PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) air heating heater

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of automobile accessories. The PTC air heating heater solves the problem that in the prior art, a PTC air heating heater is poor in use reliability. The PTC air heating heater comprises a frame, a control box and a plurality of PTC heating core bodies, each PTC heating core body comprises a corrugated strip and an aluminum pipe assembly which are adjacently arranged, a glue pouring frame is arranged at the top of the frame, a confluence plate is located in the glue pouring frame, a plurality of insertion holes are formed in the bottom of the glue pouring frame, a mounting groove is formed in the bottom of the frame, and the control box is arranged in the mounting groove. The interior of the mounting groove is divided into a plurality of glue pouring grooves through a plurality of partition plates, clamping grooves are formed in the two sides of the frame, the two ends of each corrugated strip abut against the corresponding glue pouring frame and the corresponding partition plate respectively, the side portions of the two corrugated strips located on the outermost side are clamped into the clamping grooves respectively, and one end of the aluminum pipe assembly is inserted into the corresponding insertion hole. The other end of the aluminum pipe assembly is inserted into the glue filling groove, and the glue filling frame and the glue filling groove are filled with silica gel. The PTC air heating heater has the advantage that the use reliability of the PTC air heating heater is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of automotive parts technology and relates to a PTC air heater. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, air conditioning and heating in automobiles, especially new energy vehicles, mainly rely on onboard PTC air heaters. Taking a PTC air heater with control as an example, its working principle is mainly to power the PTC controller through the onboard high-voltage battery. The air heater controls the power output of the PTC controller to control its own heat generation.

[0003] Existing PTC air heaters typically consist of a heating element, an insulation layer, and a housing. The heating element is made of PTC material, the insulation layer ensures safe operation, and the housing provides protection and support. However, most existing PTC air heaters lack rigorous waterproofing design and have poor waterproofing performance. PTC air heaters installed in automobiles as automotive components face various extreme environmental conditions during daily use, such as wading. Therefore, PTC air heaters used as automotive components must meet an IP67 or higher protection rating. Thus, there is an urgent need to improve the protection level of existing PTC air heaters. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned problems in existing technologies by proposing a PTC air heater. The technical problem this invention aims to solve is how to improve the reliability of PTC air heaters.

[0005] The objective of this utility model can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A PTC air heater includes a frame, a control box connected to the frame, and a plurality of PTC heating cores disposed within the frame and electrically connected in parallel via a busbar. Each PTC heating core includes adjacent corrugated strips and aluminum tube assemblies. The frame is characterized by having a potting frame at its top, the busbar located within the potting frame, a plurality of insertion holes at its bottom, a mounting groove at its bottom, which is divided into a plurality of potting slots by a plurality of partitions, snap-fit ​​grooves on both sides of the frame, with the two ends of each corrugated strip abutting against the potting frame and the partitions respectively. The sides of the two outermost corrugated strips are snapped into the snap-fit ​​grooves. One end of each aluminum tube assembly is inserted into the insertion hole, and the other end is inserted into the potting slot. The potting frame and the potting slots are filled with silicone.

[0007] The top of this PTC air heater frame is sealed with silicone through a glue-filling frame. This seals the parts of the busbar and aluminum tube assembly that extend into the insertion holes within the frame. Simultaneously, a glue-filling groove is located at the bottom of the frame and sealed with silicone, ensuring that the parts of the aluminum tube assembly inserted into the groove are also sealed. This allows both ends of the PTC heating core (including the electrode areas) to be completely sealed with silicone. The silicone maintains its properties within a temperature range of -70℃ to 300℃, making it particularly suitable for high-temperature environments. It possesses excellent insulation properties and maintains a stable seal under extreme conditions, resulting in good waterproof and dustproof performance, thereby improving the reliability of this PTC air heater.

[0008] In the aforementioned PTC air heater, a silicone pad with several sockets is provided inside the potting frame. The silicone pad is fitted onto several aluminum tube assemblies, and the edges of the aluminum tube assemblies and corresponding sockets are interference-fitted. The silicone pad covers several of the insertion holes. The silicone pad serves two purposes: firstly, it provides insulation and shock absorption; secondly, it covers several insertion holes to prevent leakage from the insertion holes when potting adhesive into the potting frame.

[0009] In the aforementioned PTC air heater, the bottom of the control box has a connecting frame that can engage with the top of the frame. The connecting frame has snap-fit ​​holes, and the frame has snap-fit ​​blocks. The connecting frame is connected to the frame by several first bolts, and the snap-fit ​​blocks snap into the snap-fit ​​holes. The connecting frame is also covered with a ring-shaped first sponge strip. This design facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the control box and frame while ensuring the reliability of their connection. Furthermore, the low-density first sponge strip effectively prevents moisture penetration, providing excellent sealing and cushioning performance. The first sponge strip also functions as shock absorption, sound insulation, and dust prevention, thereby improving the reliability of the PTC air heater.

