JP2010276264A - Hot water generation unit, in-vehicle hot water heater system and method of assembling the hot water generation unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hot water generation unit capable of efficiently generating hot water in a shorter time and excellent in practical reliability. <P>SOLUTION: The hot water generation unit includes: a heater unit 11; a tank 30 capable of storing liquid 50 and storing the heater unit 11 with the heater unit 11 immersed in the liquid 50; and a mounting member 40 for fixing the heater unit 11 to the tank 30. The mounting member 40 includes: a screw 42 screwed to a wall 31 of the tank 30; and a heater unit fixing part 41 provided integrally with the screw 42, protruded to the inner side of the tank 30 with the screw 42 screwed to the wall 31 of the tank 30 and performing pressure fixation while sandwiching a pair of heat release faces 12a at an end of a cylindrical body 12 of the heater unit 11 stored in the tank 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hot water generation unit using a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element as a heat source, an in-vehicle hot water heater system, and a method for assembling the hot water generation unit.

  In general, a hot water heater that heats air by using exhaust heat of engine cooling water is used as a main heat source for heating an automobile interior, but in the future, an electric vehicle without an engine will be widely used. Along with this, there is a strong demand from the market to use the hot water heating system that has been used so far. It seems that an electric hot water heater is necessary due to such market demands.

  A device using a PTC element as a heating element in an electric heater is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. In Patent Document 1, a fluid heating device using a PTC element is disposed at an inlet of a heater core, the PTC element faces a flow path of engine cooling water through a partition wall, and fluid passing through the flow path is transferred to the PTC. A structure for heating with an element is disclosed.

JP 2003-104041 A

  In the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, in which the liquid passing through the flow path is heated by the PTC element, if the liquid does not flow or does not exist in the flow path portion where the PTC element is provided, the heat generation of the PTC element is wasted. Energy is consumed. For example, when the liquid freezes or the fluidity is lowered in a cold district or the like, the liquid does not flow through the portion where the PTC element is provided or the flow is stagnated, and hot water cannot be effectively supplied to the heater core. In addition, in order to increase the thermal efficiency to the limit, it is ideal that the entire heater is in contact with the non-heating body (liquid). However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, since heat escapes from a portion of the heater that does not face the flow path, efficiency reduction cannot be denied.

  Therefore, as a more desirable form, it is conceivable to immerse the entire PTC heater in the liquid stored in the tank. In this case, it is necessary to accommodate them inside the waterproof structure so that the PTC element and the electrode member do not touch the liquid. Therefore, the heat of the PTC element is transferred to the liquid through the waterproof structure. From the viewpoint of increasing the heat transfer efficiency, the shape of the waterproof structure is preferably a flat rectangular tube rather than a cylinder. Further, the mounting structure of the heater unit to the tank is preferably screwed from the viewpoint of securing strength. However, the rectangular tube-shaped structure cannot be screwed directly to the tank.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a warm water generating unit, an in-vehicle warm water heater system, and a method for assembling the warm water generating unit that can efficiently generate warm water in a shorter time and have excellent reliability in actual use. .

According to one aspect of the present invention, a heater unit, a tank capable of storing a liquid and accommodating the heater unit in a state where the heater unit is immersed in the liquid, and the heater unit with respect to the tank And the heater unit includes a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element formed in a plate shape having a pair of electrode surfaces, and a pair of electrode surfaces so as to sandwich the PTC element. A pair of electrode members bonded in surface contact with each other, an insulating sheet having flexibility, thermal conductivity and electrical insulation surrounding the PTC element and the electrode member, and the PTC wrapped in the insulating sheet A flat cylindrical body that houses the element and the electrode member inside and has a pair of plate-like heat radiation surfaces facing each of the pair of electrode surfaces, and an end of the cylindrical body A sealing body that seals a mouth, and the attachment member is provided integrally with a screw portion that is screw-coupled to a wall portion of the tank, and the screw portion is integrated with the tank. In the state of being screw-coupled to the wall portion of the tank, the tank protrudes inwardly to accommodate the liquid, and is compressed in a state where the pair of heat radiation surfaces at the end of the cylindrical body accommodated in the tank are sandwiched There is provided a hot water generating unit characterized by having a heater unit fixing portion for fixing.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the hot water generating unit, a circulation path connected to the tank, a hydraulic pump for circulating the liquid in the tank and the circulation path, A heater core that is connected to a circulation path and through which hot water generated by heating the liquid in the tank by the heater unit passes, and a blower that blows gas to the heater core are provided. An in-vehicle hot water heater system is provided.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for assembling a hot water generating unit including a step of fixing a heater unit to a liquid and a tank capable of containing the heater unit via an attachment member. The heater unit includes a pair of PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) elements formed in the shape of a plate having a pair of electrode surfaces and a pair of electrodes in surface contact with each other so as to sandwich the PTC elements. An electrode member, an insulating sheet having flexibility, thermal conductivity, and electrical insulation that encloses the PTC element and the electrode member; and the PTC element and electrode member that are encased in the insulating sheet. A flat cylindrical body having a pair of plate-like heat radiation surfaces facing each of the pair of electrode surfaces, and a sealing body for sealing an end opening of the cylindrical body, and the mounting portion Includes a screw portion and a heater unit fixing portion provided integrally with the screw portion, and the tank unit fixing portion protrudes inside the tank in which the liquid is accommodated. A first step of screwing the screw portion from the inside of the tank to the wall portion, and after the first step, between the pair of heat radiation surfaces at one end portion of the cylindrical body of the heater unit, A second step of sandwiching and pressing between the heater unit fixing portion, and after the second step, rotating the screw portion in a direction opposite to that when the screw portion is coupled to the wall portion in the first step. And a third step of pressing the heater unit fixing portion against the one end portion of the cylindrical body. A method for assembling the hot water generating unit is provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the hot water production | generation unit which can produce | generate warm water efficiently in a short time, and was excellent in the reliability in actual use, the vehicle-mounted warm water heater system, and the assembly method of a warm water production | generation unit are provided.

