KR20110041656A - Pre heater assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A pre heater assembly is provided to effectively emit heat generated in an electricity and signal controller by inserting a cooling module between a heat core unit and the electricity and signal controller. CONSTITUTION: A pre heater assembly comprises a heat core unit(700), a cooling module(800), and an electricity and signal controller(900). The heat core unit comprises multiple positive electrode terminals(100), negative electrode terminals(200), heat sink assemblies(300), Positive Temperature Coefficient heating elements, and a housing(500). The heat sink assemblies are inserted between the positive and negative electrode terminals. The cooling module is connected to one longitudinal end of the heat core unit and comprises a case and a cooling member. The case is coupled to one longitudinal end of the heat core unit and accepts the electricity and signal controller. The cooling member is formed on the bottom of the case and is contact with the electricity and signal controller.

Description

Pre-heater assembly {PRE HEATER ASSEMBLY}

The present invention relates to a pre-heater assembly, and more particularly, to a pre-heater assembly having excellent heat dissipation effect and thermal efficiency and easy assembly.

In a typical vehicle, a heating apparatus is installed that uses heat energy of cooling water heated by heat generated by an engine for heating indoors, dehumidifying or defrosting the windshield of the vehicle.

Such a heating apparatus has a long time until the cooling water is heated and the room is heated because the cooling water flowing around the engine flows into the heater after the engine is operated. Accordingly, there has been a disadvantage in that the cold state for a certain time after starting.

Recently, various types of preheaters have been developed to solve such problems, and a typical example is a preheater incorporating a PTC device.

In recent years, a housing-coupled preheater has been developed in which an upper housing and a lower housing are coupled in a vertical direction, and a PTC device (not shown) is incorporated therebetween.

A representative example of such a housing-coupled preheater is shown in FIG. 1 (hereinafter referred to as 'prior art') and a schematic description of the structure thereof is as follows.

As shown in FIG. 1, a housing-coupled vehicle preheater 1000 ′ according to the prior art includes a (+) terminal 130 ′ and a (−) terminal 300 ′ extending in a longitudinal direction, and the ( The heat fin assembly 200 'and PTC element 140' interposed between the terminal 130 'and the negative terminal 300' and the ventilation holes 750 'on the surface to accommodate the components together. ) Is formed of a housing 700 'and a connection housing 400' coupled to an end of the housing 700 '.

Here, the housing 700 ′ is composed of an upper housing 710 and a lower housing 720, and the connection housing 400 ′ is coupled together while the upper housing 710 and the lower housing 720 are coupled to each other. .

The connection housing 400 ′ includes an electric and signal control unit including a printed circuit board, various electronic elements, signal lines, and conductive lines, but high heat is generated during actual operation, but measures for heat dissipation are not provided. It caused various malfunctions.

In addition, since the coupling of the connection housing 400 ′ and the housing 700 ′ is made by various fasteners, there is a disadvantage in that the assembly is cumbersome.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the object of the invention is to effectively dissipate high heat generated in the electrical and signal control unit at the same time to use the heat for indoor heating not only high thermal efficiency but also assembly It is to provide an easy pre-heater assembly.

In order to achieve the above object, the pre-heater assembly according to the present invention, a plurality of (+) electrode terminal and (-) electrode terminal extending in the longitudinal direction, between the (+) electrode terminal and the (-) electrode terminal A heat core part comprising a plurality of heat sink assemblies interposed therebetween, a plurality of PTC heating elements, and a housing for accommodating the (+) electrode terminals, (-) electrode terminals, the heat sink assembly and the PTC heating element; A cooling module connected to the longitudinal end of the heat core part; And an electrical and signal control unit accommodated in the cooling module, wherein the cooling module is coupled to one end in the longitudinal direction of the heat core unit to accommodate the electrical and signal control unit, and is formed to communicate internal and external to the bottom of the case. And it characterized in that it comprises a cooling member in contact with the electrical and signal control unit.

Here, the bottom of the case is characterized in that spaced apart from one end of the housing.

The cooling member may further include a plurality of heat dissipation fins extending toward the outside of the case.

In addition, the cooling member is characterized in that coupled to the case by insert injection.

Each end of the (+) electrode terminal and the (-) electrode terminal is characterized in that it extends to the inside of the cooling module through the cooling member through the case.

The cooling module has coupling pieces extending along the longitudinal direction of the heat core part so as to be fitted to both ends of the heat core part, and coupling holes and coupling protrusions are formed between the coupling piece and the surface of the heat core part, respectively. do.

