Patent Publication Number: US-11653421-B2

Title: Electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0151041 filed on Nov. 22, 2019 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. 119, the contents of which in its entirety are herein incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The described technology relates to an electric heating apparatus, more specifically, to an electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps that may be installed for hatching and/or breeding livestock of poultry, cattle, swine, etc. or for heating a bathroom in a home or other areas that need to be heated. 
     Description of Related Technology 
     Infrared heating lamps typically emit thermal energy with a temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius to elevate the temperature of an area and have various applications, for example, in stables of livestock, for a portable bath sauna, and as an area heater for a bathroom. 
     Related art is described in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1428785 (Heating cap of water proof for infrared lamp). In this related art, a socket is fixed to an upper side of a heating dish, and protrusions of a heat dissipation cap are adhered and fixed to the heating dish, and thus the heat of the heating lamp itself cannot be dissipated out of the heating dish, thereby possibly causing the heating lamp to be accidentally detached from the socket due to thermal expansion of the socket. 
     SUMMARY 
     An objective of the described technology is to provide an electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps that can increase the heat emitted by a single heating apparatus, thereby allowing a minimal number of heating apparatus installations in the space where heating is needed, and can emit the heat of the heating apparatus itself to the exterior as much as possible, thereby improving the durability and stability of the heating apparatus. 
     Another objective of the described technology is to provide an electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps that can prevent fires and electrocution by turning the power of the heating apparatus off in the event of the heating apparatus becoming detached and falling off from its support. 
     To achieve the objectives above, an electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps according to an embodiment of the described technology can be equipped with multiple heating lamps on the inside of the reflector dish to be capable of emitting high thermal energy from a single heating apparatus. The heating lamps can be installed on the inside of the reflector dish, each with an inclination, so that a broader range of irradiation may be provided. 
     A heat dissipation cap can be structured such that sockets which receive and connect to the heating lamps and a heat dissipation body on which heat dissipation fins are formed are formed as an integrated body, so that the heat generated in the heating lamps themselves can be efficiently discharged through the sockets to the heat dissipation fins. The reflector dish can have a hot-air vent formed in the upper surface to discharge the heat inside the reflector dish upwards, and the hot air discharged through the hot-air vent can be discharged to the exterior through a separated gap between the rim of the heat dissipation cap and the upper surface of the reflector dish. 
     Therefore, the transfer of heat from the heating lamps themselves positioned within the reflector dish can be achieved by conduction through the heat dissipation cap as well as by convection through the hot-air vent formed in the upper surface of the reflector dish. 
     The described technology can control all lamps or individual lamps in terms of turning the power on/off and dimming through remote control using near-field communication or manual control using a dial switch, touchpad, etc., so that the temperature and illuminance of the space where heating is needed may be controlled from the electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps. 
     With the described technology, if the heating apparatus were to fall off from the holder due to damage to the rope, chain, etc., the elastic force of a spring compressed by the weight of the heating apparatus can return the hanger can to its original position and at the same time operate the switch for supplying power to the heating lamps such that the lamps are turned off. 
     According to the described technology above, multiple heating lamps may be positioned within the reflector dish, and the heating lamps may have particular inclinations, allowing a broader range of irradiation, and increasing efficiency in terms of installing, maintaining, and operating the electric heating apparatus. 
     Also, instead of having the sockets affixed to the reflector dish, the structure has the sockets inserted in and secured to the socket connectors of the heat dissipation cap with heat dissipation fins formed on the lower surface touching the upper portion of the reflector dish, so that the heat of the reflector dish and the heating lamps themselves may be discharged by way of conduction, while at the same time, the hot air inside the reflector dish may be moved to the upper portion of the reflector dish through a hot-air vent and afterwards may be discharged to the exterior by way of convection through the rim side of the heat dissipation cap. Through such increased efficiency in heat dissipation, the durability and safety of the heating apparatus can be improved. 
     All of the heating lamps or individual heating lamps can be controlled with respect to turning the power on/off and dimming by using remote control and manual control. Thus, the described technology can improve user convenience by allowing the user to adjust the temperature and illuminance in the space where the electric heating apparatus is installed. 
     In the event of the electric heating apparatus becoming detached from the holder, the power supply can be cut off immediately, so that the risk of fires or electrocution can be fundamentally prevented. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    illustrates the outer appearance of an electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps according to an embodiment of the described technology. 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded perspective view of an electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps according to an embodiment of the described technology. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates the heat dissipation cap of an electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps according to an embodiment of the described technology. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates the connection structure between the heat dissipation cap and the reflector dish for discharging the heat inside of the reflector dish to the exterior by convection according to an embodiment of the described technology. 
