A PTC heating module and clothing processing equipment having the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a PTC heating module and a clothing processing device having the same, belonging to the technical field of electric heaters. It comprises: a PTC thermistor, wherein the outer surface of the PTC thermistor is sheathed with a shell; a base, wherein the first end surface of the base is connected to the bottom of the shell; the second end surface of the base opposite to the first end surface is provided with a first groove concave toward the first end surface; a fuse, wherein the fuse is installed in the first groove, and the fuse is connected in series with the PTC thermistor. In the present invention, a shell is sheathed on the outer surface of the PTC thermistor, the shell is fixed to the base, and the fuse connected in series with the PTC thermistor is fixed in the base to form a PTC heating module. The overall structure of the PTC heating module is small and compact, and it is easy to install. It makes full use of the characteristics of the PTC thermistor with small size and low energy consumption, so that it can be used in small clothing processing equipment with fast heating, low energy consumption, small space occupation, and significant effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of electric heaters, and in particular, relates to a PTC heating module and a clothing processing device having the same. Background Art

[0002] At present, many electrical equipment require the use of heaters, and the types and shapes of heaters are various. Manufacturers choose suitable heaters according to the needs of electrical products. In the prior art, heaters mostly use heating wires as heating elements, and a layer of magnesium powder is added on the outside to heat the electrical equipment. The heater using the above structure has high heating efficiency and can heat the water temperature to the set temperature in a short time. However, the heating wire consumes a lot of energy, and its power exceeds the total energy consumption of other modules of the electrical equipment. With the increasing market competition, manufacturers of electrical equipment in various fields have improved heaters one after another, trying to optimize both the material selection of heating elements and the structure of heaters, reducing energy consumption while simplifying the structure to achieve the purpose of cost saving, so as to increase user experience.

[0003] For example, a new type of PTC electric heater support seat disclosed in application number CN201721232924.X adopts a PTC electric heater as a heating element, and arranges a first support seat and a second support seat at both ends thereof, and arranges a fuse mounting slot and a thermostat mounting slot on the first support seat to install the fuse and the thermostat. The patent makes the structure of the support seat compact through the fuse mounting slot and the thermostat mounting slot, but the patent requires the first support seat and the second support seat at both ends to install the PTC electric heater on the external fixed device, and the scope of application is limited; if it is a small electrical appliance such as an electric kettle, it is obvious that the structure of the support seat has many PTC electric heater connectors and a complex internal structure. The overall structure cannot be reduced to the extent that the kettle can be used. The overall structure of the PTC electric heater support seat is not small and compact enough.

[0004] However, in small clothing processing equipment, especially sock washing machines and shoe washing machines, heating wires are still commonly used to achieve the heating function. Small equipment is small in size and has limited installation space. If a large, power-consuming, and high-power heater is used, it will undoubtedly increase the production and use costs of such equipment.

[0005] Another example is the tubular heater for a washing machine disclosed in application number CN201620023806.7. This patent uses a U-shaped electric heating tube with a stainless steel shell on the outside. Inserts are respectively provided at both ends of the electric heating tube, which are connected to other components of the washing machine through the inserts. The stainless steel shell increases the heating area of ​​the electric heating tube, while protecting the electric heating tube from direct long-term contact with water to prevent scale from forming, thereby extending the service life of the electric heating tube; at the same time, a resistance wire, a fuse and a lead-out rod are connected to one end of the electric heating tube, one end of the fuse is connected to the electric heating tube through the resistance wire, and the other end is connected to the lead-out rod. A water temperature sensor is provided between the two ends of the electric heating tube. When the water reaches a certain temperature, the water temperature sensor receives a signal and transmits the signal to the fuse. Although the patent has a stainless steel shell on the outside of the electric heating tube, it requires optimal temperature control to avoid burning the electric heating tube. Therefore, the patent selects temperature sensors, resistance wires, and fuses to cooperate with each other to achieve temperature adjustment of the heating tube. The added electrical components virtually complicate the structure of the tubular heater, and the electric heating tube itself has a high power consumption characteristic that has not been changed, which is bound to be unfavorable for application in small equipment and cannot achieve the purpose of energy saving and power saving. The tubular heater of this patent cannot be directly used in small clothing processing equipment.