The schematic diagram which shows the warm water production | generation unit which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The perspective view of the heater unit in the same warm water production | generation unit. The top view of the cylinder in the heater unit, and the PTC element accommodated in the inside. AA line expanded sectional view in FIG. The schematic diagram of the electrode member in the heater unit. The schematic diagram of the attachment member in the same warm water production | generation unit. The schematic diagram for demonstrating the method to attach a heater unit to a tank via an attachment member. The schematic diagram of the state by which the hot water production | generation unit which concerns on this embodiment was attached to the attachment target object. The schematic diagram which shows the vehicle-mounted warm water heater system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows the other example of a coupling | bonding of a heater unit edge part and an attachment member. The schematic diagram which shows the form which provided the fin in the thermal radiation surface of the heater unit. The schematic diagram for demonstrating the form which rotates a screw part reversely at the time of a coupling | bonding after couple | bonding the thread part of an attachment member with the wall part of a tank. The schematic diagram which shows an example of the holding structure of the other end part of a heater unit.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Drawing 1 is a mimetic diagram showing warm water generation unit 1 concerning an embodiment of the present invention.

  The hot water generation unit 1 according to the present embodiment includes a heater unit 11, a tank 30, and an attachment member 40 that fixes the heater unit 11 to the tank 30.

  The tank 30 can store a liquid 50 such as water, for example, and can store the heater unit 11 in a state in which the heater unit 11 is immersed in the stored liquid 50. The tank 30 is made of, for example, a resin material.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heater unit 11.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cylinder 12 in the heater unit 11 and the PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element 16 accommodated therein.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

  The PTC element 16 has a positive temperature characteristic, and when the temperature becomes equal to or higher than the Curie point, the resistance rapidly increases and further temperature increase is limited. The PTC element 16 is accommodated in the cylindrical body 12. As shown by broken lines in FIG. 3, a plurality of PTC elements 16 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body 12. The PTC element 16 is formed in, for example, a rectangular thin plate shape, and an electrode surface 16a is formed on the front surface and the back surface. The electrode surface 16a is made of a metal such as silver or aluminum.

  As shown in FIG. 4, electrode members 17 a and 17 b are superimposed on each of the pair of electrode surfaces 16 a in the PTC element 16. A reverse polarity voltage is applied to each of the electrode members 17a and 17b.

Fig.5 (a) is a top view of the one end part in the electrode member 17a.
FIG. 5B is an enlarged end view seen from the terminal portion 19a side in FIG.
FIG. 5 shows one electrode member 17a. In the following description, the electrode member 17a will be described, but the other electrode member 17b is configured similarly.

  The electrode member 17a is made of, for example, a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, and includes a strip-shaped flat plate portion 18a and a terminal portion 19a integrally provided at one end of the flat plate portion 18a. As shown in FIG. 4, the flat plate portion 18 a of the electrode member 17 a and the flat plate portion 18 b of the electrode member 17 b are bonded in surface contact with each of the pair of electrode surfaces 16 a with the PTC element 16 interposed therebetween.

  The flat plate portions 18a and 18b and the electrode surface 16a of the PTC element 16 are bonded to each other with, for example, a silicone adhesive having thermal conductivity and excellent heat resistance. The electrode surface 16a is formed, for example, by spraying aluminum on the surface of the PTC element 16 made of ceramics, or by spraying aluminum after applying silver. Therefore, minute irregularities are formed on the electrode surface 16a. Therefore, even if the adhesive for adhering the flat plate portions 18a, 18b and the electrode surface 16a is insulative, the projections on the irregularities of the electrode surface 16a penetrate the adhesive and contact the flat plate portions 18a, 18b, and PTC The conduction between the element 16 and the electrode members 17a and 17b is ensured.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the terminal portion 19a is provided so as to protrude from one end portion of the flat plate portion 18a, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a part in the circumferential direction cut away. One end of the cable 14a is inserted into the cylindrical terminal portion 19a, and one end of the cable 14a is fixed to the terminal portion 19a by squeezing the terminal portion 19a in the diameter reducing direction. The cable 14a is formed by coating the conductive wire 22 with an insulating coating material. The conducting wire 22 exposed from the insulating coating material is fixed to the terminal portion 19a.

  Accordingly, one electrode surface 16a of the PTC element 16 is electrically connected to the cable 14a via the electrode member 17a, and the other electrode surface 16a is connected to the cable 14b (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) via the electrode member 17b. ) And electrically connected.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the electrode members 17 a and 17 b and the PTC element 16 sandwiched between them are wrapped in an insulating sheet 21. The insulating sheet 21 has flexibility, thermal conductivity, and electrical insulation and is made of, for example, a polyimide film. The insulating sheet 21 completely covers the periphery of the electrode members 17a and 17b (including the terminal portion 19a) except for both ends in the longitudinal direction.

  If there is a portion where the insulating sheet 21 overlaps in a portion between the electrode surface 16a and the heat radiating surface 12a, which is a heat transfer path from the PTC element 16 to the heat radiating surface 12a of the cylindrical body 12, the heat transfer efficiency is lowered. . Therefore, in the present embodiment, both edge portions 21a and 21b of the insulating sheet 21 are overlapped on the back side of the side surface 12b of the cylindrical body 12 instead of between the electrode surface 16a and the heat radiating surface 12a. Thereby, the fall of the heat transfer efficiency from the PTC element 16 to the thermal radiation surface 12a of the cylinder 12 can be suppressed.

  The cylindrical body 12 has a pair of plate-shaped heat radiation surfaces 12a facing each other, and is formed in a flat cylindrical shape having openings at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The cylinder 12 is made of a material having thermal conductivity and processability such as aluminum.

  The PTC element 16 and the electrode members 17a and 17b (including the terminal portion 19a) are accommodated in the cylindrical body 12 in a state where the periphery is completely wrapped with the insulating sheet 21. The electrode surface 16 a of the PTC element 16 faces the back surface of the heat radiating surface 12 a of the cylindrical body 12. An electrode member 17a and an insulating sheet 21 are interposed between the one electrode surface 16a and the heat radiating surface 12a facing the electrode surface 16a, and an electrode is disposed between the other electrode surface 16a and the heat radiating surface 12a facing the electrode surface 16a. The member 17b and the insulating sheet 21 are interposed.

  After the PTC element 16 and the electrode members 17a and 17b wrapped with the insulating sheet 21 are inserted into the cylindrical body 12, mechanical pressure is applied to the pair of heat radiation surfaces 12a of the cylindrical body 12 so that the cylindrical body in the vertical direction of FIG. Crush 12 As a result, the PTC element 16, the electrode members 17 a and 17 b, and the insulating sheet 21 are in a state of being compressed between the back surfaces of the pair of heat radiation surfaces 12 a of the cylindrical body 12 and are fixed in the cylindrical body 12. Thereafter, the silicone adhesive between the PTC element 16 and the electrode members 17a and 17b is thermally cured.

After the silicone-based adhesive is cured, as shown in FIG. 2, a cap 13 and a sealing material 15 are provided at both ends of the cylindrical body 12 as sealing bodies that seal the end openings, respectively. The cap 13 has electrical insulation, waterproofness, and heat resistance, and is made of, for example, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). The cap 13 has a recess into which one end of the cylindrical body 12 is fitted. For example, a silicone-based sealing material having electrical insulation, waterproofness, and heat resistance is put into the recess and one end of the cylinder 12, and then one end of the cylinder 12 is fitted into the recess. Accordingly, the opening on one end side of the cylindrical body 12 is liquid-tightly closed by the sealing material and the cap 13.
Here, as a comparative example, it is also conceivable to adopt a structure in which the end portion of the cylinder body 12 is not covered with the open end, but the end portion of the cylinder body is integrally covered and closed with metal. However, if the cylinder end is covered with metal and closed, the cylinder 12 may be cracked or cracked in the process of crushing the cylinder 12 by applying pressure. It becomes easy to deform into an undesirable shape. Alternatively, it may be impossible to crush the cylinder end. In order to avoid this, in the present embodiment, the end portion of the cylindrical body is an open end, the portion is filled with a sealing material, and the cap 13 is attached. That is, in this embodiment, the cylinder 12 is crushed to crush a useless gap in the cylinder 12 to increase the heat transfer efficiency from the PTC element 16 to the cylinder 12, and the end of the cylinder is open. Since it is an end, it does not crack or deform even when pressure is applied. As a result, productivity can be increased and costs can be reduced.

