GB2452339A - Solar-powered, illuminated display for an electric fire - Google Patents
Solar-powered, illuminated display for an electric fire Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2452339A GB2452339A GB0717070A GB0717070A GB2452339A GB 2452339 A GB2452339 A GB 2452339A GB 0717070 A GB0717070 A GB 0717070A GB 0717070 A GB0717070 A GB 0717070A GB 2452339 A GB2452339 A GB 2452339A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- heating apparatus
- housing
- energy
- photovoltaic
- photovoltaic source
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims description 34
- 238000005286 illumination Methods 0.000 claims description 8
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 abstract description 3
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 abstract description 2
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 4
- 239000003086 colorant Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000295 complement effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005485 electric heating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002991 molded plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
- G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- G09F13/00—Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising
- G09F13/20—Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising with luminescent surfaces or parts
- G09F13/22—Illuminated signs; Luminous advertising with luminescent surfaces or parts electroluminescent
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24C—DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES ; DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F24C7/00—Stoves or ranges heated by electric energy
- F24C7/002—Stoves
- F24C7/004—Stoves simulating flames
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21S10/00—Lighting devices or systems producing a varying lighting effect
- F21S10/04—Lighting devices or systems producing a varying lighting effect simulating flames
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21S9/00—Lighting devices with a built-in power supply; Systems employing lighting devices with a built-in power supply
- F21S9/02—Lighting devices with a built-in power supply; Systems employing lighting devices with a built-in power supply the power supply being a battery or accumulator
- F21S9/03—Lighting devices with a built-in power supply; Systems employing lighting devices with a built-in power supply the power supply being a battery or accumulator rechargeable by exposure to light
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
- F21Y2115/00—Light-generating elements of semiconductor light sources
- F21Y2115/10—Light-emitting diodes [LED]
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)
Abstract
An electric fire has an electric heater, an illuminated display (24, 26) operable separately from the heater and powered by a rechargeable battery (30) which is recharged by a photovoltaic source or solar panel (34, 36). The illuminated display may be a flame or fuel effect fire (22). Preferably the battery is attached to the solar panel and is separable from the housing of the fire by means of a cable (32) or removable from the housing of the fire, attached when in use by a plug and socket arrangement (38 fig 3, 40 fig 2).
Description
DESCRIPTION
HEATING APPARATUS
The present application relates to heating apparatus and in particular to illuminated electrical heating apparatus.
It is known to provide electrical heating apparatus with illumination means which simulate the appearance of a real fire or, more recently, provide a visually appealing illuminated appearance, for example in the form of a bed of illuminated pebbles.
The electrical energy for powering the illumination means is obtained either directly from the mains electricity or via a step-down transformer and rectifier, depending upon the requirements of the light source.
However, there is an increasing tendency for the illumination means of such heating apparatus to be operated even when the device is not producing heat. In such circumstances, electricity is still being used by the apparatus notwithstanding the fact that the device is not being used for its primary function.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an alternative means for powering the illumination means of a heating apparatus which can be used particularly, but not exclusively, when the heating apparatus is not being used to produce heat.
In accordance with the present invention, a heating apparatus comprises an electrically-powered heat producing means, an illuminatable means for providing a visual display, the apparatus further comprising a and a photovoltaic source of electrical energy for the illumination means.
By having a photovoltaic source of electrical energy, the heating apparatus can be operated in a display-only mode (i.e. a non-heating mode) without a requirement for mains electricity.
Preferably, the photovoltaic source of energy is displaceable with respect to the housing.
More preferably, the photovoltaic source of energy is separable from the housing.
Preferably, the photovoltaic source of energy comprises a photovoltaic charger which is adapted to recharge a rechargeable battery.
Preferably, the rechargeable battery and photovoltaic charger are connected together as a unit.
In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a cable connecting the photovoltaic source of energy to the heating apparatus.
In another embodiment, the apparatus further comprises releasably engageable electrical connections on the housing and on the photovoltaic engageable plug and socket means.
By way of example, specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, with to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of heating apparatus in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of heating apparatus in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a removable solar panel/battery unit which forms part of the heating apparatus of the second embodiment.
Referring firstly to Fig. 1, an electric heating appliance comprises a housing 10 having a planar front face 12 with a generally rectangular recess 12 therein. The recess has a base wall 16, two side walls 18 (only one of which is visible in Fig. 1), a rear wall 20 and a top wall (not visible in Fig. 1). On the base wall 16 a plurality of simulated coals 22 are stacked to simulate a fuel bed. The simulated coals 22 are typically made from moulded plastics and are partially transparent so that by positioning one or more light sources beneath the bed of simulated coals, the bed can be made to glow in the manner of a bed of real coals.
In the embodiment illustrated, the illumination means comprises a strip 24 of LEDs 26 located on one surface of an elongate substrate strip.
The LEDs are preferably of different colours (e.g. red, orange and yellow) and are preferably arranged by simple electronic circuit to be switched on and off to recreate a random glowing effect in the bed of simulated coals located above.
The appliance is also provided with a conventional fan heater (not shown) located above the recess 14, the outlet grille 28 of the fan heater located above the upper edge of the recess 14 in the front face 12 of the housing.
The LEDs 26 are powered by a rechargeable battery 30 unit which supplies the appropriate current at the appropriate voltage, via a connecting cable 32. The battery unit 30 is secured to the rear of a solar panel 34 comprising an array of photovoltaic solar cells 36, forming a photovoltaic source of electrical energy.
