JP7315946B2 - Insulated and waterproof heater and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an insulating and waterproof heater and its manufacturing method, and more particularly to an insulating and waterproof heater using a heating element that generates heat when voltage is applied, and its manufacturing method.

As a heater excellent in insulation and waterproofness, the inventor of the present application has proposed an insulating and waterproof heater disclosed in Patent Document 1. This insulated and waterproof heater includes a pair of electrode members sandwiching a heating element, an insulating sheet wrapping the heating element and the pair of electrode members, a cylindrical body containing them, caps closing both ends of the cylindrical body, A sealing material for closing both ends of the hollow portion of the cylindrical body is provided.

Furthermore, the inventor of the present application has proposed an in-vehicle heater disclosed in Patent Document 2. This in-vehicle heater includes a pair of electrode members sandwiching a heating element, an insulating sheet that wraps the heating element and the pair of electrode members, a cylindrical body that accommodates them, and a radiator unit that includes at least fins. . In this in-vehicle heater, the insulating sheet is sandwiched between the electrode surface of the heating element and the rear surface of the heat radiating surface of the cylindrical body so that both edges of the insulating sheet are overlapped substantially parallel to the side surfaces of the heating element. Configured.

Japanese Patent No. 4388519 Japanese Patent No. 4455473

In such an insulated and waterproof heater using a heating element, it is desired that the heat generated by the heating element is efficiently transferred to the cylindrical body and efficiently transferred to an object to be heated such as water outside the cylindrical body. However, in a structure in which a heating element is sandwiched between a pair of electrode members, wrapped with an insulating sheet and housed inside a cylinder, it is difficult to efficiently transfer heat from the heating element from inside the cylinder to outside the cylinder.

Therefore, it is conceivable to interpose a member (for example, silicone resin) that enhances thermal conductivity in the cylinder between the insulating sheet and the inner surface of the cylinder. However, intervening such a member causes an increase in the number of member elements and causes complication of the manufacturing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an insulated and waterproof heater which has an easy-to-manufacture structure and is capable of efficiently transmitting heat from a heating element to the outside, and a method of manufacturing the same.

One aspect of the present invention includes a heating element provided with electrode layers on the front and back sides, a pair of electrode plates sandwiching the heating element and electrically connected to each of the front and back electrode layers, and a pair of electrode plates sandwiched therebetween. and a cylindrical body having a heat radiating surface and housing therein a heat generating structure composed of a heating element, a pair of electrodes and a pair of insulating plates. Each of the pair of insulating plates is tightly fixed to the inner surface of the cylinder opposite to the heat radiation surface in the cylinder.

According to such a configuration, since the plate-shaped insulating plate is used as an insulating member between the electrode plate and the inner surface of the cylindrical body, the electrodes of the heating element are arranged in the direction in which the heating element is sandwiched between the pair of electrode plates. Adjacent members are brought into surface contact at each of the layer, the electrode plate, the insulating plate, and the inner surface of the cylindrical body. Furthermore, since each of the pair of insulating plates is in close contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical body, the heat generated by the heating element is efficiently transferred to the outside due to the surface contact and adhesion of the members.

In the insulation waterproof heater described above, the heat radiation surface has a first heat radiation surface and a second heat radiation surface that are parallel to each other. and a second fin connected by . Thereby, the heat dissipation characteristic can be further improved.

In the insulating and waterproof heater described above, the thickness of the portion of the cylindrical body provided with the first fins and the second fins may be thinner than the thickness of the portion of the cylindrical body outside the first fins and the second fins. preferable. As a result, the adhesion between the inner surface of the cylindrical body and the insulating plate at the first fins and the second fins is further improved, and the heat dissipation characteristic can be improved.

In the insulating and waterproof heater described above, the cylindrical body may have fins integrally formed with the heat radiation surface. As a result, the fins are integrated with the cylindrical body, so that the heat dissipation characteristic can be improved and the number of parts can be reduced.

In the insulating and waterproof heater described above, the pair of insulating plates may contain aluminum oxide. As a result, the pair of insulating plates can have sufficient hardness and flatness, and the adhesion between the insulating plates and the inner surface of the cylinder can be enhanced.

In the insulation waterproof heater described above, the heating element may be a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element. As a result, the positive temperature characteristic of the PTC element can be utilized to achieve easy temperature control and low power consumption.

In the insulating and waterproof heater described above, the first electrode portion, which is one of the pair of electrode portions, includes a first plate-like portion in contact with the electrode layer so as to be conductive, and one of the cylinders of the first plate-like portion. a first terminal portion provided at an end portion on the opening side, wherein the second electrode portion, which is the other of the pair of electrode portions, is in contact with the electrode layer so as to be conductive; and a second terminal portion provided at one opening side end of the cylindrical body in the second plate-shaped portion, and the direction in which the heating element is sandwiched between the pair of electrode portions is defined as the first direction. , the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion may be arranged at positions shifted from each other when viewed in the first direction.

According to such a configuration, the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion are arranged at mutually shifted positions when viewed in the first direction. The distance can be increased and the withstand voltage can be increased.

In the insulating and waterproof heater, the first terminal portion is connected to the first conductive cable, the second terminal portion is connected to the second conductive cable, and the connecting portion between the first terminal portion and the first conductive cable; and a connection portion between the second terminal portion and the second conductive cable may be arranged inside the cylinder of the cylinder. As a result, the connecting portion of the conductive cable is not exposed to the outside of the cylinder, and waterproofness can be improved.

In the insulating and waterproof heater described above, the first terminal portion has a first crimped portion, the second terminal portion has a second crimped portion, and the first electrode portion has a first plate-like portion and a first crimped portion. and the second electrode portion has a second convex extension portion provided between the second plate portion and the second crimped portion. You may have
When the direction in which the tubular body extends and is perpendicular to the first direction is defined as the second direction, the length of the first convex extension portion in the second direction is equal to the length of the first convex extension portion of the first crimped portion. The length of the crimped wrinkles on the protruding portion side in the second direction is longer than the length of the crimped wrinkles on the second convex extending portion side in the second direction. It may be provided longer than the length in the second direction.

According to the above configuration, since the length of the convex extension portion in the second direction is longer than the length of the crimped wrinkles formed in the crimped portion in the second direction, the influence of the crimped wrinkles is reduced to the plate portion. Not as good as That is, it is possible to make contact with the electrode layer of the heating element while suppressing the influence of the undulation of the plate-like portion due to caulking.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a step of brazing fins to the heat dissipation surface of a cylinder having a heat dissipation surface; a step of sandwiching the portion between a pair of insulating plates; a step of housing a heating structure composed of a heating element, a pair of electrode portions and a pair of insulating plates in a cylindrical body; a step of pressing and crushing the cylindrical body to bring each of the pair of insulating plates into close contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical body opposite to the heat radiation surface in the cylindrical body, thereby fixing the heat generating structure in the cylindrical body. It is a method for manufacturing an insulated and waterproof heater.

According to such a configuration, in a state in which the fins are attached to the cylinder, the cylinder is pressurized via the fins to fix the heat generating structure in the cylinder. and surface contact between adjacent members in the electrode layer, electrode plate, insulating plate, and inner surface of the cylindrical body of the heating element, respectively.

