when the space S4 in the housing above the outlet 18 is small, the heat until the blower fan 50 is activated is not only from the heat radiating port 14a but also from the outlet 18 I am trying to escape.

[Driving device for driving status]
Next, a configuration example of the operating state notification device in the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the fan heater 10, not only hot air is obtained by the combustion of the burner 32, but also an electromotive force is obtained by the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 and the wind of the blower fan 50 is caused, Thereby, the blowing of warm air as a fan heater is realized.
Here, the fan heater 10 includes a notification device 59 so that such an operating state can be monitored from the outside.
However, the fan heater 10 does not have a built-in power source such as a battery, and when the notification device 59 is operated electrically, the drive current from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is supplied to the fan motor 52 of the blower fan. In addition to providing, it is preferable to branch the circuit and supply a driving current to the notification device 59 to operate it as an operation monitor.
However, immediately after the fan heater 10 finishes burning, the temperature of the combustion chamber 30 in the housing 12 does not suddenly reach room temperature, and there is residual heat. Since the thermal gradient remains for a while and the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 continues to generate electromotive force for about 40 seconds, the notification device 59 continues to operate despite the operation of the fan heater 10 being terminated. In some cases, there is a disadvantage that the user may mistakenly think that the fan heater 10 is still operated even though the fan heater 10 is turned off.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the following configuration of the notification device 59 is employed when monitoring the operation of the fan heater 10.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the notification device 59.
In the figure, the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 forms a circuit as shown in the figure using the power supply cord 41c of FIG. 6, and a drive current due to the Seebeck effect is given from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 to the fan motor 52 of the blower fan. As a result, the blower fan 50 is driven.
A power supply circuit from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 to the fan motor 52 is branched in parallel, and for example, as shown by reference numeral 59 in FIG. 1, a notification device that can visually recognize the operation state of the fan heater 10 from the outside of the housing 12 is provided. it can.

  In FIG. 11, the notification device 59 has a lighting device in which the power supply circuit from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is branched and arranged in parallel. The lighting device may be an incandescent lamp, a halogen lamp, or the like, but in this embodiment, a light-emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as “LED”) 59-1 that is power-saving and has a long life is attached to drive current from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40. It is designed to light only upon receipt. As a result, the notification device 59 is turned on during operation of the fan heater 10 to notify the user of that fact.

If the switch device 59-2 is connected in the middle of the circuit to which the LED is connected and the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 exhibits its performance normally only when the switch device 59-2 is on, the LED 59-1 Is to light up.
As long as the switch device 59-2 can be turned on / off, any means such as a differential amplifier may be used, but this embodiment uses a transistor.
A thermocouple 26 such as a thermocouple as the flame detection device described with reference to FIG. 2 is preferably connected to the base terminal of the transistor 59-2 via an amplifier 59-3. Accordingly, the switch device 59-2 is configured to open and close by a signal from the thermocouple 26. Specifically, while the thermocouple 26 detects the combustion flame of the burner 32, the switch device 59-2 is turned on. When the thermocouple 26 no longer detects the combustion flame of the burner 32, the switch device 59-2 is turned off and the drive current flowing from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 to the LED 59-1 is stopped.

  For example, an operational amplifier is used as the amplifier 59-3, and the current from the thermocouple 26 is amplified using the electromotive force of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 as power supply power. Then, for example, when the thermoelectromotive force generated from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is small for some reason, the capability cannot be sufficiently exhibited, the switch device 59-2 is also turned off, and the LED 59-1 does not light up. . In this way, the user can know not only the presence or absence of the combustion flame of the burner 32 but also the success or failure of the stable operation state including the state of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40.

The notification device 59 is configured as described above, and its operation will be described with reference to the configuration of FIG. 2 and the timing chart of FIG.
When the user rotates the operation knob 28 (see FIG. 1) to forcibly open the gas valve 33, which is the electromagnetic valve in FIG. 2, and subsequently moves the operation knob 28 in the same direction, the piezoelectric ignition means Spark discharge is performed from the igniter electrode 34, and the fuel gas ejected from the burner 32 is ignited (t1 in FIG. 12). At this time, when the high-temperature heat sink 43 of the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is heated by the flame from the burner 32, the Seebeck effect of the thermoelectric conversion element 41 built in the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 due to the temperature difference with the low-temperature heat sink 44. Electromotive force is generated and the motor 52 of the blower fan 50 is driven. As a result, the high-temperature heat sink 43 is heated, while the low-temperature heat sink 44 is cooled by blowing air, so that the rotation of the blower fan 50 is maintained during combustion, and at the same time, a driving current is also applied to the LED 59-1 in FIG. Flows and lights up.

