JPH08178310A - Japanese electric foot warmer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide the subject foot warmer convenient for its use, by a method wherein signals between an operating box composed apart from a body frame and a heater controller at the side of the body frame are transmitted and received surely without needing a long-sized transmitting antenna, and the operating box can be also operated near at hand. CONSTITUTION: A circuit substrate 11 having a plurality of switches 8a, 8b, 8c to be an operating means is fastened to the inside of an outer case 10, and a conductive plate 13 is fastened so as to cover an opening on the one surface of this outer box 10, and thus an operating box 1 is composed. An antenna 8 is laid on the surface of the circuit substrate 11, at the rear side of which the antenna 8 is connected to a transmitting part. The other end of the antenna 8 is pressure-stuck at a position to be fixed on the conductive plate 13, and the conductive plate 13 is connected to the transmitting part. When the switch 8a, 8b or 8c is operated by a user through the conductive plate 13, electric waves for an order transmitted from the transmitting part are emitted by the body of the user acting as a transmitting antenna through the antenna 8 and the conductive plate 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric kotatsu used as a household heating appliance. More specifically, the operating box provided separately from the main body mold is used to specify an operating state. Regarding the electric kotatsu.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electric kotatsu, which is widely used as a convenient heating appliance for household use, has a main body formwork having a heater as a heat source, which is supported on the floor by a plurality of supporting legs, and the upper part of these is kotatsu futon. The top plate is placed on the upper part of the kotatsu futon to allow it to be used as a table. The user can obtain a desired heating effect by inserting a part of his / her body into the heating space under the main body frame surrounded by the kotatsu futon and designating the operating state by a predetermined operation.

The operation state designating operation is generally carried out by operating an operating means mounted in the vicinity of the heater, that is, at the bottom of the main body form. In this configuration, the operation is performed. In order to check the contents, it is annoying to lift the kotatsu futon and look under the main body form.In many cases, the operation is performed in a groping state without checking the operation contents, and the desired heating effect is obtained. Is difficult to obtain.

Further, in recent years, a heater unit having a blower fan and a looper in addition to the heater as a heat source is provided in a main body frame to circulate the heat generated by the heater in the heating space by the operation of the blower fan and the looper. , An electric kotatsu that is comfortable to use has been put into practical use, and in this kind of electric kotatsu, since the blower fan and the looper are added as control targets, the specified content of the operating state is increased. It is becoming more and more difficult to make such a designation in the groping state in the operation unit attached to the main body form.

Under such circumstances, an operation box provided with a plurality of operation means for designating an operating state is provided separately from the main body mold, and is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-245937. As described above, an electric kotatsu is proposed in which the operation box is arranged on a part of the top plate placed on the main formwork via a kotatsu futon so that the operating state can be designated by the user's visual confirmation. Has been done.

In this electric kotatsu, the contents of the operation in the operation box provided on the top plate are transmitted to the control section provided on the main body form, and the operation of the control section controls the energization of the heater unit, and Although it is configured to obtain the operation state according to the designation, for this purpose, it is necessary to send and receive a signal between the top plate and the main body form which face each other via the kotatsu futon.

The transmission and reception of this signal can be realized by transmitting and receiving an FM-modulated radio wave, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 143107/1987. Conventionally, this signal is stored in the operation box on the top plate side. While a transmitting unit that emits a command radio wave according to the operation content is provided, a receiving antenna connected to the control unit is installed on the main body frame, and the command radio wave is captured by this receiving antenna and a predetermined signal such as waveform processing is received. After the processing is performed, the control section is notified.

[0008]

In the electric kotatsu constructed as described above, the command radio wave is reliably transmitted and received between the operation box and the control unit, and the error in accordance with the specified content is eliminated. It is effective to attach a transmitting antenna to the transmitting unit inside the operation box and dispose the transmitting antenna in close proximity to the receiving antenna on the main body mold side in order to perform a non-operation.

With respect to the arrangement of the transmitting antennas as described above, when the operation box is provided on the top plate, a long antenna wire is embedded in the substantially whole surface of the top plate, and this antenna wire is connected to the transmitting section. However, there is a drawback in that the assembling workability is poor and the product cost rises as the number of assembling steps increases.

