JPH10162940A - Heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heater to be miniaturized and automated in assembling by simplifying its structure to negate the need of a conventional coating of inorganic material without the danger of electric shocks. SOLUTION: An electrode part 7 intervenes between a ceramic insulation plate 2 and a heating element 1 comprising a PTC element. Then, the heating element 1 is pinched by the pair of insulation plates 2 and 2. These component parts are press fitted into an inserting hole 4 of a ceramic case 3. Because the ceramic case 3 is used, there is no danger of electric shocks caused by a metallic case or the like. In addition, there is no need for a member to bring the case 3 out of contact with the electrode part 7 and a lead wire 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heater used in a liquid heating device, a steam generator, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a heater having a wedge-shaped outer shape has been proposed as a heater built in a steam-type hair curling device. For example, JP-A-60-112
In Japanese Patent Publication No. 281, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a heater 21 having a wedge-shaped outer shape is disposed in a tubular main body 20 of a steam-type hair curl device. Water tank 2 removably fitted into the end opening of the tank
2 is provided with a wedge-shaped recess 23 at an end thereof, and a water supply body 24 provided in the water supply tank 22 is formed along the inner surface of the wedge-shaped recess 23, and the water supply tank 22 is formed at an end of a cylindrical main body 20. When fitted into the opening, the wedge-shaped heater 21 is fitted into the wedge-shaped recess 21 so that the water supply body 24 along the inner surface of the recess 23 is in close contact with the heater 21. It is. By making the outer shape of the heater 21 wedge-shaped in this manner, the heater 21 can be easily attached to and detached from the water supply tank 22, and the close contact between the water supply body 24 and the heater 21 is improved.

In order to form the heater 21 having a wedge-shaped outer shape as described above, conventionally, a PT 21 is used.
A heating element 1 'made of a C element is sandwiched between thin flat electrode plates 2', and a wedge-shaped inorganic insulating plate 25 is disposed on both sides of the heating element 1 'and incorporated into a resin frame 26. The outer surface coated with an inorganic material is formed by press-fitting into a wedge-shaped hole 4 'of a wedge-shaped metal case 3'. The frame 26 covers the joint between the electrode plate 2 'and the lead wire 6, and is provided to prevent the electrode plate 2' and the lead wire 6 from contacting the case 3 '.

[0004]

However, in the conventional heater 21 as described above, there is a problem in that since the case 3 'is made of metal, there is a risk of electric shock when touched by a person. Was. In the case of a heater for generating steam, a metal case 3 'needs to be coated with an inorganic material in order to prevent scale adhesion and corrosion, resulting in a problem of high cost. Further frame 2
6, the structure is complicated, so that miniaturization and automation of assembly are difficult, and there is a problem that the cost increases.

In addition, heat is transferred from the heating element 1 'composed of the PTC element to the electrode plate 2', the wedge-shaped insulating plate 25, and the metal case 3 'in this order. There is a problem in that heat transfer loss occurs and the heat transfer loss is large as a whole. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional example, and has as its object to eliminate the possibility of electric shock, simplify the structure, reduce the size, and automate the assembly. An object of the present invention is to provide a heater which does not require a coating of an inorganic material as in the related art and further has a small loss in heat transfer.

[0006]

In the heater according to the first aspect of the present invention, a pair of heating elements 1 is provided by interposing an electrode portion 7 between a heating element 1 made of a PTC element and an insulating plate 2 made of ceramic. And press-fit them into the insertion holes 4 of the ceramic case 3.

A heater according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises:
In addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the electrode portion 7 is integrally formed on the surface of the insulating plate 2 on the side of the heating element 1 by baking, vapor deposition, printing, or the like. .

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. 1 and 2 show an example of an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a heating element formed of a PTC (positive temperature coefficient thermistor) element, which is formed in an elongated plate shape. Reference numeral 2 denotes a ceramic insulating plate whose inner surface is almost flat,
The outer surface is formed as a slope 21 that matches the slope 20 of the insertion hole 4 of the case 3. Therefore, the insulating plate 2 is formed in a wedge-like shape that becomes thinner toward the front end (insertion direction). Reference numeral 3 denotes a ceramic (inorganic) case, which constitutes an outer shell of the heater.
Its outer shape is formed in a wedge shape. The outer shape of the case 3 is formed in a wedge shape so that, for example, when used as a heater of a steam-type hair curling device, a wedge-shaped recess provided in a water supply body can be easily attached to and detached from the heater. In addition, it is to ensure that it can be in close contact when fitted.