That is, during combustion, there is a hot junction 26a of the thermocouple 26 in the flame FR of the burner 32, and since the temperature is high, an electromotive force is generated between the hot junction 26a and the cold junction 26b. Is supplied to the amplifier 59-3 in FIG. Since the current amplified by the amplifier 59-3 is applied to the base terminal of the transistor 59-2, the switch 59 is turned on, so that the emitter is energized from the collector of the transistor 59-2 and the LED 59-1 is lit. .
Accordingly, during t1 to t2 in FIG. 12, that is, during the combustion of the fan heater 10, the notification device 59 in FIG. It can be visually recognized.

Next, the user returns the operation knob 28 in FIG. 1 and stops the combustion of the fan heater 10 (t2 in FIG. 12).
As a result, the temperature gradient of the thermocouple 26 immediately becomes flat, and the electromotive force of the thermocouple 26 disappears, so that the emitter side of the transistor 59-2 in FIG. 11 is not energized, and the LED 59-1 is also at the time t2 in FIG. Turn off immediately.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the notification device 59 also promptly displays the operation stop simultaneously with the operation stop of the fan heater 10.
When such a switch device 59-2 is not provided, the temperature difference between the high temperature side heat sink 43 and the low temperature side heat sink 44 in FIG. 6 is a thermoelectric conversion unit for a while until the temperature in the combustion chamber 30 decreases. The electromotive force from 40 does not disappear. Therefore, as is apparent from FIG. 11, the LED 59-1 continues to be lit during NТ in FIG. Therefore, although the user stops the operation of the fan heater 10, the notification device 59 indicates “during operation”. Therefore, the user may suspect that the device is malfunctioning or turn the operation knob 28 unnecessarily. Will result.
However, according to the present embodiment, such inconvenience can be appropriately prevented.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram of a fan heater 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
The fan heater 100 shown in this figure is different from the fan heater 10 shown in FIGS.
That is, the notification device 90 is not an LED, but a marker portion 85 that is visible through a window portion 87 formed in the housing 12, and a thermocouple so that the marker portion 85 approaches and separates from the window portion 87. The moving means unit 91 is moved by an electromotive force of 26.

The window portion 87 is, for example, a through-hole for making the marker portion 85 in the housing 12 visible, and is adjacent to the operation knob portion 28 on the front surface of the housing 12, preferably like reference numeral 59 in FIG. 1. Is formed.
The marker portion 85 in FIG. 13 is disposed inside the housing 12 and adjacent to the front surface. In the present embodiment, the marker portion 85 moves in the vertical direction Z so that it can be visually recognized when approaching the window portion 87. It is impossible to visually recognize when separated. The marker portion 85 is preferably colored with a color opposite to the color of the front surface of the housing 12.
The moving means unit 91 includes a rod-shaped connecting member 80 connected to the marker unit 85 and a driving unit 92 that slides the connecting member 80 in the vertical direction Z by the electromotive force of the thermocouple 26.

The drive unit 92 slides based on the detection result of the thermocouple 26 which is a flame detection device that detects the presence or absence of the flame FR of the burner 32, and the marker unit 85 is synchronized with the drive unit 92. It is designed to slide.
A safety valve that opens and closes the valve based on the detection result of the thermocouple 26 is used for the drive unit 92 of the present embodiment (hereinafter, “drive unit 92” is referred to as “safety valve 92”). By using the safety valve 92 in this manner, the marker unit 85 approaches the position A in the figure separated from the window portion 87 when the flame FR is not detected, and approaches the window portion 87 when the flame FR is detected. It can be moved to position B in the figure.