[0006] In summary, the existing heaters cannot meet the needs of small ecological products such as MINI washing machines and sock washing machines, which urgently need heaters with simple structure, small size and low power consumption.

[0007] In view of this, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a PTC heating module, which can be applied to small electrical appliances, especially small ecological products such as MINI washing machines and sock washing machines; the purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems of large size, large number of electrical components, complex structure and high power consumption of heaters in small electrical appliances.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a clothes treating device having the above-mentioned PTC heating module.

[0010] In order to solve the above technical problems, the basic concept of the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0011] A PTC heating module, comprising:

[0012] A PTC thermistor, wherein the outer surface of the PTC thermistor is covered with a shell;

[0013] A base, wherein a first end surface of the base is connected to the bottom of the housing; a second end surface of the base opposite to the first end surface is provided with a first groove concave toward the first end surface;

[0014] A fuse is installed in the first groove, and the fuse is connected in series with the PTC thermistor.

[0015] Through the above design, the present invention adopts PTC thermistor as the heating element, takes advantage of the small size of PTC thermistor, which is conducive to reducing the overall volume of the PTC heating module of the present invention, and takes advantage of its sensitive action, short response time, and energy saving characteristics to heat water or other liquids, which can save energy; the PTC thermistor of the present invention is prevented from being burned by connecting a fuse in series; and the fuse is installed in the first groove of the base, without occupying other space, so that the overall structure of the PTC heating module is compact. The outer surface of the PTC thermistor is sleeved in the shell, and the shell protects the PTC thermistor, preventing it from being exposed to the outside for a long time and being scaled and corroded, affecting its performance, and can extend its service life; the shell sleeved on its outer surface increases the heating area of ​​the PTC heating module and improves the heating efficiency. The base, the fuse inside it, and the PTC thermistor form a small-volume, low-energy-consuming PTC heating module overall structure. The PTC heating module of the present invention has a compact overall structure, uses fewer electrical components, and is easy to install. Unlike the prior art, when the heating element uses a heating wire, it is necessary to connect multiple electrical components to regulate the temperature of the heating wire, which makes the PTC heating module structure complicated, difficult to install, and not easy to miniaturize. The heating wire consumes a lot of power, especially when other electrical components are exposed to the air outside the heater without a fixed placement, resulting in high manufacturing costs and difficult maintenance. It is also prone to oxidation during long-term use, posing a safety hazard. Even if an electric heater made of PTC material is used, there are still many electrical components that need to be connected. In order to gather the electrical components together, the installation structure design is complicated and costly, which is not conducive to application in small electrical equipment, especially sock washing machines or shoe washing machines.

[0016] Furthermore, a fixing structure for fixing the fuse is provided in the first groove.

[0017] Furthermore, the fixing structure includes a first electrode sheet and a second electrode sheet arranged on two opposite side walls of the first groove, the outer side of the first electrode sheet is connected to the PTC thermistor, and the second electrode sheet is used to connect a power lead.

[0018] The fuse is embedded between the first electrode sheet and the second electrode sheet, and at least one of the first electrode sheet and the second electrode sheet is telescopically connected to the fuse.

[0019] Through the above design, the present invention sets the fuse in the fixed structure of the base to prevent the fuse from loosening during the vibration of the electrical equipment, affecting the connection, or even falling off from the first groove. The present invention sets electrode sheets on both sides of the first groove, and the fuse can be connected to the external electrical device through the electrode sheets. At the same time, the two electrode sheets have a limiting effect on the fuse. In particular, the two electrode sheets are retractably connected to the fuse, which strengthens the limiting effect of the fuse in the first groove and facilitates the disassembly of the fuse. The fixed structure in the present invention is simple and easy to install.

