KR20230027737A - Ptc heater - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a PTC heater comprises: a plurality of heat rods which have connector terminals provided thereon to be electrically connected to a PTC device, and extend in a longitudinal direction; a hold frame which accommodate the plurality of heat rods so that upper portions of the heat rods are open; a housing which is electrically connected to a ground wire, has fastening portions for coupling with the hold frame, and is coupled to an upper portion of the hold frame; a chassis plate which includes common connection portions, and a plurality of groove portions fitted on the plurality of heater rods, and is formed of a conductive material; and coupling units which connect the common connection portions of the chassis plate and the fastening portions while the heater rods are coupled to the groove portions. Therefore, the PTC heater can more reliably maintain electrical reliability.

Description

PTC heater {PTC HEATER}

The present invention relates to a PTC heater, and more particularly, to a PTC heater in which electrical safety reliability and efficiency of an assembly process are improved through structural improvement for grounding.

A PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element or PTC thermistor, which is also referred to as a positive characteristic thermistor, is an element having a behavior characteristic in which the temperature rises and the electrical resistance rapidly increases due to a phase transition.

Since the PTC device has such an electrical characteristic that its electrical resistance rapidly increases, it is also used as a switch that performs an on/off function, and also reaches a high temperature in a relatively short time and controls the elevated temperature. Since it can be maintained continuously, it is used as a heating element in vehicle heaters.

The PTC heater applied to the vehicle heater may be implemented in a form mounted in an air conditioning system (air conditioner) referred to as a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC).

Since these PTC heaters are devices installed in a special environment such as a vehicle, they must have robust behavior characteristics against various factors such as electrical safety such as moisture proofing, heat dissipation, and short circuits as well as physical durability against external vibration and shock.

Recently, as issues related to energy efficiency and eco-friendliness grow, the supply of EVs (Electric Vehicles) is expanding. Since these electric vehicles do not have internal combustion engines, heat sources in the engine room can be used to heat the inside of the vehicle. Since there is no or its use is limited, a PTC heater that generates heat due to electrical behavior characteristics is mainly installed in an electric vehicle or the like.

Since PTC heaters installed in electric vehicles are designed to be operated in a high voltage environment of 200V or more in consideration of energy efficiency, prevention of electrical safety accidents can become a more important issue.

To this end, among the internal parts or components constituting the PTC heater (hereinafter referred to as 'components, etc.'), a non-insulator, that is, a component made of a conductive material, etc. is electrically connected to the vehicle frame, etc. A structure in which a conductive component or the like is grounded has recently been applied.

However, in the case of such a conventional device, wiring lines, a plurality of metal frames or bars made of conductive material, joint structures interconnecting them, etc. Since a large number of parts are applied, the manufacturing or assembling process is quite complicated, and thus the process efficiency is significantly reduced.

Furthermore, in the case of conventional devices, since the electrical connection structure is complicated and interconnection or connection of multiple parts for ground connection is required, durability is maintained in vehicles continuously exposed to harsh environments such as vibration, shock, moisture penetration, and temperature difference. It can be said that there are potential problems in that it is difficult to achieve, and electrical connection reliability can also be easily deteriorated.

On the other hand, since the PTC heater is equipped with a control element that generates a considerable amount of heat, such as an IGBT that controls the power applied to the PTC element through PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) control, etc., safety accidents can be prevented as well as normal operation. Structural improvement for heat dissipation treatment so that the characteristics can be maintained can also be an important issue.

The present invention was devised to solve the above-described problems in the background as described above, and maximizes the efficiency of the assembly process through structural improvement in which a simple configuration for ground connection is organically combined with the essential configuration of the PTC heater. Of course, the purpose is to provide a PTC heater that can more reliably maintain electrical reliability so as to be used for a long period of time in harsh environments such as vehicles.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be understood from the following description, and will be more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the configuration shown in the claims and the combination of the configuration.

