HEATER HAVING AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER

Abstract

 Disclosed is a heater having an automatic fire extinguisher, the heater including: a heater body including a fuel tank; a wick elevation unit fixed to the heater body and having an outer container having an opened upper end and a hollow air tank installed to be spaced apart from an inner surface of the outer container and having an opening at an upper end thereof, for elevating a wick between the outer container and the air tank; a combustion tank disposed at an upper end of the wick elevation unit; a vent cap for opening and closing the opening at the upper end of the air tank, a temperature detection unit installed on the bottom surface of the vent cap to face the hollow portion of the air tank and located on a side opposite to a side which flames face; and an automatic fire extinguisher for receiving a signal from the temperature detection unit and lowering the wick. Because the temperature detection unit faces a side opposite to a side which flames of the wick face, the temperature detection unit can be prevented from being damaged.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a heater having an automatic fire extinguisher, and more particularly, to a heater having an automatic fire extinguisher for automatically extinguishing fire when excessive flames are generated by wind (an external environment) or self-overheating of the heater while the heater performs a combustion operation.

2. Description of the Prior Art

[0002] In general, heaters using wicks burn fossil fuels including a liquid such as petroleum or heating oil, and perform heating operations using generated heat.

[0003] Such a heater absorbs a fuel mainly in a wick to burn the fuel directly or through a burner.

[0004] When a fuel is absorbed in a wick to be burned, the wick is installed in the interior of a combustion tank installed in the interior of the heater body and the combustion tank is coupled to an upper portion of a wick elevation unit, in which case if the exposed wick in the combustion tank is ignited using an ignition unit, air necessary for combustion is introduced from vent holes formed at a lower portion of the heater body to expedite combustion.

[0005] The user directly manipulates an extinguisher switch to allow the conventional heater operated in this way to perform an extinguishing operation.

[0006] However, when the user goes out or falls into sleep while the heater is turned on, unnecessary consumption of a fuel cannot be prevented and the user may be exposed to a danger of fire.

[0007] When the fuel is incompletely burned, carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide may be diffused into the interior of a room, in which case carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide significantly threats health of people who live in the closed interior.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an automatic fire extinguisher for automatically extinguishing fire by a timer or when carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide corresponding to a preset value or more is detected by a carbon dioxide/carbon monoxide sensor is disclosed.

[0009] Meanwhile, in the conventional heater, excessive flames may be generated instantaneously or continuously for a predetermined time period due to natural wind for ventilation or artificial wind such as wind of an electric fan or due to overheating of the product itself, and thus, soot may be generated on a heat reflection unit or the like or flames become excessively high so that a danger of a fire or a burn is present.

[0010] However, because a temperature detection unit is merely installed on a side which flames face in the conventional automatic fire extinguisher for a heater, the temperature of the flames may frequently cause breakdowns of the automatic fire extinguisher, and thus the automatic fire extinguisher may not be properly operated when excessive flames are generated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a heater having an automatic fire extinguisher, which, by using a temperature detection unit installed on a side opposite to a side which the flames face, can prevent a breakdown thereof due to flames when excessive flames are generated instantaneously or continuously for a predetermined time period due to natural wind for ventilation or artificial wind such as wind of an electric fan or due to overheating of the product itself.

[0012] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heater having an automatic fire extinguisher, the heater including: a heater body including a fuel tank; a wick elevation unit fixed to the heater body and having an outer container having an opened upper end and a hollow air tank installed to be spaced apart from an inner surface of the outer container and having an opening at an upper end thereof, for elevating a wick between the outer container and the air tank; a combustion tank disposed at an upper end of the wick elevation unit; a vent cap for opening and closing the opening at the upper end of the air tank, a temperature detection unit installed on the bottom surface of the vent cap to face the hollow portion of the air tank and located on a side opposite to a side which flames face; and an automatic fire extinguisher for receiving a signal from the temperature detection unit and lowering the wick.

[0013] The heater may further include: a support frame having a fixed plate spaced apart from a bottom surface of the vent cap, and support legs extending upwards from the fixed plate and fixed to the bottom surface of the vent cap, and the temperature detection unit may be fixedly installed on a bottom surface of the fixed plate.

[0014] The support legs may be fixed to the vent cap by inserting upper ends of the support legs into vent holes formed in the vent cap and bending the support legs.

[0015] The vent cap may have an upwardly convex shape, and the fixed plate may protrude downwards further from a lower end of the vent cap.

[0016] According to the present invention, because the temperature detection unit is installed on the bottom surface of the vent cap to face the hollow part of the air tank and is located on a side opposite to a side which flames of the wick face, the temperature detection unit can be prevented from being damaged by the flames.

[0017] Furthermore, according to the present invention, because the support frame for installing the temperature detection unit includes a fixed plate spaced apart from the bottom surface of the vent cap, and support legs extending upwards from the fixed plate, fixed to the bottom surface of the vent cap, and upper ends thereof inserted into vent holes formed in the vent cap and bended, the support frame can be firmly fixed to the vent cap.

[0018] In particular, because the support frame may be fixed to the vent cap using the vent holes formed already, there is no burden for additional fixing costs, and the support frame can be separated, the temperature detection unit can be easily maintained and installed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a heater including an automatic fire extinguisher according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view illustrating a coupling structure of a vent cap, a support frame, and a temperature detection unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top exploded perspective view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom exploded perspective view of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a coupling structure of the vent cap, the support frame, and the temperature detection unit of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0021] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a heater 1000 including an automatic fire extinguisher according to the present invention includes: a heater body 100 including a fuel tank 110; a wick elevation unit 300 fixed to the heater body 100 and having an outer container 310 having an opened upper end and a hollow air tank 320 installed to be spaced apart from an inner surface of the outer container 310 and having an opening 321 at an upper end thereof, for elevating a wick 330 between the outer container 310 and the air tank 320; a combustion tank 400 disposed at an upper end of the wick elevation unit 300; a vent cap 500 for opening and closing the opening 321 at the upper end of the air tank 320, a temperature detection unit 600 installed on the bottom surface of the vent cap 500 to face the hollow portion of the air tank 320 and located on a side opposite to a side which flames face; and an automatic fire extinguisher 200 for receiving a signal from the temperature detection unit 600 and lowering the wick 330.