  The opening on the other end side of the cylindrical body 12 is liquid-tightly closed by, for example, a silicone-based sealing material 15 having electrical insulation, waterproofness, and heat resistance. From the opening on the other end side, cables 14 a and 14 b respectively connected to the electrode members 17 a and 17 b inside the cylinder 12 are led out to the outside of the cylinder 12.

  Next, FIG. 6A shows a perspective view of the attachment member 40, and FIG. 6B shows an end view of the attachment member 40 as viewed from the heater unit fixing portion 41 side.

  The attachment member 40 has a screw portion 42 and a heater unit fixing portion 41. Both the screw portion 42 and the heater unit fixing portion 41 are made of a metal material such as stainless steel and are integrally provided.

  The screw portion 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a screw is formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof. The screw portion 42 is screwed to a screw hole 30a formed in the wall portion 31 of the tank 30 shown in FIG. The threaded portion 42 is formed with a through hole 42a penetrating in the axial direction.

  The heater unit fixing portion 41 is formed in a prismatic or cylindrical shape, and a slit 41c extending in the radial direction is formed on one end surface thereof. The slit 41 c communicates with the through hole 42 a of the screw portion 42. Both ends of the slit 41 c in the extending direction are not closed by the side wall portion of the heater unit fixing portion 41 and are open to the outside of the heater unit fixing portion 41.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the heater unit fixing portion 41 protrudes to the inside of the tank 30 with the screw portion 42 screwed to the wall portion 31 from the inside to the outside of the tank 30 and is accommodated in the tank 30. The cylindrical body 12 is pressed and fixed in a state where the pair of heat radiating surfaces 12a are sandwiched between the ends.

  The heater unit 11 is fixed to the tank 30 via the attachment member 40. Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 7A, with the heater unit fixing portion 41 of the mounting member 40 facing the inside of the tank 30, the screw portion 42 is moved from the inside of the tank 30 to the wall portion 31. Screwed into the formed screw hole 30a and coupled.

  A plan view of the state in which the attachment member 40 is attached to the wall portion 31 of the tank 30 is shown in FIG. Thereafter, the end of the cylindrical body 12 of the heater unit 11 is fitted into the slit 41 c of the heater unit fixing portion 41 of the mounting member 40.

  The end of the cylindrical body 12 on the side where the cables 14a and 14b are led out is fitted into the slit 41c. The cables 14 a and 14 b are led out from the inside of the tank 30 through the through holes 42 a formed in the slit 41 c and the screw portion 42, and are connected to a power supply source (not shown) outside the tank 30.

  Here, if the longitudinal dimension of the cylinder 12 is too long, the other end of the cylinder 12 opposite to the one end fitted into the slit 41c faces the wall 31 to which the attachment member 40 is attached. There is a concern that it will be difficult to fit into the slit 41c at one end of the cylindrical body 12 by hitting the inner wall surface of the wall portion 32.

  However, in the present embodiment, as described above, since both ends of the slit 41c in the extending direction are opened without being closed, the cylindrical body 12 is placed in the longitudinal direction of the tank 30 as shown in FIG. One end portion of the cylindrical body 12 can be inserted into the slit 41c from the side wall side of the heater unit fixing portion 41 while being inclined. For this reason, even if the longitudinal dimension of the cylindrical body 12 is relatively long, it does not hinder the work of fitting into the slit 41c. As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical body 12 exists over almost the entire area between the opposing wall portions 31 and 32 of the tank 30, so that the heating efficiency of the liquid 50 can be improved and efficient hot water generation can be performed.

  After fitting one end of the cylindrical body 12 into the slit 41c of the heater unit fixing portion 41, the portion is crimped. Specifically, a pressing force directed to the heat radiating surface 12 a side of one end of the cylindrical body 12 is applied to both portions 41 a and 41 b sandwiching the slit 41 c in the heater unit fixing portion 41. As a result, one end of the cylindrical body 12 fitted into the slit 41c is pressed between the portions 41a and 41b sandwiching the slit 41c in the heater unit fixing portion 41 and mechanically fixed to the heater unit fixing portion 41. The The PTC element 16 does not exist inside one end portion of the cylindrical body 12 that is fitted into the slit 41c, and the PTC element 16 is not damaged even if a pressing force is applied to the one end portion.