[0020] Furthermore, a fixed conductive sheet is provided between the first electrode sheet and the fuse, a movable conductive sheet is provided between the second electrode sheet and the fuse, and an elastic member is provided between the movable conductive sheet and the second electrode sheet.

[0021] Through the above design, the fixed structure is concretized. The present invention concretizes the connection method of the two ends of the fuse by respectively arranging a fixed conductive sheet and a movable conductive sheet on the first electrode sheet and the second electrode sheet in the first groove, and through the design of the elastic part between the movable conductive sheet and the second electrode sheet, the fuse is limited, and the disassembly of the fuse is extremely simple, and the replacement of the fuse is even simpler.

[0022] Furthermore, the fixing structure includes positioning holes on two opposite side walls of the first groove for the leads at both ends of the fuse to pass through.

[0023] Through the above design, the present invention provides another fixing structure, which is simple, convenient to process and easy to implement.

[0024] Furthermore, it also includes a limiting structure, which is arranged in the first groove.

[0025] Preferably, the limiting structure is an arch structure, and lugs are provided at both ends of the arch structure away from the center of the arch structure, and a through hole is opened in the middle of the lugs.

[0026] Preferably, the limiting structure includes an insulating heat-conductive material filled between the first groove and the fuse.

[0027] Through the above design, in order to further fix the fuse, the present invention further fixes the fuse in the first groove through the limiting structure to limit the movement of the fuse. The two limiting structures in the present invention are simple in structure, easy to operate, and have a good limiting effect.

[0028] Furthermore, it also includes a cover body, wherein the cover body is provided with locking protrusions at two opposite ends, and a compression structure is provided on one side of the cover body covering the first groove.

[0029] Through the above design, in order to cooperate with the first groove, the present invention designs the above-mentioned cover body, and the cover body cooperates with the first groove through the protrusions at both ends of the cover body to encapsulate the fuse, and the movement of the fuse in the first groove is further limited by the compression structure on the cover body, thereby playing a role in protecting the fuse. The cover body is simple in design and easy to implement.

[0030] Furthermore, the bottom of the shell is provided with an opening for installing a PTC thermistor, the edge of the opening is circumferentially provided with a flange, the end of the flange away from the PTC thermistor is provided with a first protrusion protruding outward from the opening, a second groove is formed between the first protrusion and the bottom of the shell, and the bottom of the shell is circumferentially provided with a fixing hole.

[0031] A mounting hole matching with the flange is provided in the middle of the base, a second protrusion protruding into the mounting opening is provided at the end of the mounting hole, the second protrusion matches with the second groove, and a threaded hole matching with the fixing hole is provided in the base.

[0032] Through the above design, the shell and the base are fixed together. Specifically, a first protrusion arranged at the bottom of the shell and a second groove are formed with the bottom of the shell; the second groove is engaged with a second protrusion arranged at the mounting hole of the base, so as to fix the shell and the base, and the shell and the base are further fixed by matching the fixing holes circumferentially provided at the bottom of the shell with the threaded holes provided at the base. This fixing method has a simple structure and is easy to operate. It does not require other components. The present invention adopts a snap-fit ​​structure and a thread to dually fix the shell and the base, and the fixing effect is good.

[0033] A clothing processing device comprises: an outer drum, an inner drum and the PTC heating module as described above, wherein the inner drum is coaxially arranged in the outer drum, the base is installed on the outside of the bottom of the outer drum through a sealing ring, and the PTC thermistor is arranged between the outer drum and the inner drum.

[0034] Through the above design, the PTC heating module of the present invention is suitable for application in small clothing processing equipment. Considering the characteristics of small clothing processing equipment with small size and high requirements on the volume of parts, the above PTC heating module has a small overall volume and a flexible shape, occupies a small space in the small clothing processing equipment, and has strong practicality. The PTC heating module can be fixed on the clothing processing equipment through the base of the PTC heating module, and the PTC thermistor is immersed in water or liquid for heating after being sealed. The heating is direct, and the sealing process avoids water interference into the shell or the base, thereby protecting the PTC thermistor and the fuse. The clothing processing equipment using the PTC heating module of the present invention is safe and reliable, has high heating efficiency, consumes less energy, and has significant effect.

[0035] Furthermore, the clothing processing device may be a sock washing machine or a shoe washing machine.

[0036] Through the above design, the above PTC heating module is applied to small clothing processing equipment. The PTC heating module of the present invention uses a small number of electrical components to achieve the needs of heating and temperature control of liquid in a sock washing machine or a shoe washing machine. The PTC thermistor is small in size, which reduces the volume of the overall PTC heating module and the space occupied. At the same time, the fuse is installed in the base, making the overall structure of the PTC heating module more compact, with only two external power leads and a simple structure. In particular, it is used in small sock washing machines and shoe washing machines, with high heating efficiency, low energy consumption, and significant effect, which solves the technical problem that the existing sock washing machines and shoe washing machines cannot provide an energy-saving and compact heater.

[0037] After adopting the above technical scheme, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art.

[0038] (1) The present invention proposes a PTC heating module, which adopts a PTC thermistor, which has the characteristics of small size, low power, low energy consumption and good thermal stability. The PTC thermistor is encapsulated in a shell to prevent it from contacting with air, water and other liquids, thereby reducing corrosion and fouling; at the same time, the shell increases the heating surface area and effectively improves the heating efficiency; and a fuse connected in series with the PTC thermistor is used to effectively protect the PTC thermistor; the present invention involves fewer electrical components, and the fuse is set in the first groove of the base without occupying other space, so that the overall structure of the PTC heating module is small and compact; when in use, the shell of the present invention is fixed on the base and connected to the external device through the base, which is easy to install, and the overall structure of the PTC heating module is compact, with low energy consumption, fast heating and significant effect.

[0039] (2) The present invention combines the characteristics of easy processing and small size of the PTC thermistor and adopts a small-volume fuse. The fuse is fixed in the first groove through a fixing structure. The fixing structure can not only effectively protect the fuse from vibration of the external device, but also connect it in series with the PTC thermistor to protect the PTC thermistor, making the overall structure of the PTC heating module more compact and the appearance of the PTC heating module more beautiful.

[0040] (3) The present invention effectively fixes the housing and the base by combining a snap-fit ​​structure with a thread, and the fixing effect is remarkable.

[0041] (4) The present invention applies the PTC heating module to a small-sized clothing processing device, taking into account the small size and low cost of the small-sized clothing processing device. The clothing processing device using the PTC heating module of the present invention consumes less energy. The PTC heating module is small in size and does not occupy too much space, thus not increasing the size of the clothing processing device and not increasing its manufacturing cost. The PTC heating module has low energy consumption and high heating efficiency, which reduces the power consumption of the clothing processing device during use and reduces the use cost of the clothing processing device.

[0042] The specific implementation modes of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] The accompanying drawings are part of the present invention and are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention, but do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the accompanying drawings:

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a PTC heating module of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 The present invention Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the middle shell and the base;

[0046] Figure 3 The present invention uses Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a clothes processing device with a PTC heating module;

[0047] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the middle shell and the base;

[0048] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the fixing structure in the first groove.

[0049] In the figure: 1. PTC thermistor; 2. base; 21. first groove; 211. first electrode sheet; 212. second electrode sheet; 213. fixed conductive sheet; 214. movable conductive sheet; 215. limiting structure; 22. mounting hole; 3. fuse; 4. housing; 41. first protrusion; 42. second groove; 43. second protrusion; 5. clothing processing device.

[0050] It should be noted that these drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the conceptual scope of the present invention in any way, but are intended to illustrate the concept of the present invention for those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0052] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the directions or positional relationships indicated by terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “inside” and “outside” are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0054] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the present invention provides a PTC heating module, including a PTC thermistor 1, a base 2 and a fuse 3.

[0055] The outer surface of the PTC thermistor 1 is covered with a shell 4.

[0056] The first end surface of the base 2 is connected to the bottom of the housing 4 ; the second end surface of the base 2 opposite to the first end surface is provided with a first groove 21 concave toward the first end surface.

[0057] The fuse 3 is installed in the first groove 21 , and the fuse 3 is connected in series with the PTC thermistor 1 .

[0058] The PTC heating module proposed in the present invention has low power, low energy consumption, good thermal stability, and is suitable for use in electrical equipment with a small cavity to be heated. The present invention uses a PTC thermistor 1 as a heating element, and tightly sleeves a shell 4 on its outer surface to prevent it from directly contacting with air or water or other liquids to be heated, and to avoid oxidation, fouling and corrosion, etc., which affect the power of the PTC thermistor 1; the PTC thermistor 1 has a self-regulating characteristic, and if the heat generated by the PTC thermistor 1 is only insufficiently removed, the PTC thermistor 1 can only operate at a low efficiency; therefore, the present invention utilizes the small size of the PTC thermistor 1, and utilizes the outer shell 4 to increase the heating area of ​​the PTC thermistor 1, so that the PTC thermistor 1 can better dissipate heat and improve the operating efficiency of the PTC thermistor 1. In order to better realize the heat dissipation of the PTC thermistor 1, the present invention can fill an insulating heat-conducting material between the PTC thermistor 1 and the shell 4 so that the outer surface of the PTC thermistor 1 is completely isolated from the inner wall of the shell 4, thereby avoiding the PTC thermistor 1 not being able to directly contact the heat-conducting shell to affect the heat dissipation; after filling with the insulating heat-conducting material, the heat transfer is direct, the heating efficiency is high, and the PTC thermistor 1 can be processed into different areas and sizes according to needs.

[0059] Further, such as Figure 1 As shown, in order to increase the surface area of ​​the PTC thermistor 1, increase heat dissipation, and quickly increase the temperature in the cavity, the present invention utilizes the characteristic that the PTC thermistor 1 is easy to be processed into a complex shape, and designs the PTC thermistor 1 into a regular shape with a large surface area such as a U-shaped tube or sheet, which is convenient for packaging it in the housing 4, thereby simplifying the overall installation structure of the PTC heating module.

[0060] In view of the diversity of application scenarios of the PTC heating module, such as directly immersing it in water or other liquids to be heated, and heating water or other liquids by immersion, the housing 4 mounted on the outside of the PTC thermistor 1 needs to have certain thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, such as Figure 2As shown, preferably, the housing 4 is made of stainless steel or titanium alloy. The present invention utilizes the characteristics of the PTC thermistor 1, which is sensitive, has a short response time, and saves energy, to replace the heating elements such as the electric heating wire that have high power consumption in the past. When the resistive heating structure is working, this heating element has low efficiency, high power consumption, short service life, and is easily damaged. At the same time, in order to ensure the thermal insulation effect, it is necessary to braze a small-power heating element, which consumes a lot of energy and increases the cost of use; the process is complicated and the manufacturing cost is high. If temperature control is to be achieved, at least two electrical components, a resistance wire, a temperature controller, and a fuse wire, need to be connected. However, the present invention can achieve the effect of controlling the temperature by connecting the fuse 3 in series at one end of the PTC thermistor 1. The two poles of the PTC thermistor 1 and the fuse 3 in series are arranged in a base 2 that is sealed and connected to the housing 4. The present invention protects the PTC thermistor 1 by the fuse 3. The fuse 3 prevents the PTC thermistor 1 from being burned out due to excessive temperature. If the temperature in the heating chamber rises too quickly and exceeds the nominal temperature of the thermal fuse 3, the thermal fuse 3 automatically cuts off the circuit, and automatically connects the circuit after the temperature in the heating chamber returns to normal, thereby achieving the purpose of temperature control.

[0061] In order to simplify the overall structure of the PTC heating module, no additional installation space is required, so that the overall structure of the PTC heating module is compact and small, and easy to install; the fuse 3 is installed in the first groove 21, and a fixing structure for fixing the fuse 3 is provided in the first groove 21. Figure 5 As shown, the fixed structure is specifically:

[0062] The fixing structure includes a first electrode sheet 211 and a second electrode sheet 212 arranged on two opposite side walls of the first groove 21, the outer side of the first electrode sheet 211 is connected to the PTC thermistor 1, and the second electrode sheet 212 is connected to the power lead; the fuse 3 is embedded between the first electrode sheet 211 and the second electrode sheet 212, and at least one of the first electrode sheet 211 and the second electrode sheet 212 is retractably connected to the fuse 3.

[0063] Specifically, a fixed conductive sheet 213 is provided between the first electrode sheet 211 and the fuse 3, a movable conductive sheet 214 is provided between the second electrode sheet 212 and the fuse 3, an elastic member is provided between the movable conductive sheet 214 and the second electrode sheet 212, and the elastic member can be a conductive spring. The fuse 3 is installed between the fixed conductive sheet 213 and the movable conductive sheet 214.

[0064] The elastic member may be any retractable structure, and is not limited to being provided between the movable conductive sheet 214 and the second electrode sheet 212 .

[0065] The first electrode sheet 211 and the second electrode sheet 212 are retractably connected to the fuse 3, thereby strengthening the limiting effect of the fuse 3 in the first groove and facilitating the disassembly of the fuse 3. The fixing structure is simple, easy to install and easy to implement.

[0066] Specifically, the provision of the conductive spring can make the connection between the fuse 3 and the movable conductive sheet 214 more firmly, and the conductive spring can play a role of pressing and limiting the fuse 3 to prevent it from lateral movement; the limiting mechanism further fixes the fuse 3 in the first groove 21, so that the fuse 3 works more stably and reliably.

[0067] Furthermore, the fixing structure includes positioning holes for the leads at both ends of the fuse 3 to pass through, which are opened on two symmetrical side walls of the first groove 21. This fixing structure is simpler and convenient to process.

[0068] In order to further fasten the fuse 3 , a limiting structure 215 is further provided in the first groove 21 .

[0069] Furthermore, the limiting structure 215 is an arch structure, and lugs are provided at both ends of the arch structure away from the center of the arch, and a through hole is opened in the middle of the lugs.

[0070] The first groove 21 is provided with a screw hole that matches the through hole in the lug, and the limiting structure 215 limits the fuse 3 in the first groove 21 through screws. Specifically, the limiting structure 215 is fixedly connected to the first groove 21 by screws passing through the through holes of the lugs at both ends of the arch structure and the screw holes in the first groove 21.

[0071] Furthermore, the limiting structure 215 includes an insulating heat-conductive material filled between the first groove 21 and the fuse 3. The filled insulating heat-conductive material can not only limit the movement of the fuse 3 in the first groove 21, but also dissipate the heat generated by the fuse 3 to avoid affecting the function of the fuse 3. Filling the insulating heat-conductive material is easy to operate.

[0072] The present invention makes it extremely easy to disassemble the fuse 3 and more convenient to replace the fuse 3 by providing the conductive spring and the limiting mechanism.

[0073] In order to package the fuse 3 in cooperation with the first groove 21 , the present invention designs a cover body that cooperates with the first groove 21 , the cover body has protrusions at opposite ends, and a compression structure is provided on one side of the cover body that covers the first groove 21 .

[0074] The present invention encapsulates the fuse 3 by cooperating the protrusions at both ends of the cover body with the grooves on the opposite sides of the port of the first groove 21, and further restricts the movement of the fuse 3 by the compression structure; the cover body can also seal the port of the first groove 21 by means of glue; the cover body is simple in design and easy to implement.

[0075] The compression structure can be a compression spring, one end of which is fixed on the cover body, and the other end is provided with a positioning piece, the positioning piece increases the fixing area and limits the movement of the fuse 3. The compression spring has a buffering effect to prevent the fuse 3 from hitting the cover body and protect the fuse 3.

