DE10015905A1 - Automobile interior heater in which an electronic power switch, influenced by heater elements, is thermally connected to heat evacuations systems - Google Patents

Abstract

The automobile interior heater has a air flow heating unit fitted with a heater element and with a heat transmitting fins which transmits the air from the heater elements. A electronic power switch (8), influenced by the heater elements (5), is thermally connected to heat transmitting fins (4). The switch connection (9) is a heat conductor held in a shaped tube (3), supporting the projecting fins, and also carrying the power switch. The switch connection forms a electrical connection face for the heaters which are positive temperature characteristic PTC elements (5) a face of which is in contact with an electrically conducting strip (16) insulated from the surrounding tube (3).The heat conducting part (9) is in electrical and thermal contact with the strip (16). The PTC components are placed, by one face, in direct electrical contact with the shaped tube (3). The heat conducting part (9) is in electrical contact with the tube (3), but is electrically insulated by the other face of the PTC components (5).

Description

The invention relates to a device for heating Interiors especially of a force's passenger cells vehicle, with a heating unit for heating flowing air with a heating element and heat emission Direction to deliver the generated by the heating elements Heat to those flowing around the heat emission devices Air.

When heating motor vehicle interiors was in the The past is the waste heat of the drive motor, with air cooled engines with appropriate exhaust gas heat exchangers or in water-cooled drive motors through the use the thermal energy in the cooling water.

This type of heating particularly shows in the cold Seasonal disadvantages due to considerable delays from the start of the engine to the release of heat, see above  that this type of heating is used to warm the tram could not maintain the interior, especially beyond by developing more modern engines with less pri mär energy consumption, inevitably higher efficiencies aims to be. This in turn means that less waste heat is available for heating the passenger compartment can be used in motor vehicles and the more modern ones Motors in the seasons with larger cold periods can no longer provide the necessary waste heat.

For these reasons, devices are now being used developed for heating motor vehicle interiors, the regardless of the efficiency and thus the waste heat of the Drive unit sufficient heating, even with cold seasons and immediately after the start of Mon. tors, ensure permanently.

Such heating devices are usually compact te electrical heating elements in which in a profile tube made of a good heat-conducting material, such as B. aluminum, PTC- Modules that are clamped inside the tube and on the outside of the tube fins for heat dissipation be put on. Such heating elements are perfect regardless of the engine's waste heat. They are because of that particularly suitable for quick and reliable heating tion of motor vehicle interiors. Even at modern vehicle engines with high efficiency heating with the heating elements of the aforementioned type after the start, even in phases of extremely low outside temperature due to independence from waste heat from the Engine, guaranteed.

The electrical required to operate the heating element Energy is generated by the generator's alternator upset. The high efficiency of the engine is defying  the increased expenditure of electrical energy the lower efficiency motors, with the fan warming by the waste heat, not affected.

Such heating elements are usually in power fen via external tap changer or semiconductor switch, such as thermistors or tyristors operated. In particular the tap changers require more space and space for the Arrangement and mean an additional weight. It is the aspiration of the automotive industry relatively little Space and little weight for the additional, to drive motor necessary additional parts to spend from ver for reasons of keeping the total weight low. When controlling with semiconductor switches, such as transistors or tyristors, the current flow becomes heating as required elements regulated. You can also use this scarf other functions, such as temperature limitation or time sequences of switching intervals are executed. These switching functions cause power losses that are labeled as heat loss. This heat loss was previously with the arrangement of large-area cooling rip body dissipated. There are also constructions became known in which the cooling fin body additionally is arranged in the cross section of the heater and thus the Heat loss is allocated to the air flow of the fan.

These aforementioned ways of transferring the loss heat all have the disadvantage of being an additional Space is necessary and secondly by additional ches the total weight of the vehicle is increased.

For this reason, the invention is based on the object a device for dissipating the heat loss on a to create electronic circuit breakers where no additional weight and no additional larger areas  and spaces are necessary. In addition, the caused by the relatively high current flow in the switch Heat is not dissipated to the circulating air, but the Amount of heat of the active air flow from the heating element to the loading heating the vehicle interior, to be slammed.

According to the invention, the stated object is achieved by that an electronic circuit breaker for the heater elements with the heat emission devices in heat-conducting Connection is established.

The invention therefore provides that, contrary to the prior art Technology the heat loss of the electronic power scarf ters, such as a semiconductor switch not immediately above associated with this cooling fins is dissipated, but via a heat-conducting connection to be heated in the heat flow to the room directions of the device for heating is supplied. In a preferred embodiment, that the thermally conductive connection through a thermally conductive Connection part is formed, in particular the heat conductive connection in a receiving the heating elements Profile tube held and from this to carry the lei control switch is led out. The connection can be there at be frictional. In further training is pre see that the thermally conductive connection is an electrical Forms connection side for the heating elements.

In a development of the device according to the invention, the heating elements are PTC elements, one of which is an An closing side by an electrically conductive contact strip fen is contacted, opposite a surrounding profile tube is arranged insulated, it is provided that the Ver binding part in electrical and heat-conductive contact with the contact strip. As far as alternatively provided  is that the heating elements are PTC building blocks that use egg ner connection side in direct electrical connection with stand a profile tube, it is provided that the connection manure part in electrical connection with the profile tube stands, but opposite the other connection side of the PTC Elements is electrically insulated.

