This application claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202310635022.4, filed on May 31, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to water vapor fireplaces. In particular, the present invention relates to the utilization of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating plate in a water vapor fireplace.
With the rapid development of science and technology, household water vapor fireplaces are gradually transitioning from heating devices to decorative apparatuses, and significant progress has been made in the technology. Currently, water vapor fireplaces typically utilize halogen lamps, heating tubes, or heating wires as heating elements.
The halogen lamps have the drawbacks of high temperatures and a susceptibility to being touched in the installed position, leading to scalding. They have a lifespan of 500-600 hours and consume high amounts of power. The halogen lamps are made of materials such as quartz glass, which is likely to be damaged during transportation.
The heating tubes have the disadvantages of slow heating, a suboptimal initial vapor flame effect, an improved vapor flame effect after normal heating, the occurrence of a redness phenomenon, and poor safety. Uneven heating results in an uneven vapor flame effect. After a period of use, the insulation withstand voltage, leakage current, and insulation resistance of the heating tubes exceed the standard. They cannot be dry burned, and if temperature protection devices malfunction, the heating tubes may be destroyed due to dry burning and even cause fires, damaging surrounding materials.
The heating wires have the defects that they need to cooperate with cross-flow fans for heat dissipation, resulting in a large size, heavy weight, and high noise. After a period of use, the insulation withstand voltage, leakage current, and insulation resistance of the heating wires exceed the standard. They cannot be dry burned, and if temperature protection devices malfunction, the heating wires may be destroyed due to dry burning and even cause fires, damaging surrounding materials. Furthermore, the heating wires may be oxidized and burn out after long-term operation, affecting their service life and even causing electrical leakage.
In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, an objective of the present invention is to provide a water vapor fireplace, to address the problems found in the background above.
To achieve the objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions: a water vapor fireplace includes a fireplace body, where an upper end of the fireplace body is sleeved with a frame fixedly connected to the fireplace body, and a top cover is inserted in the frame. A light-transmitting channel arranged in a length direction of the top cover is installed on an upper surface of the top cover. A water tank is installed inside the fireplace body, and a mist outlet is installed on the upper surface of the water tank. An upper end of the mist outlet extends into a side of the light-transmitting channel. A light-emitting diode (LED) light group located and installed inside the fireplace body is arranged below the light-transmitting channel. A fan having an air outlet penetrating the water tank is installed on the upper surface of the water tank. A mist maker is installed at an inner bottom of the water tank. A heating element is installed on a side of the water tank facing the LED light group. A recess is recessed on a side of the water tank, and a circuit board electrically connected to the LED light group, the mist maker, the heating element, and the fan is installed inside the recess. A cover plate is arranged at an opening end of the recess, and the cover plate is fixedly connected to the fireplace body by means of a plurality of screws.
Furthermore, the heating element includes a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating plate. The PTC heating plate arranged in a length direction of the light-transmitting channel is arranged on a side of the water tank facing the LED light group. A plurality of support bases are uniformly arranged on a lower surface of the PTC heating plate, and the support seats are fixedly connected to the water tank. Each support base has a hollow structure, each support base has a rectangular cross-section. Positioning slots are provided in upper portions of two side surfaces of the support bases adjacent to the water tank. Positioning bars matching the positioning slots are fixedly connected to two parallel side surfaces of the PTC heating plate. The positioning bars are arranged in a length direction of the PTC heating plate and inserted in the positioning slots. The PTC heating plate is electrically connected to a heating plate extension wire by means of a snap-on connector, and an end of the heating plate extension wire is electrically connected to the circuit board.
Furthermore, an outer side of the PTC heating plate is provided with a shielding cover, and the shielding cover has an L-shaped structure. A side surface of the shielding cover is attached to a side surface of each support base facing away from the water tank, and two first round holes are provided in a position where the shielding cover is attached to each support base. Connection screws are inserted in the first round holes, and an end of each connection screw is threadedly connected to the corresponding support base.
Furthermore, two second round holes aligned with the first round holes are provided in a surface of each support base facing away from the water tank. A positioning plate is inserted in each support base, and two ends of each positioning plate are fixedly connected to support plates. One ends of the support plates away from the positioning plates make contact with inner walls of the support bases having the second round holes. Two screw holes aligned with the second round holes are provided in a side surface of each positioning plate. The connecting screws pass through the corresponding first round holes and second round holes and then are threadedly connected to the corresponding screw holes.
Furthermore, a plurality of L-shaped seats for limiting a position of the top cover are arranged on a lower side of the top cover. Vertical portions of the L-shaped seats are fixed to an inner wall of the fireplace body, and horizontal portions of the L-shaped seats extend into the frame and make contact with the top cover.
Furthermore, a plurality of positioning seats are installed at a bottom of the water tank uniformly, each positioning seat has a hollow structure, and the positioning seats are fixed in an inner bottom of the fireplace body.