The case 3 is provided with an insertion hole 4. The insertion hole 4 is formed in a wedge shape such that it becomes narrower in the thickness direction of the case 3 toward the front end, and the rear end of the insertion hole 4 communicates with an insertion hole 12 opened on the rear surface of the case 3. I have. Reference numeral 7 denotes an electrode portion for supplying electricity to the PTC element 1, and is formed of a metal plate such as a copper plate in a thin plate shape. At the rear end of the electrode portion 7, a connecting portion 7a is protrudingly provided, and the leading end of the conducting wire 6a of the lead wire 6 is fixed by welding or the like.

In forming the heater, the heating element 1 is sandwiched between a pair of electrode portions 7 and the inner surface of the insulating plate 2 is brought into contact with the outside of the electrode portion 7 so that the heating element 1 and the electrode Portion 7 is pinched, and in this state, the insertion hole 12 is inserted.
The heating element 1, the electrode portion 7, and the insulating plate 2 are press-fitted into the insertion holes 4. This heater supplies power to the heating element 1 through the lead wire 6 and the electrode section 7 to cause the heating element 1 to generate heat. The heat is transferred to the electrode section 7, the insulating plate 2, and the case 3 in this order to generate heat. Since the case 3 is made of ceramic, there is no danger of electric shock as in the case of the conventional metal case 3 '. Therefore, the electrode portion 7 and the lead wire 6 like the frame 26 of the conventional example are not formed. A member for preventing the contact with the third member 3 is not required, and the structure can be simplified. In addition, the case 3 does not need to be coated for the purpose of preventing scale adhesion and corrosion.

Further, the heating element 1 is sandwiched between the wedge-shaped insulating plates 2 with the electrode portion 7 interposed therebetween, and these are pressed into the wedge-shaped insertion holes 4 of the case 3 to press the heating elements 1 into the insertion holes 4. The heating element 1, the insulating plate 2, and the electrode portion 7 are easily press-fitted, and the entire outer surface (slope surface 21) of the insulating plate 2 is formed into a wedge-shaped insertion hole 4 (slope surface 20). It can be tightly fitted without any gaps, and can be made without loss of heat conduction. Although both insulating plates 2 are formed in a wedge shape in FIGS. 1 and 2, at least one of the insulating plates 2 may have a wedge shape.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment. In this embodiment, the heating element 1 and the case 3 are formed in the same manner as in the above embodiment. The insulating plate 2 is made of ceramic and has an inner surface formed to be substantially flat, and an outer surface formed as a slope 21 which matches an inclined surface 20 of the insertion hole 4 described later. Therefore, the insulating plate 2 is formed in a wedge-like shape that becomes thinner toward the front end (insertion direction). A connecting portion 2a protrudes from the rear end of the insulating plate 2, and a through hole 9 is provided in the connecting portion 2a in the thickness direction, and a metal connection pipe 5 is fitted and attached thereto. . The distal end of the lead wire 6a of the lead wire 6 is inserted into the connection pipe 5, and is fixed by caulking, soldering, welding, or the like, and is electrically and mechanically connected.

Further, on the inner surface of the insulating plate 2, an electrode portion 7 electrically connected to the connection pipe 5 is formed over almost the entire surface. The electrode portion 7 is in the form of a thin layer, and is formed by baking a metal foil of an electric conductor such as copper or silver.
To be integrally formed with the insulating plate 2 by printing an electric conductor such as a silver electrode, or to be integrally joined to the insulating plate 2 by vapor deposition of a metal of the electric conductor. be able to.

When the heater is formed, the heating element 1 is sandwiched between the pair of insulating plates 2 with the electrode parts 7 so that the electrode part 7 is in contact with the heating element 1, and inserted through the insertion hole 12 in this state. The heating element 1 and the insulating plate 2 with the electrode 7 are pressed into the mounting holes 4. This heater transfers heat generated by the heating element 1 to the insulating plate 2 with the electrode portion 7 and the case 3 in this order to generate heat. The electrode portion 7 is integrally formed on the surface of the insulating plate 2 on the heating element 1 side. Because it formed
The number of contact interfaces between the heating element 1 and the case 3 can be made smaller than that of the conventional example, and the loss of heat transfer can be reduced. That is, in the conventional example, the electrode plate 2 '
In the present invention, the electrode portion 7 is formed integrally with the insulating plate 2, but the contact interface does not exist at this portion, and the heat transfer loss due to the contact interface is reduced. It can be reduced. 3 and 4
Although both insulating plates 2 are formed in a wedge shape, at least one of them may be a wedge shape.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another embodiment. In this embodiment, the heating element 1 and the case 3 are formed in the same manner as in the above embodiment. Insulating plate 2 has side walls 10 projecting inward (to the side of heating element 1) on the long sides of both sides,
10 are provided over the entire length to form a substantially U-shaped cross section. At one end of the side wall 10, an inner inclined surface 15 is formed over the entire length, and at the other side wall 10, an outer inclined surface 16 having the same inclination as the inner inclined surface 15 is formed over the entire length. The electrode portion 7 is provided integrally with the insulating plate 2 inside the side wall 10. Other configurations are formed in the same manner as the insulating plate 2 in FIGS.

