JPH05347178A - Flat heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow local temperature control so as to extend application fields by making such constitution as providing switches to respective heater elements and performing on/off control according to outer pressure acting on the appropriate heater elements. CONSTITUTION:Power feeding to heater elements 12 is performed repeatedly via wires a1-1n, b1-1n respectively individually at predetermined intervals by controlling relays RLC1-RLCn, RLL1-RLLn. If there is no external pressure on the elements 12, both contacts 24, 26 of a switch device 22 are made to be in their opened state by an elastic spring element 28 and current flows to the elements 12 so that an electric heater element plate 18 generates heat. Application of outer pressure on the elements 12 makes the contacts 24, 26 closed so that electric current shunts the element plate 18 and detours around the device 22 so as not to generate heat. This constitution allows local heating control in a heating area 10 according to arrangement of materials.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flat heater laid on a floor in a room for use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electric carpet is generally known as a flat heater of this type. As is well known, electric carpets are commonly used as auxiliary heaters, on which are used directly to warm a relaxed person.
That is, it is generally not attempted to control the room temperature by the electric carpet itself. Further, in the electric carpet, heat is usually generated over the entire surface, and the level of the heat generation is controlled, but local heat generation control is not performed in the electric carpet.

[0003]

By the way, the flat heater is not only used as a household heater or an electric carpet, but also has potential applications in various fields. Such potential applications may include, for example, room temperature control in a room where electronic devices sensitive to temperature are installed, temperature control in greenhouse cultivation, and the like. In such various fields, it is desirable to prevent the heat generation at the place where the object is installed on the flat heater and to generate heat at the place other than the installation place, and conversely, place the object on the flat heater. In some cases, it may be desirable to generate heat at the location where it is installed and to prevent heat generation at locations other than that location. For example, when performing room temperature control with a flat heater in the room where electronic equipment is installed,
Naturally, heat generation at electronic equipment installation sites should be prevented. On the other hand, when a flat heater is used as an auxiliary heating device, that is, an electric carpet, it is desired to heat only the person who relaxes on it, and in addition to room temperature control in greenhouse cultivation, for example, to heat only the planter itself. Therefore, it is desirable to heat only the installation location. in short,
In the conventional flat heater (that is, electric carpet), local heat generation control is not performed, so that the application range cannot be expanded to various fields as described above. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a planar heater that enables local temperature control so that it can be used in various fields.

[0004]

A planar heater according to the present invention comprises a plurality of flat heater elements arranged independently of each other, wiring means adapted to supply power to each of these heater elements, and a heater. Power supply control means incorporated in the wiring means to repeatedly supply power to each of the elements at predetermined time intervals. Each heater element is provided with a switch device adapted to turn on / off power to itself, and the switch device is configured to perform on / off control in accordance with an external pressure applied to the corresponding heater element. It

[0005]

As is apparent from the above construction, in the flat heater according to the present invention, each heater element has a built-in switch device for performing on / off control according to the external pressure applied thereto. Therefore, when an object is placed on any heater element and pressure is applied to the heater element, on / off of power supply to the heater element is controlled, and thus local heat generation can be controlled. Become.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the flat heater according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, referring to FIG. 1, a planar heater according to the present invention is shown as a block diagram. The flat heater is provided with a heat generating area 10, which may be formed of a rug such as carpet. In the heat generation region 10, a plurality of flat heater elements 12 are arranged at predetermined intervals independently of each other,
In this embodiment, the heater elements 12 are arranged in a matrix of n rows and m columns. In the description below, the heater element 1
When the array position of 2 is taken into consideration, the corresponding heater element will be indicated by H _nm .

As shown in FIG. 2, the heat generating area 10 is formed of a carpet surface material 14 and a carpet back surface material 16, between which the heater elements 12 are arranged in a matrix arrangement as shown in FIG. Each heater element 12 is composed of an electric heating element plate 18 and an insulating rubber sheet 20 covering the heating element plate 18, and a pair of power supply lines a and b are connected to the heating element plate 18. A switch device 22 as shown in FIG. 3 is provided between the power supply lines a and b of each heater element 12.
2, the switch device 22 is accommodated in the space between the heater element 12 and the carpet surface material 14 as shown in FIG. 2, and is arranged on the heater element 12 preferably at a substantially central portion thereof. It The switch device 22 includes contact portions 24 and 26 provided on the power supply lines a and b, and an elastic leaf spring element 2 for elastically separating the one contact portion 24 from the other contact portion 26.
8 and. The contact portion 24 is formed as a conductive protrusion that is soldered to a portion of the power supply line a where the insulating coating is removed, and the contact element 26 is soldered to a portion of the power supply line b where a portion of the insulating coating 30 is removed. It is formed as a conductive plate-shaped piece. As shown in FIG. 2, the elastic leaf spring element 28 has a shape bent in a chevron shape, and the feeder line a is fixedly held inside the top portion thereof. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 32 indicates a protective seal for preventing water or the like from entering the switch device 22, which is made of, for example, a suitable synthetic resin material.