The solar panel 34 is adapted to charge the rechargeable battery unit 30 when exposed to light (preferably sunlight), the battery unit 30 then being able to illuminate the LEDs.
By powering the LEDs from a rechargeable battery unit 30 which is rechargeable from a solar panel 34, the heating apparatus can still be operated in a display-only mode (Le. a non-heating mode) in which the LEDs 26 are illuminated as normal. Therefore, it is not necessary to use mains electricity in the display-only mode.
Of course, if the heating apparatus is used in a heating mode, then the powering of the LEDs 26 from the rechargeable battery 30 can be overridden and the LEDs 26 can then be powered from the mains, via a suitable transformer and rectifier.
A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.
The embodiment is very similar to that of Fig. I and the same reference numerals have been used to indicate the same features. The most significant difference is that the cable 32 which connects the rechargeable battery unit 30 to the heating apparatus of Fig. 1 has been dispensed with.
Instead, the combined solar panel/rechargeable battery unit can be removed from the heating apparatus when it is desired to recharge the battery and can then be electrically connected by a plug and socket arrangement 38, 40 on the rechargeable battery and the fire (two electrical connecting pins 38 and a complementary receiving socket 40 on the heating apparatus are illustrated schematically in Figs. 2 and 3).
The second embodiment dispenses with the requirement for a trailing connecting lead between the battery and the heating apparatus. In addition, it allows much greater flexibility in the positioning of the solar panel during recharging of the battery. For example, it would be possible to locate the solar panel at the most appropriate position depending upon the position of the sun at a particular time of day.
The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment. In particular, although, the heating apparatus has been described with reference to a bed of simulated coals 22, other displays could be used, for example, simulated glowing logs or a bed of pebbles or glass pieces, which are illuminated from below. Indeed, instead of being provided on a strip, the LEDs 26 may be located inside individual translucent elements of the bed to provide a visually pleasing effect.
Moreover, although the invention has been described with the use of LEDs, other light sources such as incandescent light bulbs or fluorescent lamps could be used instead, if desired.
In addition, in the first embodiment, although the rechargeable battery unit 30 is shown as being secured to the solar panel 34, this need not be the case. For example, the rechargeable battery unit 30 may be located on the heating apparatus and may be recharged from the solar panel 34 via the lead 32.
Claims (9)
1. A heating apparatus comprising a housing, an electrically-powered heat producing means mounted to the housing, illumination means for providing an illuminated display and a photovoltaic source of electrical energy for the illumination means.
2. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic source of energy is displaceable with respect to the housing.
3. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the photovoltaic source of energy is separable from the housing.
4. A heating apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the photovoltaic source of energy comprises a photovoltaic charger which is adapted to recharge a rechargeable battery.
5. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the rechargeable battery and photovoltaic charger are connected together.
6. A heating apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5, further comprising a cable connecting the photovoltaic source of energy to the heating apparatus.
7. A heating apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5, further comprising releasably engageable electrical connections on the housing and on the photovoltaic source of energy.
8. A heating apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the releasably engageable electrical comprise a releasably engageable plug and socket means.
9. A heating apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Fig. 1 or Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0717070A GB2452339A (en) | 2007-09-03 | 2007-09-03 | Solar-powered, illuminated display for an electric fire |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0717070A GB2452339A (en) | 2007-09-03 | 2007-09-03 | Solar-powered, illuminated display for an electric fire |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB0717070D0 GB0717070D0 (en) | 2007-10-10 |
| GB2452339A true GB2452339A (en) | 2009-03-04 |
Family
ID=38617157
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0717070A Withdrawn GB2452339A (en) | 2007-09-03 | 2007-09-03 | Solar-powered, illuminated display for an electric fire |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2452339A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN106594632A (en) * | 2016-11-10 | 2017-04-26 | 安徽新盾消防设备有限公司 | Energy-saving lamp applicable to evacuation indicating and emergency passage outlet |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0091689A1 (en) * | 1982-04-13 | 1983-10-19 | Hitachi, Ltd. | A starter apparatus |
| DE20010821U1 (en) * | 2000-06-17 | 2000-12-07 | Doda Prince Joycen | lamp |
| GB2372807A (en) * | 2001-02-28 | 2002-09-04 | Basic Holdings | Flame Effect Inserts for Solid Fuel Stoves |
| WO2004079267A2 (en) * | 2003-03-04 | 2004-09-16 | Watermeet Limited | Appliance having decorative effect |
-
2007
- 2007-09-03 GB GB0717070A patent/GB2452339A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0091689A1 (en) * | 1982-04-13 | 1983-10-19 | Hitachi, Ltd. | A starter apparatus |
| DE20010821U1 (en) * | 2000-06-17 | 2000-12-07 | Doda Prince Joycen | lamp |
| GB2372807A (en) * | 2001-02-28 | 2002-09-04 | Basic Holdings | Flame Effect Inserts for Solid Fuel Stoves |
| WO2004079267A2 (en) * | 2003-03-04 | 2004-09-16 | Watermeet Limited | Appliance having decorative effect |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN106594632A (en) * | 2016-11-10 | 2017-04-26 | 安徽新盾消防设备有限公司 | Energy-saving lamp applicable to evacuation indicating and emergency passage outlet |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB0717070D0 (en) | 2007-10-10 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) |
Free format text: REGISTERED BETWEEN 20121018 AND 20121024 |
|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |