JP4202997B2 - Bathroom heater - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bathroom heater with a mist generator.

  A bathroom heater with a mist generator is known (for example, Patent Document 1). The mist generator sprays mist for a mist bath on the bathroom.

JP 2003-334230 A

In order to enjoy the mist bath comfortably, it is necessary to heat the bathroom to a high level (for example, 40 ° C. or higher). On the other hand, when the mist bath is not performed, it is not necessary to heat the bathroom so high (for example, about 32 ° C. is sufficient). For this reason, bathroom heaters with mist generators are equipped with liquid / gas heat exchangers so that the air can be heated to a higher temperature than conventional bathroom heaters without mist generators. It must be enlarged. However, it is not desirable to enlarge the housing of the bathroom heater to accommodate a large liquid / gas heat exchanger. It is preferable to accommodate in a housing of the same size as a conventional bathroom heater without a mist generator.
The present invention has been made to solve the problem, and a liquid / gas heat exchanger having a larger size and improved heating capacity than the conventional one is accommodated in a housing of the same size as the conventional one, and a comfortable temperature is achieved. Realize a bathroom heater that can be used for mist bathing.

The bathroom heater of the present invention includes a mist generating device, a housing in which an inlet and an outlet are formed, an air passage formed in the housing and communicating the inlet and the outlet, and an air A fan that is interposed in the flow path and sends air from the suction port toward the air outlet and a liquid / gas heat exchanger that is interposed in the air flow path and heats the gas with a high-temperature liquid are provided. Liquid / gas heat exchanger includes a main heat exchanger having a heat exchanger tube is a high temperature liquid is supplied together are I Hiroga in a plane, with being laminated on a part of the main heat exchanger extending in a plane A secondary heat exchanger having a heat transfer tube to which a high-temperature liquid is supplied . The heat transfer tube of the main heat exchanger has an inflow port provided in the stacking range of the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger, and an outflow port of the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger. It is provided outside the range, and the path from the inflow port passes through the stacking range of the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger, and then passes outside the stacking range to reach the outflow port.
The liquid / gas heat exchanger according to the present invention includes a main heat exchanger extending in a planar shape and a sub heat exchanger laminated on a part thereof. Since the auxiliary heat exchanger is added, the heating capacity is improved, and the bathroom can be heated to a higher temperature (for example, 40 ° C. or higher) required for the mist bath. In general, the air flow path is configured with a smoothly continuous curve. On the other hand, the heat exchanger is spread in a planar shape in order to reduce the manufacturing cost. When a heat exchanger that expands in a planar shape is disposed in an air flow path that is configured by a curve, a space for disposing a sub heat exchanger is often secured in a part of the heat exchanger that expands in a planar shape. In the present invention, the auxiliary heat exchanger is disposed in the space. Houses a liquid / gas heat exchanger that can be heated to the higher temperatures required for a mist bath in a housing similar in size to a conventional bathroom heater without a mist generator It became possible.
By this invention, it becomes possible to enjoy a mist bath with the bathroom heater of the same size as the conventional bathroom heater without the mist generator.

In the bathroom heater described above, it is preferable that the high-temperature liquid inlet of the liquid / gas heat exchanger is provided within the stacking range of the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger.
When the mist generator sprays mist, the bathroom becomes supersaturated. A mist of mist floats in the supersaturated bathroom. Part of the mist that has passed through the liquid / gas heat exchanger is likely to be overheated. The overheated state refers to a state where the mist is heated to a temperature higher than the temperature that would otherwise evaporate without being evaporated, and does not evaporate to a part of the mist that has passed through the liquid / gas heat exchanger. The mist heated to about 80 degreeC is mixed. If the overheated mist is mixed, the bather is exposed to the overheated mist.
In the liquid / gas heat exchanger of the bathroom heater described above, the high-temperature liquid inlet is provided in a range where the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger are stacked. In the range where the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger are stacked, the air passage resistance (pressure loss) is large. For this reason, the speed of the air passing through the stacked heat exchangers is reduced. Moreover, the air which passes the laminated | stacked heat exchanger contacts a heat exchanger over a long distance. Accordingly, the air that has passed through the stacking range is at a higher temperature than the air that has passed through other than the stacking range. When the temperature of the air passing through the liquid / gas heat exchanger stacking range becomes high, the high-temperature air becomes a trigger for evaporating the overheated mist, and the overheated mist is quickly evaporated. Exposure of bathers to overheated mist is suppressed.

