A heating assembly

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of electric heating technology and discloses a heating assembly including a housing, electrodes, and a heating element. The heating element is electrically connected to the electrodes. The housing includes a first shell, a second shell, and an electrode support. At least a portion of the heating element is suspended between the second shell and the first shell, and at least a portion of the electrode is suspended between the first shell and the second shell. Along the width direction of the heating assembly, the electrode support is located on the side of the heating element, and there is a certain distance between the electrode support and the heating element. The electrode has a fixing portion, which is supported by the electrode support. In this invention, the heating element and electrode are suspended between the second shell and the first shell, and there is a certain distance between them and the electrode support, which reduces the thermal impact of high heat on the electrode support.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of electric heating technology and relates to a heating component. Background Technology

[0002] The heating assembly includes a heating element and electrodes that energize the heating element. Currently, the electrodes are fixed in two ways: one is by using copper clamps to secure them to the outer circumference of the heating element, suitable for single-element applications; the other is by dividing the electrode into two parts and using electrode fixing parts 22 to clamp the electrodes between the electrode fixing parts 22 and the outer wall of the heating element, such as... Figure 6 As shown, in this connection method, the electrodes are generally two pieces, one above the other, but with multiple arc-shaped portions corresponding to the heating tubes. These arc-shaped portions are in close contact with the electrode portions of the heating tubes to achieve conductivity. To ensure that each arc-shaped portion is tightly attached to its corresponding heating tube, the joints between these arc-shaped portions need to be pressed together tightly. Therefore, the electrode fixing member 22 is used to ensure that the arc-shaped portions of the second electrode piece 5 and the first electrode piece 4 are pressed together tightly. Since the electrode pieces are embedded in the electrode fixing member 22, the heating tube wall is in contact with the electrode fixing member 22. Because the heating tube generates a very high temperature during the energizing process, the high temperature of the heating tube can easily cause the plastic electrode fixing member 22 to overheat, potentially leading to scorching and a burnt smell, thus affecting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a heating component to alleviate the technical problem in the prior art where plastic electrode holders are easily scorched or burnt.

[0004] A heating assembly includes a housing, electrodes, and a heating element electrically connected to the electrodes. The housing includes a first housing, a second housing, and an electrode support. At least a portion of the heating element is suspended between the second housing and the first housing. At least a portion of the electrode is suspended between the first housing and the second housing. Along the width direction of the heating assembly, the electrode support is located on the side of the heating element and is spaced a certain distance from the heating element. The electrode has a fixing portion supported by the electrode support.

[0005] The heating assembly used in the above solution has at least a portion of the heating element suspended between the second housing and the first housing, at least a portion of the electrode suspended between the second housing and the first housing, and a certain distance between the electrode support and the heating element. This reduces the thermal impact of the high heat of the heating element on the electrode support and reduces the thermal impact of the high heat on the electrode support. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the heating component of the present invention.

[0007] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of one embodiment of the heating component of the present invention.

[0008] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partial structural diagram of the structure shown.

[0009] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the structure at the electrode location.

[0010] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the electrode support component in the structure shown.

[0011] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the electrode and the electrode fixing component of a heating component in the prior art.

[0012] The labels in the attached drawings are as follows: 1. First housing; 2. Electrode support; 3. Heating element; 4. First electrode plate; 5. Second electrode plate; 6. Second housing; 7. Spring; 8. Sealing ring; 9. Connector structure; 10. Electrode plate screw; 11. Lower connector screw; 12. Upper connector screw; 13. Rivet; 14. Ring wall portion; 15. Arc-shaped portion; 16. Joint portion; 17. Positioning wall; 18. Fixing hole; 19. Support leg; 20. Reinforcing rib; 21. Protrusion; 22. Electrode fixing component; 23. Tooling hole; 24. Fixing portion; 25. First arc-shaped portion; 26. Second arc-shaped portion; 27. First joint portion; 28. Second joint portion; 29. ​​Auxiliary hole; 30. Connecting portion; 31. Positioning groove; 32. Positioning pin; 33. Heat dissipation groove. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The following detailed description of the embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, will further illustrate the specific implementation of the present invention, in order to help those skilled in the art to have a more complete, accurate, and in-depth understanding of the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention.

