JP2021054145A - Heat medium heater for vehicle and air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a heat medium heater for a vehicle which achieves higher level of safety in terms of fail safe.SOLUTION: A heat medium heater for a vehicle includes: a heater: a heater case which stores the heater and heats a heat medium therein; and a heater electric power supply part which supplies electric power to the heater. A seal structure of the heater electric power supply part is provided on the heater case. The heater case includes a non-seal structure part which does not involve in the seal structure. The heater case comprises two or more kinds of portions having different heat-resistant temperatures and the non-seal structure part is formed by a portion having the lowest heat-resistant temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a heat medium heating device for a vehicle and an air conditioner (air conditioner) for a vehicle provided with the heat medium heating device.

The air conditioner for a vehicle includes a heat medium heating device that heats a heat medium that circulates via an air conditioner heat exchanger (heater core) regardless of whether the vehicle is an engine vehicle, an EV vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle.

The conventional heat medium heating device includes a heater case having an inlet and an outlet of the heat medium and a flow path of the heat medium formed inside, and the inside of the heater case is the above-mentioned flow path of the heat medium. A heater (heating element) is arranged along the line. Further, on the heater case, a substrate or the like to which an electronic component for controlling the electric power supplied to the heater is connected is arranged.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-79344

The design concept of fail-safe is indispensable for electrical equipment for vehicles, and measures are required to avoid the worst situation when a failure occurs due to a failure, erroneous operation, or malfunction. From this point of view, assuming a possible failure in the heat medium heating device for vehicles, the probability of occurrence is extremely low, but it can occur when the control system or sensor (thermo) breaks down due to a vehicle accident or the like. It is necessary to assume a runaway of the heater.

If the heater goes out of control, the heat medium becomes abnormally high in temperature, and it is assumed that the heat medium cannot be sealed due to heat loss or deformation of the heater case forming the flow path of the heat medium. In such a case, the worst situation is that the heat medium, which is a liquid, comes into contact with the power supply system of the heater, and in such a situation, there is a possibility of a serious accident such as an electric shock accident. Therefore, even if the heat medium becomes abnormally high temperature due to a runaway heater or the like, measures are required to avoid the worst situation described above.

An object of the present invention is to deal with such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heat medium heating device for a vehicle having higher safety from the viewpoint of fail-safe.

In order to solve such a problem, the vehicle heat medium heating device of the present invention includes a heater, a heater case that houses the heater and heats the heat medium inside, and a heater power that supplies power to the heater. A supply unit is provided, and a seal structure of the heater power supply unit is provided on the heater case. The heater case includes a non-seal structure unit that is not involved in the seal structure, and two or more types of the heater cases are provided. The non-sealed structural portion is formed by a portion having the lowest heat resistant temperature, which is composed of portions having different heat resistant temperatures.

Further, preferably, in the above-mentioned heat medium heating device for a vehicle, the heater case includes an upper case and a lower case that form a space for accommodating the heater inside, and the seal structure is formed on the upper case. The unsealed structure may be formed and formed in the lower case.

Further, preferably, in the above-described vehicle heat medium heating device, the upper case may include a substrate support portion that supports the substrate in the heater power supply portion.

Further, preferably, in the above-mentioned heat medium heating device for a vehicle, the seal structure includes a power supply unit cover surrounding the heater power supply unit, and a seal portion is provided on the peripheral edge of the power supply unit cover and the upper case. It may be formed.

Further, preferably, in the above-mentioned heat medium heating device for vehicles, even if the heater case is made of a resin material and the non-sealed structure part is made of a resin material having a lower glass content than other parts. Good.

Further, the vehicle air conditioner provided with the vehicle heat medium heating device described above includes an air conditioner heat exchanger in which the heat medium heated by the vehicle heat medium heating device described above circulates.

Further, in a vehicle equipped with the above-mentioned vehicle air conditioner, parts having a problem of contact with the heat medium flowing out from the above-mentioned vehicle heat medium heating device are eliminated below the above-mentioned vehicle heat medium heating device. Has been done.

Further, the vehicle provided with the above-mentioned vehicle air conditioner is provided with a drainage path for draining the heat medium flowing out from the above-mentioned vehicle heat medium heating device without adverse effects.

According to the present invention having such a feature, even when the heat medium becomes abnormally high temperature, the worst situation in which the heater power supply unit comes into contact with the heat medium can be avoided, so that a fail-safe viewpoint can be obtained. Therefore, it is possible to provide a heat medium heating device for a vehicle with higher safety.

The perspective view which showed the heat medium heating apparatus for a vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The side view which showed the heat medium heating apparatus for a vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The cross-sectional view which showed the heat medium heating apparatus for a vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The cross-sectional view which showed the seal structure of the heat medium heating apparatus for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different figures indicate parts having the same function, and duplicate description in each figure will be omitted as appropriate. As for the directions of XYZ shown in the figure, the XY direction indicates the plane direction and the Z direction indicates the vertical direction.