In the above-described bathroom heater, it is preferable that a high-temperature liquid inlet is provided in the leeward heat exchanger among the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger.
In the liquid / gas heat exchanger of this bathroom heater, a high temperature liquid inlet is provided in the leeward heat exchanger among the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger. When the high temperature liquid is fed into the leeward heat exchanger, the heat exchange efficiency is higher than when the high temperature liquid is fed into the leeward heat exchanger. Therefore, the temperature of the air that has passed through the laminated portion of the liquid / gas heat exchanger can be further increased, and the overheating state of the mist can be easily eliminated.
Further, in the above-described bathroom heater, the heat transfer pipe provided in the stacking range with the sub heat exchanger of the main heat exchanger and the heat transfer pipe of the sub heat exchanger include the sub heat exchanger of the main heat exchanger and It is preferable that a high-temperature liquid that is not supplied to a heat transfer tube provided outside the stacking range is supplied.

The main features of the embodiments described later will be described.
(First embodiment)
(1) The bathroom heater includes a housing, a heat exchange unit, a blower unit, and a mist generating unit. The housing accommodates the heat exchange part and the air blowing part.
(2) The heat exchange unit includes a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, and a fourth heat exchanger. A third heat exchanger and a fourth heat exchanger that are smaller than the first heat exchanger are stacked on the upstream side and the downstream side of the first heat exchanger, respectively. By stacking the first heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger, and the fourth heat exchanger, the space in the housing is effectively used to increase the heat exchange capacity.
(3) The air blower includes a duct, a fan, and a motor. A heat exchanging part and a fan are arranged in the duct. The fan rotates by being driven by a motor.
(4) The mist nozzle provided in the mist generating unit sprays mist into the bathroom.
(5) When the fan rotates, external air is sucked into the duct. The sucked air passes through the first to fourth heat exchangers and rises in temperature, and then blows out into the bathroom. The temperature of the air that has passed through the laminated portion of the first heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger, and the fourth heat exchanger becomes higher. When the air temperature becomes higher, it is possible to reduce the superheated mist floating in the bathroom.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the bathroom heater according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the bathroom heater 10 includes a housing 12, a heat exchange unit 14, a blower unit 15, and a mist generating unit 16. The housing 12 is fixed to the bathroom wall 20 and houses the heat exchanging unit 14 and the air blowing unit 15. An air suction port 17 including a plurality of slit-shaped openings is formed in the upper portion of the housing 12.
The heat exchanging unit 14 includes a first heat exchanger 21, a second heat exchanger 22, a third heat exchanger 23, and a fourth heat exchanger 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchangers 21, 22, 23, and 24 are formed of a bent heat transfer tube 26 and a plurality of fins that are formed in a flat plate shape and through which the heat transfer tube 26 is inserted in a parallel state. 25. Hot water heated by a heat source machine (not shown) is supplied to the inlet 27 of the heat transfer tube 26. In the heat exchangers 21, 22, 23, and 24, air passes in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. When air passes through the heat exchangers 21, 22, 23, and 24 supplied with hot water, the heat transfer tubes 26 and the fins 25 heated to high temperature by the hot water heat the air (heat exchange is performed), and the air The temperature rises. The hot water whose temperature has been lowered by heating the air is sent out from the outlet 28 of the heat transfer tube 26. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. 2, in the 1st heat exchanger 21 and the 2nd heat exchanger 22, the heat exchanger tubes 26 are arrange | positioned in two rows in the air passage direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the 1st heat exchanger 21 is arrange | positioned in the attitude | position slightly inclined rather than the horizontal. A third heat exchanger 23 and a fourth heat exchanger 24 that are smaller than the first heat exchanger 21 are stacked on the upstream side (the upper side in FIG. 1) and the downstream side of the first heat exchanger 21. Yes. The second heat exchanger 22 is disposed in a substantially vertical posture.