[0014] Figures 1-5A heating assembly is illustrated, comprising a housing, electrodes, and a hollow heating element 3. The heating element 3 is electrically connected to the electrodes. The housing includes a first shell 1, a second shell 6, and an electrode support 2. At least a portion of the heating element 3 is suspended between the second shell 6 and the first shell 1. At least a portion of the electrodes is suspended between the first shell 1 and the second shell 6. Along the width direction of the heating assembly, the electrode support 2 is located on the side of the heating element 3, and there is a certain distance between the electrode support 2 and the heating element 3. The electrodes have a fixing portion 24, which is supported by the electrode support 2.

[0015] Thus, on the one hand, there is a certain distance between the heating element 3 and the electrode support 2, so that the heating element 3 will not directly contact the electrode support 2, and will not cause thermal effects due to contact with the electrode support 2; on the other hand, at least a part of the heating element 3 is suspended between the second housing 6 and the first housing 1, and at least a part of the electrode is suspended between the first housing 1 and the second housing 6. The heat generated by the heating element 3 will be dissipated to the space between the first housing 1 and the second housing 6, which also reduces the thermal effects of the high heat of the heating element 3 on the electrode support 2.

[0016] In this document, "electrode support 2 is located on the side of heating element 3" includes, when there is one heating element 3, the electrode support 2 is located on both sides of the heating element 3 in the width direction of the heating assembly; when there are two or more heating elements 3, the side of the heating element 3 includes the side of one of the heating elements 3, and also includes the side of all the heating elements 3.

[0017] In this article, "fixed part 24 supported on electrode support 2" includes fixed part 24 and electrode support 2 by another fixing member, and also includes fixed part 24 directly supporting or fixing to electrode support 2.

[0018] In this paper, the electrode support 2 and the first housing 1 can be an integral structure or a separate structure. For example, the first housing 1 is metal and the electrode support 2 can be plastic. The electrode support 2 and the first housing 1 can be fixed by a tight fit, such as an interference fit or a snap fit. Alternatively, the electrode support 2 and the first housing 1 can both be made of plastic material and formed by integral injection molding.

[0019] In this embodiment, the electrodes include a first electrode plate 4 and a second electrode plate 5. The first electrode plate 4 and the heating element 3 are electrically connected, and the second electrode plate 5 and the heating element 3 are also electrically connected. The first electrode plate 4 and the second electrode plate 5 are positioned relative to the heating element 3. A certain distance is maintained between the first electrode plate 4 and the second housing 6 and the first housing 1, and a certain distance is maintained between the second electrode plate 5 and the second housing 6 and the first housing 1. The arrangement of the first electrode plate 4 and the second electrode plate 5 facilitates the assembly and fixation of the heating element 3 and the electrodes, and also facilitates the processing of the first electrode plate 4 and the second electrode plate 5.

[0020] In the above structure, the heating element 3 can be a cylindrical heating tube. The electrode has arc-shaped portions 15 that correspond one-to-one with and contact the surface of the heating element 3. The portion of the electrode between adjacent arc-shaped portions 15 is a joint portion 16. The joint portion 16 can be a planar structure. Figure 1 In the described embodiment, the electrodes are divided into an upper second electrode piece 5 and a lower first electrode piece 4 according to their position. In this case, the joint 16 includes a first joint 27 and a second joint 28. In other embodiments, there may be only one electrode, and the first electrode piece 4 and the second electrode piece 5 may be formed by bending one electrode. The electrode may have an arc-shaped structure for limiting or fixing with the heating element 3.

[0021] It should be understood that the number of heating elements 3 is not limited. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, there are at least two heating elements 3. The first electrode plate 4 has at least two first arcuate portions 25, which are electrically connected to a portion of the heating element 3. The second electrode plate 5 has at least two second arcuate portions 26, which are electrically connected to another portion of the heating element 3. The first electrode plate 4 has a first joining portion 27 located between adjacent first arcuate portions 25. The second electrode plate 5 has a second joining portion 28 located between adjacent second arcuate portions 26. The fixing portion 24 is located on both sides of the width direction of the first electrode plate 4 and / or the second electrode plate 5, or the fixing portion 24 is located between the first joining portion 27 and / or the second joining portion 28. The first joining portion 27 and the second joining portion 28 can be fixed by screws or rivets 13. In this embodiment, there are at least two heating elements 3. The first joint 27 and the second joint 28 are fixed by screws or rivets 13, for example, to facilitate the contact and electrical connection between the electrode and the heating element 3. The fixing part 24 is provided on both sides of the width direction of the first electrode plate 4 and / or the joint 16, and is fixed by electrode plate screws 10, which makes the fixing of the electrode and the electrode support frame simple and advantageous.