When no external pressure is exerted on the heater element 12, that is, when no object (not shown) is placed on the heater element 12, both contact portions 24 and 26 of the switch device 22 are moved by the elastic leaf spring element 28. The heater elements 1 are separated from each other to be in an open state, at this time.
An electric current flows through the element 2, and the electric heating element plate 18 generates heat. On the other hand, when an object is placed on the heater element 12 and an external pressure is applied thereto, the contact portion 24 is electrically connected to the contact portion 26 against the elastic force of the elastic leaf spring element 28. Are closed. In this case, the current bypasses the electric heating element plate 18 having a large electric resistance and bypasses the switch device 22, and thus the electric heating element plate 18 does not generate heat. In short, in this embodiment, when an object is placed on any of the heater elements 12, the heater element 1
The heat generation from 2 is prevented, and thus local heat generation control on the heat generation region 10 can be performed.

By the way, in the flat heater configured as described above, it is not possible to directly supply power to the plurality of heater elements 12 from a common power source. This is because the installation of an object on any heater element 12 in the heat generation region 10 causes the switch device 22 to be closed, and the amount of electricity to the other heater elements 12 is affected. Therefore, in the present invention, power supply to each of the plurality of heater elements 12 is repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals, so that the amount of electricity supplied to each heater element 12 is always constant.
This will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the heater element 12 mat
In the Lix array, the heat included in each column
Element H₁₁~ H_n1, H₁₂~ H_n2・ ・ ・ H_1m~ H_nmSalary
The electric wires a are common power supply lines a, respectively.₁, A₂... a_mTo
Heater elements H connected and included in each row₁₁
~ H_1m, H_{twenty one}~ H_2m・ ・ ・ H_n1~ H_nmPower supply line b
Common power supply line b₁, B₂, ... b_nConnected to
It Common power supply line a₁, A ₂... a_mAre each
-RLC₁, RLC₂・ ・ ・ RLC_mCommon power through
Connected to the positive side of a source (not shown), and common
Power supply line b₁, B₂, ... b_nIs the relay RLL
₁, RLL₂, ... RLL_nThrough the negative side of the common power supply
Connected to. The switching control of these relays is shown in Fig. 4.
It is done by the circuit. In the figure, reference numeral 34
Indicates a column counter circuit, and reference numeral 36 indicates a row.
A counter circuit is shown. The column counter circuit 34 has m
It is connected to the column selector circuit 38 via a signal line,
From the column selector circuit 38 of the relay RLC₁, RL
C₂・ ・ ・ RLC_mSignal line for relay drive to each
Extends. In addition, the low counter circuit 36 has n signal lines.
Connected to the row selector circuit 40 via
Relay from Rector circuit 40 to RLL₁, RLL ₂, ...
・ RLL_nA relay driving signal line extends to each of the.
A predetermined clock signal CLK is input to the column counter 34.
Output, and there are m rising edges of the clock signal CLK.
The carry signal CAR is counted every time
Is output from the data 34 to the row counter 36.