         FIG.  5    illustrates the structure of a reflector dish according to an embodiment of the described technology. 
         FIG.  6    is a block diagram for describing the control operation of a heating lamp according to an embodiment of the described technology. 
         FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure for turning off power when an electric heating apparatus according to an embodiment of the described technology becomes detached and falls off from the holder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In a typical heating apparatus, only one heating lamp is positioned within a heating dish, when supplying and maintaining the required temperature according to the space where heating is needed, a multiple number of heating devices must be installed, so that additional structures are needed for supporting the heating devices, and there are difficulties in maintaining the multiple heating devices individually. Moreover, if a heating device were to fall off from a holder, this would create a risk of a fire or electrocution. 
     The descriptions that follow are provided as examples only and merely illustrate certain embodiments of the described technology. The principles and concepts of the described technology are provided in consideration of both usefulness and ease of description. 
     Therefore, structures are not described in a level of detail that goes beyond what is necessary for a basic understanding of the described technology, and various embodiments are provided as examples in a manner that would allow those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the described technology. 
     The compositions and operations of certain preferred embodiments of the described technology are described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG.  1    shows diagrams illustrating the outer appearance of an electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps according to an embodiment of the described technology, and  FIG.  2    shows an exploded perspective view of an electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps according to an embodiment of the described technology. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , an electric heating apparatus  1000  with multiple heating lamps can include a reflector dish  40 , a multiple number of heating lamps  20  positioned on within the reflector dish, a heat dissipation cap  50  configured to discharge the heat generated from the heating lamps to the exterior, and a cover  80  that is connected with an upper portion of the heat dissipation cap and is configured to protect the wire for supplying electricity to the heating lamps. 
     The electric heating apparatus  1000  can have multiple heating lamps  20  installed on the inside of the reflector dish, so that when the electric heating apparatus is installed according to the required temperature in the space where heating is needed, the installation, maintenance, and operation can be made more efficient compared to case of the conventional heating apparatus having a single lamp. For example, if a space where heating is needed requires thirty heating lamps to provide the required temperature, using a heating apparatus having a single heating lamp would need thirty heating apparatuses and hence would require considerable work in installing mounts for the heating apparatuses, placing wiring for the electrical supply, and the like. However, an electric heating apparatus  1000  based on the described technology can have three heating lamps installed within a single reflector dish, so that in the example above, just ten heating apparatuses would be needed, and the installation work and wiring placement involved would be much simpler. Also, although it is not shown in the drawings, an electric heating apparatus  1000  based on the described technology can receive temperature measurements from a temperature sensor positioned at a particular location in the space where heating is needed to control the temperature in the space where heating is needed or can be controlled efficiently by a central management apparatus that can control the on/off state of the heating lamps. 
     The heating lamps  20  can include various heating lamps, such as infrared heating lamps, etc., that are capable of providing a particular temperature in a space for hatching and breeding livestock or any other space where heating is needed, such as a sauna, bathroom, etc. The multiple heating lamps  20  can be installed each with a particular inclination within the reflector dish so as to irradiate a broad range. 
     The electric heating apparatus  1000  can further include a protective screen  10 , which may be installed at a lower portion of the reflector dish, to protect the heating lamps  20  positioned inside the reflector dish  40  and to prevent burns in the event of contact with a person&#39;s body. 
     The electric heating apparatus  1000  can have a wire guide  60 , for distributing the electrical wires to the respective sockets  30  in an organized manner, positioned between the heat dissipation cap  50  and the cover  80 . The wire guide  60  can have a screw fastener formed on the lower surface to be screw-joined with a wire guide-fastening hole  58  of the heat dissipation cap  50 , so that the wire guide  60  may be coupled to an upper portion of the heat dissipation cap  50 . The heating lamps  20  can be connected to the heat dissipation cap  50  by sockets  30 . The sockets  30  can be inserted into socket connectors  59  formed in the heat dissipation cap  50  to be coupled to the heat dissipation cap  50 . A hanger piece  81  can be formed on the upper end of the cover  80  for use in installing the electric heating apparatus. 
       FIG.  3    illustrates the heat dissipation cap of an electric heating apparatus with multiple heating lamps according to an embodiment of the described technology, and  FIG.  5    illustrates the structure of a reflector dish according to an embodiment of the described technology. 
