Fluid heater and fluid heating apparatus

• US 20060086492A1
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Pillar Packing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Pillar Packing Company Limited
• Inventors: Kato, Yoshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/177
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/102 with resistance
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/142 using electric energy supply

Abstract

A fluid heater is configured by passing a cartridge heater H covered by a fluororesin, through a casing 1. The casing 1 has: a fluororesin-made case body 4 which incorporates the cartridge heater H; fluororesin-made lid bodies 5 which are attached to both ends of the case body involving sealing portions S, respectively; fluid supplying/discharging portions 31 which are formed in the lid bodies 5, and through which a fluid is introduced and discharged; and fluororesin-made union nuts 6 which are externally fitted to both ends of the case body 4 and screwed to the lid bodies 5. Sealing portions S formed between the case body 4 and the lid bodies 5 are closely contacted by fastening the union nuts 6 to the lid bodies 5. A lead-out portion 34 for the cartridge heater H is formed in at least one of the paired lid bodies 5.

Claims

1. A fluid heater having:

a casing configured by a case body formed by a tube member, and lid portions which are detachably attached to respective end portions of said case body to close the end portions;

a heater which is passed through at least one of said lid portions to be placed in an interior of said case body; and

fluid supplying/discharging portions for an inner space of said case body which are formed in at least two places of said lid portions, respectively.

2. A fluid heater according to claim 1, wherein

said tube member is made of a flexible synthetic resin,

each of said lid portions is configured by:

a lid body having a receiving port which receives a corresponding one of the end portions of said case body, and at least one sealing face which is disposed in said receiving port;

a union nut which is externally screwable with a receiving port-side end portion of said lid body in a state where said union nut is externally fitted to the end portion of said case body; and

at least one sealing portion which is formed by screwingly advancing said union nut to said lid body to press said case body from an outside, and by closely contacting the end portion of said case body with said sealing face of said lid body by the pressing function,

a lead-out portion through which said heater is passed is formed in said lid body of at least one of said lid portions, and said fluid supplying/discharging portions are formed in said lid bodies as portions through which a fluid passing a flow path portion is introduced or discharged, said flow path portion being outside said heater in said casing.

3. A fluid heater according to claim 2, wherein a heating portion of said heater is placed only in an interior of said casing which forms said flow path portion.

4. A fluid heater according to claim 2, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by close contact between:

a sealing face configured by forming a tapered face in a position inner than an inlet of said receiving port, said tapered face having a diameter which is gradually increased toward an outer side in an axial direction of said lid body; and

a projection end face formed by a tapered face which is formed in a tip end of a projection portion of an inner ring, said projection portion being projected from the end portion of said case body, said inner ring being pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body to increase a diameter of the end portion into a mountain-like section shape.

5. A fluid heater according to claim 3, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by close contact between:

a sealing face configured by forming a tapered face in a position inner than an inlet of said receiving port, said tapered face having a diameter which is gradually increased toward an outer side in an axial direction of said lid body; and

a projection end face formed by a tapered face which is formed in a tip end of a projection portion of an inner ring, said projection portion being projected from the end portion of said case body, said inner ring being pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body to increase a diameter of the end portion into a mountain-like section shape.

6. A fluid heater according to claim 2, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by pressingly holding the end portion of said case body in an inclined state between:

a sealing face which is formed in an inlet of said receiving portion of said lid body by a tapered face intersecting with an axis of said lid body; and

an inward tapered face which is formed on an inclined face of a press-insertion portion of an inner ring which is pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body to increase a diameter of the end portion into a mountain-like section shape.

7. A fluid heater according to claim 3, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by pressingly holding the end portion of said case body in an inclined state between:

a sealing face which is formed in an inlet of said receiving portion of said lid body by a tapered face intersecting with an axis of said lid body; and

an inward tapered face which is formed on an inclined face of a press-insertion portion of an inner ring which is pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body to increase a diameter of the end portion into a mountain-like section shape.