Next, the operation of the control circuit shown in FIG. 4 will be described.
It In the initial state, the low selector circuit 40 relays
RLL₁A drive signal is output only to the relay RLL
₁Only are closed. At this time, the column counter times
When the clock signal CLK is input to the path 34, the column
The rising edge of the clock signal CLK from the inductor circuit 38 is m.
Relay RLC depending on the bite₁, RLC₂・ ・ ・ RLC
_mDrive signals are sequentially output to each of the
Ray RLC₁, RLC₂・ ・ ・ RLC_mAre closed
Is put in a state. That is, first, the heater element H in the first row
₁₁~ H_1mPower is sequentially supplied to. Column selector
In the circuit 38, the mth rising edge of the clock signal CLK is
When it is turned off, the column selector circuit 38 outputs
Output of carry signal CAR to selector circuit 40
As a result, the relay R from the low selector circuit 40
LL₂A drive signal is output only to the relay RLL₂
And the column selector circuit 38 is closed.
From the next m rising edges of the clock signal CLK
Relay RLC₁, RLC₂・ ・ ・ RLC_mThat's it
The drive signal is sequentially output to the relay RLC.
₁, RLC₂・ ・ ・ RLC_mAre closed one after another
It That is, the heater element H in the second row_{twenty one}~ H _2mAgainst
Power is sequentially supplied. In a similar manner, from line 3 to
When power supply to the heater elements up to the nth row is completed,
And the heater element H of the first row₁₁~ H_1mReturn to the
It will be repeated. In this way, the heater elements 12
Power is supplied to each unit repeatedly and independently at predetermined time intervals.
Switch device 22 for any heater element 12
Even if the
The amount of electricity applied is not affected.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown another embodiment of the switch device 22 incorporated in the heater element 12, in which the switch device 22 is provided on each of the feed lines a and b. Contacts 42 and 44,
An elastic leaf spring element 46 for electrically closing these contacts 42 and 44 is included. The contact portion 42 is formed as a conductive L-shaped cross-section body which is soldered to the portion of the power supply line a where the insulating coating 48 is removed, and the contact portion 44 is also soldered to the portion of the power supply line b where the insulating coating 30 is removed. Formed as a conductive L-shaped cross section. An insulator 50 is arranged between the ends of the power supply lines a and b.
A conductive leaf spring element 46 is arranged on top. The conductive leaf spring element 46 has a shape bent in a chevron shape, and a pressing piece 54 made of synthetic resin or the like is fixed to the outside of the top portion thereof. As shown in FIG. 5, the conductive leaf spring element 46 is brought into electrical contact with the contact portions 44 and 46 on both sides thereof, so that the switch device 22 normally closes as shown in FIG. Put in a state. That is, even if power is supplied between the power supply lines a and b, the current bypasses the switch device 22 while avoiding the electric heating element plate 18 having a large electric resistance, so that heat generation in the electric heating element plate 18 is prevented. To be done. However, when an external pressure is exerted by placing an object on the heater element 12, the conductive leaf spring element 46 is pressed and elastically deformed into a flat shape so that both contact portions 42 and 44 are electrically opened. As a result, a current flows through the heater element 12 and the electric heating element 18 thereof generates heat. In short, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, contrary to the above-described embodiments, when an object is placed on one of the heater elements 12, heat is generated only from the heater element 12.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown a further embodiment of the switch device 22 incorporated in the heater element 12, in which the switch device 22 comprises one of a pair of feed lines a and b, For example, as shown in FIG. 8, it is provided at the cut portion of the power supply line b, and the cut end portion is the insulator 56.
Electrically isolated from each other. Switch device 2
Reference numeral 2 includes contact portions 58 and 60 provided at both ends of the feeder line b. The contact portion 58 is formed as a conductive upright piece soldered to a portion where the insulating coating 30 is removed from one cut end of the power supply line b, and the contact portion 60 is a portion where the insulating coating 30 is removed from the other cut end. It is formed as a conductive block piece soldered to. The switch device 22 further includes a conductive leaf spring element 62 disposed above the contact portion 60, one end of which is integrally fixed to the top of the contact portion 58 and the other end of which is provided. Insulating upright piece 64 provided on the other cut end of the electric wire b
Stuck to the top of the. The insulating upright piece 64 is made of a relatively flexible synthetic resin material. As shown in FIG. 7, since the conductive leaf spring element 62 is normally placed in an electrically open state with respect to the contact portion 60, even if power is supplied between the power supply lines a and b, a current flows through the heater element. 12 does not flow, and the electric heating element plate 18 does not generate heat. However, when an external pressure is exerted by placing an object on the heater element 12, the conductive leaf spring element 62 is pressed and electrically contacts the contact portion 60, and the switch device 22 is closed, so that the current flows. It flows into the heater element 12 and its electric heating element plate 18 generates heat. in short,
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, as in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when an object is placed on one of the heater elements 12, heat is generated only from the heater element 12. Done.

