JPH0439528A - Structure for heating bathroom floor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To heat the floor section in a bathroom at a suitable temperature at a low cost without danger by burying heat pipes under the bathroom floor with the heat-collecting parts in contact with or embedded in a bathtub wall or with the heat-collecting parts in direct contact with the bathwater. CONSTITUTION:The bent parts (heat-collecting part 41) at the ends of heat pipes 4, placed in contact with a side wall 101, make up a heat-collecting part 41, whereas heat pipes under the bathroom floor 3 make up a heat-releasing part 42. When the bathroom floor 3 is heated by heat released from the heat- releasing part 42, bathwater enters the inside of metal fittings for fixing the heat-collecting part 41, resulting in contact of the heat-collecting part 41 with bathwater all around. The ends of each heat pipe 4 are covered with an elastic covering material so as to prevent damage or breakage of the floor material and the wall material. For the floor material a material with a high heat conductivity, such as a metal or a ceramic, is used so as to achieve efficient heating by increasing heat conductivity. Thus heating at suitable temperature can be effected by utilizing the heat of bathwater and, unlike electrical heating, without involving danger. Both the manufacturing cost and the running cost are low.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a heating structure for a washing floor part suitable for a bathroom, particularly a unit bath.

[Conventional technology]

In cold regions during the winter, the floor of the bathroom washing area can be very cold.
I often feel uncomfortable when taking a bath.

Traditionally, electric heater-type mats have been commercially available as floor heating equipment for bathroom washing areas, but it is dangerous to use electric appliances such as heaters around water areas such as bathrooms, and
There are complications such as the need for regular cleaning for hygiene reasons. In addition, since it uses only one type of electric heater, the usage cost is not low.

Unit baths with electric heaters embedded in the floor of the washing area are also known, but like the mats mentioned above, it is not recommended to use the heaters near water, and they also have the disadvantage of being high in both manufacturing and usage costs. be.

In view of these conventional problems, the present invention provides a bathroom floor heating structure that is free from the dangers of electric heaters, has low manufacturing and usage costs, and is capable of heating the washing floor to an appropriate temperature. This is what I am trying to do.

[Means to solve the problem]

To this end, the present invention utilizes a heat pipe to transmit the heat of the hot water in the bathtub to the floor of the washing area to heat the floor, and its configuration is as follows.

(1) Embed a heat pipe inside the floor of the bathroom washing area,
A bathroom floor heating structure in which the heat collecting part of the heat pipe is in contact with or buried in the bathtub wall.

(2) Embed heat pipes inside the floor of the bathroom washing area,
A bathroom floor heating structure in which the heat collecting part of the top pipe is connected to the bathtub so as to be in direct contact with the hot water in the bathtub.

In the configurations (1) and (2) above, the flooring of the washing area is made of synthetic resin in order to increase the heating efficiency of the floor.

It is preferable to use a synthetic resin plate mixed with one or more metal, ceramic, or other inorganic powders having higher thermal conductivity than the resin.

Similarly, in order to prevent damage to the flooring and wall materials due to expansion of the heat pipe, it is preferable to cover the end of the heat pipe on the washing area floor side with an elastic covering material.

[Effect]

The heat collecting part (evaporating part) of the heat pipe collects heat from the hot water in the bathtub, either directly or indirectly through the bathtub wall, and transmits this heat to the heat radiating part (condensing part) embedded inside the washing area floor. The floor is heated by the heat radiated from the heat radiating section.

In particular, according to the configuration (2) above, the heat collecting portion of the heat pipe comes into direct contact with the hot water, so that heat can be efficiently collected from the hot water. Such a structure is particularly advantageous when the bathtub is made of FRP material, which has relatively high heat insulation properties.

The floor of the bathroom washing area only needs to be heated to a level that does not feel cold when stepping into the bathroom when taking a bath, and the floor should be heated to at least that temperature by the action of the heat pipe. I can do it. In particular, the water in the bathtub is usually boiled very hot, and the bathtub is often not bathed immediately after it is boiled, so the floor is appropriately heated by the action of the heat pipe before bathing.

