EP4276379A1 - Method for producing an electric heating device and electric heating device - Google Patents

Abstract

What is proposed is a method for producing an electric heater (1) for heating a media flow, with lines for the media flow being integrated into the housing part during the production of the housing part of the heater (1). The lines for the media flow can in particular be integrated into a rear wall (21) of the housing (18) of the heater (1). The housing part can comprise a first shell (13) and a second shell (14), which are connected to one another, with the first shell (13) and/or second shell (14) having embossed lines for the media flow.

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing an electric heater and an electric heater.

Electrical heaters for heating a media stream, for example water for hot water supply, such as instantaneous water heaters, usually have a heating device, also referred to as a heating block, comprising heating coils or heating rods, which convert electrical current into thermal energy and release it to the water to be heated. Especially with instantaneous water heaters, a high output of often more than 15 kW [kilowatt] can be achieved.

When producing such a heater, the supply lines and discharge lines to the heating device, as well as other components such as temperature or flow sensors and/or valves, have to be arranged and fixed in a complex manner in a housing of the heater. In addition, connections, in particular a cold water inlet and a hot water outlet, must be mechanically firmly connected to the housing in order to absorb the mechanical forces that occur when they are fastened or loosened.

Based on this, it is the object of the invention to propose an electric heater that at least partially overcomes the problems described in the prior art. In particular, a simple and quick production of a heating device should be made possible.

These tasks are solved by the features of the independent patent claims. Further advantageous embodiments of the solution proposed here are specified in the independent patent claims. It should be noted that the features listed in the dependent patent claims can be combined with one another in any technologically sensible manner and define further embodiments of the invention. In addition, the features specified in the patent claims are specified and explained in more detail in the description, with further preferred embodiments of the invention being presented.

A method for producing an electric heater for heating a media flow contributes to this, with lines for the media flow being integrated into the housing part when producing a housing part of the heater.

The heater is, for example, an electric instantaneous water heater that is set up to heat a media stream (water stream). For this purpose, the heater can have a heating device with resistance-based heating elements, which can be brought into contact with the media stream in order to supply thermal energy to it.

The resistance-based heating element can in particular be a heating coil or a heating rod or a plurality of the same, designed to convert electrical current into thermal energy and to deliver it to the media stream. The heating element can usually be brought into direct contact with the media stream to be heated, which means that short response times for the heating device can be achieved. For this purpose, heating wires are known from the prior art, which are arranged, for example, in a heating channel and where the media flow (water flow) can flow around.

The electric heater can be set up to be connected to a three-phase alternating current source for energy supply. The three-phase alternating current source can be, for example, a three-phase connection in a household, often also referred to as a three-phase connection.

To regulate or control the heater, it can include electronic components. Semiconductor switches such as TRIACs, which can switch high heating currents, are often used. TRIACs, also known as bidirectional thyristor triode or symistor, are semiconductor components that are able to switch high alternating currents. When operating electronic components, especially switches such as TRIACs or other semiconductors, a lot of waste heat can be generated during operation.

The electric heater can have a housing that is often designed in several parts. According to one idea of the invention, lines for the media flow are integrated into a housing part. The line can therefore be a component of the housing part, which can therefore have cavities that serve as lines.

The housing may include a back wall and a hood, where the back wall may be adapted to be attached to a wall (of a building). Often at least some of the components of the heater (in particular supply and discharge lines to the heating device and the heating device itself) are attached to or on the rear wall and the hood encloses the components and can be attached to the rear wall for this purpose.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the lines for the media flow can be integrated into a rear wall of the housing. This configuration is advantageous because media inflows and outflows usually take place on the wall side anyway and in addition, mechanical stiffening of the rear wall of the heater can be achieved.

