FR3004009A1 - CONTROL MODULE OF AN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS - Google Patents

Abstract

Control module of an electrical apparatus, comprising a connecting member (46) of electrically conductive material and a rod (59) for supplying current to the member, one end of the rod (59) being inserted into an orifice (58) of the member (46), characterized in that the rod (59) is inserted by force into a cylindrical skirt of the conductive member formed on the periphery of the orifice (58).

Description

The present invention relates to a control module of an electrical apparatus, and a heating module, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising such a control module. The invention applies in particular to the technical field of additional electric heating devices for motor vehicles. Such heaters are particularly used in the first minutes of starting a motor vehicle, when the engine is not hot enough to ensure the supply of hot air in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. This heating time is for example between 15 and 20 minutes for a Diesel type engine. An additional heating device generally comprises a support frame on which are mounted parallel heating modules arranged to be traversed by a flow of air to be heated. Each heating module comprises two electrodes between which are placed resistive elements of the positive temperature coefficient (PTC) type. Two opposite heat sinks are attached to the electrodes, so as to increase the exchange surface with the air flow to be heated.

Each heating module thus comprises a positive terminal. The positive terminals are electrically connected via the same electrically conductive connecting member to the positive terminal of a battery. The negative terminal of each heating module is electrically connected to the negative terminal of the battery.

To ensure the electrical connection of this member to the positive terminal of the battery, it is known to form an orifice in the member and to insert one end of a conductive metal rod whose other end is placed in contact with the positive terminal of the battery. More particularly, the aforementioned member and the rod are integrated in a control module, also called "Driver". The control module is mounted in a housing fixed to the support frame. The connection between the rod and the member does not allow the use of large electrical powers and is limited to powers of less than 1000 Watts because of the reduced contact between the rod and the member which is made only by the inner surface the orifice in contact with a corresponding surface of the rod. In addition, the mechanical maintenance of the connection between the rod and the body is insufficient.

The invention aims in particular to provide a simple, effective and economical solution to these problems. For this purpose, it proposes a control module of an electrical apparatus, comprising a connection member made of electrically conductive material and a rod supplying current to the member, one end of the rod being inserted into a hole of the organ, characterized in that the rod is inserted by force into a skirt of the member formed on the periphery of the orifice. According to the invention, the force-fitting of one end of the rod in a skirt formed around the periphery of the orifice makes it possible to increase the contact surface between the rod and the connecting member, which allows the use of electrical appliances of higher power, for example 1200 Watts. In addition, the increase of the contact surface allows a good control of the insertion force of the rod in the skirt, which is not possible when the contact surfaces are reduced as in the prior art. Finally, the connection of the rod to the member also ensures a better mechanical connection of the two parts. Preferably, the skirt is formed on a face of the member opposite to that from which the rod extends. According to another characteristic of the invention, the free end of the rod is substantially flush with the free edge of the skirt.

Preferably, the stem comprises a radial shoulder abutting on the member thus making it possible to control the positioning in force of the rod in the member. According to another characteristic of the invention, an electrically insulating gasket mechanically holds the rod and the member, the gasket surrounding the end of the rod and extending on either side of the member through openings. of the organ. Preferably, the rod comprises at least one annular groove in which the electrically insulating lining extends, in order to improve the mechanical connection of the rod to the lining which is integral with the body.

The skirt is advantageously formed in one piece with the member which is made for example by a jogging operation. In a practical embodiment of the invention, the orifice, the skirt and the stem have a circular section. The skirt has a diameter of about 4 mm and a height of between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm. The invention also relates to a heating device, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a module as described above and at least one heating module, one terminal of which is electrically connected to the aforementioned member.

The invention also relates to a method of assembling the module described above, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: - inserting an end of the rod force into the skirt through the hole to that said end is substantially flush with the free edge of the skirt; then to - counter-punching the end face of the rod inserted into the skirt. Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the following description given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a front view of a heating device according to the prior art; FIG. 2 is a perspective view, from the front, of a control module of the heating device of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view in section of the connection of a rod. an electrical conduction member arranged in a module of Figure 2; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an electrical conduction member intended to be used in a control module according to the invention; - Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view in section of the connection of a rod to an electrical conduction member according to the invention; FIG. 1 represents an additional electric heating device 10 according to the invention intended to equip a motor vehicle. Such a heater 10 is particularly used in the first minutes of use of the motor vehicle, when the engine is not hot enough to ensure the supply of hot air in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. This device 10 comprises a support frame 12 of parallelepiped shape on which are mounted heating modules 14 parallel and arranged to be traversed by a flow of air A to be heated. The heating modules 14 are controlled by means of a control module 16 (FIG. 2) or "Driver" mounted in a housing 18 fixed to the support frame 12. Each heating module 14 comprises two electrodes 20, 22 of which one corresponds to a positive terminal and the other to a negative terminal, between which resistive elements of the positive temperature coefficient type are placed. Two opposed heat sinks 24 are fixed on the electrodes, so as to increase the exchange surface with the air flow to be heated. The heat sinks 24 are for example formed of folded or corrugated metal ribbons.