One aspect of the present invention includes a step of integrally forming fins on the heat dissipation surface of a cylinder having a heat dissipation surface, a step of sandwiching a heating element provided with electrode layers on the front and back sides between a pair of electrode portions, and a step of holding the pair of electrodes. a step of sandwiching the portion between a pair of insulating plates; a step of housing a heating structure composed of a heating element, a pair of electrode portions and a pair of insulating plates in a cylindrical body; a step of pressing and crushing the cylindrical body to bring each of the pair of insulating plates into close contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical body opposite to the heat radiation surface in the cylindrical body, thereby fixing the heat generating structure in the cylindrical body. It is a method for manufacturing an insulated and waterproof heater.

According to such a configuration, since the fins are formed integrally with the heat radiating surface of the cylindrical body, it is possible to reduce the number of man-hours for separately connecting the fins to the heat radiating surface. Further, since the cylinder is pressurized through the fins integrally formed on the heat radiation surface of the cylinder and the heat generating structure is fixed inside the cylinder, the pressure can be efficiently transmitted to the inside of the cylinder through the fins. As a result, the fixing of the heating structure to the cylinder and the surface contact between the adjacent members of the electrode layer, the electrode plate, the insulating plate, and the inner surface of the cylinder of the heating element can be performed collectively and efficiently. can be done.

In the above manufacturing method, the pair of insulating plates may contain aluminum oxide. To provide a pair of insulating plates with sufficient hardness and flatness, and to improve the load resistance of the insulating plates when a cylindrical body is pressed and the adhesion between the insulating plates and the inner surface of the cylindrical body. can be done.

In the above manufacturing method, the heating element may be a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element. As a result, the positive temperature characteristic of the PTC element can be utilized to achieve easy temperature control and low power consumption.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an insulated and waterproof heater having a structure that is easy to manufacture and capable of efficiently transmitting heat from a heating element to the outside, and a method for manufacturing the same.

It is a perspective view which illustrates the structure of the insulation waterproof type heater which concerns on this embodiment. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of an insulating and waterproof heater according to this embodiment; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of an insulating and waterproof heater according to the present embodiment; FIG. 1(a) to 1(c) are cross-sectional views illustrating the configuration of an insulating and waterproof heater according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view illustrating a convex extension portion of an electrode portion; 4 is an enlarged plan view illustrating a terminal portion of an electrode portion; FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an insulating and waterproof heater having fins; 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for manufacturing an insulating and waterproof heater. It is a perspective view which illustrates an in-vehicle heater device. FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating another in-vehicle heater device; (a) and (b) are diagrams showing an example of an insulating and waterproof heater in which fins are integrally formed.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of members that have already been described will be omitted as appropriate.

(Configuration of insulation waterproof heater)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of an insulating and waterproof heater (hereinafter also simply referred to as "heater") according to this embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the heater according to this embodiment.
The heater 1 according to this embodiment is a device that generates heat by voltage application. In particular, the heater 1 can be driven at a high voltage of, for example, 300 volts (V) or more, and has high waterproof and dustproof properties that meet IP67 in the IP code (IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission).
IP67 means that the device has a dustproof performance that prevents dust from entering the device and a waterproof performance that prevents water from entering the device even if it is temporarily submerged under a constant water pressure.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heater 1 according to this embodiment includes a heating element 10, a pair of electrode plates 20, a pair of insulating plates 30 and a cylinder 50. As shown in FIG.
In the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the direction in which the heating element 10 is sandwiched between the pair of electrode plates 20 is the first direction D1, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction in which the cylinder 50 extends is the second direction. A direction orthogonal to D2, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 will be referred to as a third direction D3. Also, the first direction D1 is also referred to as the thickness direction, the second direction D2 as the length direction, and the third direction D3 as the width direction.

The heating element 10 is an element that generates heat when voltage is applied. For example, a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element is used as the heating element 10 . A PTC element has a positive temperature characteristic. That is, when the temperature reaches the Curie point or higher, the resistance increases, and a further temperature rise is restricted. By using a PTC element as the heating element 10, it is possible to facilitate temperature control and reduce power consumption.

The positive temperature characteristic of the PTC element is changed by adding a trace amount of rare earth element or the like to barium titanate (BaTiO ₃ ). In this embodiment, a plurality of heating elements 10 are provided. One heating element 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with a thickness of about 3 millimeters (mm), a width of about 24 mm, and a length of about 15 mm.

In the heater 1 according to this embodiment, the heating element 10 has a composition, shape, and size for driving at a high voltage of about 300 V or higher. Further, in the heater 1 according to the present embodiment, in order to obtain a high output of about 500 watts (W) or more and to save space, a plurality of heating elements 10 having the above size are arranged in series in the second direction D2. are arranged in

An electrode layer 10a is provided on each of the front and back surfaces (front and back surfaces in the thickness direction) of the heating element 10 . A metal such as silver (Ag) or aluminum (Al) is used for the electrode layer 10a. The electrode layers 10a are formed by thermally spraying these metals on the front and back surfaces of the heating element 10, for example. The electrode layer 10 a is in ohmic contact with the heating element 10 .

The heating element 10 is sandwiched between a pair of electrode plates 20 . One of the pair of electrode plates 20 is the first electrode plate 201 and the other is the second electrode plate 202 . For convenience of explanation, the first electrode plate 201 and the second electrode plate 202 will be referred to as the electrode plate 20 when they are shown without distinction. The first electrode plate 201 is electrically connected to one electrode layer 10 a of the heating element 10 , and the second electrode plate 202 is electrically connected to the other electrode layer 10 a of the heating element 10 .

The first electrode plate 201 has a first plate-like portion 211 , a first terminal portion 221 and a first convex extension portion 231 . The second electrode plate 202 has a second plate portion 212 , a second terminal portion 222 and a second convex extension portion 232 . Also, the first terminal portion 221 has a first crimped portion 251 and the second terminal portion 222 has a second crimped portion 252 .

For convenience of explanation, when the first plate-like portion 211 and the second plate-like portion 212 are shown without distinction, they are called the plate-like portion 210 . Also, when the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 are shown without distinction, they will be referred to as a terminal portion 220 . Also, when the first projecting extension portion 231 and the second projecting extension portion 232 are shown without distinction, they are referred to as the projecting extension portion 230 . Also, when the first crimped portion 251 and the second crimped portion 252 are shown without distinction, they will be referred to as a crimped portion 250 .

The plate-like portion 210 is a thin plate-like portion extending in the second direction D2, and is in contact with the electrode layer 10a so as to be conductive. The width (length in the third direction D3) of the plate-like portion 210 is preferably about 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less. Thereby, sufficient heat output can be obtained.

The width of the plate-like portion 210 is preferably wider than the width of the electrode layer 10a and less than or equal to the width of the heating element 10. As shown in FIG. Since the width of the plate-like portion 210 is wider than the width of the electrode layer 10 a , the entire electrode layer 10 a can be brought into contact with the plate-like portion 210 . On the other hand, by setting the width of the plate-like portion 210 to be equal to or less than the width of the heating element 10 , the edge portion in the width direction of the plate-like portion 210 does not protrude outside the heating element 10 .

The terminal portion 220 is provided at the end portion of the plate-like portion 210 on the one opening 50 a side of the tubular body 50 . The first conductive cable C11 is fixed to the first crimped portion 251 by crimping, and the second conductive cable C12 is fixed to the second crimped portion 252 by crimping.

