WO2007139328A1

WO2007139328A1 - Fan heater using plane heater

Info

Publication number: WO2007139328A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/002573
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sung Don Park
Original assignee: Sung Don Park
Priority date: 2006-05-29
Filing date: 2007-05-28
Publication date: 2007-12-06
Also published as: KR100754002B1

Abstract

A fan heater includes: a housing; a heat generating tube disposed inside the housing, and having an inner passage for allowing air to pass therethrough; a plane heater disposed on the outer surface of the heat generating tube, wherein the plane heater generates heat energy when electric current is applied thereto, thus heating the air flowing through the inner passage of the heat generating tube; a blower fan disposed in the inlet side of the inner passage to blow the air; an outer tube disposed around the heat generating tube, with an interval therebetween, thereby forming a flow passage for the air around the heat generating tube; a clip-shaped spacer disposed inside the outer tube, at both ends of the outer tube, to support the heat generating tube; and partition plates isolating the space around the outer tube from a remaining space inside the housing.

Description

Description FAN HEATER USING PLANE HEATER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a fan heater, and more particularly, to a fan heater using a plane heater, in which energy loss is reduced thanks to high thermal efficiency, and the temperature of blown air can be adjusted as desired since temperature control is easy. Background Art

[2] In the fan heater industry, an example of a fan heater uses a hot wire. This kind of fan heater includes a hot wire, which generates high temperature heat when electric current is applied thereto, and a blower fan, which blows air toward the hot wire in order to heat the air around the hot wire and then transport the heated air toward an area to be warmed (or heated).

[3] The fan heater using the hot wire can advantageously raise the temperature at a very fast rate. Accordingly, this kind of fan heater is generally used in places where rapid warming (or heating) is necessary.

[4] In spite of the merit of the fast temperature-raising rate, the fan heater using a hot wire as described above has drawbacks, such as low thermal efficiency and high energy consumption. Also, another problem of this kind of fan heater is that the hot wire made of metal produces toxic gas that is harmful to people when heated to a high temperature.

[5] As another example of the fan heater, there is a fan heater using a positive temperature coefficient heater (which hereinafter will be referred to as a "PTC heater"). This kind of fan heater (which hereinafter will be referred to as a "PTC heater type fan heater") includes a PTC heater, which generates high temperature heat when electric current is applied thereto, and a blower fan, which blows air into the PTC heater in order to heat the air around the PTC heater and then transport the heated air toward an area to be warmed.

[6] A merit of this PTC heater type fan heater is that the blowing temperature can be adjusted, since the heat generating temperature can be positively set at a desired temperature through the control of current flow in the PTC heater.

[7] Although the adjustable blowing temperature is advantageous, the PTC heater type fan heater can raise the temperature only at a very low rate, and thus is inconvenient to use. Accordingly, it is not suitable to use the PTC heater type fan heater in a place where rapid warming or heating is necessary. Due to this drawback, the PTC heater type fan heater is generally used for the purpose of preliminary heating inside an automobile.

[8] As a further example of the fan heater, there is a fan heater using a heat pipe. The heat pipe type fan heater includes a heat pipe, which generates high temperature heat due to the evaporation of a heating medium, and a blower fan, which blows air to the heat pipe in order to heat the air around the heat pipe and then transport the heated air toward an area to be warmed.

[9] However, since the heat pipe type fan heater uses the heating medium, it consumes a large amount of energy and thus is not suitable for the supply of a large amount of warm air.

[10] Furthermore, the heat pipe type fan heater has a complicated structure since it has various pipes for transporting the heating medium, a heater for evaporating the heating medium, a condenser for condensing the evaporated heating medium and so on. Accordingly, this fan heater has drawbacks such as a high manufacturing cost, large size and the frequent occurrence of breakdown. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[11] The present invention has been made to solve the foregoing problems with the prior art, and therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a fan heater using a plane heater, in which energy loss can be minimized thanks to high thermal efficiency, and the temperature of blown air can be adjusted as desired since temperature control is easy.

