RU2119324C1 - Sauna - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: equipment for individual's sanitary and hygienic care. SUBSTANCE: sauna has cabin with heater, which is provided with control equipment, seat and lamp. Cabin has floor and ceiling panels and vertical panels. Heater is made in the form of heating panel composed of set of heat-exchanging members spaced or adjoining one another. Each heat-exchanging member has heating member connected to power supply network. Heating panel is positioned between vertical panel and ornamental and protective shield extending in parallel with vertical panel or floor panel and protective floor guard and is spaced from it by distance providing uniform distribution of heat energy within cabin space. EFFECT: increased efficiency and enhanced reliability in operation. 2 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to means for satisfying the sanitary and hygienic needs of a person, and in particular to a dry sauna device.

 Sauna is an isolated, usually wooden room, heated by a special stove with stones and designed to create a special environment for a dry, hot bath - soaring.

 A sauna can be considered as a bath, but its main purpose is to cause increased sweating, which allows not only to clean the skin, but also to relieve physical and mental stress. By accelerating blood circulation and increasing body temperature, the heat of the sauna calms, helps to relax, and can relieve pain. Thus, the dominant consumer properties of the sauna became therapeutic, regenerating, providing relaxation, keeping the body clean. Therefore, a passion for sauna is most likely due to the increasing attention of people to their own health.

 There are many different designs of saunas with various indicators of improvement and various heating facilities.

 Currently, cabin saunas built in a living space, such as the Mirror Sauna (see Do-It-Yourself Journal N 3, 1989, pp. 30-31), are widely used. The famous sauna cabin is located in the apartment. Its walls are upholstered with Vietnamese mats, which have good heat-insulating properties. Mats are covered with aluminum foil. A sheet-screen made of thick paper and covered with the same foil is fixed under the ceiling. The floor can also be covered with foil. Ordinary lightweight ladders, painted in silver, with seats at the very top replace massive structures made of wood, such as shelves, stairs, etc. Three reflectors with kilowatt spirals are used as heaters.

 This is one of the options for a sauna cabin with a simple and convenient design, equipped with an electric heater and the necessary facilities inherent in saunas.

 There are known mini-baths of a stationary construction, which cannot be moved (see, for example, the book by VA Safin “Building a Bath.” Reference manual, M, “Stroyizdat”, 1990). These mini-baths are made of prefabricated shields, and the air in it is heated using an electric stove.

 These well-known designs of cabin saunas and mini-baths are of interest for individual construction and use according to economic parameters. However, all the properties that traditional saunas possess are not provided in them. Therefore, preference is given to traditional saunas.

 The construction and equipping of traditional saunas and baths is described in many sources (for example, in the book by Ya. R. Ryvkin et al. "Bath, bathhouse, Baenka", Petrozavodsk, ed. "Karelia", 1992 or in the book of I. Arato and others. "Sauna", translation from Hungarian and Czech, M, "Stroyizdat", 1993). Saunas mentioned in these books are stationary non-demountable wooden structures. These are well-maintained saunas equipped with all the necessary facilities that meet the requirements of saunas under construction. To heat the sauna use various types of stoves. These include electric furnaces, stoves that are heated by wood and coal, gas and oil stoves, which for fire safety reasons and to avoid unpleasant odors should be placed outside the sauna cabin, which leads to a number of additional inconveniences when using them. The use of wood stoves in modern conditions is associated with certain difficulties due to the shortage of firewood and environmental protection, which is currently very relevant. Therefore, electric furnaces with thermoelectric heaters (TENs) laid with stones somewhere in one place in the corner of the cabin found a preferred application for heating saunas.

 However, these heaters introduce a number of significant drawbacks to the known designs of saunas.