For convenience of explanation, when the first conduction cable C11 and the second conduction cable C12 are shown without distinction, they will be referred to as the conduction cable C10. The conductive cable C10 is a conductive wire covered with an insulating coating material. Conductive wires exposed from the insulating coating material at the distal end of the conductive cable C10 are connected by crimping at the crimping portion 250 . Moreover, it is desirable that the tip portion of the insulating coating material is also fixed by caulking at the caulking portion 250 . Connection by crimping is easier and more reliable than soldering, brazing, and screwing.

The convex extension portion 230 is provided between the plate-like portion 210 and the crimped portion 250 . The convex extension portion 230 is a portion that protrudes from the end of the plate-like portion 210 on the side of the opening 50a in the second direction D2 toward the opening 50a. A crimped portion 250 extends from the tip portion of the convex extension portion 230 in the second direction D2.

For example, stainless steel or aluminum (Al) is used for the electrode plate 20 . The thickness of the plate-like portion 210 is about 0.2 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less. The plate-like portion 210 and the electrode layer 10a of the heating element 10 are adhered with, for example, a silicone-based adhesive having excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. The surface of the electrode layer 10a is provided with minute unevenness corresponding to the unevenness of the surface of the heating element 10. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even if the conductivity of the adhesive is low, the minute projections of the electrode layer 10a penetrate through the adhesive and come into contact with the plate-like portion 210, so that sufficient electrical conductivity can be obtained.

The pair of insulating plates 30 are plate-like members having insulating properties, and sandwich the pair of electrode plates 20 therebetween. One of the pair of insulating plates 30 is the first insulating plate 301 and the other is the second insulating plate 302 . For convenience of explanation, the first insulating plate 301 and the second insulating plate 302 will be referred to as the insulating plate 30 when they are shown without distinction.

The insulating plate 30 contains, for example, aluminum oxide (alumina). The insulating plate 30 may be made of a plate material of aluminum oxide, or may have a structure in which the surface of a support plate serving as a core material is coated with aluminum oxide. The first insulating plate 301 is arranged outside the first electrode plate 201 and the second insulating plate 302 is arranged outside the second electrode plate 202 . That is, the pair of electrode plates 20 sandwiching the heat generating elements 10 is sandwiched between the first insulating plate 301 and the second insulating plate 302 .

The tubular body 50 has a hollow portion 55 in which the heat generating structure 100 composed of the heat generating element 10 , the pair of electrode plates 20 and the pair of insulating plates 30 is accommodated. The tubular body 50 has a pair of heat dissipation surfaces 51 and a pair of side surfaces 53, and is configured in a tubular shape extending in the second direction D2. The heat dissipation surface 51 has a first heat dissipation surface 511 and a second heat dissipation surface 512 which are parallel flat surfaces. For convenience of explanation, the first heat dissipation surface 511 and the second heat dissipation surface 512 are referred to as the heat dissipation surface 51 when they are shown without distinction.

The cylindrical body 50 is provided with an opening 50a on one end side and an opening 50b on the other end side. The heat generating structure 100 is inserted into the cylinder 50 through, for example, the opening 50a. The cylindrical body 50 is made of aluminum (Al), for example, and is pressurized in the first direction D1 while the heat generating structure 100 is accommodated in the hollow portion 55 . This pressurization presses the heat radiating surface 51 and causes the side surface 53 to bend outward.

By pressing the cylinder 50 in the first direction D1, the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 51a of the cylinder opposite to the heat radiation surface 51 are in close contact with each other. That is, since the plate-like insulating plate 30 is used as an insulating member between the electrode plate 20 and the inner surface 51a of the cylindrical body 50, the electrode layer 10a of the heating element 10, the electrode plate 20, and the insulating plate 30 are arranged in the first direction D1. Adjacent members are in surface contact with each other on the inner surface 51a of the plate 30 and the cylinder 50 . Furthermore, since each of the pair of insulating plates 30 is in close contact with the inner surface 51a of the cylindrical body 50, the heat generated by the heating element 10 is efficiently transferred to the outside (from the heating element 10) due to the surface contact and adhesion of the members. to the electrode plate 20, the insulating plate 30 and the heat dissipation surface 51).

Here, the adhesion between the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 51a of the cylindrical body 50 is, for example, when the heat generating structure 100 is inserted into the cylindrical body 50 and fixed under pressure without using an adhesive. It means that they are in close contact with each other to the extent that they cannot be pulled out. Preferably, the contact pressure distribution in surface contact between the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 51a is substantially uniform (for example, the contact pressure is uniform at both ends and the center). For example, when the heater 1 is divided into 2 to 4 pieces in the second direction D2, the heat generating structure 100 cannot be removed from the cylindrical body 50 regardless of which piece is divided.

Since the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 51 a of the cylindrical body 50 are in close contact with each other with high uniformity, the heat generated by the heating element 10 can be efficiently transferred to the heat radiating surface 51 .

The sealing portion 60 is a member that seals the openings 50 a and 50 b at both ends of the cylindrical body 50 . For the sealing portion 60, a voltage-resistant and heat-resistant sealing material such as silicone resin or epoxy resin is used.

Further, the sealing portion 60 may have a configuration in which a rubber material such as silicone rubber is fitted into the opening 50a and the cylindrical body 50 is crushed to enhance the sealing performance. Thereby, the openings 50a and 50b of the cylindrical body 50 can be easily manufactured and sealed. That is, by filling the openings 50a and 50b with silicone resin in a soft state before hardening and then hardening it, the inside of the cylindrical body 50 can be easily and reliably sealed in a liquid-tight state. The conductive cable C10 connected to the electrode plate 20 penetrates the sealing portion 60 and is pulled out to the outside.

In this embodiment, the sealing portion 60 constitutes a waterproof structure to the inside of the cylindrical body 50 and a withstand voltage structure of 300 V or higher between the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 . Moreover, it is preferable to use a material having a heat resistance temperature of 150° C. or higher for the sealing portion 60 .

Note that caps (not shown) may be attached to both ends of the cylindrical body 50 . The cap has electrical insulation and heat resistance against heat generated by the heating element 10 . Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), for example, is suitable as a material for the cap.

Further, in the heater 1 according to the present embodiment, the thickness t1 of the central portion 56 is thinner than the thickness t2 of the edge portion 57 as the thickness of the cylindrical body 50 when viewed in the second direction D2. is preferred. That is, the central portion 56 is recessed more than the edge portion 57 , and the edge portion 57 protrudes more than the central portion 56 .

The width of the central portion 56 (the length in the third direction D3) is approximately equal to the width of the insulating plate 30 . At the central portion 56, which is thinner than the edge portion 57, the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 51a of the cylindrical body 50 are firmly in close contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to improve the heat dissipation characteristic from the heating element 10 to the heat dissipation surface 51 via the electrode plate 20 and the insulating plate 30 .

(Internal structure of insulation waterproof heater)
3 and 4(a) to 4(c) are cross-sectional views illustrating the configuration of the insulating and waterproof heater according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the heater 1 viewed in the first direction D1. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the insulating plate 30, the cylindrical body 50, and the sealing portion 60 taken at the center in the thickness direction. 4(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 3, FIG. 4(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 3, and FIG. shows a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the insulating plate 30 is larger than the electrode plate 20 when viewed in the first direction D1. That is, the pair of electrode plates 20 sandwiching the heating element 10 is sandwiched inside the pair of insulating plates 30 and does not protrude from the pair of insulating plates 30 . This can prevent contact (conduction) between the electrode plate 20 and the cylindrical body 50 . Since the side surfaces of the heat generating element 10 and the pair of electrode plates 20 are not covered with the insulating plate 30, they may be coated with insulating resin (for example, silicone resin).