Further, it is conceivable that the operation box can be operated by hand in order to increase convenience in use. In this case, the transmission antenna is always provided in a state of being close to the reception antenna on the main body mold side. Therefore, in order to increase the certainty of the transmission and reception of command radio waves, it is necessary to increase the transmission output of the transmission unit. In such a case, it will adversely affect various electric devices arranged around the electric kotatsu. Will be affected.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and long-term transmission / reception of signals between an operation box formed separately from the main body mold and a control unit on the main body mold side is performed. Can be done reliably without the need for a transmitting antenna,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric kotatsu that is easy to use and can be operated by hand.

[0012]

In the electric kotatsu according to the present invention, an operating box having operating means for designating an operating state is provided separately from a main body frame having a heater unit including a heater and a control unit thereof. And transmitting the operation of the operation means by the user to the control section by a radio wave emitted from a transmission section inside the operation box, and controlling the energization of the heater unit by the operation of the control section to specify the designation. The electric kotatsu adapted to perform the heating is provided with a conductor plate which covers a part or all of the surface of the operation box and is connected to the output side of the transmitter.

Further, the portion covered with the conductor plate includes an exposed portion of the operating means on the surface of the operating box.

[0014]

In the present invention, the surface of the operation box is covered with a conductor plate, the conductor plate is connected to the transmitter inside the operation box, and the push button provided to the operation box by the user for designating the operating state. When operating the operating means such as
At the same time, a part of the user's body (fingertip, palm, etc.) comes into contact with the conductor plate, the user's body inserted under the main body frame serves as a transmitting antenna, and emits a command radio wave according to the designation. It is reliably received by the control unit by being caught by the receiving antenna provided on the main frame.

Further, the conductor plate is provided in such a manner as to cover the exposed portion of the operating means, so that the contact with the conductor plate is surely caused when the user operates the operating means.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments. 1 is a side sectional view of an electric kotatsu according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view from below. In the electric kotatsu according to the present invention, the rectangular main body formwork 2 is supported on the floor surface by the support legs 20, 20 ... Attached to the four corners of the main body formwork 2, and the kotatsu futon is covered on the upper part of them. 3 and the top plate 4 is placed on the main body formwork 2 via the kotatsu futon 3.

The main body form 2 holds a heater unit 5 in the approximate center of the lower surface. The heater unit 5 includes, in addition to the heater serving as a heat source, a blower fan that circulates the circulating air, a looper that changes the direction of the circulating air, and a power supply circuit 50 (see FIG. 4) for these commercial units. The heater heats up by the power supply from the power source, the blower fan and the looper are operated separately, and the blast of the blower fan is brought into contact with the heater to generate warm air, which is sent out in the direction determined by the looper, and the surroundings by the kotatsu futon 3 The heating space is circulated in the heating space below the enclosed main body form 2 so as to quickly warm the heating space.

As shown in FIG. 2, a heater controller 7 is attached to the main body form 2 at an appropriate position. Heater controller 7
Controls the energization of the heater unit 5 to perform on / off control of the heater, air volume control of the blower fan, and wind direction control by adjusting the angle of the looper to maintain the heating space at a predetermined target temperature. The target temperature is set by the operation of the operation box 1 formed separately from the main body form 2 together with the designation of the operation mode described later.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the operation box 1. In this operation box 1, a circuit board 11 having a transmission control unit 80, a transmission circuit 81 (see FIG. 4) and the like, which will be described later, is fixedly provided on the bottom of a rectangular outer box 10 having an opening on one side. ,
Brackets 12 at the four corners of the entire surface on which the opening is formed,
It is configured to be covered with a thin conductor plate 13 screwed and fixed to 12 ...

On the surface of the circuit board 11 facing the opening of the outer box 10, one end of the antenna wire 8 is soldered in the vicinity of one corner and connected to the transmission circuit 81 formed on the back surface side. This antenna wire 8 is placed on the surface of the circuit board 11 in an outer box.
A terminal 14 laid along each side of the inner circumference and crimped to the other end is placed on the fixing surface of one bracket 12, as shown in the figure. The conductor plate 13 is fixed in this state, and the conductor plate 13 is connected to the transmission circuit 81 via the antenna wire 8 by this fixing.