  Since the screw portion 42 of the mounting member 40 is screwed to the wall portion 31 of the tank 30 as described above, the heater unit 11 is fixed to the tank 30 via the mounting member 40 as a result.

  In the example shown in FIG. 1, the other end of the heater unit 11 is held by a holding member 35 provided on the wall 32. That is, the heater unit 11 is supported at both ends. The other end portion of the heater unit 11 may be fixed to the wall portion 32, or may be simply supported. The other end of the heater unit 11 may be in contact with the wall 32 or may be separated. Further, the heater unit 11 may be simply cantilevered by the mounting member 40.

  The heater unit 11 is fixed to the tank 30 via the mounting member 40, and a liquid 50 such as water is placed in the tank 30 so that the cylinder 12 having the heat radiation surface 12 a is immersed in the liquid 50. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8, a lid 33 is attached to the tank 30 to seal the inside of the tank 30. The hot water generating unit 1 according to the present embodiment obtained as described above is attached to various attachment objects according to applications.

  In FIG. 8, the example which attached the lid | cover 33 integral with the tank 30 to the attachment target object 60 with the volt | bolt 61 is shown. For example, when the tank 30 and the lid 33 are both made of a resin material, they can be joined by welding. In addition, the tank 30 and the lid 33 may be coupled by mechanical means such as screw coupling.

  In the hot water generating unit 1 according to the present embodiment described above, the PTC element 16 is energized through the cables 14a and 14b and the electrode members 17a and 17b to generate heat. The heat generated by the PTC element 16 is transmitted to the heat radiating surface 12a of the cylindrical body 12 through the electrode members 17a and 17b and the insulating sheet 21 having good thermal conductivity. And the liquid 50 in the tank 30 is heated with the heat of the heat radiating surface 12a, and warm water is produced | generated. By using the PTC element 16, it is possible to generate hot water in a shorter time than when a sheathed heater having a structure in which a heating wire is sealed with a heat-resistant insulating material is used.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the PTC element 16 and the electrode members 17a and 17b are accommodated inside the cylindrical body 12 sealed by the insulating and waterproof cap 13 and the sealing material 15, and are not exposed to the outside. Moreover, since the insulating sheet 21 is interposed between the electrode members 17a and 17b and the cylinder 12, the cylinder 12 is not energized. Further, the outside of the cables 14a and 14b is an insulating covering material. Therefore, the heater unit 11 has a structure in which the energized portion is not exposed to the outside and prevents liquid from entering the energized portion. For this reason, even if the heater unit 11 is immersed in the liquid, it does not leak and is safe.

  In order to further enhance the waterproof property, before fitting one end portion of the cylinder 12 into the slit 41c, for example, a silicone-based sealing material having a waterproof property is supplied to the slit 41c, and then the one end portion of the cylinder 12 is You may make it fit in the slit 41c. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, a silicone-based sealing material 73 having a waterproof property may be filled in the through hole 42 a of the screw portion 42.

  Since the screw portion 42 of the mounting member 40 is screwed to the wall portion 31 of the tank 30, leakage of the liquid 50 to the outside of the tank 30 through the screw hole 30 a formed in the wall portion 31 is prevented. Further, in order to reliably prevent liquid leakage, it is effective to interpose a waterproof sealing material, for example, silicone, between the outer peripheral surface of the screw portion 42 and the screw hole 30a. Further, a seal ring may be interposed between the end surface of the heater unit fixing portion 41 on the screw portion 42 side and the inner wall surface of the wall portion 31.

  The mounting member 40 and the wall portion 31 of the tank 30 are firmly coupled by screw coupling. The end of the cylindrical body 12 of the heater unit 11 is pressed and fixed to the heater unit fixing portion 41 of the mounting member 40. Therefore, the heater unit 11 is firmly fixed to the tank 30 via the attachment member 40, and can maintain the state stably for a long period of time. Thereby, for example, when the hot water generation unit 1 is mounted on a vehicle, the structure is excellent in vibration resistance, and particularly can withstand vibration during high-speed traveling or traveling on rough roads.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, it is the structure which heats the liquid 50 stored in the tank 30 instead of the structure which heats the liquid which passes a flow path like patent document 1. FIG. Therefore, the state in which the liquid 50 is reliably in contact with the heat radiation surface 12a of the heater unit 11 can be stably maintained, and the heat generated by the heater unit 11 can be consumed to efficiently heat the liquid 50. Further, by using the flat cylindrical body 12 as a structure that accommodates the plate-like PTC element 16, an increase in the distance from the PTC element 16 to the heat radiation surface 12 a of the cylindrical body 12 is suppressed, and the liquid 50 Heating efficiency can be improved.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, hot water can be generated efficiently in a shorter time and has excellent reliability such as insulation, waterproofness, vibration resistance, impact resistance, and durability. Unit can be provided.