A PTC heater according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a plurality of heat rods having connector terminals electrically connected to the PTC element and extending in the longitudinal direction; a hold frame accommodating the plurality of heat rods such that upper portions of the heat rods are opened; a housing electrically connected to a ground wire, provided with a fastening part for coupling with the hold frame, and coupled to an upper portion of the hold frame; a chassis plate made of a conductive material including a common connection portion and a plurality of grooves fitted with the plurality of heater rods; and a coupling unit connecting the common connection portion of the chassis plate and the fastening portion in a state in which the heater rod is coupled to the groove portion.

In addition, the PTC heater of the present invention includes a body portion, an open portion where the connector terminal of the heat rod is exposed, and an intermediate connection portion provided at a position corresponding to the fastening portion and the common connection portion and through which the coupling unit passes, , It may be configured to further include a groove guide positioned between the housing and the chassis plate.

Here, the hold frame of the present invention includes an end frame supporting lower portions of the plurality of heat rods; and end coupling portions to which the coupling units introduced in the order of the fastening portion, the intermediate connection portion, and the common connection portion are coupled, and side frames positioned on both sides of the plurality of heat rods.

In addition, the chassis plate of the present invention includes at least one first contact piece formed in the groove portion and contacting the heat rod by an elastic force; and one or more second contact pieces formed in the common connection portion and contacting the coupling unit by an elastic force.

In this case, the first contact piece of the present invention may be configured to have a shape bent in a direction corresponding to a direction in which the chassis plate is coupled to the heat rod, and the second contact piece is coupled to the coupling unit. It is preferable to be configured to have a shape bent in a direction corresponding to the direction to be.

Furthermore, the groove guide of the present invention may further include a guiding wall portion extending downward from all or part of the lower portion of the body, and in this case, the sash plate of the present invention may be inserted into the guiding wall portion. .

A PTC heater according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of heat rods having a connector terminal electrically connected to a PTC element and extending in a longitudinal direction; a hold frame accommodating the plurality of heat rods so that upper portions of the heat rods are exposed; a housing electrically connected to a ground wire and coupled to the hold frame; a chassis plate electrically connected to the plurality of heat rods by fitting the plurality of heat rods and positioned between the housing and the hold frame; and a coupling unit that fixes the housing, the chassis plate, and the hold frame to each other and electrically connects the housing and the chassis plate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, since the structure for integrally connecting the components of the PTC heater to the ground of the vehicle can be implemented with only minimized parts, economic feasibility and productivity through reduction in the number of parts itself and simplification of the process etc. can be improved.

In addition, in the case of the present invention, by implementing structural improvements that are organically combined with the essential configuration of the PTC heater, in the general process of manufacturing or assembling the PTC heater, the components of the PTC heater are expanded with the ground structure. The efficiency of the assembly process itself can also be further increased because the process that leads to

Furthermore, in the case of the present invention, the structural relationship in which a plurality of components are interconnected or coupled can be minimized, so that physical durability as well as electrical reliability can be more effectively maintained even when exposed to harsh environments such as vehicles for a long period of time.

The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and together with the detailed description of the present invention serve to more effectively understand the technical idea of the present invention, the present invention is described in these drawings should not be construed as limited to
1 is a view showing the overall configuration of a PTC heater according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a diagram showing the overall coupling relationship of a PTC heater according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a view showing the detailed configuration of a chassis plate and a groove guide according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a view showing the coupling relationship between the housing and the groove guide according to the present invention;
5 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the PTC heater.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to the usual or dictionary meaning, and the inventor appropriately uses the concept of the term in order to explain his/her invention in the best way. It should be interpreted as a meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that it can be defined.

Therefore, since the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only one of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, various equivalents that can replace them at the time of the present application It should be understood that there may be waters and variations.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a PTC heater 1000 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows the overall coupling relationship of the PTC heater 1000 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is an illustrated drawing.