A plurality of push button type switches 8a, 8b, 8c are fixedly provided on the back surface of the circuit board 11 as an operating means for designating the operating state. The conductor plate 13 fixed as described above also covers the upper side of the switches 8a, 8b, 8c, and the surface of the conductor plate 13 has corresponding positions of the switches 8a, 8b, 8c. Switch marks 13a, 13b, 13c respectively showing the respective switches are formed.
For b and 8c, the corresponding switch marks 13a, 13b, 13c
The formation position is pressed from the front surface side of the conductor plate 13.

A recess 40 corresponding to the outer shape of the operation box 1 constructed as described above is provided in the vicinity of a corner of the top plate 4, and the operation box 1 is pushed into the recess 40 to move it upside down. It is possible to perform an operation in a state of being fixed to the plate 4 and an operation in a hand-held state by pulling out from the recess 40. When operating the operation box 1 by hand,
In order not to hinder the use of the top plate 4 as a table, it is desirable that the recess 40 be closed by an appropriate cover plate. The fixed position of the operation box 1 on the top plate 4 is also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control system for an electric kotatsu according to the present invention. On the input side of the heater control section 7 using a microprocessor, as shown in FIG. 2, there is a receiving antenna 70 which is hung along the four sides of the main body form 2.
The target temperature and the operation mode specification contents, which are connected through a reception circuit 71 including a filter circuit, a waveform processing circuit, and the like, are specified by the operation of the operation box 1, and are transmitted as described later to the reception antenna. The signal is captured by 70, and given to the heater controller 7 after predetermined signal processing in the receiving circuit 71.

The detection result of the temperature sensor 9 is given to the input side of the heater control section 7. The temperature sensor 9 detects the internal temperature of the heating space formed under the main body mold 2, and is built in the heater unit 5 below the main body mold 2 as shown in FIG. The heater is fixed at a position that is not affected by the radiant heat of the heater.

On the other hand, the output of the heater control section 7 is given to the power supply circuit 50 of the heater unit 5, and the heater control section 7
Performs a control operation of issuing a control signal to the power supply circuit 50 to control the energization of the heater unit 5 and controlling the temperature of the heating space under the main mold 2 to a predetermined target temperature. The heater unit 5 includes a blower fan and a looper in addition to the heater serving as a heat source, and the control signal output from the heater control unit 7 is output to each of these.

Further, the operation box 1 constructed as described above is provided with a transmission control section 80 using a microprocessor on the back surface side of the circuit board 11 and is operated for designating an operating state. The switches 8a, 8b, 8c are connected to the input side of the transmission control unit 80.

The antenna wire 8 is connected to the output side of the transmission controller 80 via a transmitter circuit 81 formed on the back surface of the substrate 11, and the tip of the antenna wire 8 is connected to one surface of the operation box 1. A conductor plate 13 covering the
Covers the upper portions of the switches 8a, 8b, 8c. Further, a display unit 82 is connected to the output side of the transmission control unit 80. As shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 3, this display portion 82 is mounted on the back surface of the substrate 11 and connected to the display circuit on the front surface side, and from the outside through the window hole 15 opened in the conductor plate 13. It can be configured to be visible.

The switches 8a, 8b, 8c include operation switches that are turned on at the start of operation, specification switches for specifying various operation states such as target temperature setting and operation mode setting. The transmission control unit 80 starts the operation in response to the operation of turning on the operation switch, gives the operation state set by the operation of the designation switch to the display unit 82, displays the operation state on the display unit 82, and controls the designated operation state by the heater control. In order to notify the section 7, an operation for issuing a transmission command to the transmission circuit 81 according to the designated content is performed.

In the electric kotatsu according to the present invention, each of the switches 8a, 8b and 8c is covered with the conductor plate 13 on one surface of the operation box 1, and the operation of each switch 8a, 8b and 8c is described above. As described above, since it is performed by pressing the switch marks 13a, 13b, 13c on the surface of the conductor plate 13,
At this time, a part of the body of the user A (at least the fingertip for the pressing) is in contact with the conductor plate 13.

On the other hand, at this time, the transmission circuit 81 responds to the transmission command from the transmission control unit 80 by the switches 8a, 8b,
A command radio wave according to the operation content of 8c is emitted, and this radio wave is transmitted to the conductor plate 13 through the antenna wire 8 and is further radiated from the body of the user A in contact with the conductor plate 13. Will be.

