Space heater

• US 6,089,221 A
• Filed: 07/02/1999
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rinnai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Rinnai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Mano, Hiroshi, Yasui, Shigeaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cocks, Josiah C.
• Application Number:
  US09/345,800
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 126/116 R, 126/116 A, 126/110 B, 126/110 C, 126/110 R, 236/1 C, 236/1 H, 236/10, 236/11, 237/80, 237/2 A, 237/12, 431/75
• US Class Current: 126/116.00A
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/136 Defrosting or de-icing; Preventing freezing
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/148 Assessing the current energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/176 Improving or maintaining comfort of users
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/254 Room temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/281 Input from user
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/31 of valves having only one inlet port and one outlet port, e.g. flow rate regulating valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/345 Control of fans, e.g. on-off control control of fans of heat pump units F24H15/375
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/36 of burners
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/0036 Dispositions against condensation of combustion products
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2085 using fluid fuel

Abstract

A space heater for heating air from within a room with a heat exchanger connected to a burner and discharging heated air into the room has a room temperature sensor for detecting a room temperature and a controller for controlling the burner with a freeze prevention temperature set to prevent indoor facilities from being frozen. When the detected room temperature drops to or below the freeze prevention temperature, the controller operates the burner and controls the burner with a lower limit for an amount of heat in the burner with which no moisture condensation occurs in the heat exchanger.

Claims

1. A space heater comprising:

a casing;

a heat exchanger disposed in said casing and having heating means for heating air;

a fan for drawing air from within a room into said casing and discharging hot air heated by said heating means into the room;

room temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature in the room; and

heating operation control means for controlling operation of said heating means based on the temperature detected by said room temperature detecting means;

said heating operation control means having freeze prevention mode control means comprising;

freeze prevention temperature setting means for setting a freeze prevention temperature to prevent indoor facilities from being frozen;

start control means for starting to operate said heating means when the temperature detected by said room temperature detecting means is equal to or lower than said freeze prevention temperature; and

lower-limit amount-of-heat setting means for setting an amount of heat that is greater than an amount of heat with which moisture condensation occurs in said heat exchanger, as a lower limit for an amount of heat in said heating means.

2. A space heater according to claim 1, wherein said heating operation control means comprises temperature control means for controlling the amount of heat in said heating means based on the difference between the temperature detected by said room temperature detecting means and said freeze prevention temperature.

3. A space heater according to claim 1, wherein said casing has a passage defined therein for drawing air therethrough into said casing, said room temperature detecting means being disposed in said passage.

4. A space heater according to claim 1, wherein said heating operation control means comprises warming mode control means having room temperature setting means for setting a target room temperature, and temperature control means for controlling the amount of heat in said heating means based on the difference between the temperature detected by said room temperature detecting means and said target room temperature.

5. A space heater according to claim 4, further comprising:

manual control means for manually controlling said room temperature setting means to control said freeze prevention temperature setting means, said freeze prevention mode control means comprising means for operating the heating means in a freeze prevention mode based on the amount of heat controlled by said temperature control means based on the difference between said freeze prevention temperature and said target room temperature.

6. A space heater according to claim 4, wherein said heating operation control means comprises manual control means for operating said freeze prevention mode control means when said warming mode control means is turned off.

7. A space heater comprising:

a casing;

a heat exchanger disposed in said casing and having heating means for heating air;

a fan for drawing air from within a room into said casing and discharging hot air heated by said heating means into the room;

room temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature in the room;

room temperature setting means for setting a target room temperature;

temperature control means for determining an amount of heat in said heating means based on the difference between the temperature detected by said room temperature detecting means and the target room temperature set by said room temperature setting means;

warming operation control means for controlling said heating means based on the amount of heat determined by said temperature control means;

freeze prevention temperature setting means for setting a freeze prevention temperature to prevent indoor facilities whose temperatures are lower than said target room temperature from being frozen;

freeze prevention mode control means for operating said temperature control means with the freeze prevention temperature set as the target room temperature to operate said heating means in a freeze prevention mode based on the amount of heat determined by said temperature control means if the temperature detected by said room temperature detecting means is equal to or lower than the freeze prevention temperature set by said freeze prevention temperature setting means; and

lower-limit amount-of-heat setting means for setting an amount of heat that is greater than an amount of heat with which moisture condensation occurs in said heat exchanger, as a lower limit for the amount of heat determined by said temperature control means in said freeze prevention mode.