FIG. 3 schematically shows the first heat exchanger 21, the third heat exchanger 23, and the fourth heat exchanger 24 (the heat transfer tubes 26 of the first heat exchanger 21 are illustrated as being in a line. (The same applies to FIGS. 4 and 7.) The fin group 25 is illustrated in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Hot water from the heat source machine is sent to the inlet 32 of the fourth heat exchanger 24. The hot water sent to the inlet 32 of the fourth heat exchanger 24 is sent out from the outlet 33. The hot water sent from the outlet 33 of the fourth heat exchanger 24 is sent to the inlet 34 of the first heat exchanger 21. The hot water sent to the inlet 34 of the first heat exchanger 21 is sent out from the outlet 35. The hot water sent out from the outlet 35 of the first heat exchanger 21 is sent into the inlet 30 of the third heat exchanger 23. The hot water sent to the inlet 30 of the third heat exchanger 23 is sent out from the outlet 31. That is, the hot water sent to the inlet 32 of the fourth heat exchanger 24 is supplied to the heat exchangers 21, 23, 24 in the order of the fourth heat exchanger 24, the first heat exchanger 21, and the third heat exchanger 23. It passes through and is sent out from the outlet 31 of the third heat exchanger 23. The hot water sent out from the outlet 31 of the third heat exchanger is returned to the heat source machine. The hot water returned to the heat source machine is heated again and sent to the fourth heat exchanger 24.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the portion corresponding to the first heat exchanger 21 shown in FIG. 3 can be divided into a fifth heat exchanger 75 and a sixth heat exchanger 76. In this case, the hot water from the heat source machine is sent to the inlet 32 of the fourth heat exchanger 24. The hot water sent to the inlet 32 of the fourth heat exchanger 24 is sent out from the outlet 33. The hot water sent from the outlet 33 of the fourth heat exchanger 24 is sent to the inlet 77 of the fifth heat exchanger 75. The hot water sent to the inflow port 77 of the fifth heat exchanger 75 is sent out from the outflow port 78. The hot water sent out from the outlet 78 of the fifth heat exchanger 75 is sent into the inlet 30 of the third heat exchanger 23. The hot water sent to the inlet 30 of the third heat exchanger 23 is sent out from the outlet 31 of the third heat exchanger 23. The hot water sent out from the outlet 31 of the third heat exchanger 23 is sent into the inlet 79 of the sixth heat exchanger 76. The hot water sent to the inflow port 79 of the sixth heat exchanger 76 is sent out from the outflow port 80. Thus, the warm water sent to the inlet 32 of the fourth heat exchanger 24 is in the order of the fourth heat exchanger 24, the fifth heat exchanger 75, the third heat exchanger 23, and the sixth heat exchanger 76. It flows out from the outlet 80 of the sixth heat exchanger 76.

Instead of the hot water sequentially passing through the heat exchangers 21, 23, 24, the hot water may be fed into the individual heat exchangers 21, 23, 24 as shown in FIG. The hot water sent out from each heat exchanger 21, 22, 23 is returned to the heat source machine.
As shown in FIG. 5, the heat exchangers 36 and 37 can be laminated in two layers. The heat exchanger 37 is larger than the heat exchanger 36. The hot water sent to the inlet 40 of the heat exchanger 36 passes through the heat exchanger 36 and the heat exchanger 37 and is sent out from the outlet 41 of the heat exchanger 37. Hot water can also be sent to the heat exchangers 36 and 37 separately.
Hot water is also fed into the second heat exchanger 22 from the heat source machine. The hot water that has passed through the second heat exchanger 22 is returned to the heat source machine.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the air blower 15 includes a duct 42, a fan 43, and a motor (not shown). The duct 42 forms an air flow path. In the duct 42, the heat exchange part 14 and the fan 43 are arrange | positioned. A plurality of air passage openings 44 are opened at the upstream end of the duct 42. An air outlet 45 communicating with the outside is provided at the downstream end of the duct 42. The fan 43 is a cross flow type, and is driven by a motor to rotate.

