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(11) | EP 2 873 926 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| published in accordance with Art. 153(4) EPC |
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| (54) | MODULAR HEAT DIFFUSER |
| (57) Abstract: The invention relates to a modular heat diffuser (11) comprising a front
fin (12) and a rear fin (13) arranged in parallel and joined by means of a central
joining fin (17) arranged perpendicularly to the previous two in an H-type cross-sectional
shape. Said modular heat diffuser (11) also comprises outer fins (15) perpendicular
to both faces of the central joining fin (17), forming an irregular cross-sectional
shape comprising a set of consecutively arranged discontinuous undulating, irregular
and straight outer fin segments, and said outer fm segments are each arranged at a
predetermined distance from both the front (12) and the rear (13) fins. |
PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a modular heat diffuser which can be assembled with various thermal diffusers and an electrical heating element to form a dry heat radiator to be connected to an electrical power supply.
STATE OF THE ART
[0002] A dry heat radiator is currently known which is connected to an electrical power supply and fixed to a room wall to heat it,
[0003] The heat radiator is formed by a plurality of heat diffusers modules in an elongated configuration and normally made of highly conductive materials such as aluminium.
[0004] The heat diffuser has an H-type cross-sectional shape comprising a front fin and a rear fin joined by a central joining fin arranged perpendicularly to the two previous ones.
[0005] The diffusers have through holes in one or several areas of the central fin for the passage of connecting elements between them, which may be embodied in bars traversing all the modules and connecting them together, with end components on the bars to bind the modular diffusers together.
[0006] Further, the aforementioned diffusers are traversed by at least one electrical heating element which, thanks to passing electrical current, is heated by direct contact and transmits heat to the diffusers.
[0007] In this type of radiator, given the metallic nature of the diffusers, the heat generated by the electrical heating elements is transmitted to the metal diffusers by conduction and by convection and radiation to the environment. The delivery of heat to the environment by the diffusers occurs rapidly in time.
[0008] The hot air rises by convection, in turn also carrying hot dust particles which, over time, soil the wall to which the heat radiator is fixed. The user experience is, therefore, impaired.
[0009] To increase the contact surface between the heat diffuser and the surrounding air, i.e. to achieve even greater heat transmission, the diffuser is completed with outer fins parallel to the front and rear fins and vertically arranged on either side of the central fin, so that it also increases the amount of airborne dust particles that are heated,
SUMMARY
[0010] The present invention seeks to solve one or more of the drawbacks discussed above by means of a modular heat diffuser as claimed in the claims.
[0011] One aspect of the modular heat diffuser is to increase its radiating power, while reducing the heat supplied to the dust particles in suspension in the air surrounding a heat radiator,
[0012] Another aspect of the modular heat diffuser is to direct an air current heated by the diffuser itself by modifying the geometry of the fin assembly that forms the modular heat diffuser.
[0013] Yet another aspect of the modular heat diffuser is to provide uniform heat diffusion when forming part of a dry heat radiator and, as such, to obtain a homogeneous temperature around the radiator.
[0014] Still another aspect of the modular heat diffuser is to increase heat transmission to the environment by modifying the geometry of some fins that form the modular heat diffuser, while decreasing heat transmission to the dust particles in suspension in the environment, without it being necessary to increase the power of a heat energy generating electrical heating element unit or units comprised in the in the dry heat radiator.
[0015] The increase in heat transmission capacity of the heat diffuser is achieved by modifying the front and rear fins and the outer fins arranged perpendicularly on both sides of the central fin achieving, instead of a flat shape, in this case, the shape of discontinuous undulations and/or mixed shapes, giving a considerable increase in the radiating surface of the heat diffuser.
[0016] The modular heat diffuser comprises a front fin, a rear fin arranged parallel to the first and a central joining fin perpendicular to the previous two in an H-type cross-sectional shape; where the modular heat diffuser also comprises outer fins perpendicular to both sides of the central joining fin, comprising discontinuous, undulating, irregular, straight outer fin segments arranged consecutively and the external fin segments are each arranged at a predetermined distance from both front and rear fins.
[0017] The outer fin divides an air current into at least two air streams which are heated independently by a heating element arranged perpendicular to the central joining fin.
[0019] The front fin has an undulating cross-section, with the undulations arranged horizontally and the rear fin section has an inverted J-type cross-sectional shape.
[0020] A dry heat radiator comprises a set of assembled modular heat diffusers described in the above paragraphs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0021] A more detailed explanation of the invention is given in the following description based on the accompanying figure in which:
Figure 1 is an elevation view of a modular heat diffuser for a dry heat radiator, and
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a dry heat radiator formed by assembling several modular heat diffusers.
DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT
[0022] Figure 1 illustrates a modular heat diffuser 11 which, by convection and radiation, heats the air surrounding it. The diffuser 11 comprises a front fin 12 and a rear fin 13 arranged in parallel and connected by a central joining fin 17 arranged perpendicularly to the previous two in an H-type cross-sectional shape.
[0023] In addition, the heat diffuser 11 comprises outer fins 15 perpendicular to the two sides of the central fin 17. The outer fin 15 forms an irregular section comprising a set of discontinuous outer fin segments with an undulating, irregular, straight profile with each outer fin 15 segment arranged at a predetermined distance from both front 12 and rear fins 13.
[0024] Referring now to Figure 2, a set of heat diffusers 11 are assembled to form a modular electric radiator 21, of the type of so-called dry heat type, i.e. containing no oil or other heat transfer fluid. This radiator has one or more housings for locating a heat generating unit 14 of the electrical resistance type.
[0025] The dry heat radiator 21 is generally attached to a room wall by mechanical means for fastening and anchorage 16 that secure the heat radiator 21 at a predetermined distance.
[0026] The front fin 12 has an undulating section, so that the succession of waves, i.e. the continuous succession of valleys and crests, are arranged horizontally and, in addition, the top edge of the front fin 12 ends in an oblique upward slope, representing the transition between a valley and a crest of the undulating surface, so that a current of air rising along the outer surface of the front fin 12 of the heat diffuser 11 is directed away from the wall.
[0027] The rear fin 13 takes has an inverted J-type cross section and has a smaller radiating surface than the front fin in order to reduce the transmission of radiant heat to the wall surface. Therefore, the upper end of the rear fin 13 has an oblique rising section that directs a rising air current away from the wall.
[0028] The discontinuous outer fin 15 has a mixed configuration combining straight and undulating shaped segments in an S-type cross section. The possible options for the outer fin 15 relative to its geometry are based on the number of electric heating elements 14 included in the dry heat radiator 21.
[0029] In a scenario in which the heat radiator 21 includes two heating elements 14, wherein a first electrical heating element is arranged next to the lower edge area of the radiator 21 and a second heating element is arranged in a region near the upper edge of the radiator 21, the geometry of the outer fin 15 is such that the air is heated by the lower heater is directed towards the upper outlet end of a passageway or channel mainly defined by the front 12, rear 13 and central joining 17 fins and diverting this hot air current away from the upper heating element in order to prevent the latter heating element from reheating this air current and, in turn, reheating the dust particles it carries as well.
[0030] It has been observed that the lower and upper heating elements are arranged within a crest of the undulating surface of the front fin 12 to define the geometry of the channel for the passage of the air current heated by the lower heating element.
[0031] It is also seen in Figure 1, that the lower end of the passageway is divided into two channel sections by a segment in a J-type cross-sectional shape rotated to the right of the outer fin 15 fin order to divide the cold air current entering through this lower end, directing a portion of the air current to the lower heating element and another part of the air current to the upper heating element.
[0032] The outer fin 15 keeps the two currents separated along the length of the heat diffuser passageway. This separation is also maintained at the outlet end of the passageway by a straight segment of the outer fin 15 running from the upper heating element to near the end of the passageway. From there, without contact, the outer fin 15 comprises an oblique parallelogram 16, the slope of which is a function of the slope of the upper end of the front 12 and rear 13 fins.
[0033] In summary, the geometry of the set of discontinuous outer fin 15 segments is configured to divide an air current into two streams and to direct the two streams of hot air, each heated by an electrical heating element 14 comprised within the heat diffuser 11, in its rising vertical movement due to the convection, moving hot air currents away from the wall to which the dry heat radiator 21 is secured.
1. A modular heat diffuser comprising a front fin (12), a rear fin (13) arranged in parallel
and connected by a central joining fin (17) arranged perpendicularly to the previous
two in an H cross-sectional shape, characterised in that the modular heat diffuser (11) further comprises outer fins (15) perpendicular to
both faces of the central joining fin (17), forming an irregular cross-sectional shape
comprising a set of discontinuous, undulating, irregular and straight outer fin segments,
and said outer fin segments are arranged at a predetermined distance from both the
front (12) and rear (13) fins.
2. A heat diffuser as per claim 1, characterised in that the outer fin (15) divides an air current into at least two air flows that are heated
independently by a heat providing element (14) arranged perpendicularly to the central
joining fin (17).
3. A heat diffuser as per claim 1, characterised in that the outer fin (15) comprises an undulating segment in an S-type section.
4. A heat diffuser as per claim 1, characterised in that the front fin (12) has an undulating cross-sectional shape, with the undulations
arranged horizontally.
5. A heat diffuser as per claim 1, characterised in that the rear fin (13) has an inverted J-type cross section.
6. A dry heat radiator, characterised in that the radiator (21) comprises a set of modular heat diffusers (11) assembled as per
claims 1 to 5.