     Referring to  FIG.  3   , the heat dissipation cap  50  can include a heat dissipation body  57 , a multiple number of heat dissipation fins  51  formed extending vertically from the upper surface (drawing (a)) and lower surface (drawing (b)) of the heat dissipation body  57 , and at least one or more socket connectors  59  to which sockets having the heating lamps coupled thereto may be inserted. Drawing (a) of  FIG.  3    illustrates the upper surface of the heat dissipation cap  50 , and drawing (b) of  FIG.  3    illustrates the lower surface of the heat dissipation cap  50 . As shown in drawing (b) of  FIG.  3   , the lower surface of the heat dissipation cap  50  can be formed concavely, similarly to the inner surface of a conical hat, and can have socket connectors  59  formed into which the sockets  30  may be inserted. When the heat dissipation cap  50  is connected to the upper surface of the reflector dish, the concave space beneath the heat dissipation cap can be used as space through which the hot air discharged from the reflector dish hot-air vent may move. 
     The heat dissipation cap  50  can be coupled to the reflector dish  40  as each socket connector  59  formed on the heat dissipation cap  50  is inserted through a socket connection hole  41  formed in the upper surface of the reflector dish  40  and, while in this state, is fastened by a screw joint to a screw-fastening hole  43  of the reflector dish and a reflector-fastening hole of the heat dissipation cap. In this case, a reflector-connection guide  55  formed on the outer surface of the socket connector  59  can touch the upper surface of the reflector dish such that the heat dissipation cap  50  is supported and secured to the upper portion of the reflector dish. In a bottom surface of the socket connector  59 , a wire passage hole  54  can be formed through which an electrical wire introduced from the wire guide may pass. 
     The bottom surface of each socket connector  59  can be formed with an inclined slope of a particular angle from the center of the heat dissipation cap  50  such that the multiple heating lamps  20  may each have an inclination within the reflector dish. The multiple heating lamps  20  connected by the sockets  30  to the socket connectors  59  formed with inclinations can irradiate heat to below the reflector dish while each is inclined at a particular angle. Thus, the inclined heating lamps  20  can emit thermal energy over a broad space to maximize the transfer of heat. A multiple number of socket-connection guides  56  can be formed on the inner surface of each socket connector  59  in a direction corresponding to the length of the socket. The socket-connection guides  56  can be press-fitted onto the outer surface of the socket  30 . The socket-connection guides  56  can be used as paths of heat transfer for transferring the heat generated in the heating lamp  20  itself through the socket  30  to the heat dissipation cap  50 . 
       FIG.  4    illustrates the connection structure between the heat dissipation cap and the reflector dish for discharging the heat inside the reflector dish to the exterior by convection according to an embodiment of the described technology. 
     Referring to  FIG.  4   , the distal ends of the heat dissipation fins  51  formed extending vertically on the lower surface of the heat dissipation body  57  can be placed in contact with the upper surface of the reflector dish  40  to discharge the heat of the reflector dish itself by thermal conduction to the exterior through the heat dissipation cap  50 . When the heat dissipation cap is connected to the upper surface of the reflector dish, the rim  52  of the heat dissipation cap, i.e. the edge of the heat dissipation body  57 , can be positioned with a particular gap from the upper surface of the reflector dish. The heat within the reflector dish  40  can be discharged through a multiple number of hot-air vents  42  formed in the upper surface of the reflector dish to the concave space between the heat dissipation cap  50  and the reflector dish  40 . Afterwards, the heat discharged into this concave space can be discharged to the exterior of the electric heating apparatus through a gap H separated between the rim  52  of the heat dissipation cap and the upper surface edge of the reflector dish  40 . When the heat dissipation cap is connected to the upper surface of the reflector dish, the end portion of the rim  52  of the heat dissipation cap can be positioned lower than the uppermost surface of the reflector dish. Thus, even if the electric heating apparatus is installed in a space where it is possible for water to infiltrate the interior of the electric heating apparatus, since the end portion of the rim of the heat dissipation cap is positioned lower than the uppermost surface of the heating dish, water is prevented from infiltrating the interior of the electric heating apparatus through the gap H for discharging the heat inside the heating dish. 
     Thus, the electric heating apparatus  1000  can discharge the heat of the reflector dish and the heating lamps themselves by way of the heat dissipation cap, by discharging the heat through the heat dissipation fins  51  touching the reflector dish and the reflector-connection guides  55  of the socket connectors, while at the same time having the hot air within the reflector dish moved to an upper portion of the reflector dish through the hot-air vents  42  and afterwards moved along the heat dissipation fins and discharged to the exterior through the separated gap H formed at the edge of the heat dissipation cap, to thereby provide improved durability and safety. 
       FIG.  6    is a block diagram for describing the control operation of a heating lamp according to an embodiment of the described technology. 