The mist generating unit 16 includes a heater 46, a first water supply pipe 47, a second water supply pipe 48, an on-off valve 49, and a mist head 50. Tap water is supplied to the heater 46 via a first water supply pipe 47. The heater 46 incorporates a heat exchanger (not shown) through which hot water supplied from a heat source device passes. The tap water supplied to the heater 46 is heated by the hot water passing through the heat exchanger, and the temperature rises. The second water supply pipe 48 feeds warm water into the mist head 50. The on-off valve 49 is interposed in the second water supply pipe 48. The mist head 50 is provided with a mist nozzle 51. Instead of the heat exchanger incorporated in the heater 46, the tap water passing through the heater 46 can be heated using, for example, an electric heater, a heat pump, a heat pipe, a gas combustor, or an oil combustor.
The motor, the heat source device, the heater 46, and the on-off valve 49 of the blower unit 15 are integrally controlled by a controller (not shown). An operation signal from a remote controller (not shown) operated by the user is input to the controller.

When the fan 43 is rotated by being driven by the motor, external air is sucked from the air suction port 17 of the housing 12. The air sucked from the air suction port 17 passes through the air passage port 44 of the duct 42 and enters the duct 42. The air that has entered the duct 42 passes through the heat exchangers 21, 22, 23, and 24. In this case, the air includes a portion where the first heat exchanger 21, the third heat exchanger 23, and the fourth heat exchanger 24 are stacked, a portion where the first heat exchanger 21 is not stacked, It passes through the heat exchanger 22. The temperature of the air that has passed through the heat exchangers 21, 22, 23, and 24 rises. The fan 43 blows the air whose temperature has risen from the air outlet 45 to the bathroom as warm air. The warm air blown out from the air outlet 45 heats the bathroom and is then sucked into the air inlet 17 of the housing 12 again.
When performing a mist bath, the on-off valve 49 of the mist generating part 16 is opened in a state in which warm air is blown out from the air outlet 45. When the on-off valve 49 is opened, mist is sprayed from the mist nozzle 51 of the mist head 50. When mist is sprayed from the mist nozzle 51, the bathroom is filled with mist. Bathers can enjoy a mist bath comfortably in a bathroom filled with mist. The mist sprayed from the mist nozzle 51 to the bathroom is sucked into the air suction port 17 of the housing 12 together with the air, passes through the heat exchangers 21, 22, 23, and 24, and blows out from the air outlet 45 again.
When the outside air temperature is high as in summer, a cool feeling is required. In this case, the fan 43 is driven and the on-off valve 49 is opened in a state where hot water is not supplied to the heat exchangers 21, 22, 23, 24 and the heat exchanger 46. Then, low temperature mist is sprayed from the mist nozzle 51 in a state where the bathroom is not heated.

  As apparent from FIG. 1, even if an attempt is made to stack a heat exchanger having the same size as the first heat exchanger 21 on the upstream side and the downstream side of the first heat exchanger 21, it interferes with the duct 42. And that is impossible. The bathroom heater 10 according to the present embodiment effectively uses the empty space on the upstream side and the downstream side of the first heat exchanger 21 to make the first heat exchanger 21 have a third heat smaller than that. The exchanger 23 and the fourth heat exchanger 24 are stacked.