Each heating module 14 thus comprises a positive terminal electrically connected to the positive terminal of a battery and a negative terminal electrically connected to the negative terminal of the battery via a printed circuit board 26 on which are soldered or mounted various electrical or electronic components 28.

The electrical connections between the electronic components 28 of the control module 16, the heating modules 14 and the battery are provided by electrically conductive members. More particularly, three conductive members 30a, 30b, 30c connect the negative terminals of the heating modules 14 to the printed circuit board 26. Another conductive member 32 connects the positive terminal of the battery to the positive terminals of the different heating modules 14 The various conductive members 30a, 30b, 30c, 32 are mechanically connected to one another and electrically insulated from each other by an over-molded plastics packing 34 and acting as a support so that said conductive members 30a , 30b, 30c, 32 and the liner 34 form a unitary assembly. The liner 34 is fixed on the printed circuit board.

The conductive member 32 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery via a metal rod 36, one end of which is inserted and held in an orifice of the member 32 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The rod comprises two annular grooves 40 located on either side of the conductive member 32. Apertures 38 are formed in the thickness of the member 32 so as to allow the passage of the insulating lining 34 through the body. and in the grooves 40 of the rod 36. As indicated above, the rod 36 is in contact with the member 32 only by its surface 42 in contact with the inner surface 44 of the orifice, which is insufficient to transmit the electrical energy necessary for the operation of electrical appliances of high power, in particular greater than 1000 Watts. FIG. 4 represents in isolation a conductive member 46 according to the invention which comprises a first 48, a second 50 and a third 52 tabs substantially parallel to each other, each tab being intended to be connected to a positive terminal of a module of FIG. heating 14 described with reference to Figure 1. The first 48, second 50 and third 52 tabs are interconnected by a central portion 54, one end of which carries a fourth tab 56 extending opposite the third leg 52 and substantially perpendicular to it. The fourth leg 56 of the member 46 comprises an orifice 58 whose periphery comprises a skirt 60 of substantially cylindrical shape which extends in the same direction as the first, second and third legs from the fourth leg 56.

According to the invention, one end of the rod 59 is force-fitted into the skirt 60 through the orifice 58 (FIGS. 4 and 5), the other end of the rod being intended to be connected to the positive terminal of the drums. Thus, the rod 59 extends from the fourth leg 56 in a direction opposite the first 48, second 50 and third 52 tabs.

The rod 59 comprises a radial shoulder 62 allowing abutment of the rod 59 on the fourth leg 56 of the member 46, this shoulder 62 being positioned so that the mounting end face of the rod 59 is substantially flush with the free edge of the cylindrical skirt 60.

After insertion of the rod 59 inside the skirt, a counter-punching operation is performed on the end face of the rod 59 to locally compress the material of the rod 59 on the inner face of the skirt 60, which ensures a good mechanical strength of the rod 59 on the member 46 and a better contact with the skirt 60 for good transmission of electrical energy. The end of the rod 59 also comprises an annular groove 64 formed to be positioned facing the face of the fourth tab 56 opposite the skirt 60. In a manner similar to that described with reference to FIG. , the fourth leg 56 of the member comprises openings 66 for the passage of a synthetic lining 68 which is molded on either side of the fourth lug 56 and in the groove 64 of the rod. In a practical embodiment of the invention, the skirt 60 has a diameter of the order of 4 mm and a height of between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm, which does not change the configuration of adjacent parts. The cylindrical skirt 60 is made in one piece with the conductive member 46 by a trimming operation well known to those skilled in the art. In an alternative embodiment of the invention not shown, the skirt has a frustoconical shape and the end of the rod also has a frustoconical shape adapted to its insertion force into the skirt of the conductive member.

Claims (11)

REVENDICATIONS1. Control module of an electrical apparatus, comprising a connecting member (46) of electrically conductive material and a rod (59) for supplying current to the member, one end of the rod (59) being inserted into an orifice (58) of the member (46), characterized in that the rod (59) is inserted by force into a skirt of the conductive member formed on the periphery of the orifice (58). 2. Control module according to claim 1, characterized in that the skirt (60) is formed on a face of the member (46) opposite to that from which extends the rod (59). 3. Control module according to claim 2, characterized in that the free end of the rod (59) is substantially flush with the free edge of the skirt (60). 4. Control module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rod (59) comprises a radial shoulder abutting on the member (46). 5. Control module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an electrically insulating lining (68) mechanically holds the rod and the member (46), the lining (68) surrounding the end of the rod ( 59) and extending on either side of the member (46) through openings of the member. 6. Control module according to claim 4, characterized in that the rod (59) comprises at least one annular groove (64) in which extends the electrically insulating gasket. 7. Control module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the skirt (60) is formed integrally with the member. 8. Control module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the skirt (60) has a diameter of about 4 mm and a height of between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm. 9. Control module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the orifice (58), the skirt (60) and the rod (59) have a circular section. 10. Heating device, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a control module according to one of the preceding claims and at least one heating module, a terminal is electrically connected to the aforementioned member. 11. A method of assembling the control module according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: inserting by force one end of the rod (59) in the skirt (60) through the orifice (58) until said end is substantially flush with the free edge of the skirt (60); and then counter-punching the end face of the rod (59) inserted into the skirt (60).