According to an advantageous embodiment, a first and a second shell can be connected to one another during the production of the housing part, with the first and/or second shell having embossed lines for the media flow. The first and second shells can be designed as flat, flat elements into which lines are formed, for example by a pressing process. Lines can be embossed in the first and/or second shell and the other shell can be flat. Integrated lines with a circular line cross-section can advantageously be produced by correspondingly embossing the lines in the first and second shells.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the first and second shells can be materially connected to one another, in particular glued or welded.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the supply lines and discharge lines to a heating device of the heater can be integrated into a housing part. A separate heating device can then be connected to the housing part. Advantageously, in this embodiment, a large number of inexpensive plastics can be used to produce the housing part, since only low temperature loads, generally below 80 ° C [degrees Celsius], are present. Examples of suitable materials are polyamides or polypropylene.

According to an advantageous embodiment, a supply line, a discharge line and heating channels of a heating block can be integrated into the housing part. The heating channels can in particular include heating elements, such as heating wires. Advantageously, a separate heating device is unnecessary in this configuration and as a result the necessary installation space and the size of the heater can be reduced. A material should be used that can withstand the high temperatures of the heating wires. At least for the area of the heating channels, a polyamide with a glass fiber content could be used, for example a polyphthalamide (PPA) such as PPAGF30.

According to an advantageous embodiment, further components of the heater, such as in particular sensors (temperature sensors, flow sensors) can be introduced into the housing part or the integrated lines. For this purpose, openings can be provided in the first and/or second shell, for example, into which components can be introduced in a liquid-tight manner using a screw or bayonet connection.

According to an advantageous embodiment, connection elements can be integrated into the housing part. The connection elements can, for example, form a hot water outlet and a cold water inlet and be integrated into the housing part. For this purpose, the connection elements can, for example, be injected (as part of an injection molding process) or glued in, the connection elements in particular being made of a metallic material (for example copper, brass, steel).

According to a further aspect, an electric heater is also proposed, manufactured using a method proposed here.

The details, features and advantageous configurations discussed in connection with the method can also occur in the heater presented here and vice versa. In this respect, full reference is made to the statements there regarding the more detailed characterization of the features.

As a precaution, it should be noted that the number words used here ("first", "second", ...) primarily serve (only) to distinguish between several similar objects, sizes or processes, i.e. in particular no dependency and/or order of these objects, sizes or prescribe processes to each other. If a dependency and/or sequence is required, this is explicitly stated here or it will be obvious to the person skilled in the art when studying the specifically described embodiment. So far a component can occur multiple times ("at least one"), the description for one of these components can apply equally to all or part of the majority of these components, but this is not mandatory.

An electric heater is therefore specified here which can at least partially solve the problems described with reference to the prior art. In particular, the heater at least contributes to ensuring excellent cooling of electronic components while at the same time reducing installation effort for the cooling.

Fig. 1:

ein hier vorgeschlagenes elektrisches Heizgerät,

Fig. 2:

eine erste Schale einer Rückwand eines hier vorgeschlagenen Heizgerätes,

Fig. 3:

eine alternative Ausgestaltung einer ersten Schale einer Rückwand eines hier vorgeschlagenen Heizgerätes, und

Fig. 4.

eine erste und zweite Schale einer Rückwand eines hier vorgeschlagenen Heizgerätes.

The invention and the technical environment are explained in more detail below using the accompanying figures. It should be noted that the invention is not intended to be limited by the exemplary embodiments given. In particular, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the facts explained in the figures and combine them with other components and findings from the present description. In particular, it should be noted that the figures and in particular the proportions shown are only schematic. Show it:

Fig. 1:

an electric heater proposed here,

Fig. 2:

a first shell of a rear wall of a heater proposed here,

Fig. 3:

an alternative design of a first shell of a rear wall of a heater proposed here, and

Fig. 4.

a first and second shell of a rear wall of a heater proposed here.

Fig. 1 shows, by way of example and schematically, an electric heater 1 for heating a media stream, such as a water stream, which can be supplied to the heater 1 through a cold water inlet 8 and removed through a hot water outlet 9, the media stream flowing through the heater 1 in a flow direction 24.