The housing is composed of a lower housing and an upper housing, the lower housing is formed with a first close fitting hole, the upper housing is in close contact with the inner surface of the first close contact hole when assembled, the first close coupling piece And a first expansion insertion rod which is inserted into the center of the first close coupling piece and adheres the first close coupling piece to the inner surface of the first close contact hole.

The housing may include an elastic member configured to laterally press any one or more of the (+) electrode terminal, the (-) electrode terminal, and the heat sink assembly during assembly.

Preferably, the cooling member, the heat dissipation fin, and the coupling piece are integrally formed.

According to the present invention having the configuration described above, there is an advantage that the cooling module is interposed between the heat core portion and the electrical and signal control unit can effectively release the heat generated in the electrical and signal control unit.

Further, according to the present invention, since the bottom of the case constituting the cooling module and one end of the heat core part are spaced apart, it is possible to block the high heat generated from the heat core part from being transmitted to the electric and signal control unit.

 In addition, according to the present invention, by installing the heat radiation fins in the cooling module, the heat emitted from the electricity and the signal control unit by conduction and convection can be used for indoor heating, thereby increasing the thermal efficiency.

Further, according to the present invention, the cooling module can be easily installed in the housing by installing the coupling piece in advance in the cooling module and coupling the coupling piece to the housing in one touch.

In addition, according to the present invention, by providing an elastic member in the housing, the PTC heating element can be brought into a more stable contact with the (+) and (-) electrode terminals, and also in a stable contact with the heat sink assembly. Therefore, even when vibration is transmitted to the pre-heater through an external shock or a vehicle structure, heat generation of the PTC heating element is stable and heat radiation of the generated heat is more efficiently performed.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in Figures 2a to 2c and 3, the preheater assembly 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a heat core 700, a cooling module 800 and the electrical and signal control unit 900. do.

In this case, the cooling module 800 is interposed between one end of the heat core unit 700 and the electrical and signal control unit 900.

The heat core part 700 includes a plurality of (+) electrode terminals 100 and (-) electrode terminals 200 extending in the longitudinal direction, and the (+) electrode terminals 100 and (-) electrode terminals ( A plurality of heat sink assembly 300, which is interposed between the 200, and one side is electrically connected to the (+) electrode terminal 100 and the other side is arranged to be electrically connected to the (-) electrode terminal 200 A plurality of PTC heating element 400, the (+) electrode terminal 100 and (-) electrode terminal 200, the heat sink assembly 300 and a housing 500 for accommodating the PTC heating element 400 do.

In particular, the cooling module 800 is coupled to one end in the longitudinal direction of the heat core part 700 to receive the electrical and signal control part 900 and the case of the heat core part 700 A cooling member 820 is formed on the bottom of the case 810 to face the one end in the longitudinal direction and communicates with the electrical and signal control unit 900.

The cooling member 820 may be made of a metal having excellent thermal conductivity and heat dissipation performance, such as aluminum, and may be coupled to the case 810 by insert injection.

It is of course also possible to fit in a fitting manner in addition to insert injection.

In addition, the heat generated from the electrical and signal control unit 900 by the cooling member 820 can be easily released. The electrical and signal controller 900 is a general component including a printed circuit board, various electronic devices, signal lines, and conductive lines.

As shown in FIG. 3, the case 810 may include a container part 811 to which the actual cooling member 820 is coupled, and a cover 812 covering an opening of the container part 811. It is not necessary to comprise the structure shown in the drawing.

As illustrated in FIG. 2C, the bottom of the case 810 is spaced apart from one end of the housing 500. By such a configuration, the heat generated from the heater core unit 700 is blocked from being transferred to the electric and signal control unit 900, and the heat generated from the electric and signal control unit 900 is discharged through the spaced space. You can do it.

Meanwhile, the cooling member 820 may further include a plurality of heat dissipation fins 821 extending toward the outside of the case 810. The heat generated by the heat dissipation fins 821 and the signal control unit 900 can be more easily discharged to the outside.

That is, the incoming air passes through the spaced space between the bottom of the case 810 and one end of the housing 500 to cool the heat dissipation fin 821, and the air itself heated by the cooling of the heat dissipation fin 821 is It warms up and enters the interior of the car. Of course, at this time, the air passing through the heat core unit 700 is heated and supplied together.

When the heat dissipation fins 821 are cooled by the inflowing air, the electrical and signal control unit 900 is cooled by heat conduction, and thus a very stable structure may be obtained in terms of heat transfer.

As shown in FIG. 4A, one end of each of the (+) electrode terminal 100 and the (−) electrode terminal 200 passes through the cooling member 820 through the case 810 to pass through the case 810. It extends to the inner space of the, and is electrically connected to the terminal 960 of the electrical and signal control unit 900.

