Heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9915441-B2
Application number	US-201113231556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2011
Priority date	Sep 13, 2010
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A heat exchanger having at least one electrical resistance heating element, two conductors connected electrically to the electrical resistance heating element to conduct electric current through the electrical resistance heating element and thereby to heat the electrical resistance heating element, a heat-conducting element for transferring heat from the electrical resistance heating element to a fluid to be heated, an electrical insulating element insulating electrically the two conductors and the at least one electrical resistance heating element, and at least one tube. The two conductors, the electrical insulating element, and the electrical resistance heating element are arranged within a cavity bounded by the tube. The heat exchanger has an adapter plate and a tube opening, each being arranged at an opening of the adapter plate, and the at least one tube being connected fluid-tight to the adapter plate, which is connected fluid-tight to an electronics housing and/or an HVAC system housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger comprising:
at least one electrical resistance heating element;
at least two conductors electrically connected to the at least one electrical resistance heating element to conduct electric current through the at least one electrical resistance heating element and thereby heat the electrical resistance heating element;
at least two heat-conducting elements that transfer heat from the at least one electrical resistance heating element;
at least one electrical insulating element that insulates electrically the at least two conductors and the at least one electrical resistance heating element;
at least one tube having a tube opening;
at least one cavity bounded by the at least one tube, the at least two conductors, the at least one electrical insulating element, and the at least one electrical resistance heating element are arranged within the at least one cavity; and
an adapter plate having at least one opening that corresponds to the tube opening of the at least one tube,
wherein the at least one tube is connected fluid-tight to the adapter plate,
wherein the adapter plate is connected fluid-tight to at least one of an electronics housing or an HVAC housing, and
wherein the at least two heat conducting elements, are attached to opposing outer surfaces of the at least one tube, such that the at least one tube is positioned between the at least two heat conducting elements.

2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the tube opening of the at least one tube is inserted within the at least one opening of the adapter plate.

3. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening of the adapter plate has a groove running therearound and the tube opening of the at least one tube is arranged within the groove.

4. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the tube opening of the at least one tube is inserted within the at least one opening of the adapter plate, such that an outer side of the tube is connected fluid-tight to the adapter plate.

5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of an outer side of the at least one tube, at the tube opening, corresponds to a shape of the opening of the adapter plate.

6. The heat exchanger according to claim 3 , wherein the tube is connected fluid-tight with the groove on the adapter plate.

7. The heat exchanger according to claim 3 , wherein a shape of the tube opening of the at least one tube corresponds to a shape of the groove.

8. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter plate is formed at least partially of one of metal, aluminum, steel, stainless steel or plastic,
wherein the cavity is bounded by the at least one tube only through the opening of the adapter plate and the tube opening with respect to the at least one tube and the adapter plate,
wherein a sealing element is arranged between at least one of the adapter plate and the electronics housing or the adapter plate and the HVAC housing, and
wherein the sealing element is a seal, an O-ring seal, an adhesive, or silicone.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter plate is formed as a single piece, and wherein a cooling element that cools electronics within the electronics housing is arranged outside the electronics housing or on the electronics housing.

10. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is connected to the adapter plate by at least one of bonding, form-fittingly or force-fittingly.

11. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is connected to the adapter plate with solder, weld, or glued joint and wherein the at least one tube is sealed fluid-tight to the adapter plate with a sealing element or a sealing ring.

12. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is made up of one or many parts-in cross section, and wherein the at least one tube is symmetric or asymmetric in cross section and wherein the at least one tube is made up of two half-shells.

13. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical insulating element is at least one of a hardenable or hardened, sealing compound, wherein the at least one electrical insulating element is a molded seal, tubing, a film, a plate, or a ceramic plate, and wherein the plate is connected to the at least one electrical resistance heating element by bonding.

14. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter plate comprises a first connection section that connects to an electronics housing, wherein the adapter plate comprises a second connection section that connects to an HVAC housing, wherein the adapter plate is connected to at least one of the electronics housing or the HVAC housing by at least one of bonding, form-fittingly or force-fittingly, and wherein the adapter plate is connected to at least one of the electronics housing or the HVAC housing with at least one of a clip connection, a press connection or a screw connection.

15. A vehicle HVAC system, wherein the vehicle HVAC system comprises at least one heat exchanger according to claim 1 .

16. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical resistance heating element is a PTC element.

17. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two conductors are conductor plates.

18. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter plate is formed at least partially of one of metal, aluminum, steel, stainless steel or plastic.

19. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter plate is formed totally of one of metal, aluminum, steel, stainless steel or plastic.

20. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter plate is formed of thermoplastic.

21. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the cavity is bounded by the at least one tube only through the opening of the adapter plate and the tube opening with respect to the at least one tube and the adapter plate.

22. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein a sealing element is arranged between at least one of the adapter plate and the electronics housing or the adapter plate and the HVAC housing.

23. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is connected to the adapter plate with solder, weld, or glued joint.

24. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is sealed fluid-tight to the adapter plate with a sealing element or a sealing ring.

25. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is made up of one or many parts in cross section.

26. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is made up of two parts in cross section.

27. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is symmetric or asymmetric in cross section.

28. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one tube is made up of two half-shells.

29. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical insulating element is at least one of a hardenable or hardened, sealing compound.

30. The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical insulating element is a molded seal, tubing, a film, a plate, or a ceramic plate.

Assignees

• Kohl Michael
• Spranger Thomas
• Krumbach Karl Gerd
• Clauss Thierry
• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Kohl Michael
• Spranger Thomas
• Krumbach Karl-Gerd
• Clauss Thierry

Classifications

• F24H2250/04

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

• F24H3/0435

  Structures comprising heat spreading elements in the form of fins · CPC title

• H05B3/24

  heating conductor being self-supporting · CPC title

• H05B3/06

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

• H05B3/50

  heating conductor arranged in metal tubes, the radiating surface having heat-conducting fins · CPC title