[12] Another object of the present invention is to provide a fan heater using a plane heater, which can reduce manufacturing cost and ensures a small heater size.

[13] A further object of the present invention is to provide a fan heater using a plane heater, which does not produce toxic materials, harmful to people, when the fan heater is running.

[14] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fan heater using a plane heater, which can improve product qualities when used as an industrial drier to dry automobile paints or fibers since it does not produce toxic materials when running.

[15] Another object of the present invention is to provide a fan heater using a plane h eater, which can promote the growth of crops and enable environment-friendly cultivation in the case of warming a greenhouse such as a vinyl house, thereby improving product qualities and increasing yield, which are helpful for increasing farming income.

[16] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fan heater using a plane heater, which does not produce toxic materials when running, and thus can supply warm air in an environment- friendly manner in the case of drying agro-fishery products, thereby yielding high quality products. Technical Solution

[17] According to an aspect of the present invention for realizing the above object, there is provided a fan heater. The fan heater includes: a housing; at least one heat generating tube disposed inside the housing, and having at least one inner passage for allowing air to pass therethrough; at least one plane heater disposed on the outer surface of the heat generating tube, wherein the plane heater generates heat energy when electric current is applied thereto in order to heat the air flowing through the inner passage of the heat generating tube; a blower fan disposed in an inlet side of the inner passage to blow the air; at least one outer tube disposed with an interval around the heat generating tube, thereby forming a flow passage for the air around the heat generating tube; a clip-shaped spacer disposed inside the outer tube, at both ends of the outer tube, to support the heat generating tube; and partition plates isolating a space around the outer tube from a remaining space inside the housing. The air, which is blown by the blower fan, passes only through the inner passage inside the heat generating tube and the flow passage between the heat generating tube and the outer tube.

Advantageous Effects

[18] According to the present invention, as set forth above, since the fan heater adopts the plane heater, which is activated at a low power level and has very high energy efficiency, it is possible to minimize energy consumption and thus reduce the cost of running the fan heater. [19] Since the heating temperature can be controlled, the blowing temperature can be adjusted as desired. The simple structure of the present invention also makes it possible to reduce manufacturing cost, reduce size and ensure light weight.

Brief Description of the Drawings [20] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a fan heater using a plane heater according to the present invention; [21] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating heat generating tubes, plane heaters and outer tubes of the hot blast tube according to the present invention; [22] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an alternative to the heat generating tubes of the hot blast tube according to the present invention; [23] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a second embodiment of the fan heater using a plane heater according to the present invention; and [24] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the second embodiment of the fan heater using a plane heater according to the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [25] A fan heater using a plane heater according to the present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments thereof are shown.

[26] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the fan heater using a plane heater according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating heat generating tubes, plane heaters and outer tubes of the hot blast tube according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an alternative to the heat generating tubes of the hot blast tube according to the present invention.

[27] Referring to FIG. 1, the fan heater using a plane heater of the present invention includes a housing 10, in which a controller 12 for controlling the heater is disposed. A set of push buttons 14 and a timer 15 are disposed on the outer surface of the housing 10.

[28] The housing 10 has an air-blowing space 16 therein, an entrance 17 in one side and an exit 18 in the opposite side. The entrance 17 functions to introduce the air and the exit 18 functions to exhaust the introduced air. Although the housing 10 is shown in the form of a box, it can be embodied in the form of a cylinder.

[29] Inside the air-blowing space 16, pluralities of heat generating tubes 20 are arranged side by side, parallel to the entrance 17. Each of the heat generating tubes 20 has an inlet 22, an inner passage 24 transporting the air, which is introduced through the inlet 22, and an outlet 26 exhausting the air toward the exit 18 when the air is blown through the inner passage 24.