When the flooring of the washing area is made of synthetic resin boards.

As this floor material, by using a synthetic resin board containing one or more types of metal, ceramic, or other inorganic powder that has higher thermal conductivity than the resin,
It increases the thermal conductivity of the flooring material, making it possible to heat the floor more efficiently.

When a heat pipe is operated, it stretches in the axial direction due to linear expansion, and if the end of the heat pipe is formed by crimping the pipe, the end may bulge in the radial direction, etc. If the heat pipe expands in this way, there is a risk that the flooring or wall material that the end of the heat pipe is in contact with will be damaged. In this regard, if the end of the heat pipe is covered with an elastic material such as silicone rubber, even if the heat pipe expands, the elastic covering material will absorb the expansion and properly prevent damage to flooring and wall materials. be able to.

〔Example〕

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the first invention of the present application, in which 1 is a bathtub, 2 is a washing area, and 3 is a floor thereof.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a plurality of heat pipes embedded inside the floor section 3, and the heat collecting section 41 (evaporation section) of each heat pipe 4 is in contact with the lower part of the side wall 101 of the bathtub 1. In this embodiment, in order to ensure the length of contact with the side wall 101, the end of the heat pipe is bent, and the bent part (the heat collecting part 41) is bent.
) is in contact with the side wall 101. In contrast to the heat collecting section 41, a heat pipe portion located inside the floor section 3 constitutes a heat radiating section 42 (condensing section).

In the above embodiment, the heat collecting part 41 of the heat pipe 4 indirectly collects heat from the hot water in the bathtub 1 through its wall, and transmits this heat to the heat radiating part 42 embedded inside the washing area floor part 3. . The floor section 3 is heated by heat dissipation from the heat dissipation section 42.

3 to 5 show an embodiment of the second invention of the present application, in which a heat collecting portion 41 of a heat pipe 4 is shown.

This is connected to the bathtub 1 so that it comes into direct contact with hot water.

A mounting bracket 5 is fixed to the heat collecting part 41, and the heat collecting part 41
is connected to the side wall 101 of the bathtub 1 via this fitting 5.

FIG. 5 shows the details, and the cylindrical mounting bracket 5 is
A suitable distance I between the heat pipe inserted inside the
It has an inner diameter such that s is formed, and the end portion 51, which should be located outside the bathtub, is configured to fit with a heat pipe. The heat pipe that is fitted and fixed to the end portion 51 has its heat collecting portion 41 located inside the mounting bracket 5 . The heat pipe 4 is connected to the bathtub 1 by fitting and fixing the mounting bracket 5 into a mounting hole 102 formed through the side wall 101. Since hot water from the bathtub enters the inside of the mounting fitting 5, the entire circumference of the heat collecting part 41 can be brought into contact with the hot water.

FIG. 6 shows another example of connection between the heat pipe 4 and the bathtub 1, in which the heat collecting plate 8 is fixed by welding or the like to the tip of the heat collecting part 41 penetrating the bathtub wall 101. It is installed so as to be in close contact with the inner wall of the bathtub. The heat pipe outside the bathtub is provided with a flange portion 9 having a plurality of screw holes, and the heat pipe 4 is fixed to the bathtub 1 by tightening fixing bolts 10 attached to each of the screw holes. Note that 11 is a sealing member provided between the attachment hole 102 and the heat pipe 4.

In addition, in the above connection structure, by providing a recess in the inner wall surface of the bathtub and fitting the heat collecting plate 8 into the recess, the heat collecting plate 8
It is also possible to make it flush with the inner wall surface of the bathtub.