The (+) electrode terminal 100 and the (-) electrode terminal 200 is made of a material having an electrical conductivity, the terminal is provided with a terminal to receive power from a power supply (not shown). In addition, the (+) electrode terminal 100 and the (-) electrode terminal 200 has a shape extending in the longitudinal direction and is arranged in plurality in the housing 500.

The heat sink assembly 300 is for conducting heat generated by the PTC heating element 400 to be described later to radiate heat into the interior space of the vehicle, and may be applied in a conventional structure in which a plurality of radiating fins are formed.

The heat sink assembly 300 is disposed to be interposed between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal.

As shown in FIG. 5D, one side of the PTC heating element 400 is coupled to the (+) electrode terminal 100, and the other side thereof is electrically connected to the (-) electrode terminal 200 during assembly. . In order to couple the PTC heating element 400 and the (+) electrode terminal 100, in this embodiment, a part of both sides of the (+) electrode terminal 100 is cut and bent in a direction surrounding the PTC heating element 400. Thus, the bent portion 180 was formed, and a configuration was adopted between the side surface of the PTC heating element 400 and the bent portion 180 via the PTC holder 190 as an insulator. However, the PTC heating element 400 and the (+) electrode terminal 100 may be combined with each other in a known manner.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the PTC heating element 400 is mounted on one surface of the (+) electrode terminal 100 and disposed in plural to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the (+) electrode terminal 100. However, it is also possible for the PTC heating element 400 to be mounted on the negative electrode terminal 200.

On the other hand, the cooling module 800 is formed with a coupling piece 840 is fitted to both ends of the housing 500 constituting the heat core portion 700 to be coupled. The coupling piece 840 is made of a metal is preferably inserted into the case 810.

The coupling piece 840 extends along the longitudinal direction of the heat core part 700, and has a channel-shaped cross section so as to be in close contact with the side of the housing 500. In particular, the coupling hole 841 and the coupling protrusion 501 are formed on the side of the coupling piece 840 and the housing 500, respectively, so that the coupling piece 840 proceeds along the longitudinal direction of the housing 500. It is configured to be elastically fitted.

In addition, the step portion 580 is formed in the corner portion of the housing 500 to which the coupling piece 840 is coupled, so as to form a flat surface after mutual coupling. This configuration can prevent separation from each other by interference with other components.

As shown in FIG. 4C, the cooling member 820, the heat dissipation fins 821, and the coupling piece 840 are preferably integrally formed and coupled to the container portion 811. In this case, since the coupling piece 840 also has a heat dissipation function, the heat dissipation effect is further improved.

The housing 500 is composed of an upper housing 520 and a lower housing 510, and may be connected by screws or other fastening means in a separated state.

5B and 5C illustrate a configuration in which the upper housing 520 and the lower housing 510 are connected by another fastening method.

First, a first close contact hole 511 is formed in the lower housing 510, and a first close contact with the upper housing 520 is fixedly coupled to the inner surface of the first close contact hole 511 during assembly. The first expansion insert is inserted into the center of the coupling piece 521 and the first close coupling piece 521 to bring the first close coupling piece 521 into close contact with the inner surface of the first close fitting hole 511. The rod 522 is formed.

Therefore, when hitting the first expansion insertion rod 522 with a predetermined strike tool, the first expansion insertion rod 522 is inserted into the center of the first close coupling piece 521 to the first close coupling piece 521 The inner surface of the first close contact hole 511 is brought into close contact and fixed.

As shown in FIG. 5C, two or more first close contact pieces 521 are separated from each other along the circumferential direction with respect to the first expansion insertion rod 522.

In addition, the first expansion insertion rod 522, the first close contact piece 521, and the first close contact hole 511 of the upper housing 510 are tightly adhered to each other unless a large external force is applied. Do not separate by yourself.

In addition, an extension portion 521a having a somewhat larger cross-sectional area than the lower portion is formed at the front end of the first close contact piece 521, and a portion in which the expansion portion 521a is seated in the first close contact hole 511. The locking jaw 511a is formed. Accordingly, when the first close coupling piece 521 is opened by the first expansion insertion rod 522 at the time of assembly, the expansion part 521a is securely caught by the locking step 511a so as not to be pulled out.

Further, when the expansion portion 521a is adjusted to be firmly embedded in the locking jaw 511a during assembly, a structure free from shaking is possible.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5B, at least one of the (+) electrode terminal 100, the (−) electrode terminal 200, and the heat sink assembly 300 is laterally pressurized to the housing 500. An elastic member 550 may be provided.

