Abstract:
A far infrared heat emitting article for a sauna. The article disburses far infrared heat substantially evenly, with reduced heat discharge, at a lower surface temperature, and at a longer wavelength and a lower voltage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to far infrared heaters, and, more particularly, relates to a far infrared heat emitting article and method for a sauna.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    Conventional heaters for saunas include a heating element which includes a resistor wire packed with silicon sand, inside a steel tube. The heating element heats up the pipe. Rocks are placed on the heating element, producing infrared radiant heat by heating the rocks. Heat is provided by convection by superheating the air. Such heaters operated at reduced heater wattage to simulate the far infrared wavelength, but the small surface area thereof prevented generating the desired wavelength. Also, the infrared energy emitted thereby traveled in a straight line, which was inefficient. Further, such heaters took longer to generate heat and required substantial energy therefor.  
           [0005]    Infrared heaters for saunas include a heating element inside a steel pipe, wherein the heating element includes a resistor wire packed in silicon sand. The steel pipe is carbon coated to produce infrared heat. A reflector consisting of an aluminum or metal sheet is positioned behind the heater, to increase the heat generated and to produce heat evenly. However, the surface temperature of such heaters is very high, inhibiting the user from getting close thereto.  
           [0006]    Ceramic heaters for producing infrared include a heating element inside a ceramic pipe, and include a reflector to produce heat evenly. Such heaters however also generate very high surface temperatures, and are very fragile.  
           [0007]    Therefore, there has existed a need for an article which is capable of evenly disbursing far infrared heat for a sauna at a longer wavelength and a lower wattage, with reduced heat discharge and at a lower surface temperature. The present invention fulfills these needs.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides far infrared heat for a sauna over a large surface area, at a low surface temperature, to produce longer wavelength energy.  
           [0009]    The article emits far infrared heat for a sauna. It includes a heating element, for emitting heat in the far infrared range. It also includes a supporting-encapsulating element, for supporting the heating element thereon and for encapsulating the heating element therein, which is able to distribute the far infrared heat substantially evenly thereover. It further includes a heat-dispersing coating, for coating the supporting-encapsulating element, which is able to substantially evenly disperse the emitted far infrared heat therefrom.  
           [0010]    One aspect of the present invention is that the article disperses far infrared heat substantially evenly from the heating element through the supporting-encapsulating element and the heat-dispersing coating. The heat-dispersing coating also reduces the heat discharge on the supporting-encapsulating element.  
           [0011]    Another aspect of the present invention is that the article disperses the far infrared heat at a lower wattage and at a longer wavelength, and the surface temperature on the heat-dispersing coating is lower.  
           [0012]    Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which describe and illustrate, by way of example, the features of the invention.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a sauna including multiple far infrared heat emitting articles in housings in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a far infrared heat emitting article in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a far infrared heat emitting article in accordance with the invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a front partly-fragmentary elevational view of a far infrared heat emitting article in a housing in accordance with the invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a heating element for a far infrared heat emitting article in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]    Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown an article  10  for emitting far infrared heat for a sauna  12 . In FIGS. 1 and 4, the article  10  is mounted in a housing  14 . The far infrared heat is emitted by the article  10  at a substantially long wavelength, and is generated at a substantially low wattage. The wavelength of the far infrared heat emitted by the article  10  is also substantially close to the wavelength of the far infrared heat emitted by the human body. Further, the far infrared heat is emitted thereby at a substantially low surface temperature. Also, the article  10  is able to emit a substantial amount of far infrared heat. The emitted far infrared heat is further able to be sensed by the user relatively rapidly. The article  10  is further able to provide a substantial radiating surface area for emitting far infrared heat substantially evenly therefrom. The article  10  in the housing  14  is also able to be surface mounted in the sauna  12 .  
         [0019]    The article  10  includes a heating element  16 , for emitting heat in the far infrared range. The heating element  16  comprises a hollow tube  18 , which includes a resistor wire  20  therein. The hollow tube  18  is comprised of metal. The resistor wire  20  is packed in silicone sand  22  in the hollow tube  18 . The article further includes a supporting-encapsulating element  24 , for supporting the heating element  16  thereon and for encapsulating the heating element  16  therein, which is able to distribute the far infrared heat substantially evenly thereover. The supporting-encapsulating element  24  includes a base layer  26  for supporting the heating element  16 , and an encapsulating layer  28  for encapsulating the heating element  16 . The base layer  26  includes projecting portions  30  which are projecting therefrom, and which are able to reflect and fan out the emitted far infrared heat. The supporting-encapsulating element  24  is comprised of aluminum and metal. The article also includes a heat-dispersing coating  32 , for coating the supporting-encapsulating element  24 , which is able to substantially evenly disperse the emitted far infrared heat therefrom. The heat-dispersing coating  32  is further able to reduce the heat discharge on the supporting-encapsulating element  24 . The heat-dispersing coating  30  is comprised of ceramic.  
         [0020]    As illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, in a method for use of the article  10 , heat is emitted in the far infrared range by the heating element  16 , the far infrared heat is distributed substantially evenly thereover by the supporting-encapsulating element  24 , and the emitted far infrared heat is disbursed therefrom by the heat-dispersing element  32 . Heat is emitted by the article  10  in the wavelength of the far infrared heat substantially close to the wavelength of the far infrared heat emitted by the human body. Heat is further emitted thereby at a substantially low surface temperature. A substantial amount of far infrared heat is emitted thereby. The far infrared heat emitted by the article  10  is able to be sensed by the user relatively rapidly. The far infrared heat is emitted by the article  10  at a substantially long wavelength and is generated at a substantially low wattage.  
         [0021]    The heating element  16  is supported and encapsulated in the supporting-encapsulating element  24 , for enabling the article  10  to distribute the far infrared heat emitted by the heating element  16  substantially evenly over the supporting-encapsulating element  24 . A substantial radiating surface area is provided by the supporting-encapsulating element  24  for emitting the far infrared heat. The article  10  is enabled to be surface mounted in the sauna  12  by the supporting-encapsulating element  24 . The hollow tube  18  of the heating element  16 , including the resistor wire  20  packed in silicon sand  22 , is supported and encapsulated by the supporting-encapsulating element  24 .  
         [0022]    The heating element  14 , which includes the metal hollow tube  18 , is supported by the base layer  26  of the supporting-encapsulating element  24  which is comprised of metal, and is encapsulated by the encapsulating layer  28  thereof. The emitted far infrared heat is reflected and fanned out by the projecting portions  30  in the base layer  26  of the supporting-encapsulating element  24 . The supporting-encapsulating element  24  is coated by the heat-dispersing coating  32 , for enabling the article  10  to emit heat in the far infrared range, and to substantially evenly disperse the emitted far infrared heat. The heat discharge of the article  10  is reduced by the heat-dispersing coating  32 , which is comprised of ceramic, on the supporting-encapsulating element  24 .  
         [0023]    From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the system of the present invention provides advantages in far infrared heat emitting articles which are able to be surface mounted in saunas, and which emit a substantial amount of such heat, at a substantially long wavelength close to the wavelength thereof emitted by the human body, and at a substantially low surface temperature, from a substantial radiating surface area, and generated at a substantially low wattage. While several particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the following claims.