[30] The heat generating tubes 20 are preferably made of a material having heat resistant and low expansion properties, such as quartz and ceramic. The number of heat generating tubes 20 is one or more, and can be determined variously according to the size of the housing 10 and the capacity of the fan heater. If the heat generating tubes 20 are provided in a small number, they are arranged side by side along a vertical line as shown in FIG. 2. If the heat generating tubes 20 are provided in a large number, they are arranged in rows and lines as shown in FIG. 3. In the case where the heat generating tubes 20 are arranged in rows and lines, electrodes 32 of the heat generating tubes 20 are connected in series.

[31] A plane heater 30 is provided to the outer surface of a respective heat generating tube 20, and respective electrodes 32 are attached to the plane heater 30 and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

[32] The plane heaters 30 are in the form of a thin film that is formed by applying conductive paint, acting as a resistor, on the heat generating tubes 20. For reference, the plane heater 30 has advantageous properties such as operability at a low power level and high energy efficiency. Also, the heating temperature is controlled when the flow of current applied to the plane heater 30 is controlled. The plane heater 30 is well- known in the art and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[33] The plane heater 30 generates high temperature heat due to the electric current applied thereto, thereby heating the heat generating tube 20. Then, the heat generating tube 20 heats the flow of air in the inner passage thereof, thereby producing a flow of hot air.

[34] The electrodes 32 of respective heat generating tubes 20 are electrically connected in series, and act to apply electric power, applied from the controller 12, to the plane heaters 30 of the heat generating tubes 20. The electrodes 32 are preferably made of silver.

[35] Returning to FIG. 1, the fan heater of the present invention includes outer tubes 34, each of which is arranged around a respective heat generating tube 20 with a predetermined interval therebetween.

[36] The outer tube 34 is arranged around the heat generating tube 20, and is spaced therefrom by clip type spacers 34a. Because the outer tube 34 is arranged around the heat generating tube 20 with the interval therebetween, it defines a flow passage with the heat generating tube 20, so that the air can flow through the flow passage. In particular, the air flowing through the flow passage is heated by the heat generating tube 20, thereby producing a hot flow of air.

[37] Here, the outer tubes 34 are preferably made of a glass material that has heat resistant and low expansion properties. Of course, alternatively, the outer tubes 34 can be made of quartz or ceramic.

[38] A pair of partition plates 34 is disposed at opposite ends of the outer tubes 34. The partition plates 34 isolate the space around the outer tubes 34 from the remaining space inside the housing 10. Thus, when the air is blown by a blower fan 40, which will be described later, it can flow only through the inner passage 24 of the heat generating tubes 20 and the flow passages 35 between the heat generating tubes 20 and the outer tubes 34.

[39] Returning to FIG. 1 again, the fan heater of the present invention also includes the blower fan 40, which blows the air into the inner passages 24 of the heat generating tubes 20.

[40] The blower fan 40 is placed inside the air-blowing space 16, adjacent to the entrance 17. The blower fan 40 draws the air from outside into the entrance 14, and blows the drawn air into the inlets 22 of the heat generating tubes 20 and the flow passages 35 between the heat generating tubes 20 and the outer tubes 34.

[41] As the drawn air is blown by the blower fan 40 into the inlets 22 of the heat generating tubes 20 and the flow passages 35 between the heat generating tubes 20 and the outer tubes 34, the blown-in air can be heated by the heat generating tubes 20 while flowing through the flow passages 35 and the inner passages 24 of the heat generating tubes 20, and the heated air can be blown out from the housing 10, through the outlets 26 and the exit 18 of the housing 10.

[42] The blower fan 40 is preferably a propeller, and can alternatively be a sirocco fan.

While the present drawing shows the blower fan 40 placed on the side of the inlets 22 of the heat generating tubes 20 to blow the air into the heat generating tubes 20, the blower fan 40 can alternatively be placed on the side of outlets 26 of the heat generating tubes 20 to draw the air from the inner passages 24 of the heat generating tubes 20.