In the above-described embodiment, it is preferable that a mark or the like indicating the position of the heater element 12 or the switch device 22 incorporated therein is displayed on the surface of the heat generating area 10 as required. not to mention,
This is because the installation location of the object can be easily determined by using such marks and the like as a guide. Of course, when the heater elements 12 are subdivided and arranged in large numbers, and the object to be placed on the heat generating region 10 is sufficiently larger than the individual size of the heater elements 12, such marks are necessary. Not done.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the heating area 10 is formed as a carpet rug, but when the flat heater according to the present invention is laid semipermanently on the floor of the room, the heating area 10 is heated. It may also be constructed by a suitable floor covering having either or both of the properties of conductivity and heat radiation. However, in this case, a material having a certain degree of flexibility must be selected as the floor material for the pressing operation of the switch device 2.

[0016]

As is apparent from the above description, in the flat heater according to the present invention, local heat generation control can be performed according to the arrangement of the object to be placed thereon,
Its application range can be greatly expanded.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a flat heater according to the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view of one heater element of the planar heater shown in FIG. 1, showing a switch device incorporated therein.

FIG. 3 is a wiring diagram of the heater element shown in FIG. 2 and a switch device incorporated therein.

4 is a control block diagram for controlling a relay in the block diagram shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2, showing another embodiment of the switch device.

6 is a wiring diagram of the switch device incorporated therein the heater element shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, showing another embodiment of the switch device.

FIG. 8 is a wiring diagram of the switch device incorporated therein with the heater element shown in FIG. 7.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Exothermic area 12 ... Heater element 14 ... Carpet surface material 16 ... Carpet back surface material 18 ... Electrical heating element plate 20 ... Insulating rubber sheet 22 ... Switch device 24 ... Contact part 26 ... Contact part 28 ... Conductive leaf spring element 30 Insulation coating 32 ... Protective seal 34 ... Column counter circuit 36 ... Row counter circuit 38 ... Column selector circuit 40 ... Row selector circuit 42 ... Contact portion 44 ... Contact portion 46 ... Conductive leaf spring element 48 ... Insulation coating 50 ... Insulator 54 ... pressing piece 56 ... insulator 58 ... contact portion 60 ... contact portion 62 ... conductive plate spring element 64 ... insulating upright a ... feed line b ... feed line _{a 1, a 2, ··· a} m ... common feed line _{b 1, b 2, ··· b} n ... common feeder line _{RLC 1, RLC 2, ··· RLC} m ... relay _{RLL 1, RLL 2, ··· RLL} n ... relay

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of flat heater elements (12) arranged independently of each other, and wiring means (a, a ₁ , a) adapted to supply power to each of these heater elements.
_{2, ··· a m, b,} b 1, b 2, ··· b n) and the heater element of individually repeated at predetermined time intervals the feed said wiring means incorporated in the power supply control means so as to ( 34,
36, 38, 40, RLC ₁ , RLC ₂ , ... RLC
_m , RLL ₁ , RLL ₂ , ... RLL _n ) and each of the heater elements is provided with a switch device (22) adapted to turn on / off power to itself. A flat heater, wherein the switch device is configured to perform on / off control according to an external pressure applied to the corresponding heater element. 2. The flat heater according to claim 1,
The switch device (22) has its corresponding heater element (1
2) contact portions (24, 26) provided on each of the pair of power supply lines (a, b) and one of the contact portions (2
And 4) elastic means (28) for electrically disengaging 4) from the other contact portion (26), wherein both contact portions of the elastic means are provided when external pressure is applied to the heater element. A planar heater characterized in that it is electrically closed to each other against elastic forces, which turns off the power supply to the heater element. 3. The flat heater according to claim 1,
The switch device (22) has its corresponding heater element (1
2) includes a contact portion (42, 44) provided on each of the pair of power supply lines (a, b) and an elastic means (46) for electrically closing the contact portion. When an external pressure is applied to the heater element, the two contact portions are electrically released from each other against the elastic force of the elastic means, thereby turning on the power supply to the heater element. Characteristic flat heater. 4. The flat heater according to claim 1,
The switch device (22) has its corresponding heater element (1
2 provided on one of a pair of power supply lines (a, b) to 2)
One contact (58, 60) and one of these contacts (5
And 8) elastic means (62) for electrically disengaging 8) from the other contact portion (60), said both contact portions being of said elastic means when external pressure is applied to said heater element. A planar heater characterized in that it is electrically closed to each other against elastic forces, thereby turning on the power supply to the heater element.