Heating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9426847-B2
Application number	US-201113994704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2011
Priority date	Dec 15, 2010
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A heating device for heating a hollow component may include at least one inner induction coil and at least one outer induction coil, each configured to be heated. At least one element may be configured to influence a magnetic field formed between the inner and the outer induction coil during the operation of the heating device. The element may be arranged between the inner and the outer induction coils. Regions of the hollow component may be thinner and the thinner regions may be configured to heat more quickly than the remaining thicker regions. The thinner and thicker regions of the component may allow even heating of the component to be achieved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heating device for heating a hollow component, comprising:
at least one inner induction coil penetrating the component and configured to be heated, at least one outer induction coil surrounding the component and configured to be heated, wherein the at least one inner induction coil and the at least one outer induction coil each include a circular multi-turn coil arranged coaxially with the component, and wherein the component includes an asymmetric heat profile including at least a first heatable region and a second heatable region, and wherein the first heatable region heats more quickly than the second heatable region,
at least one element disposed at least one of in a first position corresponding to the first heatable region and in a second position corresponding to the second heatable region, wherein the at least one element respectively is configured to influence a magnetic field forming between the inner and the outer induction coil during the operation of the heating device,
wherein the at least one element in the first position is arranged between the inner and the outer induction coils and weakens the magnetic field in the first heatable region, and
the at least one element in the second position is arranged at least one of within the inner induction coil and exterior to the outer coil with respect to the component and is configured to intensify the magnetic field in the second heatable region, wherein the at least one element facilitates even heating of the asymmetric heat profile of the component in response to being in the at least one of the first position and the second position during the operation of the heating device.

2. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the component is a cam for a camshaft.

3. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the outer induction coil and the inner induction coil is embedded in a casting compound.

4. The heating device according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the outer induction coil, the inner induction coil, and the at least one element is cooled.

5. The heating device according claim 1 , wherein the at least one element is adjustable at least one of electrically, pneumatically and hydraulically.

6. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one element has at least one of a channel-like and a clamp-like shape.

7. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one element is formed of at least one of copper, aluminium, and plastic with embedded soft iron parts.

8. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the circular multi-turn coil of the inner induction coil is arranged in the component.

9. The heating device according claim 8 , wherein the at least one element is adjustable at least one of electrically, pneumatically and hydraulically.

10. The heating device according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one element has at least one of a channel-like and a clamp-like shape.

11. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one element is disposed in the first position and weakens the magnetic field in the first heatable region a sufficient amount during operation of the heating device to facilitate even heating between at least the first heatable region and the second heatable region.

12. The heating device according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one element is a first element, further comprising a second element disposed in the second position, wherein the second element intensifies the magnetic field in the second heatable region and facilitates even heating between the first heatable region and the second heatable region during operation of the heating device.

13. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one inner induction coil and the at least one outer induction coil are each symmetrical.

14. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the first heatable region corresponds to a base circle having a first thickness and the second heatable region corresponds to an elevation having a second thickness greater than the first thickness of the base circle, and wherein the at least one element facilitates even heating throughout at least the first thickness of the base circle and the second thickness of the elevation in response to being in the at least one of the first position and the second position during the operation of the heating device.

15. A method for heating a hollow component having a non-circular geometry, comprising:
threading the component onto an inner induction coil surrounded by an outer induction coil, wherein the inner induction coil and the outer induction coil each include a circular multi-turn coil, and wherein the circular multi-turn coil of the inner induction coil is arranged in the component,
positioning at least one element in a region of a base circle of the component between at least one of the induction coils and the component to influence a magnetic field being generated during the operation of a heating device, wherein the base circle has a first thickness less than a second thickness spaced away from the base circle, and
energizing the inner induction coil and the outer induction coil to generate the magnetic field, wherein the magnetic field in the region of the base circle is weakened via the at least one element a sufficient amount to facilitate even heating of the component.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the hollow component is a cam, further comprising removing the heated cam from the heating device and threading onto a camshaft.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one element includes a first element arranged angularly aligned with the base circle, further comprising positioning at least one second element angularly aligned with an elevation at least one of within the inner induction coil and outside the outer induction coil for influencing the magnetic field being generated via the inner induction coil and the outer induction coil during the operation of the heating device, wherein the elevation includes the second thickness greater than the first thickness, and wherein the magnetic field in a region of the elevation is intensified via the at least one second element to facilitate even heating of the component.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the circular multi-turn coil of the inner induction coil and the outer induction coil are arranged coaxially with the component.

19. A method for heating a cam, comprising:
threading the cam onto an inner induction coil surrounded by an outer induction coil, wherein the inner induction coil and the outer induction coil each include a circular multi-turn coil arranged coaxially to the cam, and wherein the circular multi-turn coil of the inner induction coil is arranged in the cam, and
positioning at least one element in a region of a cam elevation within the inner induction coil for influencing a magnetic field being generated during the operation of a heating device, wherein the cam elevation has a first thickness greater than a second thickness spaced away from the cam elevation, energizing the inner and outer induction coils to generate the magnetic field, wherein the magnetic field in the region of the cam elevation is intensified via the at least one element and facilitates even heating of the cam.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one element includes a first element arranged angularly aligned with the cam elevation, further comprising positioning

Assignees

• Beerens Christoph
• Menonna Antonio
• Zahirovic Almir
• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Beerens Christoph
• Menonna Antonio
• Zahirovic Almir

Classifications

• C21D1/42 Primary

  Induction heating · CPC title

• H05B6/42

  Cooling of coils · CPC title

• F16H53/025

  characterised by their construction, e.g. assembling or manufacturing features · CPC title

• Y10T29/49865

  by temperature differential [e.g., shrink fit] · CPC title

• F27D11/06

  Induction heating, i.e. in which the material being heated, or its container or elements embodied therein, form the secondary of a transformer · CPC title