The heater 1 can include a heating device 3, having resistance-based heating elements, designed as heating wires 16, arranged in a heating channel 22, which can be brought into direct contact with the media flow.

The heater 1 can also have a regulating and control device 6, which can be set up to regulate and control the heater 1, in particular the heating wires 16. For this purpose, the control and control device 6 can be electrically connected to a temperature sensor 7 in the cold water inlet, a flow sensor 5, a motor valve 4 and a temperature sensor 10 in the hot water outlet 9.

Fig. 2 also shows, by way of example and schematically, a first shell 13 of a rear wall 21 of a heater 1 proposed here, which can be set up to attach the heater 1 to a wall (of a building). This includes a power supply feedthrough 19, a supply line 23, which leads from a cold water inlet connection area 11 to the heating device 3 and a discharge line 25 from the heating device 3 to a hot water outlet connection area 12. Derivative line 25 and supply line 23 are embossed into the first shell 13. The heating device 3 is designed here as a separate heating device, whereby the first shell 13 can be made of a cost-effective plastic, such as a polyamide or a polypropylene.

Fig. 3 shows an example and schematic of an alternative design of a first shell 13. In contrast to Fig. 2 the first bowl can be 13 in Fig. 3 include embossed heating channels 15, in which heating wires 16 can be arranged. In this embodiment, most of the media-carrying lines are advantageously integrated into the rear wall 21.

Fig. 4 shows by way of example and schematically a first shell 13 and a second shell 14 of the rear wall 21. In the second shell 14, lines, such as the derivation, can be used 25, supply line 23 and heating channels 22 can be embossed corresponding to the first shell 13. Likewise, a connection element 17 of the cold water inlet 8 integrated in the second shell 14 can be designed to correspond to the cold water inlet connection area 11 of the first switch 13 and a corresponding connection element 15 of the hot water outlet 9 integrated in the second shell 14 can be designed to correspond to the connection area of the hot water outlet 12. First shell 13 and second shell 14 can be connected to one another when carrying out a method proposed here, in particular by means of gluing or welding. The housing 18 of the heater 1 can also include a hood, not shown here, which covers the rear wall 18 and components of the heater 1 attached thereto.

Reference symbol list

1

heater

3

Heating device

4

Engine valve

5

Flow sensor

6

Control and control device

7

Temperature sensor

8th

Cold water inlet

9

Hot water outlet

10

Temperature sensor

11

Cold water inlet connection area

12

Hot water outlet connection area

13

first bowl

14

second bowl

15

Cold water inlet connection element

16

heating wire

17

Hot water outlet connection element

18

Housing

19

Implementation of power supply

21

Back wall

22

heating channel

23

supply line

24

Direction of flow

25

Derivation

Claims (10)

Method for producing an electric heater (1) for heating a media flow, wherein when producing a housing part of the heater (1), lines for the media flow are integrated into the housing part. Method according to claim 1, wherein the lines for the media flow are integrated into a rear wall (21) of the housing (18). Method according to claim 1, wherein during the production of the housing part a first shell (13) and a second shell (14) are connected to one another, the first shell (13) and/or second shell (14) having embossed lines for the media flow. Method according to claim 3, wherein the first shell (13) and second shell (14) are glued or welded. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a supply line (23) and a discharge line (25) to a heating device (3) of the heater (1) are integrated into the housing part as lines. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a supply line (23), a discharge line (25) and heating channels (22) of the heating device (3) are integrated into the housing part as lines. Heater (1), produced using a method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the supply line (23) and discharge line (25) to a heating device (3) are integrated into a housing part. Heater according to (1) claim 7, wherein the housing part with integrated lines consists at least partially of a polyamide or a polypropylene. Heater according to claim 7, wherein additional heating channels (22) of a heating device (3) are integrated into the housing part. Heater (1) according to claim 9, wherein the housing part with integrated lines consists at least partially of a fiber-reinforced polyamide.

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