JPS62178847A - Electric foot warmer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To save the wasteful consumption of power by conducting a control to cut off a power supply to a foot warmer when not one uses the foot warmer and the temperature within the foot warmer holds a set value for a predeter mined period of time. CONSTITUTION:When power is supplied to a heater 1, the temperature of a foot warmer rises up and then becomes a predetermined temperature. In accor dance with this, the output of the heater 1 is gradually turned down and becomes lower. Furthermore, whether the output the heater 1 holds a predeter mined value or it is under a varied unstable condition, is judged by means of a control unit 11 for checking the secondary side voltage of a current trans former within an outside controller 9. For example, if the heater 1 has an output turned down with respect to the rated output, and the output is predetermined and held for a predetermined period of time, it is judged that no one is present in the foot warmer, and the power supply to the heater is cut off.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an electric kotatsu for heating a general household in winter.

Prior Art The temperature inside the conventional electric kotatsu was controlled as follows. First, a heating element unit consisting of a heater, air blower, etc. is generally installed in the center of the back of the tower, but a temperature sensor is installed inside this heating element unit, and the temperature inside the kotatsu is measured based on this temperature. It was monitored by sensors and controlled the output of the heater to maintain the desired temperature.

Heater output control devices that are correlated with this temperature sensor include those that use a thermostat to directly control the energization of the heater, and those that use a semiconductor sensor to measure the temperature and use an electronic circuit such as a one-phase control method to control the output to the heater. It was used to control the There are other methods such as controlling the air volume, but it is a 7-phase control method and is set to a certain temperature scale.

Looking at the temperature change inside the kotatsu and the change in the output of the heater after the switch was turned on, all methods had temperature or output characteristics as shown by the dotted line in Figure 2.

In other words, when you turn on the switch, the heater and air blower operate to raise the temperature inside the kotatsu, and when it eventually reaches the desired set temperature, the temperature sensor controls the output to the heater 3P to adjust the temperature inside the kotatsu. It worked to keep it constant from then on.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the conventional technology as described above, the temperature of the electric kotatsu does not have a function to maintain the temperature set at the desired temperature after the switch is turned on. there were.

As a result, the temperature inside the kotatsu remains at the set temperature regardless of whether or not someone is warming the kotatsu.

Therefore, it would be fine if there was always someone taking the temperature, but in daily life, there are many chances that even the person taking the temperature continues to maintain the temperature on the set scale. Especially when the temperature is set at a high temperature, it will be warm and comfortable when someone is there to take the heat, but maintaining a high temperature when there is no one to take the heat means high electricity bills and energy loss. In addition, high temperatures have an adverse effect on safety and shorten the lifespan of various parts. When there is no one warming the kotatsu inside the kotatsu, which has a heating element unit at the bottom, or when the kotatsu is lying down and does not move at all, the temperature of the air flowing through this air path remains constant at the set temperature. The output of the heater, which is correlated to the temperature sensor, is also constant, and when the person taking the warmth enters and exits the kotatsu or moves inside, the temperature of the air flowing through this air path and the Paying attention to the fact that the output of the related heater changes, depending on whether it is a constant output or an unstable output that is changing, the temperature inside the kotatsu can be maintained or changed. If not, the problem can be solved by installing a control device that controls things such as lowering the temperature.

action With the above configuration, it is possible to detect whether there is a person taking heat.

The kotatsu temperature is further controlled, and its function is as follows.

When you turn on the power, the heater is energized, warming the inside of the kotatsu, and the temperature sensor monitors the temperature.

P When the set temperature is reached, the output of the heater is controlled to keep it constant at the set temperature.

Here, the air inside the kotatsu is sucked into the heat generating unit by the blower, and is eventually blown out using the inside as an air path, so the air inside the kotatsu is agitated and the temperature inside the kotatsu is evened out.

At this time, by installing a temperature sensor in the air path, especially in the suction air path, the temperature inside the kotatsu can be accurately and more sensitively detected.