The elastic member 550 is made of a metal having excellent elasticity, so that the components are stably in contact with each other by side pressure during assembly, so that heat generation and heat conduction during power supply are made more stable and efficient.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the housing 500 is made of a plastic that is an insulator, the elastic member 600 may be made of a metal member having excellent elasticity, the elastic member 600 is in the housing 500 The housing 500 is preferably formed through an injection process inserted together with the elastic member 600 so as to be more firmly coupled.

The elastic member 600 may be continuously formed along the longitudinal direction of the inner surface 540 of the housing 500.

In addition, the elastic member 600 may be formed in a plurality of spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the inner surface 540 of the housing 500, wherein it is formed in a position facing the PTC heating element 400 It is preferable.

Specifically, the PTC formed on the (+) electrode terminal 100 adjacent to each other, that is to correspond to the formation position of the plurality of PTC heating element 400 mounted on the longitudinal direction of the (+) electrode terminal 100 Each of the elastic members 600 may be approximately positioned on an imaginary straight line connecting the heating elements 400 in the lateral direction.

Unspecified reference numeral 970 is a power supply and a signal terminal.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and those skilled in the art may appropriately change within the scope described in the claims of the present invention. Or modifications may be possible.

1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a pre-heater assembly according to the prior art.

Figure 2a is a front perspective view showing the structure of the pre-heater assembly according to the present invention.

Figure 2b is a rear perspective view showing the structure of the pre-heater assembly according to the present invention.

Figure 2c is a plan view showing the structure of a pre-heater assembly according to the present invention.

3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2;

Figure 4a is an enlarged perspective view of the main portion in FIG.

Figure 4b is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cooling module in Figure 4a.

4C is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 4B.

FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the heat core portion in FIG. 3; FIG.

Figure 5b is a perspective view showing an example of the assembly process of the housing in Figure 5a.

Figure 5c is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling structure of the housing in Figure 5b.

FIG. 5D is a view showing the configuration of the terminal and the heat generating portion in FIG. 5A; FIG.

FIG. 5E is a perspective view illustrating a detailed configuration of a heat generation unit in FIG. 5D. FIG.

*** Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing ***

100: (+) electrode terminal 200: (-) electrode terminal

300: heat sink assembly 400: PTC heating element

500: housing 510: upper housing

520: lower housing 600: elastic member

700: heat core portion 800: cooling module

900: electrical and signal control unit

Claims (9)

A plurality of (+) electrode terminals and (-) electrode terminals extending in the longitudinal direction, a plurality of heat sink assemblies interposed between the (+) electrode terminals and (-) electrode terminals, a plurality of PTC heating elements, and ( A heat core part including an electrode terminal, a negative electrode terminal, a heat sink assembly, and a housing accommodating a PTC heating element; A cooling module connected to the longitudinal end of the heat core part; And Including the electrical and signal control unit accommodated in the cooling module, The cooling module includes a case coupled to one end in the longitudinal direction of the heat core part to receive an electrical and signal control unit, and a cooling member formed to communicate internal and external to the bottom of the case and contacting the electrical and signal control unit. Preheater assembly characterized in. The method of claim 1, The bottom of the case is preheater assembly, characterized in that spaced apart from one end of the housing. The method of claim 2, The cooling member assembly further comprises a plurality of heat radiation fins extending toward the outside of the case. The method of claim 3, The cooling member is preheater assembly, characterized in that coupled to the case by insert injection. The method of claim 3, And one end of each of the (+) electrode terminal and the (-) electrode terminal extends through the case to the inside of the cooling module. The method of claim 3, The cooling module has coupling pieces extending along the longitudinal direction of the heat core part so as to be fitted to both ends of the heat core part, and coupling holes and coupling protrusions are formed between the coupling piece and the surface of the heat core part, respectively. Preheater assembly. The method of claim 6, The cooling member, the heat dissipation fin and the coupling piece are preheater assembly, characterized in that formed integrally. The method according to claim 1, wherein The housing is composed of a lower housing and an upper housing, the lower housing is formed with a first close contact hole, the upper housing is in close contact with the inner surface of the first close contact hole when assembled, the first close coupling piece And a first expansion insertion rod which is inserted into the center of the first tight coupling piece and adheres the first tight coupling piece to the inner surface of the first tight fitting hole. The method according to claim 1, wherein The housing, the pre-heater assembly is provided with an elastic member for side pressing any one or more of the (+) electrode terminal, (-) electrode terminal and the heat sink assembly during assembly.

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