8. A fluid heater according to claim 4, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by pressingly holding the end portion of said case body in an inclined state between:

a sealing face which is formed in an inlet of said receiving portion of said lid body by a tapered face intersecting with an axis of said lid body; and

an inward tapered face which is formed on an inclined face of a press-insertion portion of an inner ring which is pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body to increase a diameter of the end portion into a-mountain-like section shape.

9. A fluid heater according to claim 5, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by pressingly holding the end portion of said case body in an inclined state between:

a sealing face which is formed in an inlet of said receiving portion of said lid body by a tapered face intersecting with an axis of said lid body; and

an inward tapered face which is formed on an inclined face of a press-insertion portion of an inner ring which is pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body to increase a diameter of the end portion into a mountain-like section shape.

10. A fluid heater according to claim 4, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by making a cylindrical portion fittable into an annular groove, said cylindrical portion being formed in a tip end of a projection portion of said inner ring pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body, said annular groove being formed in an radially outer side with respect to said sealing face that is formed in an inner portion of said receiving portion of said lid body, and elongating parallel to an axis of said lid body.

11. A fluid heater according to claim 5, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by making a cylindrical portion fittable into an annular groove, said cylindrical portion being formed in a tip end of a projection portion of said inner ring pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body, said annular groove being formed in an radially outer side with respect to said sealing face that is formed in an inner portion of said receiving portion of said lid body, and elongating parallel to an axis of said lid body.

12. A fluid heater according to claim 6, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by making a cylindrical portion fittable into an annular groove, said cylindrical portion being formed in a tip end of a projection portion of said inner ring pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body, said annular groove being formed in an radially outer side with respect to said sealing face that is formed in an inner portion of said receiving portion of said lid body, and elongating parallel to an axis of said lid body.

13. A fluid heater according to claim 7, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by making a cylindrical portion fittable into an annular groove, said cylindrical portion being formed in a tip end of a projection portion of said inner ring pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body, said annular groove being formed in an radially outer side with respect to said sealing face that is formed in an inner portion of said receiving portion of said lid body, and elongating parallel to an axis of said lid body.

14. A fluid heater according to claim 8, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by making a cylindrical portion fittable into an annular groove, said cylindrical portion being formed in a tip end of a projection portion of said inner ring pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body, said annular groove being formed in an radially outer side with respect to said sealing face that is formed in an inner portion of said receiving portion of said lid body, and elongating parallel to an axis of said lid body.

15. A fluid heater according to claim 9, wherein each of said sealing portions is formed by making a cylindrical portion fittable into an annular groove, said cylindrical portion being formed in a tip end of a projection portion of said inner ring pressingly inserted into the end portion of said case body, said annular groove being formed in an radially outer side with respect to said sealing face that is formed in an inner portion of said receiving portion of said lid body, and elongating parallel to an axis of said lid body.

16. A fluid heater according to claim 1, wherein said lid portion attached to one of the end portions of said case body is identical with said lid portion attached to the other end portion.

17. A fluid heater according to claim 1, wherein said case body and said lid portions are made of a fluororesin.

18. A fluid heater according to claim 1, wherein said heater is a cartridge heater which is covered by a fluororesin material.

19. A fluid heater according to claim 1, wherein said heater is a lamp heater which is covered by a fluororesin material.

20. A fluid heater according to claim 1, wherein said heater is a coil heater in which a heating wire covered by a fluororesin material is spirally wound.

21. A fluid heating apparatus wherein a plurality of fluid heaters according to claim 1 are combined with one another, and said fluid supplying/discharging portions of said fluid heaters are communcatingly connected to each other to, in each of said fluid heaters, allow a fluid to pass through an interior of said casing.

22. A fluid heating apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said lid portions are configured to enable a plurality of said case bodies to be detachably attached to said lid portions, whereby said fluid heaters are combined to each other to, in each of said fluid heaters, allow a fluid to pass through the interior of said casing.