Automobile air duct structure with heater

Abstract

The invention provides an automobile air pipe structure with a heater, which comprises an air pipe, a mounting platform of the air heater is integrated on the air pipe, the mounting platform of the air heater and the air pipe are integrally formed by injection molding, and a radiator of the air heater is positioned on an air circulation path in the air pipe. And an opening for inserting the air heater into the mounting platform is formed in the air pipe. The automobile air pipe structure with the heater is suitable for a warm air conveying system of an electric automobile or a traditional fuel vehicle, the PTC heating core body is directly integrated in the air pipe, the heat transfer path is shortened, and the energy efficiency is improved; and meanwhile, the temperature control design is simplified by utilizing the self-temperature-limiting characteristic of the PTC, the space and the cost are saved, and firm installation, efficient heat exchange, safety and reliability can be ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive air conditioning system technology, and in particular to an automotive air duct structure with a heater. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional automobiles use external PTC heaters, requiring additional installation space, which contradicts the trend of lightweight and compact vehicle design and poses a significant challenge to the overall vehicle layout. The heat generated by the external PTC heater is within a separate module and must be transported to the target air duct via a long duct. This longer transport path results in significant heat dissipation during transport, reducing overall thermal efficiency. The additional housing, connectors, and longer ductwork also increase material costs, mold costs, and weight.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to design an automotive duct structure with a heater to overcome the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide an automotive air duct structure with a heater. This invention solves at least some of the problems in the prior art.

[0005] This invention is implemented as follows:

[0006] The present invention provides an automotive air duct structure with a heater, including an air duct, wherein the mounting platform of the air heater is integrally injection molded with the air duct, the radiator of the air heater is located on the air flow path inside the air duct, and the air duct is provided with an opening for the air heater to be inserted into the mounting platform.

[0007] Furthermore, the mounting platform of the air heater is integrally injection molded with the air duct.

[0008] Furthermore, the duct wall of the air duct protrudes outward to form the installation platform.

[0009] Furthermore, the installation platform is positioned close to the air inlet of the duct.

[0010] Furthermore, the injection molding compound of the air duct contains high-temperature resistant talc powder.

[0011] Furthermore, the air heater includes a PTC heating core, which includes at least one PTC heating chip, with each PTC heating chip spaced apart, and each PTC heating chip having a heat sink on both sides.

[0012] Furthermore, the PTC heating core is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the mounting platform.

[0013] Furthermore, the opening is provided with a cover plate that can seal the opening, and the cover plate is provided with an opening for the end electrode of the PTC heating chip to extend out.

[0014] Furthermore, the cover plate is detachably connected to the air duct.

[0015] Furthermore, one end of the PTC heating core abuts against the cover plate, and the other end of the PTC heating core away from the cover plate abuts against the inner wall of the mounting platform.

[0016] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1. This invention features a compact structure and saves space: By integrating the mounting platform of the PTC heating core with the duct wall, the additional housing and connecting duct required for an external PTC heater are completely eliminated. The curved duct body can directly adapt to the overall vehicle layout, greatly saving valuable space in the engine compartment or behind the dashboard, which is conducive to optimizing the overall vehicle layout.

[0018] 2. This invention significantly improves thermal efficiency: the heat dissipation fins of the radiator directly protrude into the main airflow channel, allowing for close and large-area heat exchange with the cold air. The heat transfer path is extremely short, avoiding path losses in traditional solutions. Actual measurements show that this structure significantly improves both thermal response speed and final outlet air temperature.

[0019] 3. Enhanced safety and reliability of this invention: The self-limiting temperature characteristics of the PTC material itself provide primary overheat protection. The built-in PTC heating core mounting platform and cover plate provide a stable and vibration-resistant installation environment for the PTC heating core, completely avoiding the risk of vibration-induced detachment. The cover plate seals the duct opening, ensuring that all airflow effectively passes through the duct, improving the consistency and reliability of system operation.

[0020] 4. This invention reduces manufacturing costs and weight: It eliminates the need for the metal outer shell of the PTC heating core, some connecting parts, and additional duct sections. The duct body and the mounting platform of the PTC heating core are integrally injection molded, reducing the number of parts, assembly steps, and material costs, while also achieving lightweight design.