     As shown in  FIG.  6   , the electric heating apparatus  1000  can include a control unit  200  capable of controlling the multiple heating lamps in terms of turning the power on/off and dimming. The control unit can be a microcontroller (MCU) operated by a particular program that can control the typical operations of an electric heating apparatus and can be positioned inside the cover  80 . The electric heating apparatus  1000  can include a signal receiver unit (or a signal receiver)  210  that receives a command execution signal for the heating lamps outputted from a remote control, a control unit (or a controller)  200  that outputs a control command according to the command execution signal received from the signal receiver unit, a switching unit (or a switch)  230  that controls the power reception state according to the control command of the control unit to turn individual heating lamps or all heating lamps on or off, and a dimming unit (or a dimming circuit)  240  that controls the illuminance of individual heating lamps or all heating lamps according to the control command of the control unit. 
     A manipulation unit (or a manipulation circuit)  220  can be installed within an expansion panel extending from the cover  80  and can include any of a variety of input devices, such as a dial switch, touchpad, etc., capable of providing a dimming command execution signal for turning on/off and dimming individual heating lamps or all heating lamps to the control unit. 
     The signal receiver unit  210  can use near-field communication technology such as Bluetooth, RFID (radio frequency identification), IrDA (infrared data association), UWB (ultra-wideband), ZigBee, etc. 
     When an on/off command execution signal inputted from the signal receiver unit  210  using near-field communication or a dimming command execution signal inputted from a manipulation unit  220  composed of a dial switch, touchpad, etc., is received, the control unit  200  can output a control command corresponding to the command execution signal to the switching unit  230  or the dimming unit  240  to control individual heating lamps or all of the heating lamps in terms of turning the power on/off or dimming. 
       FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional view illustrating a structure for turning off power when an electric heating apparatus according to an embodiment of the described technology becomes detached and falls off from the holder. 
     As shown in  FIG.  7   , the electric heating apparatus  1000  can include a hanger  300  that is inserted through a center aperture  85  of the cover  80  and has a support  320  formed at a lower portion thereof, a stopper  340  that extends downward from the upper inner surface of the cover  80  and has a distal end thereof placed in contact with an upper portion of the support  320 , a spring  330  that is positioned between the upper inner surface of the cover and the support, and a switch  400  that is placed in contact with a surface of the support and is configured to turn power on/off according to the up/down movement of the support. 
     The electric heating apparatus  1000  can be suspended from a particular holder with a rope, chain, etc., fastened to a holding hole  310  formed in the hanger  300 . When the electric heating apparatus  1000  is suspended and held from a holder, the hanger  300  may be moved upward due to the self weight of the electric heating apparatus  1000 . As the hanger  300  is moved upward, the spring  330  may be compressed until the upper surface of the support  320  is placed in contact with the stopper  340 . At the same time, a guide bar  401  and a button  402  of the switch  400  touching a surface of the support  320  may be pressed, and the switch  400  may be operated to allow a lighting of the heating lamps. 
     If the rope, chain, etc., fastened to the holding hole  310  were to become untied or snap by an external force, etc., the electric heating apparatus  1000  can fall downward. In such a case, as soon as the support  320  of the hanger  300  becomes detached from the stopper  340  due to the elastic force of the spring  330 , the force pressing the guide bar  401  is removed, and the button  402  may pop out, operating the switch  400  and turning off the heating lamps. The switch can be composed of a magnetic switch, etc., that receives a force from an up/down movement of the hanger  300  to turn the switch on/off. Although a magnetic switch is described as an example, the switch  400  is not thus limited and can include any of a variety of switches such as a limit switch, a press switch, etc., having a structure capable of opening and closing the switch according to an up/down movement of the hanger  300 . 
     Inside the cover, a protrusion  82  can be formed for restricting the distance of downward movement of the hanger  300  by the elastic force. 
     If an electric heating apparatus having a high temperature were to be detached from the holder and fall onto flammable material such as dry straw, etc., while the lamps have not been turned off, there is a high risk of a fire, which may cause great material losses and pose an important problem in safety. To prevent a fire from occurring because of such electric heating apparatus, the electric heating apparatus can be made to detect an inclination caused by a detachment and turn off the lamps. Although a mechanical switch such as a tilt switch, etc., is used as a structure for detecting an inclination in the electric heating apparatus, if the electric heating apparatus becomes detached from the holder but is placed on dry straw horizontally without being inclined, the electric heating apparatus would not be turned off and a fire could not be prevented. In preparation for such an occurrence, the described technology can have the switch turned off as the hanger is moved downward by the elastic force of the spring, just from the electric heating apparatus becoming detached from the holder, to immediately turn off the lamps and fundamentally prevent the risk of fire. 
     While the foregoing provides a detailed description of the described technology by way of representative embodiments, those having ordinary skill in the field of art to which the described technology pertains would understand that numerous variations can be derived from the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the described technology. 
     Therefore, the scope of protection of the described technology is not to be limited to the embodiments described above but rather is to be defined by the claims set forth below as well as their equivalents.