[0076] The PTC heating module of the present invention needs to enter water or other liquids for heating, and sealing is particularly important. The present invention fixes the base 2 and the housing 4 through the following structure.

[0077] Specifically, Figure 4 As shown, the bottom of the shell 4 is provided with an opening for installing the PTC thermistor 1, and the edge of the opening is provided with a flange along the circumferential direction, and the end of the flange away from the PTC thermistor 1 is provided with a first protrusion 41 protruding toward the outside of the opening, and a second groove 42 is formed between the first protrusion 41 and the bottom of the shell 4, and the bottom of the shell 4 is provided with a fixing hole in the circumferential direction.

[0078] The base 2 has a mounting hole 22 in the middle thereof that matches the flange, a second protrusion 43 that protrudes into the mounting opening is provided at the end of the mounting hole 22, the second protrusion 43 matches the second groove 42, and the base 2 has a threaded hole that matches the fixing hole.

[0079] The present invention fixes the shell and the base by engaging the second groove with the second protrusion provided in the base mounting hole, and realizes dual fixation of the shell and the base through threads.

[0080] Furthermore, a sealing member may be provided in the second groove 42 to achieve sealing between the housing 4 and the base 2. The sealing member may be made of elastic silicone rubber or EPDM rubber, or may be sealed with waterproof glue. Silicone rubber has good high temperature resistance, which can ensure the sealing performance between the housing 4 and the base 2 of the PTC heating module, and effectively prevent water from interfering with the PTC thermistor 1 or the electrical components of the base 2, thereby affecting the performance and safety of the PTC thermistor 1 in the housing 4 and the fuse 3 in the base 2.

[0081] Specifically, through the above sealing design, the PTC thermistor 1 is sealed to prevent it from being in direct contact with air or liquids such as water for a long time, and to prevent it from being corroded or scaled, which affects its performance; at the same time, the fuse 3 is also protected from contact with water, which prevents leakage and affects the safety of the PTC heating module. The PTC heating module of the present invention has excellent performance, high thermal stability, low power, and good practical effect.

[0082] To combine with other electrical equipment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a fixing member can be provided on the base 2 of the present invention, and the fixing member can be used to fix the external device. A screw hole can be provided on the base 2, and the PTC heating module can be fixed to the external device by screws, or any other fixing member that can fix the base 2 to the external device can be used.

[0083] In the scheme of the present invention, Figure 3 The present invention provides a clothing processing device, comprising an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder and the PTC heating module as described above, wherein the inner cylinder is coaxially arranged in the outer cylinder, the base 2 is installed on the outside of the bottom of the outer cylinder through a sealing ring, and the PTC thermistor 1 is arranged between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder.

[0084] Specifically, the inner cylinder is rotatably installed in the outer cylinder.

[0085] The bottom of the outer cylinder is provided with a fixing portion that matches the base 2. The fixing portion may be a coupling hole that matches the screw hole of the base 2, and the base 2 and the outer cylinder may be connected by screws. The present invention is not limited to threaded connection, and any other connection structure that can achieve the connection purpose of the present invention may be applied to the present invention.

[0086] Existing sealing rings are made of various materials. The sealing ring used to fix and package the PTC heating module and the external device in the present invention needs to have anti-aging and high temperature resistance properties. The present invention preferably uses silicone rubber as the sealing ring. The silicone rubber sealing ring is elastic and can achieve sealing, prevent the base 2 from leaking, and protect the internal electrical components of the base 2.

[0087] In the present invention, the clothes processing device 5 is preferably a socks washing machine or a shoe washing machine. The socks washing machine or the shoe washing machine is small in size and has high requirements on the volume of parts.