In other words, it depends on whether the temperature of the temperature sensor installed in the air path is at a constant temperature, or is in an unstable temperature state such as rising, falling, or changing up and down. This system uses a separate control device to judge the change in the output of the heater and control whether the temperature inside the kotatsu is kept at the set temperature, lowered below the set temperature, or raised to the set temperature.

As a result, when there is no one taking the heat, the temperature of the kotatsu will reach the set temperature and eventually become constant at the set temperature, so the output of the heater that correlates to this will also remain constant, so you can control it by lowering it below the set temperature. The temperature is controlled to be lukewarm than the set temperature, and when a person is entering and exiting the kotatsu or moving around inside the kotatsu to warm themselves, a temperature sensor installed in the air path keeps the temperature warmer than the set temperature. As the air temperature drops or becomes unstable, the output of the heater associated with this temperature sensor also becomes unstable, and this output change is sensed and controlled to maintain the set temperature.

Example An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a lamp-shaped heater made of a rod-shaped quartz tube, which is formed on both sides of a blower device 2 consisting of a fan 6 and a motor 4. A temperature sensor 5 is a signal source for detecting the temperature inside the kotatsu and controlling the output of the heater 1, and is installed in the air passage B of the suction port 61 in the heating element unit Z. 7 is a heating element unit consisting of the heater 1, the blower 2, the temperature sensor 5, etc., and the guard 6
3-7 P A suction port 61 is provided at the center, and an air outlet 62 is provided at the outer periphery of the guard 66. 8 is a tower with legs at the four corners, and a heating element unit 7 is attached to the back of the tower in the center. (a) shows the flow of air in the heating element unit 7 portion by the blower 2. 81 is a futon (b)
This shows the air flow inside the kotatsu when it is operating as a kotatsu. 9 is the control controller.

It is equipped with a control device 11 that controls the output of the heater 1 in order to set the temperature inside the kotatsu using a signal from the temperature sensor 5.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained next.

The temperature inside the kotatsu using the temperature sensor 5 is controlled as follows. As shown in Figure 2, the kotatsu heater 1
When electricity is applied to the kotatsu, the temperature of the kotatsu rises and eventually reaches the set temperature. Along with this.

The output of the heater 1 is also gradually reduced to a low output. Furthermore, whether the output state of the heater 1 is maintaining a constant output or is changing and is in an unstable state is checked by the control device 11, such as checking the secondary side voltage of the current transformer in the external control controller 9. For example, if the output state of the heater 1 is constant at a reduced output compared to the rated output and continues for a certain period of time, control is performed to turn off the power.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, the temperature control of the kotatsu is performed by determining whether or not the output of the heater that is energized to the kotatsu is in a constant output state, unlike the conventional method in which the temperature is controlled to always maintain a constant temperature. further control the kotatsu temperature.

The temperature inside the kotatsu is maintained at the set temperature, and the warmth during heating is the same as before, but when there are no 9 people in the kotatsu and the temperature inside the kotatsu has already maintained the set temperature for a certain period of time, the kotatsu Since the power is turned off, there is no need to use wasted electricity to maintain high temperatures when nine people are not in the room, resulting in energy savings.

Furthermore, when one person is not present, the power is automatically turned off and the temperature of the kotatsu is lowered, making it safe and useful if you forget to turn it off.

P

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts of an electric kotatsu showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a temperature and output characteristic diagram of electric kotatsu showing a conventional example and an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the main part of an electric kotatsu showing an embodiment of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of an electric kotatsu showing an entire embodiment of the invention. 1... Heater, 2... Air blower. 5... Temperature sensor, 7... Heating unit. 11...control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A heating element unit (7) consisting of an air blower (2), a heater (1), and a temperature sensor (5) that detects the temperature inside the kotatsu, and a control device that controls the temperature by inputting the signal from the temperature sensor (5). In an electric kotatsu consisting of (1) and (1), the output of the heater (1) is electrically monitored, and whether the output of the heater (1) is kept at a constant output at a reduced output than the rated output or changes. The present invention is characterized by being equipped with a control device (11) that determines whether the output is in an unstable output state and performs control such as turning off the power when a constant output is maintained for a certain period of time. Electric kotatsu.