The first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 are positioned on one opening 50 a side of the cylindrical body 50 . As a result, the first conductive cable C11 and the second conductive cable C12 can be pulled out substantially straight from the terminal portion 220 from the same opening 50a side.

Further, when viewed in the first direction D1, the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 are arranged at positions shifted from each other. The offset position means that the center of the width of the first terminal portion 221 and the center of the width of the second terminal portion 222 do not overlap. When viewed in the first direction D1, the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 may partially overlap each other, but preferably do not overlap at all. As a result, the distance between the two terminals can be increased compared to the case where the two terminal portions are overlapped, and the withstand voltage (dielectric strength) between the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 can be increased. can be done.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the pair of insulating plates 30 are provided so as to sandwich the pair of electrode plates 20 that sandwich the heating element 10 therebetween. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the insulating plate 30 is arranged so as to cover the entire electrode plate 20 (the plate-like portion 210, the projecting extension portion 230, and the terminal portion 220) when viewed in the first direction D1. . Note that the ends 30a and 30b of the insulating plate 30 in the second direction D2 do not protrude beyond the ends of the cylindrical body 50. As shown in FIG. The insulating plate 30 ensures electrical insulation between the electrode plate 20 and the cylinder 50 .

Also, as shown in FIG. 4B, the joints of the crimped portions 250 are provided so as to face inward. As a result, the crimped portion 250 does not protrude toward the inner surface of the cylindrical body 50 in the first direction D1. That is, the heat radiation surface 51 side of the electrode plate 20 is substantially flat from the plate-like portion 210 to the convex extension portion 230 and the caulked portion 250, and the inner surface of the heat radiation surface 51 is pressed against the electrode plate 20 with high uniformity. Also, the thickness of the heater 1 can be reduced.

Also, the sealing portion 60 is embedded inside the openings 50 a and 50 b of the cylindrical body 50 . On the opening 50 b side of the tubular body 50 , the entire opening 50 b is closed by the sealing portion 60 . On the opening 50 a side of the tubular body 50 , the sealing portion 60 is embedded from the opening 50 a to at least the terminal portion 220 inside the tubular body 50 .

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 3, the sealing portion 60 embeds the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 between the pair of insulating plates 30 on the side of the opening 50a. be provided. By embedding the terminal portion 220 with the sealing portion 60, the positional fixation of the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 is ensured.

In addition, since the sealing portion 60 is interposed between the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222, the resistance is reduced compared to the case where the space between the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 is a space. Voltage can be increased. By using a silicone-based resin as the sealing portion 60, a dielectric strength that is two orders of magnitude higher than that of a space (air) can be obtained.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the sealing portion 60 is also interposed between the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 50c of the cylindrical body 50 on the side of the opening 50a. Here, the insulating plate 30 extends to cover the entire terminal portion 220 on the side of the opening 50a. This is to avoid conduction between the terminal portion 220 housed in the cylinder 50 and the inner surfaces 50 c and 51 a of the cylinder 50 .

There is a distance between the insulating plate 30 extending to the terminal portion 220 and the terminal portion 220, and it is hollow (gap G) before the sealing portion 60 is embedded. In this embodiment, the sealing portion 60 is also embedded in this gap G. As shown in FIG. As a result, the waterproofness of the gap G between the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 50c of the cylindrical body 50 on the side of the opening 50a is enhanced.

That is, the waterproofness from the outside of the cylinder 50 to the inside of the cylinder increases as the length of the sealing portion 60 blocking the infiltration path of moisture (moisture) increases. If the sealing portion 60 were not interposed in the gap G, the length of the sealing portion 60 along the moisture (moisture) infiltration path along the inner surface 50c of the cylindrical body 50 would be from the opening 50a to the insulating plate 30. end 30a (see length L11 in FIG. 3).

On the other hand, when the sealing portion 60 is interposed in the gap G, the length of the sealing portion 60 on the moisture (moisture) infiltration path along the inner surface 50c of the cylindrical body 50 is equal to the length L11. and the length of the portion surrounding the terminal portion 220 of the plate 30 (see length L12 in FIG. 3). The length L12 of the portion of the insulating plate 30 covering the terminal portion 220 is sufficiently longer than the length L11 from the opening 50a to the end portion 30a of the insulating plate 30 . Since the gap is formed at the length L12, filling the gap with the sealing part 60 makes it possible to increase the length of the sealing part 60 blocking the infiltration path of moisture (moisture). can be increased to

The sealing portion 60 may be embedded in a part of the range of the length L2 in the gap G, but the longer the length in the second direction D2 of the sealing portion 60 filling the gap G, the higher the waterproofness. Therefore, it is most preferable to embed the sealing portion 60 in the entire range of the length L2 in the gap G.

As shown in FIG. 4C, on the opening 50a side, the first conduction cable C11 and the second conduction cable C12 pass through the sealing portion 60 and extend outward. On the opening 50 a side, the sealing portion 60 is in close contact with the inner surface 50 c of the cylindrical body 50 and in close contact with the inner surface 51 a on the side opposite to the heat radiating surface 51 .

Although the above example shows the sealing portion 60 on the side of the opening 50a, it is preferable that the sealing portion 60 is also interposed in the gap between the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 50c of the cylindrical body 50 on the side of the opening 50b.

(Convex extension part)
FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view illustrating a convex extension portion of an electrode portion.
The convex extension portion 230 is a portion that protrudes from the end of the plate-like portion 210 in the second direction D2. A crimped portion 250 is provided to extend from the tip of the convex extension portion 230 . That is, the projecting extension portion 230 is a portion provided between the plate-like portion 210 and the crimped portion 250 .

Here, when the caulked portion 250 is formed by sheet metal processing, caulked wrinkles 255 are generated. The crimped wrinkles 255 refer to portions where the metal plate is plastically deformed into wrinkles due to the force applied near the base of the crimped piece 250a when the crimped piece 250a is bent in the formation of the crimped portion 250. FIG.

In this embodiment, the crimped wrinkles 255 are formed on the crimped portion 250 side of the convex extension portion 230 . The caulking wrinkles 255 are formed so as to rise on the side where the caulking piece 250a is bent, that is, on the caulking joint side. Therefore, by providing the crimped portion 250 , a crimped wrinkle 255 is formed, and the thickness is increased by the amount of swelling due to the crimped wrinkle 255 .

In the present embodiment, the length L2 in the second direction D2 of the convex extension portion 230 is longer than the length L1 of the crimping wrinkles 255 in the second direction D2. As a result, even if the caulking wrinkles 255 are formed, the plate-like portion 210 is not affected by the swelling due to the caulking wrinkles 255 .

Therefore, even if the crimped portion 250 is formed, the influence of the undulation of the plate-like portion 210 can be suppressed. Since the plate-shaped portion 210 is less undulated, the plate-shaped portion 210 and the electrode layer 10a can be reliably brought into contact when the heating element 10 is sandwiched between the pair of electrode plates 20 .