[43] Next, an exemplary operation of the present invention as configured above will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[44] First, the fan heater of the present invention is operated via the button 14 of the controller 12. Then, electric current is applied to the plane heaters 30 to heat the heat generating tubes 20, and at the same time, the blower fan 40 is turned on to blow the air into the inner passages 24 of the heat generating tubes 20 and the flow passages 35 between the heat generating tubes 20 and the outer tubes 34.

[45] As the air is introduced into the inner passages 24 and the flow passages 35, it is heated while flowing through the inner passages 24 and the flow passages 35. Then, the heated air is exhausted through the outlets 26 and the exit 18 of the housing 10 and blown toward an area to be warmed.

[46] According to the present invention, as configured above, which uses plane heaters

30 that are activated at low power level and have very high energy efficiency, it is possible to minimize energy consumption and thus reduce the cost of running the fan heater.

[47] Since the heating temperature can be controlled, the blowing temperature can be adjusted as desired. The simple structure of the present invention also makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing cost as well as ensure a small size and light weight.

[48] Furthermore, the use of the plane heaters 30 does not produce toxic material.

Therefore, the fan heater of the present invention can supply warm air in an environment-friendly manner when warming greenhouses, such as vinyl houses, or drying agro-fishery products, thereby yielding high quality products.

[49] Next, FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a second embodiment of the fan heater according to the present invention.

[50] The fan heater of this embodiment includes a pair of opposing posts 50, which are disposed in an air-blowing space 16. The posts 50 are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance. Pluralities of heat generating plates 60 are mounted on the posts 50, spaced a predetermined interval apart from each other, thereby forming pluralities of steps, and plane heaters 70 are mounted on respective heat generating plates 60.

[51] The heat generating plates 60 are arranged in alignment with an entrance 17 and an exit 18 of a housing 10, spaced a predetermined interval apart from each other, thereby forming flow passages 62 between them. Since the flow passages 62 are configured as above, when air is introduced through the entrance 17 of the housing 10, it can circulate through the flow passages 62 and toward the exit 18.

[52] The plane heaters 70 are in the form of thin films, which are made by applying a suitable material on the heat generating plates 60. The plane heater 70 generates high temperature heat when electric current is applied thereto, thereby heating the heat generating plates 60. Then, the heat generating plates 60 heat the flow of air in the flow passages 62 thereof, thereby producing a flow of hot air.

[53] Electrodes 72 are attached to the plane heater 70 of respective heat generating plates

60, and are electrically connected with each other. The electrodes 72 are preferably made of silver.

[54] According to the fan heater of this embodiment, since the heat generating plates 60 are adopted as means for heating the air, it is possible to arrange more heat generating plates 60 in the air-blowing space 16. Therefore, it is possible to maximize the area for heating air, thereby enhancing the heating capacity of the fan heater.

[55] While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments and the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited thereto, but will be defined by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can substitute, change or modify the embodiments in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Industrial Applicability

[56] The present invention can be applied to the fan heater industry, and can reduce energy loss thanks to high thermal efficiency, and facilitate temperature control, so that air-blowing temperature can be adjusted as desired.

Claims

[1] A fan heater, comprising: a housing (10); at least one heat generating tube (20) disposed inside the housing (10), and having at least one inner passage (24) for allowing air to pass therethrough; at least one plane heater (30) disposed on an outer surface of the heat generating tube (20), wherein the plane heater (30) generates heat energy when electric current is applied thereto in order to heat the air flowing through the inner passage (24) of the heat generating tube (20); a blower fan (40) disposed in an inlet side of the inner passage (24) to blow the air; at least one outer tube (34) disposed with an interval around the heat generating tube (20), thereby forming a flow passage (35) for the air around the heat generating tube (20); a clip-shaped spacer (34a) disposed inside the outer tube (34), at both ends of the outer tube (34), to support the heat generating tube (20); and partition plates (36) isolating a space around the outer tube (34) from a remaining space inside the housing (10), wherein the air, which is blown by the blower fan (40), passes only through the inner passage (24) inside the heat generating tube (20) and the flow passage (35) between the heat generating tube (20) and the outer tube (34).