RADIATORS

• US 20100133352A1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MSA Engineering Systems Ltd
• Original Assignee: Basic Device Limited
• Inventors: Jones, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 9,022,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 237/12
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1096 for electric heating systems
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/004 with a closed circuit for a heat transfer liquid

Abstract

A radiator (10) is proposed comprising a sealed flow path through which electrically heated fluid is arranged to pass. A control unit is provided in the radiator (10) which is arranged to control operation of the radiator (10). The radiator (10) also has a receiving unit arranged to receive at least one operation instruction from a remote control unit in use. The receiving unit is arranged to pass the at least one operation instruction to the control unit so that, in use, the radiator (10) is controllable by the remote control unit. Also, an inlet pipe (16) supplies water to a heater (14) by a pump (18). The water then passes through a pipe comprising an inverted U-bend (20) which controls air at the top of the bend. The radiator comprises a sealed system that plugs into the mains. Different radiators are able to communicate with each other.

Claims

1. A radiator (10) comprising an electric heater (14) and a sealed flow path through which, in use, electrically heated fluid is arranged to be driven by a fluid driving means (18), a control unit arranged to control operation of the radiator (10) and a receiving unit arranged to receive at least one operation instruction from a remote control unit in use, and which is arranged to pass the at least one operation instruction to the control unit so that, in use, the radiator (10) is controllable by the remote control unit.

3. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one operation instruction comprises operation start and stop times for the radiator (10).

4. The radiator (10) of any preceding claim, including monitoring means arranged, in use, to monitor the rate of electricity consumption of the radiator (10) and to control the flow of electricity to the radiator (10) in dependence upon the monitored consumption.

5. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 4 arranged, in use, to control the amount of electricity that the or each radiator (10) is able to consume over a period of time.

6. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the radiator (10) includes means for communicating with another radiator (10) or the remote control unit so that, in use, the other radiator (10) or remote control unit can determine that the radiator (10) is unavailable.

7. The radiator (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the flow path includes a gas controller (20) comprising up and down stream parts of the path and an intermediate portion between those up and down stream parts, the intermediate portion being at a greater elevation than the up and down stream parts.

8. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 7 in which the gas controller (20) has a cross-sectional area of more than 5 mm²

9. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 7 or 8 in which the gas controller (20) has a cross-sectional area of less than 70 mm².

10. The radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9 in which the lowermost portion of the intermediate part is at a greater elevation than the up and down stream parts.

11. The radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 7 to 10 in which the gas controller (20) comprises an inverted U.

12. The radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 7 to 11 in which the up stream or down stream portions or both include a vertically extending channel along at least part of their extent.

13. The radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 7 to in which the radiator (10) includes at least one radiating portion (12) with the gas controller (20) being located adjacent to that radiating portion (12).

14. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 13 in which the gas controller (20) is to one side of the radiating portion (12).

15. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 14 including two radiating portions (12) with the gas controller (20) being located between those two radiating portions (12).

16. The radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 13 to 15 in which the sealed flow path includes fluid flowing in at least one radiating portion (12).

17. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 16 in which fluid leaving the downstream part is supplied to at least one radiating portion (12).

18. The radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 14 to 17, in which, the gas controller (20) is at a lower elevation than the uppermost extent of the flow path in at least one radiating portion (12).

19. The radiator (10) as claimed in any claims 7 to 18 in which the gas controller (20) is downstream of the fluid driving means (18).

20. The radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 7 to 19 in which the gas controller (20) is downstream from the heater (14).

21. The radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 7 to 20 in which the fluid driving means (18) is downstream from the heater (14).

22. The radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 7 to including first communication means arranged to co-operate with second communication means.

23. The radiator (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a triac in thermal communication with the heater (14) used to electrically heat the fluid, so that the triac is cooled by the heater (14).

24. The radiator (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fluid driving means (18) comprises a pump (18) and the controller is arranged to intermittently start the pump (18) when operation of the radiator (10) is initiated.

25. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 24, wherein the controller is arranged to send a pulsed start signal to the pump (18).

26. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 25, wherein a duty cycle of the pulsed start signal is gradually increased.

27. The radiator (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a separable cover arranged to surround the radiator (10) when mounted on a wall.

46. A method of operating a radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 31 to 45 when using a radiator (10) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 30.

2. The radiator (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one operation instruction comprises a temperature setting.

28. A method of controlling a radiator (10) comprising a sealed flow path through which electrically heated fluid is arranged to pass, the method comprising the steps of sending at least one operation instruction from a remote control unit to the radiator (10), and receiving the at least one operation instruction at the radiator (10) and controlling an operation of the radiator (10) depending on the at least one operation instruction.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the at least one operation instruction comprises an operation temperature.

30. The method of claim 28 or claim 29, wherein the at least one operation instruction comprises operation start and stop timings.

31. A method of controlling the electricity consumed in a unit including at least one radiator (10) comprising a sealed flow path through which electrically heated fluid is arranged to pass comprises monitoring the electricity being consumed by the or each radiator (10) in the unit and controlling the rate of consumption of electricity by the or each radiator (10) in dependence upon the monitored consumption.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein a total consumption of the unit is maintained below a predetermined level.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the predetermined level is substantially below a maximum supply level.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the predetermined level is substantially at the maximum supply level, and at least one radiator (10) is controlled to consume less electricity if another external device to the unit is turned on.

35. The method of any of claims 31 to 34, wherein monitoring takes place on a ring main.

36. The method of any of claims 31 to 35, wherein the or each radiator (10) in the unit or a control for the or each radiator (10) includes a control that restricts the overall electricity consumed by the or each radiator (10) to a predetermined level over a predetermined period of time.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein at least a minimum amount of electricity is available in a predetermined period of time.

38. The method of claim 36 or claim 37, wherein at least one radiator (10) in the unit can override the control that restricts the overall electricity consumed.

39. The method of any of claims 31 to 38, the method including causing heated fluid to pass through a gas controller (20) by flowing first through an upstream part, then an intermediate portion and then a downstream part with the intermediate portion being at a greater elevation than the up and downstream parts.

40. The method as claimed in claim 39 when the radiator (10) is located in a zone comprising monitoring the entry of a person into the zone and causing the radiator (10) to add heat to the zone, if required, after the monitoring of the entry.

41. The method of any of claims 31 to 40, wherein the radiator (10) is arranged to be started by pulsing a pump arranged to circulate the electrically heated fluid through the sealed flow path.

42. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the pulsing comprises gradually increasing the a duty cycle of a pump operation signal.

43. The method of any of claims 31 to 42, wherein a plurality of radiators (10) are arranged to receive the at least one operation instruction from a single remote control unit.

44. The method of any of claims 31 to 43, wherein there are a plurality of radiators (10) divided into two or more zones, and a single remote control unit is provided for each zone to communicate with the respective radiators (10) in that zone.

45. The method of any of claims 31 to 44, wherein the radiator (10) is arranged to receive the at least one operation instruction wirelessly from the remote control unit.