If the convex extending portion 230 is not provided or the length L2 of the convex extending portion 230 is shorter than the length L1 of the crimping wrinkles 255, the influence of the swelling caused by the crimping wrinkles 255 will affect the plate-like portion 210. It will reach In this case, the flatness of the plate-like portion 210 is impaired, which prevents uniform contact between the plate-like portion 210 and the heating element 10 (electrode layer 10a). If the electrode plate 20 and the heat generating element 10 are to be brought into close contact with each other by applying pressure to the cylindrical body 50 in this state, variations in pressure stress occur between the electrode plate 20 and the heat generating element 10 .

The surface of the electrode layer 10a is uneven based on the unevenness of the surface of the heating element 10, and the contact between the electrode layer 10a and the plate-like portion 210 can be considered as a collection of point contacts. When the electrode plate 20 and the electrode layer 10a are brought into close contact with each other, the contact density is defined as the contact area between the plate-like portion 210 and the electrode layer 10a per unit area when viewed in the first direction D1.

If the stress of pressurization concentrates on the raised portion due to the caulking wrinkles 255, the contact density decreases or varies in the contact area between the electrode plate 20 and the electrode layer 10a. A decrease in contact density leads to a decrease in heat dissipation efficiency. Variation in contact density results in variation in the electric field between the electrode plate 20 and the heating element 10 . When the voltage applied to the electrode plate 20 is as high as 300 V or higher, the electric field concentration due to such electric field variations affects the breakdown voltage of the heating element 10 . In particular, when a PTC element is used as the heating element 10, a rush current is generated at the initial stage of energization. When a high voltage of 300 V or more is applied, it is desirable to avoid as much as possible local occurrence of an excessive rush current.

When trying to avoid the influence of the crimping wrinkles 255 extending to the plate-like portion 210 , it is conceivable to dispose the heating elements 10 in the plate-like portion 210 so as to avoid the raised portion of the crimping wrinkles 255 . However, in this case, the plate-like portion 210 must be lengthened or the heating element 10 must be shortened by the amount to be avoided.

By setting the length L2 of the protruding extension portion 230 longer than the length L1 of the crimping wrinkles 255 as in the present embodiment, the plate-like portion 210 is not affected by the crimping wrinkles 255 . Therefore, the heat generating element 10 can be arranged over the entire area of the plate-like portion 210, and variations in the electric field distribution are suppressed without being affected by the swelling of the caulking wrinkles 255, and a sufficient withstand voltage can be obtained even when a high voltage is applied. becomes possible. Further, it is possible to improve the heat radiation efficiency by increasing the contact density between the electrode plate 20 and the electrode layer 10a.

In addition, the length (width W2) of the convex extension portion 230 in the third direction D3 is set longer than the length (width W3) of the crimped portion 250 in the third direction D3. That is, the convex extension portion 230 is provided wider than the crimped portion 250 . As a result, when stress is applied to the crimped portion 250 , the stress can be absorbed by the convex extension portion 230 and transmitted to the plate-like portion 210 . The width of the projecting extension portion 230 may be constant, or may be gradually increased (continuously or stepwisely increased) from the crimped portion 250 toward the plate-like portion 210 .

In addition, the length (width W2) of the projecting portion 230 in the third direction D3 is longer than 1/2 (width 1/2W1) of the length (width W1) of the plate portion 210 in the third direction D3. It may be set short. The projecting extension portion 230 is provided at a position shifted to one side with respect to the center of the plate-like portion 210 . As a result, when viewed in the first direction D1, the first projecting extension portion 231 and the second projecting extension portion 232 are arranged so as not to overlap each other. Therefore, the distance between the first projecting extension portion 231 and the second projecting extension portion 232 is longer than when the first projecting extension portion 231 and the second projecting extension portion 232 overlap each other. and the withstand voltage can be improved.

(Terminal part)
FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view illustrating the terminal portion of the electrode portion.
In this embodiment, the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 are arranged so as not to overlap each other when viewed in the first direction D1. At this time, when viewed in the first direction D1, the gap S1 between the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222 is preferably 2.5 mm or more. The sealing portion 60 is interposed between the first terminal portion 221 and the second terminal portion 222, and the gap S1 is 2.5 mm or more. Even if a voltage of 300 V or more is applied, sufficient insulation can be secured.

(Example with fins)
FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a heater having fins.
The heater 1 according to this embodiment may have fins 150 on each of the upper and lower heat radiation surfaces 51 of the cylinder 50 . That is, the first fin 151 is connected to the first heat radiation surface 511 and the second fin 152 is connected to the second heat radiation surface 512 . For convenience of explanation, the first fins 151 and the second fins 152 are referred to as fins 150 when they are shown without distinction. Also, in FIG. 7, the second fin 152 is shown separated from the heater 1 .

In the heater 1 provided with the fins 150, when the air passes from one side of the flow path 1501 of the heater 1 toward the other side, the air passing through the flow path 1501 of the fins 150 is heated and warm air is output. be able to.

The fin 150 is formed by bending a plate material made of, for example, aluminum (Al) so as to repeat peaks and valleys. The fins 150 may be connected by, for example, a silicone-based adhesive that is excellent in heat resistance and thermal conductivity, but it is desirable that the fins 150 be brazed and fixed to the heat dissipation surface 51 via the brazing portion 80 .

By brazing the fins 150 to the heat dissipation surface 51, the heat dissipation efficiency between the heat dissipation surface 51 and the fins 150 is improved compared to the case where they are adhered with a resin such as a silicone adhesive. That is, the thermal conductivity of metal is much higher than that of resin. Therefore, by brazing the fins 150 to the heat dissipation surface 51, a heater unit having the same output can be made smaller, and a heater unit having the same size can have a higher output. .

The width of the fins 150 (the length in the third direction D3) is approximately equal to the width of the central portion 56 of the heat dissipation surface 51 . The edge portion 57 of the heat dissipation surface 51 protrudes slightly from the central portion 56 . Therefore, when the fin 150 is arranged on the central portion 56, the edge portion 57 serves as a positioning member for the fin 150 in the width direction. In addition, since the width of the fins 150 is substantially equal to the width of the central portion 56, when the cylindrical body 50 is pressurized via the fins 150 by the manufacturing method described later, the pressure applied to the fins 150 can be uniformly applied to the central portion 56. become.

(Production method)
Next, a method for manufacturing the heater 1 having the fins 150 will be described.
FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing a heater.
First, the fins 150 are fixed to the heat radiation surface 51 of the cylindrical body 50 by brazing (step S101). As the brazing material for the brazing portion 80, for example, an aluminum (Al)-silicon (Si) eutectic alloy is used.

Next, the heating element 10 is sandwiched between the pair of electrode plates 20 (step S102). Between the heating element 10 and the electrode plate 20, for example, a silicone-based adhesive having excellent electrical and thermal conductivity is applied.

Next, the pair of electrode plates 20 sandwiching the heating element 10 is sandwiched between the pair of insulating plates 30 (step S103). A plate material of aluminum oxide (alumina), for example, is used for the insulating plate 30 . Between the electrode plate 20 and the insulating plate 30, for example, a silicone-based adhesive having excellent thermal conductivity may be applied.

Next, the heating structure 100 composed of the heating element 10, the pair of electrode plates 20, and the pair of insulating plates 30 is housed in the hollow portion 55 of the cylindrical body 50 (step S104). At this time, the fins 150 are already attached to the heat radiation surface 51 of the cylindrical body 50 by brazing.