These disadvantages include:
high power consumption;
a sufficiently high temperature of the heating elements (about 450 ^o C and above);
active burnout of oxygen near the electric furnace with highly heated heating elements and the smell of overheated metal, this negatively affects the well-being of people in the sauna cabin, as the mucous membrane of their organs is injured;
high fire hazard, since near the heaters the wooden lining darkens, the pyrolysis of wood occurs, as a result of which fire may occur;
a large temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling (40 - 70 ^o C);
with intensive use of electric furnaces, there is a frequent replacement of burned heating elements, difficult to disassemble the stones,
Also known is the design of the "Autonomous mini-sauna" (see the description of the invention to the patent of the Russian Federation N 2007984, class A 61 H 33/06, publ. In 1994), which is selected as a prototype. This mini-sauna contains a cabin with an electric heater and control equipment, while the cabin consists of a floor, a ceiling and vertical panels rigidly connected to each other, a floor and a ceiling, and also contains an electric fan and an L-shaped hollow rack, the horizontal part of which is fixed to ceiling with a hot air diffuser and a reflector screen located in the center of the ceiling. The electric heater, electric fan and their control devices are located inside the vertical part of the L-shaped hollow rack, while the electric fan is located under the electric heater and is made with a protective dome-shaped reflector casing covering the fan motor from below. The reflector housing is connected to the atmosphere surrounding the cabin by means of air ducts.

 In the well-known design of the mini-sauna, an attempt is made to create a volumetric heat source for uniform heating of the cabin. However, the proposed design of a sauna with such a heating system does not allow to completely eliminate the disadvantages characteristic of the analogues listed above.

 The objective of the proposed technical solution is aimed at creating a sauna that allows to reduce energy consumption due to volumetric heating of the cabin with the help of a distributed low-temperature heater and significantly improve the microclimate inside the cabin, providing a thermal regime mainly with a healing effect due to obtaining a uniform temperature field and lowering the temperature of the heating elements.

 The task is achieved in that in the sauna, containing a cabin with a heater equipped with its control equipment, at least one seat and a lamp, consisting of floor, ceiling and vertical panels, one of which has a door, and all panels are rigidly fixed to each other with the other, said heater is made in the form of at least one heat panel, consisting of a set of heat-exchange elements spaced apart from each other or adjacent to each other, each of which is equipped with a a zealous element connected to the mains, while the thermal panel is located between the vertical panel and the decorative protective fence or floor panel parallel to it and the floor protective fence and is separated from them at a distance that ensures uniform distribution of thermal energy throughout the cabin.

 The task is also achieved by the fact that the heating element is made on a metal base in such a way that it provides direct thermal contact and the required electrical insulation with the heat exchange element, and the heat exchange element is made in the form of a heat pipe with at least one heat exchanger located on it.

 The task is achieved by the fact that the decorative protective fence is made in the form of blinds, the parallel slats of which are located vertically or obliquely up or down with gaps that allow intensive passage of heated air and its movement inside the cabin, and the floor protective fence is made in the form of blinds with gaps between parallel horizontally spaced bars.

 Distinctive features of the proposed technical solution are the heater in the form of a heat panel, consisting of a set of heat-exchange elements spaced apart from each other or adjacent to each other, each of which has a heating element made on a metal base, and connected to the mains, the thermal panel is located between the vertical panel and the decorative protective fence or floor panel parallel to it and the floor protective fence and is separated from them by The distance.

 Since heaters are the most important accessories of the sauna, they are given special attention, i.e. the design of the required temperature regime in the sauna cabin is more dependent on their design.

The proposed sauna uses a distribution low-temperature heater, the thermal panels of which have high thermal conductivity, which allows for volumetric heating of the cabin. And since the heating elements do not heat up above 200 ^o C, a thermal regime with a uniform temperature field is created in the cabin. All this improves the microclimate inside the cabin, providing soft and gentle heat that does not burn the mucous membrane of the organs of a person in the cabin, and generates a healing effect, unattainable with traditional heat sources. This healing effect was confirmed by doctors when testing the sauna "TERMAL".

 In addition, the presence of special decorative and protective fences also contributes to the improvement of heat transfer from the heater panels to the cabin interior for its volumetric heating. The function of these fences, in addition to the above, is also to use them as structural elements intended for sitting or lying of a person in the cabin.

 As noted earlier, one of the dominant properties of a sauna is relaxation, therefore, both the appearance of the structure and its interior should maintain a state of rest in a person. In the proposed sauna, the interior of the cabin is created by decorative and protective fences made in the form of blinds. Moreover, the parallel slats of which the blinds are made can be located vertically or obliquely up or down. Between the slats there are gaps for the intense passage of heated air and its uniform movement inside the cabin. The floor protective fence is also made in the form of blinds, the strips of which are located horizontally with gaps for the above purpose. This embodiment of decorative-protective fencing gives a pleasant appearance to the cabin cabin, allowing to significantly improve the interior of the sauna.