In the embodiment described above, the heat collecting part 41 of the heat pipe 4 that is in contact with the hot water in the bathtub 1 collects heat directly from the hot water, and transfers this heat to the heat radiating part 42 embedded inside the floor part 3. tell to. Since the heat collecting portion 41 can collect heat directly from the hot water in this way, it is possible to collect heat from the hot water more efficiently than in the above embodiment.

In addition, in FIGS. 5 and 6, the mounting bracket 5 and the heat collecting plate 8 are used to prevent the heat collecting part 41 from protruding into the bathtub 1, but the connection between the heat collecting part 41 and the bathtub 1 is The structure is not limited to these examples, but can be any structure.

In each of the above embodiments, the mounting structure of the heat pipe to the floor material is arbitrary, but for example, FIGS.
) can have a structure as shown in FIG.

Of these, in FIG. 7(a), the heat pipe 4 is attached to the mounting bracket 6.
(b) is an example in which the heat pipe 4 is embedded in the back surface of the flooring material 31, and (C) is an example in which the heat pipe 4 is fixed to the back surface of the flooring material 31 with the surrounding filling material. This is an example in which the heat pipe 4 is fixed by the heat pipe 4, but other suitable configurations may be used, such as completely embedding the heat pipe 4 inside the floor material.

In the heating structure of the present invention, it is preferable that heat be efficiently radiated from the heat radiating portion of the heat pipe to the flooring material. 8th
Figures 11 to 11 show an example of a structure for attaching a heat pipe to a flooring material for this purpose, and show a half-cylindrical holding part 121 that should be in close contact with the heat pipe 4 and a hole that should be in close contact with the flooring material. Metal holding plate 1 equipped with a heat dissipating plate part 122
2, the heat pipe 4 is brought into contact with the back surface of the floor material 3 by means of this presser plate 12, and the presser plate 12 is fixed to the back surface of the floor material 3 with a resin 13 (for example, FRP resin) or the like.

Of these, the one shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is a presser plate 12.
The heat dissipation plate portion 121 is made of a plate-like member having a plurality of holes 123.

In addition, what is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is a presser plate 1.
2 is constructed of wire mesh.

In addition, the presser plate 12 is made of resin, mortar, etc.
Can be attached to the back of the

According to such a structure, part of the heat radiated from the heat radiating part 42 is directly transmitted to the flooring material 3, and the other part is transmitted to the flooring material 3 via the metal holding plate 12. is,
This heats the floor. Since the heat dissipation plate portion 122 of the presser plate 12 is in close contact with the back surface of the flooring material 3,
A wide heat dissipation area can be secured between the flooring material 3 and the flooring material 3, and the flooring material 3 can be effectively heated.

In addition, the presser plate 12 also serves as a reinforcing material for the flooring material 3, and furthermore,
When fixing to the back surface of the flooring material with resin, mortar, etc., good adhesion to the flooring material 3 can be obtained because the heat dissipation plate portion 122 has holes.

Generally, the heat pipe 4 operates even when placed horizontally, but in order to ensure that the condensate flows back to the heat collecting part 41, it is slightly inclined so that the position of the heat collecting part 41 is lowered. You can also do that.

Furthermore, the heat pipe 4 extends in the axial direction due to linear expansion during operation, and if the end of the heat pipe is formed by crimping the pipe, the end may bulge in the radial direction or the like. If the heat pipe 4 expands in this way, there is a risk that the floor material or wall material in contact with the end of the heat pipe may be damaged. In order to prevent such problems, it is preferable to cover the ends of the heat pipes 4 with an elastic coating material such as silicone rubber. As a result, even if the end of the heat pipe 4 stretches in the axial and radial directions due to expansion, the expansion is absorbed by the elastic covering material, causing damage to the flooring and wall materials that the end of the heat pipe 4 is in contact with. can be appropriately prevented.