The embodiments shown here are examples for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. In addition, all other feasible forms, examples, operational techniques, etc. that can be considered by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention are included in the scope and gist of the present invention, and are described in the claims. It is included in the invention and its equivalent range.

Further, the drawings attached to the present specification may be represented schematically by changing the scale, aspect ratio, shape, etc. from the actual ones for the convenience of easy understanding of the illustrations. However, it does not limit the interpretation of the present invention.

The heat medium heating device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention heats a heat medium that circulates through a heat exchanger (heater core) for air conditioning in a vehicle air conditioner. It may be an EV vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or the like. This heat medium heating device 1 can be used as an auxiliary heat source in a vehicle having another heat source such as an engine vehicle, and for a vehicle having no heat source such as an EV vehicle, for temperature control in heating and cooling. It can be used as a heat source. The heat medium heated by the heat medium heating device 1 is not limited to coolant, but water, oil, and the like are targeted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the heat medium heating device 1 includes a heater 20, a heater case 10 that houses the heater 20 and heats the heat medium inside, and a heater power supply unit that supplies power to the heater 20. It has 30 and.

In the illustrated example, the heater 20 includes a pair of cylindrical first heating elements 21 and a second heating element 22, and the heater case 10 includes an upper case 11 having a first accommodating recess 11a and a second heating element. A lower case 12 having an accommodating recess 12a is provided, and a first heating element 21 and a second heating element 22 are accommodated in a space formed by combining the first accommodating recess 11a and the second accommodating recess 12a. ing.

Further, in the illustrated example, the heater case 10 is provided with an inflow portion 13 and an outflow portion 14. The inflow section 13 has an inflow port 13a for flowing the heat medium into the heater case 10, and the outflow section 14 has an outflow port 14a for flowing out the heat medium heated in the heater case 10. ..

A heater support portion 16 is provided inside the heater case 10 in which the heater 20 is housed, and the outer periphery of the heater 20 (first heating element 21, second heating element 22) supported by the heater support portion 16 is provided. The gap between the surface and the inner surface of the heater case 10 is a heat medium flow path 15 through which the heat medium flows. In the illustrated example, the heat medium flow path 15 has a first flow passage 15A formed around the first heating element 21 and a second flow passage 15B formed around the second heating element 22. The flow passage 15A and the second flow passage 15B communicate with each other at an end opposite to the end of the heater case 10 provided with the inflow portion 13 and the outflow portion 14.

The heater power supply unit 30 constitutes a power supply system for the heater 20, and includes a substrate 33 or the like to which electronic components 31 and the like are connected. The wiring of the power supply terminal 35 is connected to the board 33, and the power supply line to the heater 20 and the like are connected to the board 33. In the illustrated example, the substrate 33 in the heater power supply unit 30 is arranged on the heater case 10, and the upper case 11 in the heater case 10 includes a substrate support portion 17 that supports the substrate 33. Further, in the illustrated example, a heat sink 32 for cooling the electronic component 31 is provided on the upper case 11 of the heater case 10.

A seal structure for the heater power supply unit 30 is provided on the heater case 10. In the illustrated example, a seal structure is formed on the upper case 11, and this seal structure includes a power supply unit cover 34 surrounding the heater power supply unit 30 on the upper case 11.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the seal portion T by the power supply portion cover 34. The seal portion T is formed on the peripheral portions of the power supply portion cover 34 and the upper case 11. The heater case 10 is formed by sealing and joining the peripheral edge portion 11T of the upper case 11 and the peripheral edge portion 12T of the lower case 12, but the power supply unit cover 34 is formed with respect to the peripheral edge portion 11T of the upper case 11. By sealing and joining the peripheral edge portion 34T, a seal structure of the heater power supply portion 30 is formed. Therefore, the peripheral edge portion 11T of the lower case 11 is not directly involved in the seal structure of the heater power supply section 30.

The seal structure of the heater power supply unit 30 is not limited to such an example. As another example, another sealing member (O-ring, liquid gas, etc.) is interposed between the upper case 11 and the heater power supply unit 30, or the heater power supply unit 30 itself is in a mode with a sealing material. It doesn't matter if it is something like that.

Then, in the heat medium heating device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, measures are taken to maintain the seal structure of the heater power supply unit 30 when the heat medium becomes abnormally high temperature due to a runaway of the heater 20 or the like. There is. As a structure for this purpose, the heat medium heating device 1 includes a non-seal structure portion in which the heater case 10 is not involved in the seal structure of the heater power supply unit 30, and the heater case 10 has two or more different heat resistant temperatures. It is composed of parts, and the above-mentioned unsealed structure part is formed by the part having the lowest heat resistant temperature.

More specifically, in the illustrated example, the seal structure of the heater power supply unit 30 is formed on the upper case 11 of the heater case 10, and the above-mentioned non-seal structure portion is formed on the lower case 12. ing. In this example, the entire lower case 12 may be a non-seal structure portion, or a portion to be a non-seal structure portion may be formed in a part of the lower case 12.