The PTC heater 1000 or the PTC heater device of the present invention can be implemented in a form mounted in a vehicle air conditioning system (HVAC), etc., and is disposed on a path through which air introduced from the outside moves into the vehicle interior by the HVAC It corresponds to a device that heats the moving air so that the air whose temperature is elevated is discharged into the vehicle.

As shown in the figure, the PTC heater 1000 of the present invention is coupled to a plurality of heat rods 100 provided to be spaced apart in the transverse direction, a hold frame 200 to accommodate them, and an upper portion of the hold frame 200 It may be configured to include a housing 300 that is, and may be configured to include a groove guide 600 located between the housing 300 and the hold frame 200 according to the embodiment.

The heat rod 100 includes the PTC unit 110, and according to the embodiment further includes a heat dissipation fin 120 and a fin plate 130 provided on the side of the PTC unit 110 to maximize heat generation efficiency. can do.

The PTC unit 110 may include one or more PTC devices provided inside, individual electrode plates and common electrode plates that are in contact with the PTC devices, and an aluminum exterior material that can be implemented in the form of a tube. there is.

In addition, as shown in the drawing, the PTC unit 110 has a connector terminal 111 electrically connected to an external power source as an end of an individual electrode plate and a common electrode plate exposed to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the heat rod 100 has a shape extending in a vertical length direction, and a connector terminal 111 electrically connected to the PTC element is provided on the upper portion.

Since the internal configuration of the PTC unit 110 is disclosed in Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1913121, etc., a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the following description, the upper, lower, or corresponding directions (vertical directions, etc.) or positional relationships are based on the Z-axis direction shown in FIG. 1, and the left and right or corresponding directions are based on the Y-axis direction. It should be interpreted that it is only for relatively defining the positional relationship of the configuration, and does not mean a specific direction or position of an absolute standard.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the hold frame 200 according to the present invention includes a plurality of heat rods 100 so that the upper portion of the heat rod 100, that is, the portion where the connector terminal 111 is located, is opened or exposed. Accept.

The hold frame 200 may be formed in an integrated form, but as illustrated in the drawing, the lower part of the heat rod 100 is formed in order to increase the efficiency of the assembly or coupling relationship with the heat rod 100 and the housing 300. It may be composed of a supporting end frame 230 and a side frame 220 supporting left and right sides of the heat rod 100 .

The housing 300 of the present invention is configured to be coupled to the hold frame 200 at the upper portion of the hold frame 200, and has an IGBT or the like that controls power applied to the PTC element of the heat rod 100 therein. A circuit board 305 on which a control element or the like is mounted and a bus bar that interconnects terminals having the same polarity among the connector terminals 111 of the plurality of heat rods 100 may be provided.

Reference numeral 307 denotes a connector hole into which a power line connector is fitted.

A housing case 303 may be detachably coupled to an upper portion of the housing 300 to improve the efficiency of an assembly process such as the circuit board 305 and airtightness for preventing moisture permeation.

The housing 300 is electrically connected to a ground wire W connected to a body frame of a vehicle. It is preferable that the housing 300 is entirely made of aluminum or the like so that the heat dissipation efficiency of the control element can be further improved and physical property deformation due to thermal change can be minimized.

In this way, when the housing 300 is entirely made of a conductive material, the point in the housing 300 to which the ground wire W is connected can be freely set, and through a fastening means made of a conductive material (320, see FIG. Electrical connection between the ground wire (W) and the housing 300 may be made by screwing or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the housing 300 is provided with one or more fastening parts 310 to which a coupling unit 500 made of a conductive material is coupled as a means for physical coupling with the hold frame 200 . A relationship in which the housing 300 and the hold frame 200 are coupled using the fastening unit 310 and the coupling unit 500 will be described later.