Note that the configuration and arrangement of the heat pipe are not limited to the above embodiments, and any type of heat pipe including conventionally known heat pipes can be used, and the arrangement thereof is also arbitrary. In addition, heat pipes are generally used with a perfectly circular cross section in order to withstand the pressure of the working fluid, but depending on the degree of pressure of the working fluid, heat pipes with a flat cross section can also be used. If such a heat pipe is used, the efficiency of heat dissipation to the flooring material can be further increased.

Further, the heat pipe may extend from inside the floor of the washing area to the wall side.

When the heating structure of the present invention is applied to a unit bath made of FRP, for example, as shown in FIGS. The construction can be easily carried out by manufacturing a separate mold and assembling it to the unit body A at the location.

In order to confirm the effects of the present invention, we prototyped an FRP unit bath with the structure shown in Figures 3 to 5, poured hot water at 50°C from the hot water supply port into the bathtub for about 8 minutes, and washed the floor. The temperature of the surface was measured. As a result, 20 minutes after the hot water level reached the level of the heat pipe heat collecting part, the floor surface temperature became approximately 27°C. [Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention described above, the following An effect like this can be obtained,
This is extremely useful as a heating structure for bathroom floors in cold regions.

(1) There is no danger like electric heaters, and the washing floor can be heated to an appropriate temperature using the heat of the hot water in the bathtub.

(2) The manufacturing cost is low because the heat pipe only needs to be embedded inside the floor, and the usage cost is also low because no electricity is used.

(3) Unlike when hot water is used directly for floor heating, there is no problem of performance deterioration due to freezing damage to piping or scale buildup.

(4) The floor is automatically heated when taking a bath without requiring the operation of switches or valves.

(5) There is no need for a pump or a heating device, and since the heat pipe is pre-installed in the bath unit, there is no need for any special work such as electrical work.

In particular, according to the invention of Tube 2, the heat collecting part of the heat pipe comes into direct contact with the hot water, so that heat can be efficiently collected from the hot water, and the material of the bathtub has a comparatively good heat insulation property. Even in the case of high-quality FRP materials, the washing floor can be quickly heated to an appropriate temperature.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 show one embodiment of the invention of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a part of the washing floor and the bathtub in cross section, and FIG. It is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in the figure. 3 to 5 show an embodiment of the invention of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a part of the washing floor and the bathtub in cross section, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line mV-IV in the figure, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing how the heat pipe heat collecting section is attached to the bathtub. FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the structure for attaching the heat pipe heat collecting section to the bathtub. FIGS. 7(a) to 7(C) are explanatory diagrams each showing an example of attaching a heat pipe to a floor material. 8th
9 and 9 show other embodiments of the structure for attaching the heat pipe to the flooring, in which FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the flooring as seen through, and FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view. Figures 10 and 11 show other embodiments of the heat pipe mounting structure on the flooring, and Figure 10 is a perspective view of the flooring, and Figure 11 is a longitudinal section. It is a diagram. FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b) are explanatory diagrams schematically showing the structure of a unit bath to which the heating structure of the present invention is applied. In the figure, 1 is a bathtub, 2 is a washing area, 3 is a floor, 4 is a heat pipe, 41 is a heat collection part, 42 is a heat radiation part, and 101 is a side wall. 3rd ■- Figure t+1 1st ■- nL+ Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) Embed a heat pipe inside the floor of the bathroom washing area,
A bathroom floor heating structure in which the heat collecting part of the heat pipe is in contact with or buried in the bathtub wall. (2) Embed heat pipes inside the floor of the bathroom washing area,
A bathroom floor heating structure in which a heat collecting part of the heat pipe is connected to a bathtub so as to be in direct contact with hot water in the bathtub. (3) A claim in which the flooring of the washing area is made of synthetic resin boards made of synthetic resin mixed with one or more metal, ceramic, or other inorganic powders that have higher thermal conductivity than the resin. The bathroom floor heating structure described in item (1) or (2). (4) The bathroom floor heating structure according to claim (1) or (2), wherein the end of the heat pipe on the washing area floor side is covered with an elastic covering material.