PTC heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9618230-B2
Application number	US-201514676665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2015
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A PTC heater having a heat conductor, a first end cover, a second end cover, and a PTC heating element. The heat conductor includes a duct for accommodating a PTC heating element, a first liquid passage channel, and a second liquid passage channel. The first end cover is coupled to one end of the heat conductor and includes a first and a second compartment, a water inlet, and a water outlet. The water inlet is in fluid communication with the first compartment and the first liquid passage channel, and the water outlet is in fluid communication with the second compartment and the second liquid passage channel. The second end cover is coupled to the other end of the heat conductor. The first and second liquid passage channels are in fluid communication with each other via an internal space of the second end cover to form a closed liquid circulation channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating unit, comprising:
a heat conductor internally provided with at least one duct for accommodating a PTC heating element, at least one first liquid passage channel, and at least one second liquid passage channel;
a first end cover fixedly coupled to one end of the heat conductor, the first end cover being internally provided with a first compartment, a second compartment, an end cover water inlet, and an end cover water outlet, the end cover water inlet being in fluid communication with the first compartment and the first liquid passage channel, and the end cover water outlet being in fluid communication with the second compartment and the second liquid passage channel;
a second end cover fixedly coupled to an opposite end of the heat conductor, the first liquid passage channel and the second liquid passage channel being in fluid communication with each other via an internal space within the second end cover so as to form a closed liquid circulation channel; and
at least one PTC heating element positioned within the duct of the heat conductor, the PTC heating element having a length longer than that of said heat conductor and having at least one end extending out of an end of the duct,
wherein the first end cover comprises at least one groove capable of accommodating a portion of the PTC heating element extending out of the duct, the groove extending through an interior of the first end cover and being in communication with an external space; and/or
the second end cover includes at least one groove capable of accommodating a portion of the PTC heating element extending out of the duct.

2. The heating unit of claim 1 , wherein the end cover water outlet is oriented transverse to the end cover water inlet.

3. The heating unit of claim 1 , wherein:
a first sealing gasket is provided between an end face of the first end cover and an end face of the heat conductor, the first sealing gasket surrounding a mouth of the first liquid passage channel and of the second liquid passage channel; and/or
a second sealing gasket is disposed between an end face of the second end cover and an end face of the heat conductor, the second sealing gasket surrounding a mouth formed at an end of the first liquid passage channel and the second liquid passage channel.

4. The heating unit of claim 3 , wherein the portion of the PTC heating element that extends out of the duct is wrapped with an insulating and sealing layer.

5. The heating unit of claim 4 , wherein the insulating and sealing layer comprises one of an epoxy filler, a rubber sheath, or a rubber sealing plug.

6. A heating unit, comprising:
a heat conductor, internally provided with at least one duct for accommodating a PTC heating element, and at least one liquid passage channel;
a first end cover fixedly coupled to one end of the heat conductor, the first end cover being provided with an end cover water inlet in fluid communication with one end of the liquid passage channel;
a second end cover fixedly coupled to the other end of the heat conductor, the second end cover being provided with an end cover water outlet in communication with the other end of the liquid passage channel; and
at least one PTC heating element provided in the duct of the heat conductor, the PTC heating element having a length longer than that of the heat conductor and having at least one end extending out of the duct,
wherein the first end cover comprises at least one first groove capable of accommodating the portion of the PTC heating element extending out of the duct, the first groove being in communication with an external space; and/or
the second end cover comprises at least one second groove capable of accommodating the portion of the PTC heating element extending out of the duct, the second groove being also in communication with the external space.

7. The heating unit of claim 6 , wherein:
a first sealing gasket is provided between an end face of the first end cover and an end face of the heat conductor, the first sealing gasket surrounding a mouth of the liquid passage channel; and/or
a second sealing gasket is also provided between an end face of the second end cover and an end face of the heat conductor, the second sealing gasket surrounding a mouth of the liquid passage channel.

8. The heating unit of claim 7 , wherein the portion of the PTC heating element that extends out of the duct is wrapped with an insulating and sealing layer.

9. The heating unit of claim 8 , wherein the insulating and sealing layer comprises one of an epoxy filler, a rubber sheath, or a rubber plug.

Assignees

• Bestway Inflatables & Mat Corp
• Bestway Inflatables & Mat Corp

Inventors

• Liu Feng

Classifications

• H05B2203/02

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

• H05B3/44

  heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material · CPC title

• H05B3/04

  Waterproof or air-tight seals for heaters · CPC title

• F24H9/1827

  Positive temperature coefficient [PTC] resistor · CPC title

• F24H9/146

  Connecting elements of a heat exchanger · CPC title