  Next, FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an in-vehicle hot water heater system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is a specific example in which the above-described hot water generating unit 1 is attached to a vehicle such as an automobile. This in-vehicle warm water heater system includes the warm water generating unit 1, the circulation path 6, the hydraulic pump 3, the heater core 2, and the blower 8.

  The circulation path 6 has pipe lines 6a to 6d. The pipe line 6a connects the tank 30 and the heater core 2. The pipe line 6 b connects the heater core 2 and the hydraulic pump 3. The pipe line 6c connects the hydraulic pump 3 and the three-way valve 4. The pipe 6 d connects the three-way valve 4 and the tank 30.

  In FIG. 9, the vertical direction is the vertical direction. The heater unit 11 is held with respect to the tank 30 by the mounting member 40 described above in a posture in which the longitudinal direction is substantially perpendicular to or inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Further, the heater unit 11 is separated from the upper wall and the lower wall of the tank 30, and the vertical position of the heater unit 11 in the tank 30 is substantially the center.

  The pipe 6 d is connected to an inflow port 75 provided on the lower wall of the tank 30, and the pipe 6 a is connected to an outflow port 76 provided on the upper wall of the tank 30. The outflow port 76 is provided on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the heater unit 11, and the inflow port 75 is provided on the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the heater unit 11.

  Further, the circulation path 6 and the tank 30 are also connected to the engine 5 via the pipe lines 7a and 7b. When the three-way valve 4 shuts off the pipeline 6c and the pipeline 7a and communicates between the pipeline 6c and the pipeline 6d, when the hydraulic pump 3 is driven, the tank 30 and The liquid 50 circulates through the circulation path 6 in the direction indicated by the white arrow in FIG.

  At this time, the heater unit 11 generates heat by supplying electric power to the heater unit 11 from the battery 70 mounted on the vehicle, and the liquid 50 in the tank 30 is heated. The hot water generated by this heating is supplied to the heater core 2 through the outflow port 76 and the pipe line 6a.

  Hot water supplied to the heater core 2 flows through a pipe provided in the heater core 2. Gas (air) is blown from the blower 8 to the heater core 2. Heat of the hot water flowing through the pipe of the heater core 2 is transmitted to the gas blown from the blower 8 through a heat transfer surface such as a fin provided in the heater core 2. As a result, warm air is blown into the vehicle. This mode is selected when the exhaust heat of the engine 5 cannot be used, for example, when the engine 5 is started.

  In the present embodiment, the liquid is allowed to flow into the tank 30 from the lower part of the tank 30 and out of the tank 30 from the upper part of the tank 30. That is, the relatively low temperature liquid flowing through the circulation path 6 flows into the lower portion of the tank 30. The liquid at the upper part of the tank 30 is relatively hot and the liquid at a higher temperature may be lighter, so that the liquid at the upper part of the tank 30 provided with the outflow port 76 becomes hotter. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in air temperature due to the insufficiently heated liquid being sent to the heater core 2.

  After the engine 5 is started, the three-way valve 4 is switched so that the pipe line 6c and the pipe line 7a communicate with each other, and the pipe line 6c and the pipe line 6d are shut off, so that the liquid 50 is supplied to the engine 5 and the engine 5 is cooled. Acts as water. The flow of the liquid at this time is represented by a black arrow in FIG. Hot water that has passed through the engine 5 and has been heated by heat exchange with the engine 5 is supplied to the heater core 2 via the pipe lines 7b and 6d, the inflow port 75, the tank 30, the outflow port 76, and the pipe line 6a. Therefore, in this mode, hot water can be supplied to the heater core 2 without energizing (generating heat) the heater unit 11, and by driving the blower 8, hot air can be sent into the vehicle.