[0022] Because the temperature detection unit 600 is installed on the bottom surface of the vent cap 500 to face the follow portion of the air tank 320 and is located on a side opposite to the side which flames face while the wick 330 is lifted, the temperature detection unit 600 is minimally damaged by the flames.

[0023] When excessive flames in a heater are generated instantaneously or continuously for a predetermined time period due to natural wind for ventilation or artificial wind such as wind of an electric fan or due to overheating of the product itself, the interior of the combustion tank 400 is overheated so that an overheated lower portion of the combustion tank 400 is detected by the temperature detection unit 600, and when a temperature corresponding to a preset value or more is detected, a detection signal is transmitted to the automatic fire extinguisher 200 such that the automatic fire extinguisher performs an extinguishing operation.

[0024] Furthermore, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6, it is preferable that the temperature detection unit 600 is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the vent cap 500 by the medium of a support frame 700.

[0025] This structure is also to space the temperature detection unit 600 apart from the combustion tank 400 as far as possible to prevent the temperature detection unit 600 from being directly damaged by overheat of the excessive flames.

[0026] To achieve this, it is preferable that the support frame 700 includes a fixed plate 710 spaced apart from the bottom surface of the vent cap 500, and support legs 720 extending upwards from the fixed plate 710 and fixed to the bottom surface of the vent cap 500.

[0027] In this case, the temperature detection unit 600 is fixedly installed on the bottom surface of the fixed plate 710 of the support frame 700 through a suitable coupling unit 770.

[0028] The temperature detection unit 600 may employ a bimetal sensor for performing an on/off operation according to a preset temperature, but also may employ a known general temperature sensor.

[0029] A plurality of legs 720 may be provided to be disposed at an interval along the circumference of the fixed plate 710.

[0030] With this configuration, the temperature detection unit 600 is prevented from being closed such that temperature can be detected more accurately.

[0031] Furthermore, the support frame 700 may be firmly fixed to the vent cap 500 by inserting upper ends of the support legs 720 into vent holes 510 formed in the vent cap 500 and bending the support legs 720.

[0032] In this way, because the support frame 700 can be fixed to the vent cap 500 using the vent holes 510 formed already, there is no burden for additional fixing costs, and the support frame 700 can be separated, the temperature detection unit 600 can be easily maintained and installed.

[0033] Of course, the support frame 700 may be installed in the vent cap 500 through a separate coupling member.

[0034] Meanwhile, it is preferable that the vent cap 500 has an upwardly convex shape and the fixed plate 710 protrudes downwards further from a lower end of the vent cap 500.

[0035] Accordingly, the temperature detection unit 600 can be prevented from being damaged by the heat of the flames introduced through auxiliary vent holes 521 formed along a circumferential side surface 520 of the vent cap 500 having an upwardly convex shape.

[0036] The automatic fire extinguisher 200 is an apparatus for automatically extinguishing flames as a detection signal is transferred to the automatic fire extinguisher 200 when the temperatures of a lower portion of the combustion tank 400 and the temperature of the hollow part of the air tank 320 detected by the temperature detection unit 600 are a preset temperature values or higher.

[0037] In more detail, the wick 330 can be lifted by rotating the wick driving shaft 210 illustrated in FIG. 1 and be ignited, and when excessive flames are generated during use of the heater, a signal is transmitted from the temperature detection unit 600 to the automatic fire extinguisher 200 to operate the automatic fire extinguisher 200, so that the wick driving shaft 210 is reversely rotated by a resilient restoring force such that the wick is lowered and extinguished.

[0038] The automatic fire extinguisher 200 illustrated in FIG. 1 is the same as an apparatus disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1129325 and their operational methods are also the same, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0039] However, of course, an apparatus having another known structure and another operational method can be employed as the automatic fire extinguisher 200.

[0040] Although the exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described until now, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but the scope of the present invention include the claims and various modifications thereof made by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, without departing from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims.

Claims

1. A heater having an automatic fire extinguisher, the heater comprising:

a heater body including a fuel tank;

a wick elevation unit fixed to the heater body and having an outer container having an opened upper end and a hollow air tank installed to be spaced apart from an inner surface of the outer container and having an opening at an upper end thereof, for elevating a wick between the outer container and the air tank;

a combustion tank disposed at an upper end of the wick elevation unit;

a vent cap for opening and closing the opening at the upper end of the air tank,

a temperature detection unit installed on the bottom surface of the vent cap to face the hollow portion of the air tank and located on a side opposite to a side which flames face; and

an automatic fire extinguisher for receiving a signal from the temperature detection unit and lowering the wick.

2. The heater of claim 1, further comprising:

a support frame having a fixed plate spaced apart from a bottom surface of the vent cap, and support legs extending upwards from the fixed plate and fixed to the bottom surface of the vent cap,

wherein the temperature detection unit is fixedly installed on a bottom surface of the fixed plate.

3. The heater of claim 2, wherein the support legs are fixed to the vent cap by inserting upper ends of the support legs into vent holes formed in the vent cap and bending the support legs.

4. The heater of claim 3, wherein the vent cap has an upwardly convex shape, and the fixed plate protrudes downwards further from a lower end of the vent cap.

Drawing