As described above, the unsealed structure portion here is formed at the portion having the lowest heat resistant temperature. Therefore, when the heat medium has an abnormally high temperature, the unsealed structure portion receives heat loss (melting, etc.) earliest. Therefore, the sealed state of the heat medium breaks down at that portion. Then, the heat medium in the heat case 10 will flow out to the outside while avoiding contact with the heater power supply unit 30, and the worst situation in which the heat medium comes into contact with the power supply system of the heater 20 and causes an electric leakage is avoided. can do.

As a specific form of lowering the heat resistant temperature of the non-sealed structure part, the heater case 10 is made of a resin material, and the above-mentioned non-sealed structure part is made of a resin material having a lower glass content than other parts. It can be illustrated that it is formed by. Further, a portion that is structurally more easily melted may be formed, such as making the unsealed structural portion thinner than other portions.

As described above, the heat medium heating device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention can prevent the heat medium from coming into contact with the power supply system of the heater 20 at an abnormally high temperature of the heat medium, and thus is a fail-safe viewpoint. It is possible to increase the safety from. Such a heat medium heating device 1 is expensive as a heat source (or auxiliary heat source) for a vehicle air conditioner that circulates a heat medium in an air conditioning heat exchanger (heater core) provided in an air flow path into the vehicle. It can be adopted for safety.

In a vehicle provided with an air conditioner for a vehicle using such a heat medium heating device 1 as a heat source, the heat medium is discharged from the heater case 10 in a situation where the extremely rare heat medium is abnormally high temperature. It is preferable to adopt the configuration on the vehicle side assuming such a case. For example, as the layout of the parts in the vehicle, the parts that have a problem of contact with the heat medium flowing out from the heater case 10 are excluded below the heat medium heating device 1, or as the structure in the vehicle, the heater It is preferable that consideration is given to providing a drainage route for draining the heat medium flowing out of the case 10 without adverse effects.

In the above-described embodiment, the heater 20 is a pair of a first heating element 21 and a second heating element 22, and the heater accommodating portion includes a first accommodating space corresponding to the first heating element 21 and a second accommodating space. Although the configuration in which the second accommodating space corresponding to the heating element 22 is provided has been described, the number of heaters 20 is not particularly limited and may be one or more. Therefore, the number of accommodating recesses formed in the heater accommodating portion and the number of accommodating spaces formed by the accommodating recesses are determined by the number of heating elements accommodated in the heater accommodating portion, and the heat medium flows in the heater case 10. The morphology of the path is also formed corresponding to the individual heat medium.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the inflow portion 13 and the outflow portion 14 have been described in the form of being arranged side by side on one end side of the heater case 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. The installation location of the inflow portion 13 may be a position where the inflowing heat medium can flow toward the outer peripheral surface of the heater 20, and the installation location of the outflow portion 14 is such that the outflow heat medium is the outer peripheral surface of the heater 20. It suffices if it is in a position where it can flow outward from.

1: Heat medium heating device, 10: Heater case,
11: Upper case, 11a: First accommodating recess,
12: Lower case, 12a: Second accommodating recess,
13: Inflow part, 13a: Inflow port,
14: Outflow part, 14a: Outflow part,
15: Heat medium flow path, 15A: First flow path, 15B: Second flow path,
16: Heater support, 17: Board support,
20: heater, 21: first heating element, 22: second heating element,
30: Heater power supply unit,
31: Electronic components, 32: Heat sink, 33: Board, 34: Power supply cover,
35: Power supply terminal, T: Seal part, 11T, 12T, 34T: Peripheral part

Claims (8)

It is provided with a heater, a heater case that houses the heater and heats a heat medium inside, and a heater power supply unit that supplies power to the heater.
A seal structure for the heater power supply unit is provided on the heater case.
The heater case includes a non-seal structure portion that is not involved in the seal structure.
A vehicle heat medium heating device, wherein the heater case is composed of two or more types of portions having different heat resistant temperatures, and the unsealed structural portion is formed of a portion having the lowest heat resistant temperature. The heater case includes an upper case and a lower case that form a space for accommodating the heater inside.
The seal structure is formed on the upper case,
The vehicle heat medium heating device according to claim 1, wherein the unsealed structure portion is formed in the lower case. The vehicle heat medium heating device according to claim 2, wherein the upper case includes a substrate support portion that supports the substrate in the heater power supply portion. The seal structure is
A power supply unit cover that surrounds the heater power supply unit is provided.
The vehicle heat medium heating device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a seal portion is formed on a peripheral portion between the power supply portion cover and the upper case. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heater case is made of a resin material, and the non-sealed structure portion is made of a resin material having a lower glass content than other portions. Heat medium heating device for vehicles. A vehicle air conditioner including an air conditioner heat exchanger in which a heat medium heated by the vehicle heat medium heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 circulates. A vehicle provided with the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 6.
A vehicle characterized in that, below the heat medium heating device for a vehicle, a component having a problem of contact with a heat medium flowing out from the heat medium heating device for a vehicle is eliminated. A vehicle provided with the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 6.
A vehicle characterized by providing a drainage path for draining the heat medium flowing out from the vehicle heat medium heating device without adverse effects.

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