PTC electric heating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12052801-B2
Application number	US-202016985729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2020
Priority date	Aug 6, 2019
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

An electric heating device a housing with a partition wall which separates a connection chamber from a heating chamber for dissipating heat and from which at least one PTC heating element with a heating element casing protrudes in the direction toward the heating chamber. At least one PTC element and conductor tracks, electrically connected in the connection chamber for energizing the PTC element with different polarities and connected to the PTC element in an electrically conductive manner, are supported in the heating element casing an insulated manner. For improved support of the PTC heating element, a holding element, engaging around the heating element casing, is connected to the partition wall on its side facing the heating chamber and is connected to the heating element casing. Also disclosed is a method for the manufacture of such an electric heating device.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electric heating device comprising:
a housing with a partition wall which separates a connection chamber from a heating chamber for dissipating heat;
at least one PTC heating element having a heating element casing that protrudes in a direction toward the heating chamber, the at least one PTC heating element held in a sealing manner within the partition wall by a sealing element;
at least one PTC element and conductor tracks supported in the heating element casing an insulated manner, wherein the conductor tracks are electrically connected in the connection chamber for energizing the PTC element with different polarities, and wherein the conductor tracks are connected to the PTC element in an electrically conductive manner; and
a holding element connected to a side of the partition wall facing the heating chamber, the holding element having at least one receiving opening surrounding the heating element casing of a respective at least one PTC heating element;
wherein the housing include a collar projecting from the partition wall, and wherein the holding element includes a circumferential edge that engages around the collar.

2. The electric heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the holding element is connected, at least in a force-fit manner, to the partition wall.

3. The electric heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the holding element is connected, at least in a force-fit manner, to the heating element casing.

4. The electric heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the holding element is connected, at least in a force-fit manner, to the partition wall and the heating element casing.

5. The electric heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the heating element casing comprises a heating element shield that shields the PTC element electromagnetically, and wherein the heating element shield is electrically connected to the holding element.

6. The electric heating device according to claim 5 , wherein the heating element shield is formed by an envelopment enclosing the PTC element.

7. The electric heating device according to claim 6 , wherein the connection chamber is provided with a connection chamber shield that shields the connection chamber electromagnetically and that is electrically conductively connected to the holding element.

8. The electric heating device according to claim 2 , wherein the holding element includes at least one connection strip, wherein the housing includes at least one locking projection protruding from the partition wall toward the heating chamber, and wherein the at least one connection strip abuts against the at least one locking projection under preload to connect the holding element to the partition wall in a force-fit manner is connected, at least in a force-fit manner, to the partition wall.

9. The electric heating device according to claim 8 , wherein the housing connection strip abuts, in an electrically conductive manner, against the locking projection.

10. The electric heating device according to claim 9 , wherein the partition wall forms a collar which circumferentially surrounds the at least one heating element casing and which has the holding element engaging around it.

11. The electric heating device according to claim 9 , wherein the holding element is an integrally formed sheet metal element that is punch-processed to form the at least one receiving opening for the heating element.

12. The electric heating device according to claim 11 , wherein the holding element is substantially planar.

13. The electric heating device according to claim 11 , wherein the holding element includes at least one contact strip integrally formed on the sheet metal element, wherein the at least one contact strip protrudes into the receiving opening and abuts against the heating element casing under resilient preload.

14. A method for the manufacture of an electric heating device in which first a housing having a partition wall which separates a connection chamber from a heating chamber for dissipating heat, and in which at least one PTC heating element with at least one heating element casing are manufactured, in which heating element casing at least one PTC heating element and conductor tracks are supported in an insulated manner, with the conductor tracks being arranged for energizing the PTC element with different polarities, and with the conductor tracks being connected to the PTC element in an electrically conductive manner, the method comprising:
introducing the PTC heating element into a heating element receptacle of the partition wall so that the heating element protrudes from the partition wall in a direction towards the heating chamber;
pushing a holding element, interacting with the heating element casing, over the heating element casing; and
connecting the holding element to the partition wall on side thereof facing the heating chamber;
wherein the holding element includes a plurality of contact strips protruding on oppositely disposed longitudinal sides of a receiving opening of the holding element.

15. The electric heating device according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one contact strip includes a plurality of contact strips protruding on oppositely disposed longitudinal sides of the receiving opening.

Assignees

• Eberspaecher Catem Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Hort Sascha
• Niederer Michael

Classifications

• H05B2203/02

  Heaters using heating elements having a positive temperature coefficient · CPC title

• H05B2203/017

  Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters · CPC title

• H05B3/06

  Heater elements structurally combined with coupling elements or holders · CPC title

• H05B3/0019

  Circuit arrangements · CPC title

• F24H2250/04

  Positive temperature coefficients [PTC]; Negative temperature coefficients [NTC] · CPC title