[0022] In other embodiments, the heating element 3 in the heating assembly can also be a single element. When there is only one heating element 3, the first electrode plate 4 has a first arc-shaped portion 25, which is electrically connected to a portion of the heating element 3; the second electrode plate 5 has a second arc-shaped portion 26, which is electrically connected to another portion of the heating element 3; with the length direction of the heating element 3 as the length direction of the heating assembly, the electrode support 2 is located on both sides of the width direction of the heating assembly. When there is only one heating element 3, the fixing portion 24 is disposed on both sides of the width direction of the electrode and fixed to the electrode support 2, thus simplifying the installation structure.

[0023] In both of the above cases, the distance between the electrode support 2 and the heating element 3 is 3mm in the width direction of the heating assembly to prevent the heat generated by the heating element 3 from radiating to the electrode support 2. The distance between the heating element 3 and the second housing 6 and the first housing 1 is also not less than 3mm, which can reduce the rate at which the housings heat up due to heat radiation.

[0024] The first housing 1 has a tooling hole 23, which corresponds to the joint 16 in the height direction of the heating assembly. Thus, when the first electrode plate 4 and the second electrode plate 5 need to be fixed, for example by riveting, a riveting machine can pass through the tooling hole 23 to rivet the first electrode plate 4 and the second electrode plate 5.

[0025] When the heating element 3 and the electrode are assembled, the heating element 3 is supported by extending the support fixture into the fixture hole 23, which can be used to fix the first electrode plate 4, the second electrode plate 5 and the heating element 3, for example by rivets 13 or screws.

[0026] The fixing part 24 is located on both sides of the electrode sheet in the width direction. The fixing part 24 can be on the first electrode sheet 4 or the second electrode sheet 5.

[0027] The heating assembly has a fixing member that secures the first electrode plate 4 and the second electrode plate 5. The fixing member can be a screw or a rivet 13, etc. The first joint 27 and the second joint 28 are fixed by a rivet 13, and the fixing part 24 is fixed to the electrode support member 2 by a screw or a rivet 13. In this embodiment, the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate are fixed to the electrode support member 2 at their left and right ends by screws. Alternatively, the left and right ends of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate can be directly riveted or fixed by screws, and then the first electrode plate or the second electrode plate is fixed to the electrode support member 2.

[0028] The first housing 1 is also provided with auxiliary holes 29, which correspond to the position of the heating element 3 in the height direction of the heating assembly. In one embodiment, a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate are provided on both ends of the heating element, and auxiliary holes are provided on both ends of the heating element. The auxiliary holes 29 are located between two rows of tooling holes 23. There are multiple auxiliary holes, and their number corresponds to the heating element. The auxiliary holes are arranged along the width direction of the first housing 1. In this embodiment, the auxiliary holes 29 can also be in two rows, with each heating element 3 corresponding to two auxiliary holes 29. The function of the auxiliary holes 29 is to allow the support tooling supporting the heating element 3 to extend into the corresponding auxiliary hole 29 during assembly and support the bottom of the corresponding heating element 3. In another embodiment, the auxiliary hole 29 can also be a large hole, corresponding to two or more heating elements. The auxiliary hole can extend along the width direction to cover all heating elements.

[0029] The electrode support 2 has a positioning wall 17 that contacts the electrode, and a fixing hole 18 is provided in the positioning wall 17. The electrode is fixed to the positioning wall 17 of the electrode support 2 by screws. The electrode support 2 also has two elongated legs 19, which form mounting grooves with the positioning wall 17 for mounting the electrode. The mounting grooves can limit the position of the electrode during assembly, thereby improving assembly efficiency.

[0030] Each support leg 19 is provided with a reinforcing rib 20 between its side facing the electrode and the positioning wall 17. The reinforcing rib 20 can further define the position of the electrode. The electrode portions at both ends of the electrode and the heating element 3 are provided with two sets of front and rear electrodes respectively. Correspondingly, the first housing 1 is provided with two sets of paired electrode supports 2 at both ends of the length direction corresponding to the positions of the electrodes.