Next, the cylindrical body 50 containing the heat generating structure 100 is pressurized (step S105). Pressurization of the cylindrical body 50 is performed via the fins 150 . That is, the cylindrical body 50 is pressed vertically (first direction D<b>1 ) via the fins 150 to crush the cylindrical body 50 , thereby fixing the heat generating structure 100 inside the hollow portion 55 .

When the cylindrical body 50 is crushed, the distance between the first heat dissipation surface 511 and the second heat dissipation surface 512 is narrowed, and the heat generating structure 100 is sandwiched. As a result, the heat generating element 10 and the electrode plate 20, the electrode plate 20 and the insulating plate 30, and the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 51a are in close contact with each other inside the cylinder 50, and the heat generating structure is formed. A body 100 is secured within the cylinder. When the members are brought into close contact with each other by pressurization, the heat generating element 10 and the electrode plate 20 are brought into close contact with each other, thereby achieving a connection with reduced electrical resistance between the heat generating element 10 and the electrode plate 20, and the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 51a. A connection with reduced resistance to heat conduction is achieved by close contact. That is, it is possible to perform both electrical connection and thermal connection by one pressurization process.

After fixing the heat generating structure 100 by applying pressure to the cylindrical body 50 , the openings 50 a and 50 b of the cylindrical body 50 are filled with the sealing portions 60 . Thus, the heater 1 having the fins 150 is completed.

Further, in the manufacturing method described above, the fins 150 are attached to the cylindrical body 50 before the cylindrical body 50 is pressurized. Then, the heat generating structure 100 is accommodated in the hollow portion 55 of the tubular body 50 to which the fins 150 are attached, and then the tubular body 50 is pressurized via the fins 150 .
That is, when the fins 150 are attached to the cylindrical body 50, the heat generating structure 100 is not housed in the hollow portion 55 (empty state). It is possible to adopt brazing that exceeds the heat-resistant temperature of members (for example, resin members) that are vulnerable to heat.

Fixing the fins 150 to the cylindrical body 50 by brazing can greatly shorten the fixing time compared to fixing with a silicone-based adhesive. Further, the fins 150 can be brazed to the cylinder 50 in advance without waiting for the cylinder 50 to be pressurized. Therefore, the brazing process of the fins 150 and the pressurizing process of the cylindrical body 50 can be performed in parallel, and the production time can be shortened in mass production.

Further, according to the manufacturing method described above, in a state in which the fins 150 are attached to the cylindrical body 50, the cylindrical body 50 is pressurized via the fins 150, and the heat generating structure 100 is tightly fixed in the cylinder. By fixing the heating structure 100 in the cylinder (fixing without using an adhesive), and between adjacent members in each of the electrode layer 10a of the heating element 10, the electrode plate 20, the insulating plate 30 and the inner surface 51a of the cylinder 50 surface contact can be completed in batch processing.

(pressurization and heater output)
Here, the inventor of the present application obtained the relationship between the pressure applied to the cylindrical body 50 and the output of the heater 1 through experiments. In the experiment, the heating structure 100 was housed in the cylinder 50, and the cylinder 50 was gradually pressurized from no pressure, and the output of the heater 1 at that time was measured.

As a result of the experiment, it was found that the output increases as the pressure applied to the cylindrical body 50 increases. The output increases up to about three times the output (initial output) when the cylindrical body 50 is not pressurized, and then the output decreases as the pressurizing force is further increased. It is considered that the fins 150 are crushed when the pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure, which causes the output of the heater 1 to decrease.

Therefore, by pressurizing the cylindrical body 50 with the maximum pressurizing force that does not cause the fins 150 to collapse, it is possible to manufacture the heater 1 with the highest heat radiation efficiency.

(Automotive heater device)
FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating an in-vehicle heater device.
For convenience of explanation, the case 501 is indicated by a chain double-dashed line in FIG.
In-vehicle heater device 500 includes in-vehicle heater unit 1U and case 501 . The in-vehicle heater unit 1U is housed in a case 501. As shown in FIG. The in-vehicle heater unit 1U has a plurality of heaters 1 arranged vertically and horizontally. In the illustrated example, the heaters 1 are arranged in three rows and two stages. The number of heaters 1 and the number of heaters arranged vertically and horizontally are arbitrary, and are not limited to the illustrated numbers.

The fin 150 is bent in the second direction D2 so as to repeat peaks and valleys. As a result, the direction of the flow path 1501, which is the gap between the crest and the trough of the fin 150, is provided in the third direction orthogonal to the second direction D2. A medium passing through the flow path 1501 can obtain heating action from the plurality of heaters 1 .

The case 501 is provided with an inlet 5011 and an outlet 5012 for a medium to be heated (water, air, etc.). The inflow port 5011 and the outflow port 5012 are provided in a cylindrical shape, for example, and are provided so as to protrude from the side surface 501 s of the case 501 . The medium is sent into the case 501 through the inlet 5011 and is heated by the in-vehicle heater unit 1U inside the case 501 before exiting the case 501 through the outlet 5012 .

In this embodiment, an inflow port 5011 and an outflow port 5012 are arranged side by side on the same side surface 501s of the case 501 . In such vehicle heater device 500, vehicle heater unit 1U is housed in case 501 with one end of channel 1501 of fin 150 facing inlet 5011 and outlet 5012, respectively.

The case 501 is provided with holes (not shown) through which the first conductive cable C11 and the second conductive cable C12 extending from the heater 1 are passed. Each conductive cable C10 of the heater 1 accommodated in the case 501 is pulled out of the case 501 through a hole of the case 501. As shown in FIG.

The waterproofness of the heater 1 according to this embodiment is very high. Therefore, the entire heater 1 can be accommodated within the case 501 . For example, if the medium is liquid (for example, water), the case 501 is filled with water. Since the heater 1 according to the present embodiment is extremely waterproof, even if the entire heater 1 is accommodated in the case 501, water does not enter the inside of the heater 1. FIG.

Therefore, the holes to be made in the case 501 other than the inflow port 5011 and the outflow port 5012 are only small holes for passing the conductive cable C10. Since the hole provided in the case 501 is small, only a small gap between the hole and the conductive cable C10 needs to be sealed with a sealant, which facilitates sealing. Moreover, reliable sealing can be achieved even with a small amount of sealing agent, and high sealing performance can be achieved while being simple.

In order to heat the medium with the in-vehicle heater device 500 , the medium is sent into the case 501 through the inlet 5011 . The medium that has flowed into the case 501 flows through the flow paths 1501 of the fins 150 . In this embodiment, since the direction in which the flow paths 1501 of the fins 150 extend substantially coincides with the direction in which the inlets 5011 extend, the flowing medium efficiently flows along the flow paths 1501 of the fins 150 .

The medium flowing along flow path 1501 is heated by heat exchange with fins 150 and flows out of case 501 from outlet 5012 . In the present embodiment, since the flow paths 1501 of the fins 150 and the direction in which the outlets 5012 extend are substantially aligned, the medium heated along the flow paths 1501 efficiently flows out from the outlets 5012. .

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating another in-vehicle heater device.
In vehicle heater device 500 shown in FIG. 10 , inlet 5011 and outlet 5012 are arranged at positions facing each other in case 501 . The extending direction of the inflow port 5011 and the extending direction of the outflow port 5012 are substantially the same.

In the in-vehicle heater device 500, the in-vehicle heater unit 1U is configured such that one end of the flow path 1501 of the fin 150 faces the inlet 5011 and the other end of the flow path 1501 faces the outlet 5012. housed inside.