 The invention is illustrated by drawings, where are presented in FIG. 1 general view of the sauna cabin "TERMAL"; in FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the cabin from the side of one of the vertical panels removed, which shows embodiments of the heat exchange elements.

 The photograph shows heat exchanging elements with heat exchangers installed on them and one of the options for decorative and protective fencing, made in the form of blinds with horizontally arranged parallel strips.

 The basis of the TERMAL sauna (Fig. 1) is cabin 1, consisting of floor panel 2, ceiling panel 3 and a series of vertical panels 4, one of which has door 5. All panels 2, 3 and 4 are rigidly fixed to each other. The cabin 1 is equipped with a lamp 6, a seat 7 and a heater, made in the form of a heat panel, consisting of a set of heat exchange elements 8, spaced apart from each other. The heat exchange elements 8 can adjoin each other. On each heat exchange element 8, a heating element 9 and heat exchangers 10 are installed (Fig. 2). The cab 1 is also equipped with a decorative protective fence 11 and a floor protective fence 12. The seat 7 is made of shutters 13 and 14.

 The floor panels 2, ceiling 3 and vertical panels 4 are made of wood, as wood is the main material for the sauna. When choosing wood species that meet the requirements of saunas under construction, its density, compression-swelling, shape retention ability, wood structure and durability are of particular importance.

 The density of the tree is significant for surfaces in contact with human skin, primarily for shelves and seats 7, since different materials create a different temperature sensation and lead to burns of varying degrees.

 In addition, the internal climate of the sauna is the better, the higher the quality and the total volume of the wood used, since this is explained by the low heat capacity of the tree, its linear heat transfer and high sorption features - moisture absorption and moisture loss. Therefore, wood of poplar, alder and aspen is most applicable for a sauna.

 In the proposed design of the TERMAL sauna, preference is given to aspen wood, which in turn also affects the healing effect.

 Since the shelves and seats 7 in the sauna are the most important part of the interior, they should be comfortable, beautiful, pleasant to the touch, hygienic. Therefore, in the proposed sauna, the seats are removable, retractable and extendable for the convenience of cleaning and tidying up the room. The seat 7 in the cabin 1 is made of blinds 13 with horizontal slats and blinds 14 with vertical slats. All planks are located with gaps. This embodiment of the seats allows not only to improve the interior of the sauna, but also to improve heat transfer from the heat panels to the cabin 1. The shelves and seats 7 in the cabin are planned taking into account the area and the number of people at the same time.

 Lighting in the cabin is provided by a lamp 6 installed on the ceiling panel 3. Lamp 6 can be of any type acceptable for use in a sauna.

 The equipment for controlling the heater used in the claimed sauna is made taking into account the peculiarities of its launch and operation, as well as taking into account the needs of the consumers of the sauna and is located outside the cabin (not shown in the drawings).

-образной, L-образной (фиг. 2). От конфигурации теплообменных элементов 8 зависит конфигурация тепловых панелей обогревателя.The heating of the cabin 1 of the TERMAL sauna is carried out using a heater made in the form of a heat panel, consisting of a set of heat exchange elements 8 spaced apart from each other (as shown in the photo). Thermal elements 8 can adjoin each other. The configuration of the heat exchange elements 8 may be different:

-shaped, L-shaped (Fig. 2). The configuration of the heaters of the heater depends on the configuration of the heat exchange elements 8.

-образных теплообменных элементов 8, или панель из набора L-образных теплообменных элементов 8. Это могут быть установлены две тепловые панели и обе состоящие из набора

-образных теплообменных элементов 8, или две тепловые панели, одна из которых состоит из набора

-образных, а другая - из L-образных теплообменных элементов 8. Может быть вариант установки тепловой панели только над панелью пола 2. Выбор конкретного конструктивного выполнения и установки тепловой панели определяется особенностями конструкции сауны и требуемыми условиями теплового режима в салоне кабины 1. Поэтому предусмотрен также вариант установки L-образных тепловых панелей, нижняя часть которых с расположенными на ней нагревательными элементами 9 вынесена из салона кабины. На каждом теплообменном элементе 8 установлены нагревательный элемент 9 и по меньшей мере один теплообменник 10 (см. фотографию), причем нагревательный элемент 9 занимает всего 8-10% от длины теплообменного элемента 8.Hence, various installation options for thermal panels are possible (Fig. 2). So, only one thermal panel consisting of a set can be installed