[0031] In this structure, there are multiple ways to connect the electrode support 2 and the outer shell. In one embodiment, the electrode support 2 has a protrusion 21 on the side facing away from the positioning wall 17. The first shell 1 has a mounting hole corresponding to the protrusion 21, and the protrusion 21 is located in the mounting hole and tightly fitted with the wall portion corresponding to the mounting hole. In this connection method, the second shell 6 and the first shell 1 are made of metal, and the electrode support 2 is made of plastic. The electrode support 2 is fixed or limited to the second shell 6 or to the first shell 1.

[0032] In another embodiment, the electrode support 2 is integrally injection molded with the first housing 1. The electrode support 2 protrudes in the height direction of the heating assembly, and the protrusion direction faces the heating element 3. In this connection method, the second housing 6, the first housing 1, and the electrode support 2 are all made of plastic. There is no additional connecting structure between the electrode support 2 and the second housing 6 and the first housing 1. They are all formed into a single integral structure by injection molding.

[0033] In the above scheme, since the joint 16 is fixed by riveting, for example, with rivets 13, the connection method is simple and facilitates automated assembly. Both the second housing 6 and the first housing 1 can be made of sheet metal. The tooling hole 23 is a through circular or square groove. The lower tooling of the automated riveting device can pass through these tooling holes 23 to provide support and positioning for the first joint 27 or the second joint 28 during the riveting process.

[0034] Both the second housing 6 and the first housing 1 can be provided with one or more heat dissipation slots 33. The heat emitted by the heating element 3 when heating will be released into the space between the first housing 1 and the second housing 6. Through the heat dissipation slots 33, the temperature inside the first housing 1 and the second housing 6 can be further reduced.

[0035] The heating element 3 can be a resistance heating element of various forms. For example, the heating element 3 has a tube base, an electrothermal film disposed on the surface of the tube base, and an electrode part (e.g., a silver electrode). The electrode part and the electrothermal film are electrically connected. The copper electrode is located in the electrode part area of ​​the heating element 3 and is in close contact with the silver electrode after assembly.

[0036] The heating assembly includes a connector structure 9, and the heating element 3 includes a heating body and two end portions. Along the length of the heating assembly, the connector structure is located at both end portions of the heating element 3. The two end portions are confined within the connector structure, and the heating body is suspended between the first housing 1 and the second housing 6. A spring 7 is installed inside the heating element 3 to increase turbulence when liquid flows through the heating tube. Connector structures 9 and sealing rings 8 are fitted at both ends of the heating element 3 to allow liquid to flow into the heating element 3. The sealing rings 8 are used to achieve a seal between the heating element and the connector structure.

[0037] The connector structure 9 is made of plastic and has connection holes that fit the ends of the heating elements 3. Both ends of each heating element 3 are connected to the connector structure 9. The connector structure 9 is connected to the first housing 1 via a lower connector screw 11 and to the second housing 6 via an upper connector screw 12. The connector structure 9 is integrally injection molded, ensuring that each heating element is fixed in position inside the housing and at a consistent height relative to the housing surface.

[0038] The connector structure 9 has an annular wall portion 14 and a connecting portion 30, which are integrally injection molded. The annular wall portion 14 has a groove and is used to mate with the end portion of the heating element 3. The end portion of the heating element 3 is limited to the groove.

[0039] The connector structures 9 on both sides have reserved positioning grooves 31 to facilitate tooling positioning, which makes it convenient for automated assembly of the connector and heating element 3.

[0040] The connector structure 9 has a positioning pin 32, and the second housing 6 has corresponding holes at the corresponding positions. The positioning pin 32 is used to position the second housing 6 and the connector, which facilitates the installation of the second housing 6. At the same time, after the first housing 1 and the second housing 6 are fixed, the connector structure is further positioned. The connector structure 9 can also be fixed to the first housing 1 and the second housing 6 by screws (lower connector screw 11 and upper connector screw 12).

[0041] The connecting part 30 is provided with a connecting cavity for connecting the heating element 3, for example Figure 2 As shown, the left connector structure 9 has two connecting cavities and two draft holes. These draft holes are ultrasonically welded with plastic plugs to achieve water circuit sealing. The right connector has a water outlet or inlet end. An NTC sensor is installed in the draft hole, which can not only detect the inlet and outlet water temperatures, but also has a plug function. The structure is simple and easy to install.

[0042] In the above installation structure, the second housing 6, the first housing 1, and the electrode supports 2 on both sides are all at a certain distance from the heating element 3, which reduces the possibility that the electrode supports 2 are easily affected by high temperature and produce a burnt smell when in contact with the heating element.