A comfortable warm sensation is required for the mist bath, especially in the winter, except in summer. For example, even on cold days when the outdoor temperature in winter is 5 (° C), exposure to 40 (° C) mist in the bathroom promotes metabolism, discharges waste products to the outside, and improves blood circulation. It is done. However, in a bathroom heater that does not include a conventional mist generator, when the outside air temperature is 5 (° C.), the bathroom cannot be heated at 40 (° C.). At best, it could only be heated to about 32 (° C). This is because, when not exposed to mist, it can be felt sufficiently warm even at a temperature of about 32 (° C.). That is, in a bathroom heater that performs a mist bath, a bathroom up to 40 (° C) that is comfortable as a mist bath must be equipped with a heat exchanger having a larger heat exchange capacity than a conventional bathroom heater that does not perform a mist bath. Can not raise the temperature. The inventors have examined that if the bathroom is to be heated at 40 (° C.), the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchanger must be increased by 30 (%) or more.
As described above, the bathroom heater 10 according to the present embodiment uses the vacant space on the upstream side and the downstream side of the first heat exchanger 21 to make the first heat exchanger 21 smaller than that. The third heat exchanger 23 and the fourth heat exchanger 24 are stacked. For this reason, the heat exchange capability of the heat exchanger is enhanced, and the bathroom can be heated at a higher temperature. Therefore, a compact bathroom heater with a mist function can be realized without increasing the shape of the housing 12 as compared with the conventional case. Furthermore, since the housing of the bathroom heater without the conventional mist function can be used as it is, the housing mold can be shared and standardized.

  When the mist nozzle 51 sprays mist on the bathroom, the interior of the bathroom becomes supersaturated (a state in which the relative humidity exceeds 100%). A mist of mist that cannot evaporate floats in the supersaturated bathroom. In such an atmosphere, the mist-like mist tends to be overheated. The overheated state refers to a state (for example, 80 (° C.)) in which the temperature of the mist is further higher than that originally evaporates. Accordingly, the overheated mist contacts the bather taking the mist.

When the third heat exchanger 23 and the fourth heat exchanger 24 that are smaller than the first heat exchanger 21 are stacked, resistance (pressure loss) through which air passes through the stacked portions increases. For this reason, the speed of the air passing through the laminated portion becomes slow. The air passing through the laminated portion has a low speed and passes through the heat exchanger for a longer distance by the amount laminated. Therefore, the air that has passed through the third heat exchanger 23, the first heat exchanger 21, and the fourth heat exchanger 24 has a higher temperature than the air that has passed through the portion of the first heat exchanger 21 that is not stacked. For example, the air that has passed through the third heat exchanger 23, the first heat exchanger 21, and the fourth heat exchanger 24 is 60 to 70 (° C.), but the unheated portion of the first heat exchanger 21 is Passed air is only 50-60 (° C).
The overheated mist floating in the bathroom is sucked into the air suction port 17 of the housing 12 together with the air and passes through the heat exchangers 21, 22, 23 and 24. As described above, the air passing through the stacked portions of the third heat exchanger 23, the first heat exchanger 21, and the fourth heat exchanger 24 becomes high temperature. When the air that has passed through the stacked portions of the heat exchangers 21, 23, and 24 reaches a high temperature, the high-temperature air triggers to destroy the overheated state of the mist, and the overheated mist evaporates. Therefore, it is possible to reduce overheated mist floating in the bathroom.

In the form shown in FIG. 7, the hot water supplied from the heat source device passes through the fourth heat exchanger 24, the fifth heat exchanger 75, the third heat exchanger 23, and the sixth heat exchanger 76 in this order. The temperature of the hot water passing through the heat exchangers 23, 24, 75, and 76 is gradually lowered by heating the air. When the hot water passes through the heat exchangers 23, 24, 75, and 76 in the above-described order, the hot water whose temperature has not decreased so much is stacked on the fourth heat exchanger 24, the fifth heat exchanger 75, the first heat exchanger, and the like. 3 The heat exchanger 23 is passed. For this reason, the temperature of the air which passed the 4th heat exchanger 24, the 5th heat exchanger 75, and the 3rd heat exchanger 23 can be made higher.