[0021] 5. This invention facilitates installation and maintenance: The entire assembly is installed as a single component on the vehicle assembly line, simplifying the assembly process. If the PTC heating core needs replacement, simply open the cover; the ease of maintenance is far superior to that of independent assemblies or adhesive-type solutions. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automotive air duct with a heater provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 Provided for embodiments of the present invention Figure 1 Sectional view of AA in the middle;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a PTC heating core provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Air duct; 2. Air outlet; 3. PTC heating core; 4. PTC ceramic chip; 5. Heat sink; 6. Cover plate; 7. Mounting platform; 8. Functional interface section; 9. Air inlet; 10. Clip; 11. Electrode. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0029] like Figures 1-3This invention provides an automotive air duct structure with a heater, including an air duct 1. An air heater mounting platform 7 is integrated onto the air duct 1. The air heater mounting platform 7 is integrally injection molded with the air duct 1. The radiator 5 of the air heater is located in the airflow path within the air duct. Air enters from the air inlet 9, undergoes heat exchange through the radiator 5, and is then discharged through the air outlet 2. The air duct 1 has an opening for the air heater to be inserted into the mounting platform 7. The air heater extends into the cavity of the mounting platform 7 through the opening. In this embodiment, the air heater includes a PTC heating core 3.

[0030] The PTC heating core 3 is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the mounting platform 7, which is used to accommodate and fix the PTC heating core 3.

[0031] The duct wall of the air duct 1 protrudes radially outward to form the mounting platform. The mounting platform is positioned near the air inlet 9 of the air duct 1, allowing for thorough mixing of hot and cold air within the duct 1. This results in a more uniform temperature of the air exiting from the air outlet 2 of the air duct 1, preventing localized overheating or undercooling and improving comfort. In this embodiment, the radial cross-sectional profile of the mounting platform is rectangular. The PTC heating core 3 is enclosed within the mounting platform, which serves as the outer shell of the PTC heating core 3. This invention features a compact structure and saves space. By integrating the mounting platform of the PTC heating core with the duct wall, it completely eliminates the need for an additional outer shell and connecting duct required for a separate assembly.

[0032] This invention significantly improves thermal efficiency. The heat sink fins protrude directly into the main airflow channel, allowing for close and large-area heat exchange with the cool air. The heat transfer path is extremely short, avoiding path losses in traditional solutions. Actual measurements show that this structure significantly improves both thermal response speed and final outlet air temperature.

[0033] like Figure 2 The cross-sectional view clearly shows that a radially protruding, approximately rectangular built-in mounting cavity (the inner cavity of the mounting platform 7) is directly injection molded into the duct wall of the duct 1. This cavity is an inseparable whole with the duct 1.

[0034] The PTC heating core 3 is inserted radially along the mounting platform 7 until the peripheral frame or fixed lug of the PTC heating core 3 is in contact with the mounting step or support surface inside the cavity of the mounting platform 7.

[0035] This invention reduces manufacturing costs and weight by eliminating the metal shell of the PTC heating core, some connectors, and additional duct sections. The duct body and the mounting platform of the PTC heating core are integrally injection molded, reducing the number of parts, assembly steps, and material costs, while also achieving lightweight design.

[0036] This invention facilitates installation and maintenance. The entire assembly is installed as a single component on the vehicle assembly line, simplifying the assembly process. If the PTC heating core needs replacement, the operation can be performed simply by opening the cover. This level of maintenance convenience is far superior to external PTC heaters or solutions that simply stack or attach PTC heaters to ductwork.

[0037] like Figure 3 The PTC heating core 3 includes at least one PTC heating chip, with each PTC heating chip spaced apart. Each PTC heating chip has a heat sink 5 on both sides. In this embodiment, the electrode 11 of the PTC heating core 3 is riveted to the heat sink fins of the heat sink 5 via hollow rivets, simplifying the structure of the PTC heating core 3. The electrode 11 is ultimately connected to an external simple relay (not shown in the figure, belonging to the prior art) via a vehicle-side wiring harness. The air conditioning control unit (ECU) regulates the switching of the PTC heater by controlling the on / off state of this relay, eliminating the need for a complex independent control unit.

[0038] This invention innovatively integrates a simple PTC heating core with an air duct into a single structure, eliminating the need for complex control units and additional sensors required by traditional independent external heaters.

[0039] In this embodiment, the PTC heating chip is a PTC ceramic chip 4, whose Curie temperature is between 90°C and 200°C. The heat emitted by the PTC ceramic chip 4 is transferred to the heat sink 5, and the heat sink 5 exchanges heat with the air in the duct 1. The PTC ceramic chip 4 has its own overheat protection function: the PTC ceramic chip 4 is preferably a barium titanate-based ceramic sheet with a Curie temperature of 137°C, which has self-limiting temperature characteristics, that is, when the temperature exceeds the Curie point, the resistance increases sharply and the power automatically decreases, so as not to cause overheating problems. Therefore, it is not easily damaged, has a long service life, and does not require frequent replacement and maintenance. This invention simplifies the temperature control design by utilizing the self-limiting temperature characteristics of PTC, saving space and cost.

[0040] The aluminum heat dissipation fins of the heat sink 5 are made of 6063 aluminum alloy and are tightly bonded to the PTC ceramic chip 4 through a die-casting process to form a good heat conduction path. The heat sink 5 includes multiple parallel vertical heat dissipation fins, each of which extends radially. The direction of the heat dissipation fins is basically parallel to the airflow direction inside the air duct 1 to reduce wind resistance and optimize heat exchange efficiency.