[0043] Multiple electrode supports 2 can be provided. Along the length of the heating assembly, the electrode supports 2 are positioned near both ends of the heating element 3. Along the width of the heating assembly, the electrode supports 2 can be positioned on both sides of the heating element 3. Thus, in... Figure 1 As shown in the diagram, there can be four electrode supports 2, each set independently. This separate design of the electrode supports 2 also saves materials and reduces production costs.

[0044] The tooling hole 23 allows the tooling to pass through the first housing 1 to support the first joint and the second joint, facilitating the fixing and connection of the tooling to the first joint and the second joint, so that the fixing of the heating element and the contact between the heating element and the electrode can be operated with the heating element suspended.

[0045] The present invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention to other occasions without modification, are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heating assembly, comprising a housing, electrodes, and a heating element (3), wherein the heating element (3) is electrically connected to the electrodes, characterized in that: The outer casing includes a first housing (1), a second housing (6), and an electrode support (2). At least a portion of the heating element (3) is suspended between the second housing (6) and the first housing (1). At least a portion of the electrode is suspended between the first housing (1) and the second housing (6). Along the width direction of the heating assembly, the electrode support (2) is located on the side of the heating element (3), and there is a certain distance between the electrode support (2) and the heating element (3). The electrode has a fixing part (24), and the fixing part (24) is supported by the electrode support (2). The electrode includes a first electrode plate (4) and a second electrode plate (5). The first electrode plate (4) and the second electrode plate (5) are positioned relative to the heating element (3). In the height direction of the heating assembly, the first electrode plate (4) is at a certain distance from the second housing (6) and the first housing (1), and the second electrode plate (5) is at a certain distance from the second housing (6) and the first housing (1). The fixing part (24) is located on both sides of the width direction of the first electrode plate (4) and / or the second electrode plate (5); The electrode support (2) has a positioning wall (17), and the fixing part (24) is fixed to the positioning wall (17) of the electrode support (2) by screws or rivets; the electrode support (2) also has two extended legs (19), the legs (19) and the positioning wall (17) form a mounting groove for mounting the electrode, and a reinforcing rib (20) is provided between the side of each leg (19) facing the electrode and the positioning wall (17).

2. A heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first electrode plate (4) has a first arc-shaped portion (25), which is electrically connected to a portion of the heating element (3); the second electrode plate (5) has a second arc-shaped portion (26), which is electrically connected to another portion of the heating element (3); the electrode support (2) is located on both sides of the heating assembly in the width direction.

3. A heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two or more heating elements (3). The first electrode plate (4) has no less than two first arc-shaped portions (25), and the first arc-shaped portions (25) are in contact with a part of the heating element (3). The second electrode plate (5) has no less than two second arc-shaped portions (26), and the second arc-shaped portions (26) are in contact with another part of the heating element (3). The first electrode sheet (4) has a first joint portion (27) located between adjacent first arcuate portions (25), and the second electrode sheet (5) has a second joint portion (28) located between adjacent second arcuate portions (26).

4. A heating assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first housing (1) has a tooling hole (23), which corresponds to the position of the first joint (27) and the second joint (28) in the height direction of the heating assembly; The heating assembly includes a connector structure (9), and the heating element (3) includes a heating body and two end portions. In the length direction of the heating assembly, the connector structure (9) is located at the two end portions of the heating element (3), and the heating body is suspended between the first housing (1) and the second housing (6).

5. A heating assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fixing part (24) is located on both sides of the width direction of the first electrode sheet (4), the first joint part (27) and the second joint part (28) are fixed by rivets, and the fixing part (24) is fixed to the electrode support (2) by screws or rivets.

6. A heating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrode support (2) has a protrusion (21) on the side facing away from the positioning wall. The first housing (1) has a mounting hole corresponding to the protrusion (21). The protrusion (21) is located in the mounting hole and the protrusion (21) is tightly fitted or snap-fitted with the wall portion corresponding to the mounting hole.

7. A heating assembly according to claim 1, 3, 5, or 6, characterized in that: The second housing (6) and the first housing (1) are made of metal, and the electrode support (2) is made of plastic. The electrode support (2) is fixed or limited to the second housing (6), or the electrode support (2) is fixed or limited to the first housing (1).

8. A heating assembly according to claim 1, 3, 5, or 6, characterized in that: The electrode support (2) is integrally injection molded with the first housing (1); the electrode support (2) protrudes in the height direction of the heating assembly and the protrusion direction is towards the heating element (3).

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