  In the present embodiment, automatic temperature adjustment of the air temperature can be realized by utilizing the self-control function of the PTC element. When the amount of heat released from the heater core 2 increases and the liquid 50 cools, the value of the current flowing through the PTC element automatically increases, and the amount of heat generated by the heater unit 11 is increased to compensate for the increase in the amount of heat released from the heater core 2. Increase the temperature. Conversely, when the amount of heat released from the heater core 2 is small, the value of the current flowing through the PTC element automatically decreases, the temperature of the liquid 50 decreases, and the thermal energy supplied to the heater core 2 is limited.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an in-vehicle hot water heater system that can efficiently generate hot water in a shorter time and has excellent reliability such as insulation, waterproofness, vibration resistance, impact resistance, and durability.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present invention is not limited to them, and various modifications can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing another specific example of the coupling form between the end of the cylindrical body 12 of the heater unit 11 and the heater unit fixing portion 41 in the mounting member 40. In this specific example, the bolt 62 is passed through the heater unit fixing part 41 and the end of the cylinder 12 with the end of the cylinder 12 fitted in the slit 41 c of the heater unit fixing part 41. Then, by fastening the nut 63 to the lower end of the bolt 62, a pressing force toward the slit 41c is applied to both portions 41a and 41b sandwiching the slit 41c in the heater unit fixing portion 41. As a result, the end portions of the cylindrical body 12 are pressed by the portions 41 a and 41 b, and the cylindrical body 12 is firmly fixed to the heater unit fixing portion 41. Alternatively, both the heater unit fixing part 41 and the end of the cylindrical body 12 may be fixed through a pin.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 11, the fin 71 may be provided in the heat radiating surface 12a of the cylinder 12, and the heat radiating area may be increased.

  In attaching the heater unit 11 to the tank 30, as described above, first, the screw portion 42 of the attachment member 40 is screwed into the screw hole formed in the wall portion 31 of the tank 30. Then, after the screw portion 42 is coupled to the wall portion 31, one end portion of the cylindrical body 12 is fitted into the slit 41 c of the heater unit fixing portion 41, and a pressing force is applied to the heater unit fixing portion 41 to compress the one end portion. .

  Thereafter, the screw portion 42 is rotated in a direction opposite to that when the screw portion 42 is coupled to the wall portion 31, and the heater unit fixing portion 41 is slightly returned in a direction away from the wall portion 31 of the tank 30.

  After the screw portion 42 is coupled to the wall portion 31, the screw portion 42 is reversely rotated from the outside of the tank 30. In order to make this possible, for example, as shown in FIG. 12A, a nut 51 is provided at the tip of the screw portion 42. The nut 51 is formed with a through hole 51a that communicates with the through hole 42a formed in the screw portion 42 and allows the cables 14a and 14b to pass therethrough. Moreover, since the outer diameter of the nut 51 is smaller than the inner diameter of the screw hole formed in the wall part 31 and the outer diameter of the screw part 42, the connection between the screw part 42 and the screw hole is not hindered.

  The nut 51 is exposed to the outside of the tank 30 in a state where the screw portion 42 is coupled to the wall portion 31 from the inside of the tank 30. Therefore, by engaging a tool with the nut 51 and rotating the screw part 42 in the direction opposite to that at the time of coupling, the heater unit fixing part 41 integral with the screw part 42 is moved to the inside of the tank 30, It can be pressed against one end of the body 12. Thereby, the contact | adhesion power of the heater unit fixing | fixed part 41 and the one end part of the cylinder 12 can be heightened, and it can prevent reliably that the liquid leaks out of the tank 30 through the clearance gap between both.

  In order to reversely rotate the screw portion 42 and press the heater unit fixing portion 41 against one end portion of the cylindrical body 12, it is necessary to prevent the cylindrical body 12 from moving in a direction away from the wall portion 31.

  For example, in the specific example shown in FIG. 13A, the other end (cap 13) of the heater unit 11 is held by the holding member 55, and the other end is in contact with the wall portion 32. The holding member 55 is provided on the wall portion 32 facing the wall portion 31 of the tank 30 to which the attachment member 40 is attached. The other end portion of the heater unit 11 abuts against the wall portion 32, so that the wall portion of the cylindrical body 12 can be applied even if a pressing force acts on the cylindrical body 12 from the heater unit fixing portion 41 due to the reverse rotation of the screw portion 42. The movement toward the side 32 is restricted, and the heater unit fixing portion 41 and one end portion of the cylindrical body 12 can be brought into close contact with each other.

  FIG. 13B is a schematic view of the inner surface of the wall 32 provided with the holding member 55 from the inside of the tank 30. The holding member 55 is formed with a concave portion 55a having a circular planar contour, and the other end of the heater unit 11 is fitted in the concave portion 55a.

  Due to the reverse rotation of the screw portion 42, the heater unit 11 whose one end is pressed and fixed with respect to the heater unit fixing portion 41 also rotates together, but the other end of the heater unit 11 is in relation to the holding member 55 and the wall portion 32. Therefore, the heater unit 11 is allowed to rotate. That is, the other end portion of the heater unit 11 is rotatable while being guided by the inner wall surface drawn by the circular outline in the recess 55a.