The chassis plate 400 of the present invention is located between the housing 300 and the hold frame 200, may have a plate shape as a whole, and is made of a conductive material.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the chassis plate 400 has a space having a shape corresponding to the cross section of the heat rod 100 based on the horizontal plane (XY plane) so as to be fitted and coupled with each of the plurality of heat rods 100. It includes a common connection part 410 to which the plurality of grooves 420 and the coupling unit 500 are physically connected.

In the coupling unit 500 of the present invention, in a state in which the heat rod 100 is fitted into the groove portion 420 of the chassis plate 400, the coupling unit 310 of the housing 300 and the chassis plate 400 are coupled together. The common connection part 410 is connected.

That is, the coupling unit 500 fixes the housing 300, the chassis plate 400, and the hold frame 200 to each other and electrically connects the housing 300 and the chassis plate 400. .

As described above, the housing 300 may be made of a conductive material such as aluminum, and since the coupling unit 500 is also made of a conductive material, the coupling unit 500 connects the fastening portion 310 of the housing 300 to the chassis. When the common connection portions 410 of the plate 400 are physically connected to each other, electrical connection between the housing 300 and the chassis plate 400 is made.

In addition, the plurality of heat rods 100 electrically contact the chassis plate 400 through the grooves 420, and the housing 300 is electrically connected to the ground wire W. Therefore, an electrical connection for grounding (hereinafter referred to as 'ground connection') starting from the plurality of heat rods 100 and reaching the ground wire W is completed.

According to the embodiment, when the housing 300 is not made of a conductive material, the end (ring or hook shape, etc.) of the ground wire (W) flowing into the housing 300 is placed in the fastening part 310 and then coupled. A fastening method through the unit 500 may be applied.

As described above, when the hold frame 200 of the present invention is formed in a form in which the end frame 230 and the side frame 220 are assembled, the side frame 220 includes the fastening part 310 of the housing 300, An end coupling portion 210 physically coupled to an end of the coupling unit 500 introduced through the common connection portion 410 of the chassis plate 400 is provided.

In this case, the process for 'ground connection' between the heat rod 100 and the ground wire W can be naturally grafted to the process of physically coupling the housing 300 and the hold frame 200. The efficiency of the assembly process of the PTC heater 1000 can be further improved.

3 is a view showing detailed configurations of a chassis plate 400 and a groove guide 600 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a view of a housing 300 and a groove guide 600 according to the present invention. It is a diagram showing the coupling relationship.

In order to increase the efficiency of the assembly process, such as alignment of internal components, and further enhance the physical durability of the PTC heater 1000, the PTC heater 1000 of the present invention is a housing 300 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 A groove guide 600 interposed between the and chassis plate 400 may be further included.

Specifically, the groove guide 600 may include an intermediary connecting portion 610, a body portion 620 functioning as a body, an opening portion 630, and a guide wall portion 640.

The open portion 630 of the groove guide 600 provides a space where the connector terminal 111 of the heat rod 100 is exposed to the outside, and furthermore physically supports the upper outer circumferential portion of the heat rod 100 .

That is, the heat rod 100 accommodated in the hold frame 200 is coupled to the groove portion 420 of the chassis plate 400 in a way such as being fitted or inserted, and passes through the opening portion 630 of the groove guide 600. The connector terminal 111 provided at the upper end of the heat rod 100 is configured to be exposed to the inside of the housing 300 .

The intermediate connection part 610 of the groove guide 600 is provided at a position corresponding to the fastening part 310 of the housing 300 and the common connection part 410 of the chassis plate 400, and the fastening part of the housing 300 ( The coupling unit 500 introduced through 310 passes through the intermediate connection portion 610 and flows in the direction of the chassis plate 400 .

The groove guide 600 may further include a guide wall portion 640 extending downward (based on the Z-axis) from all or part of the lower portion of the body portion 620. In this case, the chassis plate 400 of the present invention can be inserted into the guide wall portion 640, so that an alignment process for assembly can be more easily implemented.