Tapered portions 5013 are provided at portions of the case 501 to which the inflow port 5011 and the outflow port 5012 are respectively attached. The tapered portion 5013 on the inlet 5011 side is formed such that the cross-sectional area gradually widens from the inlet 5011 toward the inside of the case 501 . An in-vehicle heater unit 1U having a multi-stage heater 1 is accommodated inside the case 501 . Since the tapered portion 5013 is provided, the medium that has flowed in from the inlet 5011 can be uniformly diffused and guided inside the case 501, and the medium can flow evenly throughout the flow paths 1501 of the multistage fins 150. be able to. Thereby, high heat exchange efficiency can be realized.

Also, the tapered portion 5013 on the outflow port 5012 side is formed such that the cross-sectional area gradually narrows from the inside of the case 501 toward the outflow port 5012 . As a result, the medium that has passed through the flow paths 1501 of the fins 150 of the vehicle-mounted heater unit 1U housed in the case 501 is efficiently collected at the outlet 5012 by the tapered portion 5013, and flows out of the case 501 from the outlet 5012. will flow out.

Also in this in-vehicle heater device 500, the case 501 is provided with only the hole 65 through which the conducting cable C10 is passed as a hole other than the inflow port 5011 and the outflow port 5012. As shown in FIG. Since the hole 65 provided in the case 501 is small, it is possible to obtain reliable sealing even with a small amount of sealant.

In the in-vehicle heater device 500 according to the present embodiment as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the heater 1 having a high withstand voltage, excellent insulation and waterproof properties is used, so that a withstand voltage of, for example, 300 V or more is used. In addition, high waterproofness and high heat dissipation efficiency can be obtained. Further, by brazing the fins 150, it is possible to achieve high efficiency (improved heat radiation efficiency). Therefore, if the output is the same, it is possible to reduce the size of the in-vehicle heater device 500, and if the size is the same, the output of the in-vehicle heater device 500 can be increased.

In this embodiment, an output of 3 kilowatts (kW) or more is obtained from the in-vehicle heater unit 1U. Moreover, the high withstand voltage, excellent insulating properties, and waterproof properties of the in-vehicle heater unit 1U make it possible to use it even in harsh environments.

As described above, in the heater 1 according to the present embodiment, a withstand voltage of 300 V or more can be obtained with a simple sealing structure in which the openings 50a and 50b of the cylindrical body 50 are sealed with the sealing portion 60. In addition, high waterproofness and high heat radiation efficiency can be obtained.

Electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles handle a voltage of about 300V to 400V. The heater 1 according to this embodiment can be used by applying a voltage without stepping down such a high voltage. In addition, the car may be submerged, hit by a tsunami or a storm surge, or the heater 1 may be submerged in water even if it is not submerged. Since the heater 1 according to this embodiment is highly waterproof, it is possible to prevent electric leakage even in a high voltage environment. Furthermore, the heater 1 according to the present embodiment can sufficiently withstand use in harsh environments such as cold regions, rough roads, and dust. Moreover, by improving the efficiency, it is possible to achieve miniaturization for the same output, and it is possible to achieve higher output for the same size.

(Example of integrated fin type)
11(a) and 11(b) are diagrams showing an example of a heater in which fins are integrally formed.
FIG. 11(a) shows a perspective view of the heater 1, and FIG. 11(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the central portion of the heater 1. As shown in FIG.
The heater 1 shown in FIG. 11 has fins 150 integrally formed on the heat radiation surface 51 of the cylindrical body 50 . In the example shown in FIG. 11 , the fins 150 are formed integrally with the first heat radiation surface 511 and the second heat radiation surface 512 of the tubular body 50 . The fins 150 may be provided on at least the first heat dissipation surface 5111 or the second heat dissipation surface 512 , and may be provided on the side surface 53 .

The direction in which the fins 150 extend is the same second direction D2 as the direction in which the tubular body 50 extends. That is, the fin 150 has a plurality of projecting pieces 150a provided in parallel at regular intervals, and each projecting piece 150a is provided extending in the second direction D2. A plurality of protruding pieces 150a are densely provided on the heat radiation surface 51 of the cylindrical body 50 at regular intervals, so that a flow path 1501 extending in the second direction D2 is formed between adjacent protruding pieces 150a.

The fins 150 may be provided all over the cylindrical body 50 in the second direction D2, or may be provided partially. Also, a break may be provided in the middle of the fin 150 or the projecting piece 150a.

As a method of forming the fins 150 integrally with the cylindrical body 50, for example, extrusion molding using a metal material (aluminum or the like) of the cylindrical body 50 can be used. In addition to extrusion molding, cutting molding, die-cast molding, forging molding, or the like using the metal material of the cylindrical body 50 may be used.

Since the fins 150 are formed integrally with the cylindrical body 50 in this way, a heat path extending from the inside of the cylindrical body 50 to the outside is continuously formed from the heat radiation surface 51 to the fins 150 using the same material. Thereby, the heat radiation characteristic of the heater 1 can be improved. Moreover, it is not necessary to prepare the cylindrical body 50 and the fins 150 as separate parts, so that the number of parts can be reduced.

The method of manufacturing the heater 1 in which the fins 150 are integrally formed is such that the fins 150 are integrally formed on the heat radiating surface 51 of the cylindrical body 50 instead of the step S101 of brazing the fins 150 in the flowchart of the manufacturing method shown in FIG. carry out the process.

In this manufacturing method, since the fins 150 are integrally formed on the heat dissipation surface 51 of the cylindrical body 50, the number of man-hours for connecting the fins 150 to the heat dissipation surface 51 can be reduced. In addition, since the cylinder 50 is pressurized through the fins 150 integrally formed on the heat radiation surface 51 of the cylinder 50 and the heat generating structure 100 is fixed in the cylinder, the pressure is effectively transferred into the cylinder through the fins 150. I can tell you well.

For example, if the plurality of projecting pieces 150a of the fins 150 are integrally molded so as to extend parallel to each other in the direction in which the cylindrical body 50 extends (the second direction D2), when the cylindrical body 50 is pressurized, the plurality of protrusions 150a Pressurizing force can be intensively transmitted into the cylinder via each of the convex pieces 150a. Since the plurality of projecting pieces 150a are densely arranged at regular intervals, the pressure is not concentrated at one point, but is strongly transmitted over a wide area over the entire heat generating structure 100, thereby increasing the heat generating structure 100 adjacent to the heat generating structure 100. Adhesion between members can be improved.

For this reason, the heater 1 using the cylindrical body 50 integrally formed with the fins 150 (the heater 1 integrated with the fins) uses the cylindrical body 50 to which the fins 150 are separately attached (the heater 1 with separate fins). ), an equivalent output can be obtained with a weaker pressure. Further, in the case of manufacturing with the same applied pressure, even if the output of the heating element 10 is reduced in the heater 1 with integrated fins, the output of the heater 1 as a whole can be secured equivalent to that of the heater 1 with separate fins. can.

Here, if the convex pieces 150a of the fins 150 on the first heat dissipation surface 511 side and the convex pieces 150a of the fins 150 on the second heat dissipation surface 512 side are arranged at the same position when viewed in the first direction D1, When pressurizing the cylindrical body 50, the pressurizing force can be concentrated between the upper and lower protruding pieces 150a. As a result, sufficient adhesion can be obtained even with a relatively weak pressing force.