  As shown in FIG. 12B, after the screw portion 42 is connected to the wall portion 31, a nut 53 is connected to the tip side portion of the screw portion 42 that protrudes from the wall portion 31 to the outside of the tank 30, It is also possible to reversely rotate the screw portion 42 by engaging a tool with the nut 53. In this case, the outer diameter of the nut 53 may be larger than the inner diameter of the screw hole formed in the wall portion 31.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Warm water production | generation unit, 2 ... Heater core, 3 ... Hydraulic pump, 4 ... Three-way valve, 5 ... Engine, 6 ... Circulation path, 8 ... Blower, 11 ... Heater unit, 12 ... Cylindrical body, 12a ... Heat radiation surface, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Cap, 14a, 14b ... Cable, 15 ... Sealing material, 16 ... PTC element, 16a ... Electrode surface, 17a, 17b ... Electrode member, 21 ... Insulating sheet, 30 ... Tank, 40 ... Mounting member, 41 ... Heater Unit fixing part, 41c ... slit, 42 ... screw part, 42a ... through hole, 50 ... liquid, 71 ... fin, 73 ... sealing material

Claims (7)

A heater unit;
A tank capable of storing the liquid and storing the heater unit in a state where the heater unit is immersed in the liquid;
An attachment member for fixing the heater unit to the tank,
The heater unit is
A PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element formed in the shape of a plate having a pair of electrode surfaces;
A pair of electrode members bonded in surface contact with each of the pair of electrode surfaces so as to sandwich the PTC element;
An insulating sheet having flexibility, thermal conductivity and electrical insulation that encloses the PTC element and the electrode member;
A flat cylindrical body that houses the PTC element and the electrode member wrapped in the insulating sheet and has a pair of plate-like heat radiation surfaces facing each of the pair of electrode surfaces;
A sealing body for sealing an end opening of the cylindrical body;
Have
The mounting member is
A threaded portion screwed to the wall of the tank;
The cylindrical portion that is provided integrally with the screw portion, protrudes to the inside of the tank in which the liquid is stored in the state where the screw portion is screwed to the wall portion of the tank, and is stored in the tank. A heater unit fixing portion that compresses and fixes the pair of heat dissipating surfaces at the end portion, and
A hot water generating unit characterized by comprising: The heater unit fixing part is formed with a slit into which the end of the cylindrical body is fitted, and the threaded part is formed with a through hole communicating with the slit,
The hot water generation according to claim 1, wherein a cable for supplying electric power to the PTC element is connected to the electrode member inside the cylindrical body from the outside of the tank through the through hole and the slit. unit.   The hot water generating unit according to claim 2, wherein a sealing material having a waterproof property is provided in the through hole.   The hot water generating unit according to claim 2, wherein an end of the slit in the extending direction is open. The hot water generation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A circulation path connected to the inside of the tank;
A hydraulic pump for circulating the liquid in the tank and the circulation path;
A heater core connected to the circulation path and through which the hot water generated by heating the liquid in the tank by the heater unit passes;
A blower for blowing gas to the heater core;
An in-vehicle hot water heater system characterized by comprising:   The circulation path is connected to a lower part and an upper part of the tank, and the liquid is allowed to flow from the circulation path to the lower part of the tank, and the liquid is allowed to flow from the upper part of the tank to the circulation path. The vehicle-mounted hot water heater system according to Item 5. A method for assembling a hot water generating unit, comprising a step of fixing a heater unit to a liquid and a tank capable of accommodating the heater unit via an attachment member,
The heater unit is
A PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element formed in the shape of a plate having a pair of electrode surfaces;
A pair of electrode members bonded in surface contact with each of the pair of electrode surfaces so as to sandwich the PTC element;
An insulating sheet having flexibility, thermal conductivity and electrical insulation that encloses the PTC element and the electrode member;
A flat cylindrical body that houses the PTC element and the electrode member wrapped in the insulating sheet and has a pair of plate-like heat radiation surfaces facing each of the pair of electrode surfaces;
A sealing body for sealing an end opening of the cylindrical body,
The mounting member has a screw portion and a heater unit fixing portion provided integrally with the screw portion,
A first step of screwing the screw portion from the inside of the tank to the wall portion of the tank such that the heater unit fixing portion protrudes inside the tank in which the liquid is stored;
After the first step, a second step of sandwiching and pressing between the pair of heat radiation surfaces at one end of the cylindrical body of the heater unit with the heater unit fixing portion;
After the second step, the screw unit is rotated in a direction opposite to that when the screw unit is coupled to the wall unit in the first step, so that the heater unit fixing unit is connected to the one end of the cylindrical body. A third step of pressing against
A method for assembling the hot water generating unit.

Images