The heat exchanger (the fourth heat exchanger 24 in FIGS. 3 and 7, the heat exchanger 36 in FIG. 5) into which the hot water from the heat source device is first sent is disposed on the downstream side (leeward side) of the passing air. Is preferred. If it does in this way, the heat exchange efficiency of a heat exchanger will become higher (the direction which flows air and warm water oppositely will become higher than the heat exchange efficiency rather than flowing in parallel). Therefore, the temperature of the air that has passed through the laminated portion of the liquid / gas heat exchanger can be further increased.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 6 shows a bathroom heater 62 mounted on the ceiling 60. The configuration of the bathroom heater 62 is basically the same as that of the bathroom heater 10 of the first embodiment. Accordingly, in FIG. 6, the same reference numerals as those of the bathroom heater 10 are assigned to the components corresponding to the bathroom heater 10 of the first embodiment, and further description is omitted.

Specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above.
In addition, the technical elements described in the present specification or drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technology illustrated in the present specification or the drawings achieves a plurality of objects at the same time, and has technical utility by achieving one of the objects.

Sectional drawing of a bathroom heater (1st Example). The external view of a heat exchanger. The typical perspective view of the heat exchanger which shows the order through which warm water passes a heat exchanger. Same as above. Same as above. Sectional drawing of a bathroom heater (2nd Example). The typical perspective view of the heat exchanger which shows the order through which warm water passes a heat exchanger.

Explanation of symbols

10: Bathroom heater 12: Housing 14: Heat exchanger 15: Blower 16: Mist generator 17: Air inlet 20: Wall 21: First heat exchanger 22: Second heat exchanger 23: Third heat exchange Appliance 24: Fourth heat exchanger 25: Fin 26: Heat transfer tubes 27, 30, 32, 34: Inlet 28, 31, 33, 35: Outlet 36, 37: Heat exchanger 40: Inlet 41: Outlet 42: Duct 43: Fan 44: Air passage port 45: Air outlet 46: Heater 47: First water supply pipe 48: Second water supply pipe 49: On-off valve 50: Mist head 51: Mist nozzle 60: Ceiling 62: Bathroom Heater 75: Fifth heat exchanger 76: Sixth heat exchanger 77, 79: Inlet 78, 80: Outlet

Claims (4)

A bathroom heater with a mist generator,
A housing in which an inlet and an outlet are formed;
An air passage formed in the housing and communicating with the suction port and the outlet;
A fan that is interposed in the air flow path and sends air from the suction port toward the air outlet;
It has a liquid / gas heat exchanger that is interposed in the air flow path and heats the gas with a high-temperature liquid,
Liquid / gas heat exchanger includes a main heat exchanger having a heat exchanger tube is a high temperature liquid is supplied together are I Hiroga in a plane, with being laminated on a part of the main heat exchanger extending in a plane A secondary heat exchanger having a heat transfer tube to which a high-temperature liquid is supplied ;
The heat transfer tube of the main heat exchanger has its inlet provided in the stacking range of the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger, and its outlet is the stacking range of the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger. The bathroom heating is provided outside, and the path from the inflow port passes through the outside of the lamination range after passing through the inside of the lamination range of the main heat exchanger and the auxiliary heat exchanger and reaches the outlet. Machine.   2. The bathroom heater according to claim 1, wherein the high-temperature liquid inlet of the liquid / gas heat exchanger is provided within the stacking range of the main heat exchanger and the auxiliary heat exchanger.   The bathroom heater according to claim 2, wherein a high temperature liquid inlet is provided in a heat exchanger on the leeward side of the main heat exchanger and the sub heat exchanger. The heat transfer tube provided in the stacking range with the sub heat exchanger of the main heat exchanger and the heat transfer tube of the sub heat exchanger are transferred to the heat transfer tube provided outside the stacking range with the sub heat exchanger of the main heat exchanger. The bathroom heater according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a high-temperature liquid not supplied to the heat pipe is supplied.

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