The invention eliminates the need for egg additional heat sink to dissipate the heat loss the circuit breaker; this results in a con structural savings as well as weight savings. By the simultaneous formation of the heat-conducting connection as an electrically conductive connection to a connection side of the heating elements and if they are designed as PTC Elements to either an electrical contact strip or, in the case of isolation from such a direct one to the profile housing receiving the resistance elements, he gives itself also by saving a separate Connection element another weight saving.

According to the heat loss of the performance scarf ters as additional heat of the active heat of the heating element ment without losses and can thus be the optimal Heating of the motor vehicle interior can be used.

With the formation of the thermally conductive connection of the electricity leading connecting lug becomes a multi in a simple manner Functional component created in which a loss of ak tive heating surface and an additional weight for otherwise necessary cooler shafts is avoided.

Overall, the advantages of inventing Invention device for heating motor vehicles spaces that heat the engine regardless of the engine warming the passenger compartment generates a further optimization  energy balance and efficiency improvements achieved in the motor vehicle.

Further advantages and features of the invention result from the claims and from the description below, in which an embodiment of the invention with reference Taking the drawing is explained in detail. there shows:

. Figure 1 is an overall view of a heater for heating of rooms of motor vehicles;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the detail X in Figure 1, a single heating element. and

Fig. 3 is a section according to II by the ver größerte detail X of FIG. 2.

. The heating apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises IMP EXP including three heating elements 2 from - rectangular - profile tubes 3, on which devices are placed for heat emission in the form of plates 4, which in turn in the air stream of a fan not shown in the figure, for heating the motor vehicle - serve the interior.

From the detail X shown in FIG. 2 enlarged, a single heating rod 2 is shown with a per filrohr 3 and with the fins 4 sitting thereon for heat dissipation in front view. An electronic power switch or semiconductor switch 8 is arranged on the connecting part 9 which is thermally conductive in the profiled tube 3 .

FIG. 3 shows a section II of FIG. 2. In the interior of the profile tube 3 , PTC elements 5 are provided as heating elements, which are arranged in an insulating frame 6 .

The PTC elements 5 touch with a lateral end face the electrically conductive profile tube 3 , while her other - in Fig. 3 lower - lateral end faces rest on an electrical contact strip 16 , which in turn strip against the profile tube 3 by an insulating 7 can be made of ceramic, is electrically insulated. The parts protruding from the profile tube 3 are in a plastic housing.

For further detailed design of such a pre Direction for heating is referred to as an example EP 379 837 B1 and DE 198 48 169, their disclosure is made the subject of the present application.

In a protruding end of the profile part 3 , a good heat-conducting, optionally also electrically conductive connection part 9 is inserted and, as said, in the profile tube 3 , that is to say it is held in a force-fitting manner by pressing. The connecting part 9 carries on its upper side the lei circuit breaker 8 via its cooling vane 10 by means of a screw connection 11, for example. The electrical supply to the circuit breaker 8 takes place via electrical connections 12 , such as terminal flashes, which are inserted into the drilling 13 of a circuit board 14 and are soldered there. The control currents for the regulation or the switching of the PTC elements 5 are carried out in this way.

The circuit breaker is switched via the electrical connections 12 via a controller (not shown) present in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. This results in the semiconductor switch 8 , depending on the control requirements, a more or less large heat loss, which is dissipated as electrical heat via the cooling vane 10 of the circuit breaker and the thermally conductive connecting part 9 into the interior of the pro tube 3 and from there via the fins 4 to the flowing past this air through the air duct not shown Darge to the interior of the motor vehicle can be led.

While in the illustrated embodiment, the connec tion part 9 forms the + pole of the heating elements and is insulated from the profile tube 3 with the heat emission devices, in an alternative embodiment the connecting part 9 can also be used as the (-) pole of the heating elements in directing the connection to the profile tube 3 with Wärmeabgabeeinrichtun conditions and be isolated from the positive connection side of the Heizele elements 5 with the contact strip. The connecting part 9 can also be insulated from both connection sides of the heating elements 5 .

In all three variants, the main advantage is the thermally conductive connection, also via electrically insulating Given layers.

Apart from the fact that the heat loss of the semiconductor switch is usable heat which is supplied to the air flow that warms the interior of the motor vehicle, the heat dissipation provided by the configuration according to the invention protects the semiconductor switch 8 against overheating and thus against destruction.

Claims (7)

1.Device for heating the interior, in particular of the passenger compartments of a motor vehicle, with a heating unit for heating flowing air with a heating element and heat-emitting device for emitting the heat generated by the heating elements to the air flowing around the heat-emitting devices, as characterized in that an electronic Lei power switch ( 8 ) for the heating elements ( 5 ) with the heat emitting devices ( 4 ) in thermally conductive connection. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the thermally conductive connection is formed by a thermally conductive connecting part ( 9 ). 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the heat-conducting connecting part in a heating element ( 4 ) receiving profile tube ( 3 ) is held and out of this for carrying the power switch ( 8 ) is led out. 4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting part ( 9 ) is held non-positively in the profile tube ( 3 ). 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heat-conducting connec tion part ( 9 ) forms an electrical connection side for the heating elements ( 5 ). 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating elements PTC elements ( 5 ), whose one connection side is contacted by an electrically conductive contact strip ( 16 ), which is arranged insulated from a surrounding profile tube ( 3 ), as characterized by that the heat-conducting connec tion part ( 9 ) is in electrical and heat-conductive contact with the contact strip ( 16 ). 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heating elements are PTC modules which are connected to a connection side in a direct electrical connection with a profile tube ( 3 ), characterized in that the other connection side of the PTC elements ( 5 ) is in direct electrical connection with the connecting part ( 9 ).