Electric heating device for motor vehicles

• US 7,667,165 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Catem GmbH & Co., KG
• Original Assignee: Catem GmbH & Company LG
• Inventors: Zeyen, Michael, Bohlender, Franz, Niederer, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang; Tu B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Vinod D
• Application Number:
  US11/054,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20050230377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 219/536, 219/505, 219/201, 219/202, 219/481, 219/504, 219/540, 219/548, 219/347, 219/360, 219/486, 219/492, 219/205, 392/347, 392/360, 392/423, 392/422, 392/435
• US Class Current: 219/536
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/2225 arrangements of electric heaters for heating air
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/0405 using electric energy supply, e.g. the heating medium being a resistive element; Heating by direct contact, i.e. with resistive elements, electrodes and fins being bonded together without additional element in-between F24H3/06, F24H3/08, F24H3/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/0429 For vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/0435 Structures comprising heat spreading elements in the form of fins
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/0464 Two-piece frames, e.g. two-shell frames, also including frames as a central body with two covers
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/0476 Means for putting the electric heaters in the frame under strain, e.g. with springs
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/1872 PTC

Abstract

An auxiliary heater for motor vehicles includes an open housing accommodating a layered structure which includes at least one radiator element and at least one heat-emitting element having at least one PTC heating element, and further accommodating at least one spring element pretensioning the layered structure, a plurality of contacts being held in said housing in an insulating manner and electrically connected to the at least one PTC heating element. The layered structure is pretensioned by a displacer which is inserted into a lower housing component when the elements of the layered structure have been inserted in the lower housing component in a tension-free manner. The displacer is inserted into the lower housing component in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane of the layered structure and, in the mounted position, it is secured in position relative to said lower housing component.

Claims

1. An auxiliary heating device for motor vehicles, comprising:

an open housing accommodating a layered structure which includes at least one radiator element and at least one heat-emitting element, the heat emitting element including at least one PTC heating element, and further accommodating at least one spring element providing a pretensioning force which pretensions said layered structure, a plurality of contacts being held in said housing in an insulating manner and electrically connected to the at least one PTC heating element, wherein

the housing comprises a lower housing component and at least one displacer which, for applying the pretensioning force, is adapted to be inserted into said lower housing component in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane of the layered structure and which, in a mounted position, is secured in position relative to said lower housing component, wherein said at least one displacer is adapted to apply a biasing force transversely across the housing by compressing the spring element when the displacer is inserted into said housing such that, while the displacer is being inserted into the housing, the displacer slides across and correspondingly pretensions the spring element, eliminating a certain amount of play between individual elements of the layered structure and the spring, and wherein when the housing is fully assembled, the spring element (i) is located and compressed between the layered structure and the displacer, and (ii) applies the pretensioning force to the layered structure.

2. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, wherein the displacer is wedge-shaped.

3. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, wherein the displacer comprises a web which, in the mounted position thereof, projects up to and into the plane of the layered structure.

4. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 3, wherein the spring element is provided on at least one border of the layered structure and the web comprises at least one run-down ramp tapering in the direction of insertion and cooperating with the spring element.

5. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 4, wherein, in the mounted position thereof, the web back facing away from the run-down ramp abuts on the lower housing component.

6. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, further comprising positioning means, arranged on the lower housing component, for prefixing the PTC heating element.

7. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, wherein the displacer is arranged on an upper housing component which, in the mounted position, is connected to the lower housing component and which encompasses the layered structure from above.

8. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the lower housing component and an upper housing component have stiffening struts extending across the layered structure.

9. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 8, wherein the stiffening struts are in alignment with the heat-emitting elements.

10. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 9, wherein the stiffening struts have a width that corresponds essentially to the width of the heat-emitting elements.

11. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, wherein the lower housing component and the upper housing component are in locking engagement.

12. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 11, wherein a detent lug which, in the mounted position thereof, cooperates with the lower housing component, is formed on a free end of the displacer.

13. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 12, wherein, in the mounted position thereof, the detent lug cooperates with a detent countersurface formed on the lower housing component at an inwardly displaced position.

14. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is made of a sheet-metal part with spring segments projecting therefrom.

15. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 14, wherein the spring segments are held movable in a direction of insertion on said sheet-metal part.

16. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 14, wherein the spring segments are formed by punched parts which are convex a direction of insertion and one end of each of which is connected to the sheet-metal part.

17. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 14, wherein at least one spring segment is provided for each position of one of the PTC heating elements.

18. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 17, wherein at least two spring segments are provided for each position of one of the PTC heating elements.

19. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 14, wherein the displacer is wedge-shaped.

20. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 14, wherein the displacer comprises a web which, in the mounted position, projects up to and into the plane of the layered structure.

21. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 14, wherein the spring element is provided on at least one border of the layered structure and the web comprises at least one run-down ramp tapering in the a direction of insertion and cooperating with the spring element.

22. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 21, wherein, in the mounted position thereof, the web back facing away from the run-down ramp abuts on the lower housing component.

23. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 14, further comprising positioning means, arranged on the lower housing component, for prefixing the PTC heating element.

24. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 17, wherein the lower housing component defines a spring contact surface which is inclined in the direction of insertion and which is provided with respective passage openings for the displacer in the area of the spring segments.

25. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 24, wherein the lower housing component has formed therein insertion guide means for the displacers, the insertion guides means being provided on an upper housing component and extending in the direction of insertion.

26. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 25, wherein the lower housing component has a height amounting to approximately ⅗

up to approximately ¾

of the overall height of the housing.

27. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises two injection-moulded parts made of plastic material and forming a plug receptor that is formed integrally with the housing.

28. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 27, wherein the plug receptor is provided on an end face of the layered structure, and wherein the layered structure and the plug reception means have provided between them a fastening flange defined by flange segments that are formed integrally with the housing components.

29. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 27, wherein, in the mounted position thereof, a detent lug cooperates with a detent countersurface formed on the lower housing component at an inwardly displaced position.

30. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 27, wherein the spring element is made of a sheet-metal part with spring segments projecting therefrom.

31. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 30, wherein the spring segments are held movable in the direction of insertion on said sheet-metal part.

32. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 30, wherein the spring segments are formed by punched parts which are convex in the direction of insertion and one end of each of which is connected to the sheet-metal strip.

33. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 30, wherein at least one spring segment is provided for each position of one of the PTC heating elements.

34. The auxiliary heating device according to claim 22, wherein at least two spring segments are provided for each position of one of the PTC heating elements.

35. A housing for an electric heating device for auxiliary heating for motor vehicles, which serves to accommodate a layered structure that includes

at least one radiator element,

at least one heat-emitting element, the heat-emitting element including at least one PTC heating element, and

at least one spring element pretensioning said layered structure, as well as a plurality of contacts which are electrically connected to the at least one PTC heating element, the housing comprising:

a lower housing component, and

at least one displacer which, for applying the pretension, is adapted to be inserted into said lower housing component in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane of the layered structure and which, in the mounted position, is adapted to be secured in position relative to said lower housing component, such that while the at least one displacer is being inserted into the lower housing component, the at least one displacer slides across and correspondingly pretensions corresponding ones of the at least one spring element, eliminating a certain amount of play between individual elements of the layered structure and the spring, and wherein, when the housing is fully assembled, the spring element (i) is located and compressed between the layered structure and the displacer, and (ii) applies the pretensioning force to the layered structure.

36. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 35, wherein the displacer is wedge-shaped.

37. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 35, wherein the displacer comprises a web which, in the mounted position thereof, projects up to and into the plane of the layered structure.

38. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 35, wherein in the mounted position thereof, a back of the web back facing away from the run-down ramp abuts on the lower housing component.

39. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 35, further comprising positioning means, arranged on the lower housing component, for prefixing the PTC heating element in place.

40. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 36, wherein the displacer is arranged on an upper housing component which, in the mounted position thereof, is connected to the lower housing component and which encompasses the layered structure from above.

41. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 36, wherein at least one of the lower housing component and the upper housing component have stiffening struts extending across the layered structure.

42. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 41, wherein the stiffening struts are in alignment with the heat-emitting elements.

43. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 41, wherein the stiffening struts have a width that corresponds essentially to the width of the heat-emitting elements.

44. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 35, wherein the lower housing component and the upper housing component are in locking engagement.

45. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 43, wherein a detent lug which, in the mounted position, cooperates with the lower housing component, is formed on a free end of the displacer.

46. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 45, wherein, in the mounted position thereof, the detent lug cooperates with a detent countersurface formed on the lower housing component at an inwardly displaced position.

47. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 35, wherein the lower housing component defines a spring contact surface which is inclined in the direction of insertion.

48. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 46, wherein the lower housing component has formed therein insertion guide means for the displacers, said insertion guide means being provided on the upper housing component and extending in the direction of insertion.

49. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 47, wherein the lower housing component has a height amounting to approximately ⅗

up to approximately ¾

of the overall height of the housing.

50. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 47, wherein the housing comprises two injection-moulded parts made of plastic material and forming a plug receptor that is formed integrally with the housing.

51. The housing for an electric heating device according to claim 50, wherein the plug receptor is provided on an end face of the layered structure, and wherein the layered structure and the plug receptor have provided between them a fastening flange defined by flange segments that are formed integrally with the housing components.