[0088] The heating devices in the existing clothing processing equipment are mostly electric heating tubes or electric heating plates. Even for the sock washing machine or shoe washing machine with a small overall volume, no heater using PTC thermistor 1 as a heating element in the sock washing machine or shoe washing machine has been found in the currently retrieved prior art. The PTC thermistor 1 is not widely used in the field of sock washing machines or shoe washing machines, and there is no improved device for heating these small laundry appliances. The present invention is based on the deficiencies of the prior art and proposes the PTC heating module of the present invention. To further illustrate the improvements of the present invention, a comparative analysis of heating devices in the prior art is now conducted. For example, in an existing sock washing machine, a heating device is provided at the bottom of the outer drum, and the heating device is electrically connected to the central controller. The heating device is an electric heating plate, and of course it can also be an electric heating tube. It can be seen that the prior art still uses electric heating to heat the water in small equipment. Considering the cost and volume of small equipment, the existing small clothing processing equipment does not use temperature regulating devices, temperature sensors, or related electronic intelligent controls. Some high-end small clothing processing equipment may be equipped with intelligent processing controls, but the heater, temperature sensor, and fuse 3 are still installed separately. As far as the current situation is concerned, the clothing processing equipment 5 with the PTC heating module of the present invention is still not used. The PTC heating module of the present invention integrates the PTC thermistor 1 and the fuse 3 into a heating module, which is small in size, compact in structure, has significant functions, and is low in cost. It has a broad application space in the field of small electrical equipment.

[0089] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in any form. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, it is not used to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with this patent can make some changes or modify the technical contents suggested above into equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still fall within the scope of the solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A PTC heating module, characterized in that: include: A PTC thermistor, wherein the outer surface of the PTC thermistor is covered with a shell, and an insulating heat-conducting material is filled between the PTC thermistor and the shell; A base, wherein a first end surface of the base is connected to the bottom of the housing; a second end surface of the base opposite to the first end surface is provided with a first groove concave toward the first end surface; a fixing structure for fixing the fuse is provided in the first groove, and the fixing structure includes a first electrode sheet and a second electrode sheet provided on two opposite side walls of the first groove, the outer side of the first electrode sheet is connected to the PTC thermistor, and the second electrode sheet is connected to a power lead; A fuse is connected in series with the PTC thermistor and is embedded between the first electrode sheet and the second electrode sheet, and at least one of the first electrode sheet and the second electrode sheet is retractably connected to the fuse; The bottom of the housing is provided with an opening for installing a PTC thermistor, the edge of the opening is provided with a flange along the circumferential direction, the end of the flange away from the PTC thermistor is provided with a first protrusion protruding toward the outside of the opening, a second groove is formed between the first protrusion and the bottom of the housing, and the bottom of the housing is provided with a fixing hole in the circumferential direction; A mounting hole matching with the flange is provided in the middle of the base, a second protrusion protruding into the mounting hole is provided at the end of the mounting hole, the second protrusion matches with the second groove, and a threaded hole matching with the fixing hole is provided in the base.

2. A PTC heating module according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fixed conductive sheet is arranged between the first electrode sheet and the fuse, a movable conductive sheet is arranged between the second electrode sheet and the fuse, and an elastic member is arranged between the movable conductive sheet and the second electrode sheet.

3. A PTC heating module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixing structure includes positioning holes on two opposite side walls of the first groove for the leads at both ends of the fuse to pass through.

4. A PTC heating module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: It also includes a limiting structure, which is arranged in the first groove.

5. A PTC heating module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The limiting structure is an arched structure, and lugs are arranged at both ends of the arched structure away from the center of the arched structure, and a through hole is opened in the middle of the lugs.

6. A PTC heating module according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a cover body, wherein the two opposite ends of the cover body are provided with clamping protrusions, and a compression structure is provided on one side of the cover body covering the first groove.

7. A clothes processing device, characterized in that: It comprises an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder and a PTC heating module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the inner cylinder is arranged in the outer cylinder, the base is installed on the outside of the bottom of the outer cylinder through a sealing ring, and the PTC thermistor is arranged between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder.

8. The clothes processing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The clothing processing equipment is a socks washing machine or a shoe washing machine.

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