In forming the heater, the heating element 1 is housed inside the side wall 10 and the electrode section 7 is brought into contact with the heating element 1 so that the heating element 1 is separated by the insulating plate 2 with a pair of electrode sections 7. The heating element 1 and the insulating plate 2 with the electrode 7 are pressed into the insertion hole 4 through the insertion hole 12 in this state. At this time, the inner inclined surface 15 and the outer inclined surface 16 of one insulating plate 2 are brought into contact with the outer inclined surface 16 and the inner inclined surface 15 of the other insulating plate 2, respectively.
The opposing side walls 10 mesh with each other.

In this heater, since the side wall 10 is provided on the insulating plate 2, the heating plate 1 is surrounded by the insulating plate 2 from the left, right, up and down so that the electrode portion 7 and the heating plate 1 are not exposed outside the insulating plate 2. The insulating effect can be enhanced by the double insulating structure of the insulating plate 2 and the case 3. Therefore, a safer heater can be obtained. Further, since the opposing side walls 10 are meshed with each other, no gap can be formed between the opposing side walls 10, and the insulating effect of the insulating plate 2 can be further enhanced. Although both insulating plates 2 are formed in a wedge shape in FIGS. 5 and 6, at least one of the insulating plates 2 may have a wedge shape.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment. This embodiment is different from the heater shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in that the contact member 8 is provided between the inclined surface 21 of the insulating plate 2 and the inclined surface 20 of the insertion hole 4.
Are formed. The adhesion member 8 is made of a soft, thin plate-like thermal conductor, and for example, a graphite sheet made of resin can be used. In this heater, the contact member 8 is provided between the inclined surface 21 of the insulating plate 2 and the inclined surface 20 of the insertion hole 4, so that the adhesion at the contact interface between the insulating plate 2 and the case 3 (insertion hole 4) is improved. It is possible,
The heat transfer loss can be reduced.

[0019]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the heating element is sandwiched between a pair of insulating plates with an electrode portion interposed between the heating element made of a PTC element and a ceramic insulating plate. Since these are pressed into the insertion holes of the ceramic case, the use of the ceramic case eliminates the risk of electric shock as in the case of a metal case. Therefore, a member such as a conventional frame for preventing the electrode portion and the lead wire from contacting the case is not required, so that the structure can be simplified, the number of parts can be reduced, the size can be reduced, and the assembly can be automated. Can be easily achieved. In addition, the case does not need to be coated to prevent scale adhesion and corrosion.

In the invention according to claim 2 of the present invention, the electrode portion is integrally formed on the surface of the insulating plate on the heating element side by baking, vapor deposition, printing, or the like. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case of using separate members, and miniaturization and automation of assembly can be easily achieved. Also, the number of contact interfaces between components between the case and the heating element can be reduced, and the loss of heat transfer can be reduced, as compared with the case where the electrode portion is formed as a separate member from the insulating plate. Accordingly, a high output can be obtained, and at the same time, the response of the PTC element is improved, and the rise time to a predetermined temperature is reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

2 (a) and 2 (b) are cross-sectional views of the above, and FIG. 2 (c) is a rear view.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of another embodiment of the above.

4 (a) and 4 (b) are cross-sectional views of the same, and FIG. 4 (c) is a rear view.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of still another embodiment of the above.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of the same, and FIG. 6C is a rear view.

7 (a) and 7 (b) are cross-sectional views showing an example of still another embodiment of the above, and FIG. 7 (c) is a rear view.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heating element 2 Insulating plate 3 Case 4 Insertion hole 7 Electrode part

Claims (2)

[Claims] An electrode is interposed between a heating element made of a PTC element and a ceramic insulating plate, and the heating element is sandwiched between a pair of insulating plates, and these are pressed into insertion holes of a ceramic case. A heater characterized in that: 2. The heater according to claim 1, wherein an electrode portion is integrally formed on the surface of the insulating plate on the side of the heating element by baking, vapor deposition, printing, or the like.