That is, when the operation knob 28 is pushed and turned, a seesaw-like member 76 interlocked with it pushes up the main valve 77 and the safety valve 92 to open the pipes RX1 and RX2 closed by the main valve 77 and the safety valve 92. Thus, a flame FR is generated from the burner 32. When the hot junction 26a of the thermocouple 26 is heated by the flame FR, an electromotive force is generated. The electromotive force flows to the electromagnet 94 provided around the safety valve 92, and the safety valve 92 made of a magnet repels the upper side. Thus, the valve opened state is maintained even when the operation knob 28 is released. Then, in synchronism with the upward movement of the safety valve 92, the marker portion 85 also slides upward via the connecting member 80 to the position B, and is visible from the window portion 87. Even if the hand is removed from the operation knob 28, the member 76 pushes up only the main valve 77 in conjunction with the rotated operation knob 28.
In contrast, when the user turns the operation knob 28 back to close the flame FR and closes the main valve 77 or the flame FR goes out, the electromotive force of the thermocouple 26 disappears and the safety valve 92 is turned off. Moves downward so as to close the conduit RX2, and in synchronization with this movement, the marker portion 85 also slides downward through the connecting member 80 to the position A, and cannot be seen from the window portion 87. It becomes.
Thus, the safety valve 92 serves not only as the original safety valve 92 but also as a driving means or a switch device for moving the marker portion 85 up and down.

The present embodiment is configured as described above, and the notification device 90 can indicate the notification result based on the detection result of the thermocouple 26 that is a flame detection device, and the marker unit 85 is synchronized with the safety valve 92 that moves up and down. Even if the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 still generates an electromotive force after the flame FR disappears, the user can grasp that the flame FR has disappeared.
By the way, about the movement of the marker part 85 of this 2nd Embodiment, only the electromotive force from the thermocouple 26 is utilized, and the electromotive force produced | generated from the thermoelectric conversion unit 40 is not utilized like FIG. . Therefore, as long as the flame FR is attached, even when the thermoelectric conversion element 41 shown in FIG. 2 fails and the blower fan 50 does not drive, the marker portion 85 of FIG. However, when the combustion heat of the burner 32 is trapped in the housing 12 without driving the blower 50 and the internal temperature rises, a thermostat (not shown) disposed on the upper portion of the combustion chamber 30 operates before reaching a dangerous temperature. As a result, the electromotive force flowing from the thermocouple 26 to the electromagnet 94 is shut off and the safety valve 92 is closed, so that the combustion stops. As a result, the marker unit 85 slides downward to the position A in synchronization with the movement of the safety valve 92, so that the user can grasp that the flame FR has disappeared.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.
A part of each configuration described in the embodiment can be omitted, and can be combined with other configurations not described.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Housing | casing, 15 ... Radiating port, 18 ... Outlet, 30 ... Combustion chamber, 32 ... Burner (gas burner), 37 ... Rectification wall, 40 ... Thermoelectric Conversion unit 41 ... thermoelectric conversion element 43 ... high temperature side heat sink 44 ... low temperature side heat sink 46 ... biasing member 50 ... blower fan 62 ... fixing member 71 ... Diverting part, 59 ... notification device, 81 ... sealing member

Claims (6)

A combustion chamber for burning the burner accommodated in the housing, a high temperature portion heated via a high temperature heat sink exposed in the combustion chamber, and a surface opposite to the combustion chamber and cooled by a blower fan And a thermoelectric conversion element having a low-temperature part with a low-temperature heat sink attached thereto, and a combustion device that releases combustion heat heated by the burner from a blowout port formed in the housing,
The configuration is such that the blower fan is driven only by an electromotive force generated by the thermoelectric conversion element,
A notification device for reporting the combustion of the burner during combustion;
A flame detection device for detecting a combustion flame of the burner;
Have
Combustion equipment, wherein the notification result by the notification device is shown based on the detection result of the flame detection device. A circuit for supplying a driving current based on an electromotive force from the thermoelectric conversion element to the blower fan;
A circuit that branches the circuit for supplying the driving current to the blower fan in parallel, and that supplies the driving current to the notification device;
A switch device for opening and closing a circuit for supplying a driving current to the notification device,
The combustion device according to claim 1, wherein the switch device is turned off when the combustion flame is no longer detected by the flame detection device. The switch device is connected to the flame detection device via an amplifier,
The combustion apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the amplifier amplifies a current from the flame detection apparatus using an electromotive force of the thermoelectric conversion element as a power supply.   The combustion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification device is a light emitting diode (LED).   The combustion apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a thermocouple is used as the flame detection means. 6. The combustion according to claim 1, wherein a transistor is used as the switch device, and a signal based on a detection result by the flame detection device is input to a base terminal of the transistor. machine.

Images