[0041] The opening of the air duct 1 is provided with a cover plate 6 that can seal the opening, and the cover plate 6 has an opening for the end electrode 11 of the PTC heating core 3 to extend out. The end electrode 11 of the PTC ceramic chip 4 is electrically connected to an external connector harness.

[0042] One end of the PTC heating core 3 abuts against the cover plate 6, and the other end of the PTC heating core 3, away from the cover plate 6, abuts against the inner wall of the mounting platform. The cover plate 6 serves to fix the PTC heating core 3.

[0043] The cover plate 6 fits against the mounting step or support surface inside the cavity of the mounting platform 7 through the fixed lugs, axially pressing the PTC heating core 3 to ensure that it will not loosen or make abnormal noise under working vibration environment.

[0044] The cover plate 6 and the air duct 1 are detachably connected by clips or screws. In this embodiment, the joint surface between the cover plate 6 and the air duct 1 is fixed by clips to prevent airflow from leaking from the opening of the air duct 1, avoid high-pressure airflow from leaking into the engine compartment, and ensure that all heated air can be effectively delivered to the cockpit.

[0045] The built-in PTC heating core mounting platform 7, in conjunction with the cover plate 6, provides a stable and vibration-resistant installation environment for the PTC heating core, completely avoiding the risk of it falling off due to vibration. The cover plate 6 seals the opening of the air duct 1, ensuring that all airflow passes effectively through the air duct 1, improving the efficiency, consistency, and reliability of the system operation.

[0046] High-temperature resistant talc powder is added to the injection molding plastic of the duct 1. Specifically, in this embodiment, the duct 1 is made of reinforced plastic composed of 80% polypropylene and 20% talc powder. Polypropylene can also be replaced by other engineering plastics. Talc powder can improve the heat resistance and rigidity of the duct 1, ensuring the structural strength and dimensional stability of the duct under long-term high-temperature working environment (usually requiring resistance above 120°C), and also ensuring the structural stability of the PTC heating core mounting platform 7. The cover plate 6 is made of the same material as the duct 1 and also has high-temperature resistant properties.

[0047] The air duct 1 is curved, and the curved air duct body can be directly adapted to the overall vehicle layout, which greatly saves valuable space behind the engine compartment or dashboard and is conducive to the optimization of the overall vehicle layout.

[0048] The outer wall of the air duct 1 is provided with a buckle 10 and a functional interface part 8. Both the buckle 10 and the functional interface part 8 serve to fix the air duct 1 to the vehicle interior. The buckle 10 is a radially protruding cylindrical structure, and the functional interface part 8 can adopt a guide rail structure. The buckle 10 and the functional interface part 8 can be optimized according to the actual situation.

[0049] This invention achieves true integrated and modular design of the PTC heater and ductwork, rather than simple stacking or external attachment. Through its unique structural design, this invention significantly reduces system size, weight, and manufacturing costs while ensuring efficient and reliable heating.

[0050] This invention significantly reduces the number of parts, lowers manufacturing costs and installation complexity; it shortens the hot air transfer path, reduces heat loss, and improves heating efficiency and response speed; its overall structure is compact and easy to install in the vehicle layout, making it particularly suitable for models with strict space and cost requirements. This design effectively solves the problems of high cost, space occupation, and low thermal efficiency of existing independent PTC heater assemblies.

[0051] The contents not described in detail in this specification are existing technologies known to those skilled in the art.

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A car air duct structure with a heater, characterized in that: The device includes a duct, on which an installation platform for a wind heater is integrated. The radiator of the wind heater is located in the airflow path inside the duct, and the duct has an opening for the wind heater to be inserted into the installation platform.

2. The automotive air duct structure with heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting platform of the air heater is integrally injection molded with the air duct.

3. The automotive air duct structure with heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The duct wall protrudes outward to form the installation platform.

4. The automotive air duct structure with heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The installation platform is positioned near the air inlet of the duct.

5. The automotive air duct structure with heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The injection molding compound for the air duct contains high-temperature resistant talc powder.

6. The automotive air duct structure with heater as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The air heater includes a PTC heating core, which includes at least one PTC heating chip. The PTC heating chips are spaced apart, and each PTC heating chip has a heat sink on both sides.

7. The automotive air duct structure with heater as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The PTC heating core is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the mounting platform.

8. The automotive air duct structure with heater as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The opening is provided with a cover plate that can seal the opening, and the cover plate has an opening for the end electrode of the PTC heating core to extend out.

9. The automotive air duct structure with heater as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The cover plate is detachably connected to the air duct.

10. The automotive duct structure with heater as described in claim 7, characterized in that: One end of the PTC heating core abuts against the cover plate, and the other end of the PTC heating core away from the cover plate abuts against the inner wall of the installation platform.

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