On the other hand, if the convex pieces 150a of the fins 150 on the first heat radiation surface 511 side and the convex pieces 150a of the fins 150 on the second heat radiation surface 512 side are arranged at different positions when viewed in the first direction D1 (for example, , staggered positions), the force applied through the upper and lower convex pieces 150a when pressurizing the cylindrical body 50 can be dispersed. As a result, it is possible to exert a close contact force over a wide range even with a relatively weak pressing force.

Although the present embodiment and its application examples have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these examples. For example, although an example of the crimped portion 250 is shown as a terminal for connecting the conductive cable C10, a terminal portion extending in a flat plate shape may be used. In this case, the conductive cable C10 may be connected by soldering, brazing, screwing, or may be connected by a connector. Moreover, although an example of using a PTC element as the heating element 10 has been shown, an element other than the PTC element (for example, ceramics such as alumina or silicon nitride) may be used. In addition, the medium to be heated may be water, air, gas, or other substances such as oil and gel (including at least one of these mixtures).

In addition, those skilled in the art may appropriately add, delete, or change the design of the above-described embodiments or their application examples, or may combine the features of the embodiments as appropriate. As long as it has the gist, it is included in the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be suitably used as a heating device driven by a high voltage of 300 V or higher for heating automobiles (electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, etc.), trains and other moving bodies, and industrial equipment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Heater 1U... Vehicle-mounted heater unit 10... Heat generating element 10a... Electrode layer 20... Electrode plate 30... Insulating plate 30a, 30b... End 50... Cylindrical body 50a, 50b... Opening 50c... Inner surface 51... Radiation surface 51a... Inner surface 53... Side surface 55... Hollow part 56... Central part 57... Edge part 60... Sealing part 65... Hole 80... Brazing part 100... Heat generating structure 150... Fin 150a... Protruding piece 151... First fin 152... Second fin 201 First electrode plate 202 Second electrode plate 210 Plate-like portion 211 First plate-like portion 212 Second plate-like portion 220 Terminal portion 221 First terminal portion 222 Second terminal portion 230 Convex Shaped extension portion 231 First convex extension portion 232 Second convex extension portion 250 Crimped portion 250a Crimped piece 251 First crimped portion 252 Second crimped portion 255 Crimped wrinkles 301 First Insulating plate 302 Second insulating plate 500 In-vehicle heater device 501 Case 501s Side surface 511 First heat radiation surface 512 Second heat radiation surface 1501 Flow path 5011 Inlet 5012 Outlet 5013 Tapered portion C10 Conductive cable C11 First conductive cable C12 Second conductive cable D1 First direction D2 Second direction D3 Third direction G Gap S1 Gap

Claims (13)

a heating element having electrode layers on the front and back;
a pair of electrode portions sandwiching the heating element and electrically connected to each of the front and back electrode layers;
an insulating member that sandwiches the pair of electrode portions therebetween;
a cylindrical body having a heat radiating surface and housing therein a heat generating structure including the heat generating element, the pair of electrode portions, and the insulating member;
fins provided on the heat radiation surface of the cylindrical body;
An insulated and waterproof heater comprising
the insulating member is in close contact with an inner surface of the cylindrical body opposite to the heat radiation surface,
The thickness of the central portion of the cylinder where the fins are provided is thinner than the thickness of the edge portion of the cylinder outside the fins,
An insulating and waterproof heater, wherein a region of the inner surface of the cylindrical body facing the insulating member is flat. The first electrode portion, which is one of the pair of electrode portions,
a first plate-like portion in contact with the electrode layer so as to be conductive;
a first terminal portion provided at one opening side end portion of the tubular body in the first plate-like portion;
The second electrode portion, which is the other of the pair of electrode portions,
a second plate-like portion in contact with the electrode layer so as to be conductive;
a second terminal portion provided at one opening side end of the tubular body in the second plate-like portion;
When the direction in which the heating element is sandwiched between the pair of electrode portions is defined as a first direction,
2. The insulating and waterproof heater according to claim 1, wherein said first terminal portion and said second terminal portion are arranged at positions shifted from each other when viewed in said first direction. 3. The insulating and waterproof heater according to claim 2, wherein a sealing portion is embedded between the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion in the cylinder of the cylindrical body. A first conductive cable is connected to the first terminal portion,
A second conductive cable is connected to the second terminal portion,
3. A connecting portion between said first terminal portion and said first conducting cable and a connecting portion between said second terminal portion and said second conducting cable are each arranged inside said tubular body. Insulated waterproof heater as described. A sealing portion embedded from the opening of the cylindrical body to at least the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion,
5. The insulating waterproof heater according to claim 4, wherein said first conductive cable and said second conductive cable penetrate said sealing portion and extend outward on said opening side. the first terminal portion has a first crimped portion;
the second terminal portion has a second crimped portion;
The first electrode portion has a first convex extension portion provided between the first plate portion and the first crimped portion,
The second electrode portion has a second convex extension portion provided between the second plate portion and the second crimped portion,
When the direction perpendicular to the first direction and in which the cylindrical body extends is the second direction,
The length of the first convex extension portion in the second direction is longer than the length of the crimped wrinkles on the first convex extension portion side of the first crimped portion in the second direction,
3. The length of the second convex extension portion in the second direction is longer than the length of the crimped wrinkles on the second convex extension portion side of the second crimped portion in the second direction. Insulated waterproof heater as described. 3. The insulating and waterproof heater according to claim 2, wherein widths of said first plate-like portion and said second plate-like portion are wider than the width of said electrode layer and equal to or less than the width of said heating element. 2. The insulating and waterproof heater according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical body has fins integrally formed with said heat radiation surface. 2. The insulating waterproof heater according to claim 1, wherein said heating element is a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element. a step of brazing fins to the heat radiating surface of a cylinder having a heat radiating surface;
A step of sandwiching a heating element having electrode layers on the front and back sides between a pair of electrode portions;
a step of sandwiching the pair of electrode parts between a pair of insulating plates;
a step of housing a heat generating structure composed of the heat generating element, the pair of electrode portions, and the pair of insulating plates in the cylinder of the cylinder;
By pressing the cylindrical body through the fins and crushing the cylindrical body, each of the pair of insulating plates is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical body on the side opposite to the heat radiation surface. fixing a heat generating structure within the cylinder;
A method for manufacturing an insulated and waterproof heater. a step of integrally forming fins on the heat radiating surface of a cylinder having a heat radiating surface;
A step of sandwiching a heating element having electrode layers on the front and back sides between a pair of electrode portions;
a step of sandwiching the pair of electrode parts between a pair of insulating plates;
a step of housing a heat generating structure composed of the heat generating element, the pair of electrode portions, and the pair of insulating plates in the cylinder of the cylinder;
By pressing the cylindrical body through the fins and crushing the cylindrical body, each of the pair of insulating plates is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical body on the side opposite to the heat radiation surface. fixing a heat generating structure within the cylinder;
A method for manufacturing an insulated and waterproof heater. 12. The insulation waterproof heater according to claim 10, wherein the step of fixing the heat generating structure in the cylinder includes pressurizing the cylinder with a maximum pressure force that does not cause the fins to collapse. manufacturing method. 12. The method for manufacturing an insulating and waterproof heater according to claim 10, wherein said heating element is a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element.

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