Furthermore, a mist maker extension wire is electrically connected to the mist maker by means of a snap-on waterproof connector. An end of the mist maker extension wire is electrically connected to the circuit board. A fan extension wire is electrically connected to the fan by means of a snap-on connector, and an end of the fan extension wire is electrically connected to the circuit board. A light group extension wire is electrically connected to the LED light group by means of a snap-on connector, and an end of the light group extension wire is electrically connected to the circuit board.
Furthermore, a plurality of first heat dissipation openings arranged at equal intervals are machined on a bottom of the fireplace body and a side surface of the fireplace body. A plurality of second heat dissipation openings arranged at equal intervals are provided in the upper surface of the top cover. A plurality of third heat dissipation openings are provided in a side surface of the cover plate uniformly.
Furthermore, a side of the upper surface of the water tank is provided with a groove for installing a control board. A water inlet is installed at an inner bottom of the groove, and a threaded cap is threadedly connected to an upper end of the water inlet.
Furthermore, the LED light group is installed inside a heat insulation cover, and the heat insulation cover has a cross section of a U-shaped structure. The heat insulation cover is installed inside the fireplace body.
The present invention has the beneficial effects as follows:
1. A positioning bar is inserted in the positioning slots of the plurality of support bases on the PTC heating plate, and the PTC heating plate is attached to a side of the water tank, such that insertion of the PTC heating plate and the water tank is achieved, and quick assembly and disassembly of the PTC heating plate and the water tank is further achieved.
2. After the PTC heating plate and the support bases are installed in an inserted manner, the L-shaped shielding cover is placed on the outer side of the PTC heating plate, and the shielding cover and the support bases are connected by means of the connection screws, such that the shielding cover covers the PTC heating plate, to achieve an attractive appearance and protection against burns.
3. When the connection screws is used for connecting the shielding cover and the support bases, the positioning plates are inserted in the support bases. The two support plates on each positioning plate are attached to the inner walls of the second round holes in the corresponding support base. Then the connection screws pass through the first round holes and second round holes and are threaded into the screw holes in the positioning plates, to complete installation of the screws. The detachable positioning plates allow for replacement when an internal thread of a screw hole is damaged due to excessive torque. Gaps exist between the positioning plates and the inner walls of the second round holes under support by the support plates. After the connection screws are installed, a part of a rod portion of each connection screw is in an exposed state. When a head of each connection screw is influenced by the heat generated by the PTC heating plate and has a reduced strength due to corrosion, a hacksaw blade is inserted in the space defined by the positioning plate and the support plate, to cut the connection screw, so as to remove the shielding cover and replace the PTC heating plate without damaging other components.
4. By adopting a PTC heating plate, a safety factor is high, and no “redness” phenomenon on a surface of an electric heating tube type heater generates under any application condition. Moreover, when an external temperature controller fails, a heating surface temperature of the PTC heating plate will not higher than a set constant temperature, so as to provide an over-temperature protection function and prevent safety hazards such as burns and fires. The PTC heating plate has advantages of low thermal resistance, high heat transfer efficiency, automatic temperature control, energy-saving, rapid heating for quick vapor effect, uniform heating of the water tank, and excellent vapor flame effect. The PTC heating plate consists of a PTC ceramic heating element and an aluminum tube, ensuring long service life. The PTC heating plate can be designed in various shapes, are lightweight, and easy to install.
5. The circuit board is connected to a fan extension wire with an end extending to the upper surface of the water tank and electrically connected to the fan. The fan extension wire is connected to the circuit board by means of a snap-on structure. During replacement, the fan is simply replaced with a new one, and a fan extension wire of the new fan is connected to a snap port, to complete the fan replacement. The mist maker is fixed to the inner bottom of the water tank by means of a snap-on structure. The circuit board is connected to a mist maker extension wire with one end connected to a snap-on waterproof connector that extends into the water tank and is electrically connected to the mist maker. The mist maker extension wire has a snap-on waterproof connector to be connected to the circuit board extension wire. During replacement, the mist maker is simply replaced with a new one, and a mist maker extension wire of the new mist maker is connected to the waterproof connector, to complete the mist maker replacement. When the LED light group is replaced, the LED light group can be replaced by removing the top cover, facilitating convenient replacement of vulnerable components.
Other features, objectives, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments provided in conjunction with the following accompanying drawings:
To facilitate a clear understanding of the technical means, creative features, objectives, and effects achieved by the present invention, the following detailed embodiments are provided to further elucidate the present invention.
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The above description and illustration show the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above. The present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments should be considered as illustrative and non-restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and thus includes all changes within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims.
Furthermore, it should be understood that although the specification describes embodiments in accordance with the implementation, not every embodiment includes only one independent technical solution. The description in the specification is for clarity purposes only. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202310635022.4 | May 2023 | CN | national |