The operation of the switches 8a, 8b, 8c by the user A is generally performed in a state where an electric kotatsu is used, that is, when a part of the body is inserted in the heating space covered with the kotatsu bedding 3. Therefore, the command radio wave radiated from the body of the user A is reliably caught by the receiving antenna 70 that is provided along the four sides from the lower side of the main body form 2, and the predetermined electric wave is received by the receiving circuit 71. After the signal processing, the signal is transmitted to the heater control unit 7 as a signal including designation information of the operating state such as the target temperature and the operating mode.

In the heater control section 7, the internal temperature of the heating space under the main mold 2 is recognized by the input from the temperature sensor 9, and a control command is issued to the power supply circuit 50 so as to match it with the target temperature, The heater unit 5 is energized to control the energization, and by this operation, a desired heating state corresponding to the contents of the operation in the operation box 1 can be obtained in the heating space under the main body form 2.

The operation mode included in the designation information sets, for example, the operation contents of the blower fan and the looper built in the heater unit 5. While the circulation of the hot air by the operation of the fan and looper is strengthened and even heating is achieved over the entire heating space, on the contrary, when using with a small number of people, on the contrary, the warm air must be specified. You can concentrate on the spot and avoid unnecessary heating.

When the operation box 1 is operated by the user A in a hand-held state, the conductor plate 13 covering one surface of the operation box 1 has a fingertip for operating the respective switches 8a, 8b, 8c. In addition, since the palm is in contact with the user, the command radio wave is transmitted through the body of the user A,
Also, the reception at the receiving antenna 70 is performed more reliably.

The conductor plate 13 may be arranged on the surface of the operation box 1 so as to cover the portion where the body of the user A is surely contacted during operation. For example, when the above-mentioned hand-held operation is assumed, It suffices to dispose the conductor plate 13 only on the side surface of the operation box 1 with which the palm comes into contact when held by hand.
Further, the conductor plate 13 may be arranged only around the operating ends of the switches 8a, 8b, 8c for designating the operating state, but as shown in this embodiment, the operating ends of the switches 8a, 8b, 8c are covered. By arranging the conductor plate 13 in this manner, the contact of the body of the user A is guaranteed, and the above-described operation is surely performed.

The configuration of the operation box 1 shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example of the present invention, and the internal configuration,
It goes without saying that those whose external appearance is different from that of FIG. 3 are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0037]

As described above in detail, in the electric kotatsu according to the present invention, the surface of the operation box, which is formed separately from the main body form and has the operation means for specifying the operating state, is covered with the conductor plate. Since the conductor plate is connected to the transmitter that emits the command radio wave in accordance with the designated operation, when operating the operating means, a part of the user's body comes into contact with the conductor plate,
The command radio wave is radiated by the user's body as a transmission antenna, and the command radio wave can be reliably transmitted to the heater control unit on the main body mold side without requiring a long transmission antenna, and heater control according to this The desired heating effect can be realized without error by the operation of the section, and the operation box can be held by hand, and good usability can be obtained.

Further, since the conductor plate is arranged so as to cover the operation end of the operation means, the operation of the operation means is carried out with a reliable contact with the conductor plate, so that the above-mentioned effect can be more reliably obtained. The present invention has excellent effects such as

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an electric kotatsu according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view from below of an electric kotatsu according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an operation box.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control system for an electric kotatsu according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Operation Box 2 Main Frame 4 Top Plate 5 Heater Unit 7 Heater Control Unit 8 Antenna Wire 8a Switch 8b Switch 8c Switch 13 Conductor Plate 80 Transmission Control Unit 81 Transmission Circuit A User

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An operating box provided with operating means for designating an operating state is provided separately from a main body frame having a heater unit including a heater and a control section for the heater unit, so that a user can operate the operating means. In an electric kotatsu, which transmits to the control section by a radio wave emitted from a transmission section inside the operation box, controls the energization to the heater unit by the operation of the control section, and performs heating according to the designation An electric kotatsu comprising a conductor plate which covers a part or all of the surface of the operation box and is connected to the output side of the transmitter. 2. The electric kotatsu according to claim 1, wherein the portion covered with the conductor plate includes an exposed portion of the operation means on the surface of the operation box.