In this way, when the groove guide 600 is provided between the housing 300 and the hold frame 200, more specifically, between the housing 300 and the chassis plate 400, the coupling unit 500 of the present invention includes the housing ( 300), the intermediary connection part 610 of the groove guide 600, and the common connection part 410 of the chassis plate 400 are introduced in the order of the end coupling part 210 of the hold frame 200 and concluded

In the process of physically coupling the housing 300 and the hold frame 200 through such a coupling structure, the groove guide 600 is interposed therebetween and physically coupled, and furthermore, the housing 300, the chassis plate 400, A 'ground connection' connecting the heat rod 100 is implemented simultaneously.

As described above, in the present invention, since the electrical connection for 'ground connection' is simultaneously made in the process of physically coupling the housing 300 and the hold frame 200, physical assembly of the PTC heater 1000 as well as 'grounding' Efficiency of the electrical connection process for 'connection' can be further improved.

As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 3, the chassis plate 400 of the present invention includes one or more first contact pieces 425, and the first contact pieces 425 are fitted to the heat rod 100 It is formed in the groove part 420 and further contacts the heat rod 100 by an elastic force or the like.

The first contact piece 425 may be implemented in such a way that a portion of the original plate of the chassis plate 400 cut to form the groove 420 is bent. In addition, the first contact piece 425 guides the heat rod 100 to be easily fitted into the groove 420 of the chassis plate 400 and improves the reliability of contact with the heat rod 100 by an elastic force. It is preferable to configure the chassis plate 400 to have a shape bent in a direction corresponding to a direction coupled to the heat rod 100 .

In the example shown in the drawing, the chassis plate 400 is coupled in the direction of the heat rod 100 from the top of the heat rod 100. In other words, this coupling direction is based on the heat rod 100. Since the upper portion is coupled upward from the lower portion of the chassis plate 400, the first contact piece 425 takes a shape bent upward.

As shown in the right enlarged view of FIG. 3 , the chassis plate 400 of the present invention is formed on the common connection portion 410 connected in a way in which the coupling unit 500 passes, and is connected to the coupling unit 500 by elastic force. and one or more second contact pieces 415 contacting the

Similar to the first contact piece 425, the second contact piece 415 may be implemented in a manner in which a cut portion of the original plate of the chassis plate 400 is bent to form the common connection portion 410.

In addition, the second contact piece 415 induces the coupling unit 500 to be easily coupled to the common connection portion 410 of the chassis plate 400 and further improves the reliability of electrical contact with the coupling unit 500 by an elastic force. ) is preferably configured to have a shape bent in a direction corresponding to a direction in which the coupling unit 500 is coupled to the common connection portion 410 of the chassis plate 400.

In the example shown in the drawing, since the coupling unit 500 is coupled from the top to the bottom of the chassis plate 400, the second contact piece 415 takes a shape bent downward.

5 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the PTC heater 1000. As described above, the PTC heater 1000 of the present invention includes a hold frame 200 in which a plurality of heat rods 100 are accommodated, a housing 300 coupled to an upper portion of the hold frame 200, and a heat rod 100 ) and a chassis plate 400 physically and electrically connected. According to embodiments, a groove guide 600 may be further included between the housing 300 and the chassis plate 400 .

As described above, since each of the plurality of heat rods 100 contacts the groove portion 420 of the chassis plate 400 made of a conductive material or/and the first contact piece 425 formed in the groove portion 420, the chassis plate 400 is electrically connected to all of the plurality of heat rods 100.

The housing 300 is made of a conductive material such as aluminum, and is electrically connected through a combination of a grounding wire W electrically connected to a grounding object (such as a body frame) of the entire vehicle and a fastening means 320.

Beginning with the coupling unit 500 of the present invention made of a conductive material being coupled to the fastening portion 310 formed on the housing 300, passing through the intermediate connecting portion 610 of the groove guide 600, and the chassis plate 400 After passing through the common connection part 410, it is finally fastened to the hold frame 200, specifically, the end coupling part 210 formed on the side frame 220.

Through this structural relationship, 'ground connection' from the ground wire (W) to the housing 300, coupling unit 500, chassis plate 400, and heat rod 100 is achieved between the housing 300 and the hold frame 200. ) is naturally derived from the physical bonding process of

Although the present invention has been described above with limited examples and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto and will be described below and the technical spirit of the present invention by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. Of course, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of equivalence of the claims.

In the description of the present invention described above, modifiers such as first and second are only terms of instrumental concepts used to relatively distinguish components from each other, so they are used to indicate a specific order, priority, etc. It should be interpreted that it is not a term that

The accompanying drawings, etc. for the description of the present invention and the illustration of its embodiments may be shown in a somewhat exaggerated form in order to emphasize or highlight the technical contents according to the present invention, but the above-described contents and matters shown in the drawings Taking into account, it should be interpreted that it is obvious that various types of modified application examples may be possible at the level of those skilled in the art.

1000: PTC heater
100: heat rod 110: PTC unit
111: connector terminal 120: radiation fin
130: pin plate 200: hold frame
210: end coupling part 220: side frame
230: end frame 300: housing
303: housing case 305: circuit board
307: connector hole 310: fastening part
400: chassis plate 410: common connection
415: second contact piece 420: groove
425: first contact piece 500: coupling unit
600: groove guide 610: intermediate connection
620: body part 630: opening part
640: guide wall part W: ground wire

Claims (7)

a plurality of heat rods having connector terminals electrically connected to the PTC device and extending in a longitudinal direction;
a hold frame accommodating the plurality of heat rods such that upper portions of the heat rods are opened;
a housing electrically connected to a ground wire, provided with a fastening part for coupling with the hold frame, and coupled to an upper portion of the hold frame;
a chassis plate made of a conductive material including a common connection portion and a plurality of grooves fitted with the plurality of heater rods; and
and a coupling unit connecting the common connection portion of the chassis plate and the fastening portion in a state in which the heater rod is coupled to the groove portion. According to claim 1,
a body portion, an open portion through which the connector terminal of the heat rod is exposed, and an intermediate connection portion provided at a position corresponding to the fastening portion and the common connection portion through which the coupling unit passes, and between the housing and the chassis plate. A PT heater characterized in that it further comprises a groove guide located. The method of claim 2, wherein the hold frame,
an end frame supporting lower portions of the plurality of heat rods; and
An end coupling portion to which the coupling units introduced in the order of the fastening portion, the intermediate connection portion, and the common connection portion are coupled, and a side frame positioned on both sides of the plurality of heat rods. The method of claim 1, wherein the chassis plate,
one or more first contact pieces formed in the groove and contacting the heat rod by an elastic force; and
The PTC heater, characterized in that it comprises one or more second contact pieces formed in the common connection portion and contacting the coupling unit by an elastic force. The method of claim 4, wherein the first contact piece,
The chassis plate has a shape bent in a direction corresponding to a direction coupled to the heat rod;
The second contact piece has a shape bent in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the coupling unit is coupled. The method of claim 3, wherein the groove guide,
Further comprising a guiding wall portion extending downward from all or part of the lower portion of the body portion,
The PC heater, characterized in that the chassis plate is inserted into the inside of the guiding wall portion. a plurality of heat rods having connector terminals electrically connected to the PTC device and extending in a longitudinal direction;
a hold frame accommodating the plurality of heat rods so that upper portions of the heat rods are exposed;
a housing electrically connected to a ground wire and coupled to the hold frame;
a chassis plate electrically connected to the plurality of heat rods by being fitted into the plurality of heat rods and positioned between the housing and the hold frame; and
and a coupling unit that fixes the housing, the chassis plate, and the hold frame to each other and electrically connects the housing and the chassis plate.

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