-shaped heat-exchange elements 8, or a panel from a set of L-shaped heat-exchange elements 8. It can be installed two thermal panels and both consisting of a set

-shaped heat-exchange elements 8, or two thermal panels, one of which consists of a set

-shaped, and the other from L-shaped heat exchange elements 8. There may be an option to install a heat panel just above the floor panel 2. The choice of a specific design and installation of a heat panel is determined by the design features of the sauna and the required conditions of the thermal regime in the cabin 1. Therefore, it is provided also an installation option of L-shaped thermal panels, the lower part of which with the heating elements 9 located on it, is removed from the cabin. Each heat exchange element 8 has a heating element 9 and at least one heat exchanger 10 (see photo), and the heating element 9 occupies only 8-10% of the length of the heat exchange element 8.

 Since the heater’s heat panel (heat exchange elements 8) are mounted at a distance from vertical panels 4 or floor panels 2 and at a distance from the decorative protective fence 11 and / or floor protective fence 12, the heat energy radiated from the heat exchange elements 8 is evenly distributed over cab volume 1.

 The heating of the cabin 1 of the sauna "TERMAL" is as follows.

 The electric power supplied from the mains to the heating element 9 is instantly converted into thermal energy. Thermal energy from these heating elements 9, which perform the function of thermal converters, through a metal base on which each of the elements 9 are made, is transferred rather quickly and with a small temperature difference to heat exchange elements 8 made on the basis of a heat pipe, as, for example, in the Japanese patent N 63-52295, publ. 1988, and with high thermal conductivity due to this design. Through the heat exchange elements 8, thermal energy is distributed inside the cabin 1, thus ensuring its volumetric heating.

 The presence of heat exchangers 10 on the heat exchange elements 8 increases the intensity of these elements 8, and the use of special coatings (for example, oxidation) on these heat exchangers 10 significantly improves the heat transfer of the heat panels.

 In the formation of the internal climate of the sauna cabin, in creating the well-being of the people in it, ventilation is of great importance, which ensures uniform air exchange in the cabin without the formation of stagnant zones so that the air temperature and humidity change as little as possible under the influence of ventilation. For this, air outlets are made or electric fans are used. In the proposed sauna, due to the use of a distributed low-temperature heater, volumetric natural convection of air occurs.

 Thus, the proposed sauna allows you to provide quite conflicting requirements during its operation, namely high fire safety; comfortable temperature; low power consumption.

The operational experience of the TERMAL sauna for three years has shown that energy consumption has decreased by almost 2 times; the temperature difference in the cabin volume is only 15-20 ^o C. Confirmed during the operation of the sauna is a sufficiently high reliability of its heating system.

 In addition, a significant advantage of the proposed design of the TERMAL sauna is the possibility of its implementation in a modular design depending on the volume of the cabin and the number of visitors to the sauna.

Claims (4)

 1. Sauna, containing a cabin with a heater equipped with its control equipment, at least one seat and a lamp, consisting of floor, ceiling and vertical panels, one of which has a door, all panels are rigidly fixed to each other, characterized in that said heater is made in the form of at least one heat panel, consisting of a set of heat-exchange elements spaced apart from each other or adjacent to each other, on each of which a heating element is installed Connected to the mains, the heat panel is positioned between a vertical panel and parallel to it decorative or protective fencing and outdoor floor panel guard and spaced at a distance from them, provide uniform heat distribution over the volume of the cab.  2. The sauna according to claim 1, characterized in that the heating element is made on a metal base so that direct thermal contact and the required electrical insulation with the heat exchange element are provided.  3. Sauna according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat exchange element is made in the form of a heat pipe with at least one heat exchanger located on it.  4. Sauna according to claim 1, characterized in that the decorative protective fence is made in the form of blinds, the parallel slats of which are arranged vertically or tilted up or down with gaps that allow intensive passage of heated air and its movement inside the cabin, and the floor protective fence in the form of blinds with gaps between parallel horizontal bars.

Images