US20090003807A1

US20090003807A1 - Heater

Info

Publication number: US20090003807A1
Application number: US12/110,450
Authority: US
Inventors: Shih H. Chen
Original assignee: THERMOFLOW TECHNOLOGY Inc
Current assignee: THERMOFLOW TECHNOLOGY Inc
Priority date: 2007-06-29
Filing date: 2008-04-28
Publication date: 2009-01-01
Also published as: TWM323037U

Abstract

A heater includes a casing, a heating module, a phase change heat conducting body and a heat absorbing body. A chamber is formed in the casing, and air intake holes and ventilation holes are formed on the casing and interconnected with the chamber. The heating module and the phase change heat conducting body are fixed into the chamber of the casing, and an end of the heat conducting body is attached with the heating module, and another end of the heat conducting body is connected to the heat absorbing body. The heat absorbing body is composed of heat absorbing plates, and an air flow passage is formed between any two heat absorbing plates and installed corresponding to the ventilation hole, so that a hot air flow discharged from the heater can be controlled under a predetermined temperature to improve the safety of using the heater.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a heater, and more particularly to a heater of an electric appliance.
2. Description of Prior Art
In general, the temperature is relative low in winters, and people living in a tropical or cold area generally keep themselves warm by using heaters, and thus heaters become an indispensable electric appliance to a family, and various types of heaters are available in the market. Most of the heaters have the issues of a low safety, oxygen combusting, a large volume and a heavy weight.
In general, a traditional heater includes a casing with a containing space therein, one or a plurality of electric heating pipes installed in containing space, and a grid-shaped hood covered onto the electric heating pipes and connected to the casing, so that after the electric heating pipe is heated and the temperature rises, the produced heat can be dissipated and transmitted to the outside of the heater by the heat convection effect of air to achieve the operation of the heater.
However, the traditional heater still has the following drawbacks in practical use. The contact area of the electric heating pipe with the air is small, and the time for a cold air flow to pass through the electric heating pipe is short, and thus it is necessary to greatly increase the temperature of the electric heating pipe in order to achieve the required heating effect. The temperature of the electric heating pipe usually reaches hundreds of degrees after heating, and thus the high heat may burn objects near the heater or may even cause a fire which becomes a serious concern on the safety of using the heater. Further, the heater combusts oxygen during its operation, and thus the oxygen content in the air is reduced greatly, and such reduction of oxygen will cause discomfort such as a dry mouth and a thin tongue fur to users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a primary objective of the present invention to overcome the foregoing shortcomings by providing a heater with a phase change heat conducting body for transmitting hot air flow of the heater to the outside and controlling the heater below a predetermined temperature to improve the safety of using the heater.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides a heater, comprising a casing, a heating module, a phase change heat conducting body, and a heat absorbing body, wherein a chamber is formed in the casing, and a plurality of air intake holes and a plurality of ventilation holes are formed on the casing and interconnected with the chamber, and the heating module and the phase change heat conducting body are fixed into the chamber of the casing, and an end of the heat conducting body is attached with the heating module, and another end of the heat conducting body is connected to the heat absorbing body, and the heat absorbing body is composed of a plurality of heat absorbing plates, and an air flow passage is formed between any two heat absorbing plates and installed corresponding to the ventilation hole.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a heater that does not combust any oxygen in the air when use, in order to improve the users' comfort.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a heater that increases the heat exchange area by installing a heat pipe and a heat absorbing plate, and extends the time of heating the cold air in the passage between the heat absorbing plates.
Another further objective of the present invention is to provide a heater with a small overall volume, a light weight, a fast heat conducting rate and a high heat dissipating performance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a heater of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a heater with a portion of components of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a heater assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a heater assembly of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an application of a heater of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The technical characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noteworthy to point out that the preferred embodiments are used for illustrating the present invention only, but not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 for a perspective exploded view, a schematic partial view, a schematic assembled view, and a cross-sectional view of the present invention, the invention provides a heater, comprising a casing 10, a heating module 20, a phase change heat conducting body 30and a heat absorbing body 40.
The casing 10 is composed of a front casing 11 and a rear casing 12 coupled to the front casing 11, and a chamber 13 is formed between the front casing 11 and the rear casing 12 (as shown in FIG. 4), and a front panel of the front casing 11 has a plurality of ventilation holes 111, and a knob 112 disposed at the middle position below the ventilation hole 111 and provided for controlling the ventilation of the heater, and a panel of the rear casing 12 has a plurality of air intake holes 121, and the interior of the rear casing 12 includes a plurality of screw pillars 122 disposed below the air intake holes 121. Further, corresponding handles 113, 123 are protruded from the tops of the front casing 11 and the rear casing 12 respectively for facilitating the moving or carrying of the heater. The handles also can be installed on a single edge of the top of the front casing 11 or the rear casing 12 (not shown in the figure).
The heating module 20 is fixed into the chamber 13 of the casing 10, and includes a heating plate 21, an electrode plate 22 attached onto a side of the heating plate 21, a thermal insulating plate 23 clamped between the heating plate 21 and the rear casing 12, a fixing plate 24 for pressing and fixing the heating plate 21 and the thermal insulating plate 23 into the rear casing 12, and a plurality of longitudinal holes 211 disposed on the heating plate 21. The electrode plate 22 is provided for receiving an AC power supply, and the fixing plate 24 is fixed onto the screw pillars 122 of the rear casing 12 by screws.
The phase change heat conducting body 30 is contained in the chamber 13 of the casing 10, and the heat conducting body 30 can be a cylindrical heat pipe or a vapor chamber (also known as isothermal plate). In this embodiment, the cylindrical heat pipe is adopted, and the lower end of the cylindrical heat pipe is connected into the longitudinal hole 211 of the heating plate 21, and extended upward to lateral sides of the ventilation holes 111 and the air intake holes 121 on the front and rear casings 11, 12.
The heat absorbing body 40 is engaged with the heat conducting body 30, and the heat absorbing body 40 is formed by stacking a plurality of heat absorbing plates 41, and an air flow passage 42 is formed between any two adjacent heat absorbing plates 41, and the air flow passages 42 is installed corresponding to the ventilation holes 111.
The invention further comprises a fan 50 fixed into the front casing 11 and corresponding to a position between the ventilation holes 111 of the front casing 11 and the heat absorbing body 40, such that the rotation of the fan 50 and the compulsive air flow produced by the fan 50 blow the heat absorbed by the heat absorbing plate 41 towards the exterior of the heater.
Referring to FIG. 5 for a cross-sectional view of an application of a heater of the present invention, a plug is inserted into a socket (not shown in the figure), and the knob 112 is turned to power on the heater, so that the electrode plate 22 starts heating up the heating plate 21, and the heat is conducted quickly to each heat absorbing plate 41 of the heat absorbing body 40 by a gas-liquid phase conducting mechanism of the heat conducting body 30, and most working fluids used in the heat conducting body 30 are water solutions, since the vaporization temperature can be controlled below 100° C. to enhance the safety of the application. The compulsive air flow produced by the fan 50 drives the heat in each air flow passage 42 between the heat absorbing plates 41 to pass through the fan 50 and blows the heat from the ventilation hole 111 of the front casing 11 to the outside.
Obviously, the heater of the invention can overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and comply with the requirements of patent application, and thus is duly filed for patent application.
While the invention is described in by way of examples and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, the aim is to cover all modifications, alternatives and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heater, comprising:

a casing, having a chamber formed therein, and a plurality of air intake holes and a plurality of ventilation holes disposed on the casing and interconnected with the chamber;

a heating module, fixed in the chamber of the casing;

a phase change heat conducting body, contained in the chamber of the casing, and an end of the heat conducting body being attached and coupled with the heating module; and

a heat absorbing body, coupled to another end of the heat conducting body, and composed of a plurality of heat absorbing plates, and having an air flow passage formed between any two adjacent heat absorbing plates and installed corresponding to the ventilation hole.

2. The heater of claim 1, wherein the casing includes a front casing and a rear casing coupled to the front casing, and the chamber is formed between the front casing and the rear casing, and the front casing includes the ventilation holes disposed thereon, and the rear casing includes the air intake holes disposed thereon.

3. The heater of claim 2, wherein the heating module includes a heating plate, and the heating plate includes a longitudinal hole disposed thereon, and a lower end of the heat conducting body is passed into and coupled with the longitudinal hole, and the heat conducting body is extended upward to a lateral side of the ventilation holes and the air intake holes of the front and rear casings.

4. The heater of claim 3, wherein the heating module further includes an electrode plate attached onto a lateral side of the heating plate, a thermal insulating plate clamped between the heating plate and the rear casing, and a fixing plate for fixing the heating plate and the thermal insulating plate into the rear casing.

5. The heater of claim 1, wherein the phase change heat conducting body is a cylindrical heat pipe.

6. The heater of claim 1, wherein the phase change heat conducting body is a vapor chamber.

7. The heater of claim 1, further comprising a fan mounted into the casing, and disposed between the ventilation holes and the heat absorbing body of the casing.