[0010] In the aforementioned PTC air heater, the bottom and both sides of the frame are covered with a U-shaped second sponge strip, with both ends of the second sponge strip abutting against the first sponge strip. The second sponge strip has a low density, effectively preventing moisture penetration and providing excellent sealing and cushioning performance. It also functions as a shock absorber, sound insulator, and dustproof. Furthermore, the abutting arrangement of the first and second sponge strips further ensures a tight seal, thereby improving the reliability of the PTC air heater.

[0011] In the aforementioned PTC air heater, the control box has a first conduit and a second conduit that are respectively connected to the outside. A high-voltage wire harness is threaded through the first conduit, and a high-voltage sealing ring and a first sealing ring cover are tightly fitted onto the high-voltage wire harness. The high-voltage sealing ring is interference-fitted into the first conduit, and the first sealing ring cover is interference-fitted onto the first conduit. A low-voltage wire harness is threaded through the second conduit, and a low-voltage sealing ring and a second sealing ring cover are tightly fitted onto the low-voltage wire harness. The low-voltage sealing ring is interference-fitted into the second conduit, and the second sealing ring cover is interference-fitted onto the second conduit. The high-pressure sealing ring is tightly fitted onto the high-pressure wiring harness and forms an interference fit with the inner wall of the first conduit. Simultaneously, after the first sealing ring cap is fitted onto the first conduit, it is baked using heat-shrink tubing to ensure a secondary sealing effect. Similarly, the low-pressure sealing ring is tightly fitted onto the low-pressure wiring harness and forms an interference fit with the inner wall of the second conduit. After the second sealing ring cap is fitted onto the second conduit, it is also baked using heat-shrink tubing to ensure a secondary sealing effect, thereby improving the reliability of this PTC air heater.

[0012] In the aforementioned PTC air heater, the control box further includes a first wiring groove and a second wiring groove. A first wire-passing hole is formed on the bottom wall of the first wiring groove, through which a power wire including a live wire, a neutral wire, and a ground wire passes. A high-voltage waterproof ring is tightly fitted onto the power wire, and the high-voltage waterproof ring is interference-fitted into the first wire-passing hole. A second wire-passing hole is formed on the bottom wall of the second wiring groove, through which a connection wire for an NTC temperature sensor passes. A low-voltage waterproof ring is tightly fitted onto the connection wire, and the low-voltage waterproof ring is interference-fitted into the second wire-passing hole. The high-voltage waterproof ring, tightly fitted onto the power wire and forming an interference fit with the wall of the first wire-passing hole, provides excellent sealing performance. Similarly, the low-voltage waterproof ring, tightly fitted onto the connection wire of the NTC temperature sensor and forming an interference fit with the wall of the second wire-passing hole, also provides excellent sealing performance, thereby improving the reliability of this PTC air heater.

[0013] In the aforementioned PTC air heater, a high-pressure waterproof gasket is tightly fitted onto the high-pressure waterproof ring within the first wiring groove, with an interference fit between the high-pressure waterproof gasket and the inner wall of the first wiring groove. Similarly, a low-pressure waterproof gasket is tightly fitted onto the low-pressure waterproof ring within the second wiring groove, with an interference fit between the low-pressure waterproof gasket and the inner wall of the second wiring groove. The high-pressure waterproof gasket fitted onto the high-pressure waterproof ring and its interference fit with the inner wall of the first wiring groove further enhances the sealing performance. Likewise, the low-pressure waterproof gasket fitted onto the low-pressure waterproof ring and its interference fit with the inner wall of the second wiring groove further enhances the sealing performance, thereby improving the reliability of this PTC air heater.

[0014] In the aforementioned PTC air heater, the control box includes an upper box and a lower box that are joined together vertically. The upper and lower boxes are detachably connected by several second bolts. The bottom surface of the upper box has an annular protrusion, and the top surface of the lower box has a recessed groove. An interference-fit annular sealing strip is embedded in the recessed groove, and the top of the annular sealing strip has an abutment groove. The annular protrusion is interference-fitted into the abutment groove. This design allows the control box to be disassembled, facilitating manufacturing, inspection, and maintenance. Furthermore, it ensures a good seal at the connection between the upper and lower boxes, thereby improving the reliability of the PTC air heater.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this PTC air heater are as follows: The top of the frame of this PTC air heater is sealed with glue by setting a glue-filling frame, and the bottom of the frame is sealed with glue by setting a glue-filling groove. This allows both ends of the PTC heating core (including the electrode parts) to be completely sealed with silicone. At the same time, the wiring parts such as the first wiring conduit, the second wiring conduit, the first wire hole, and the second wire hole on the control box are all sealed and protected, thereby improving the overall sealing performance of this PTC air heater, achieving good waterproof and dustproof effects, and thus improving the reliability of this PTC air heater in use. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the PTC air heater.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the PTC air heater after the first and second sponge strips have been removed.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a top view of the structure of the PTC air heater after removing the control box, the first sponge strip, and the second sponge strip.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the PTC heating core, potting frame, and silicone pad of this PTC air heater.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the frame and glue-filling frame of this PTC air heater.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a partial three-dimensional structural diagram of the PTC air heater after the first sealing ring cover has been removed.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a partial three-dimensional structural diagram of the PTC air heater after the second sealing ring cover has been removed.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a top view of the structure of the PTC air heater after removing the upper casing.

[0024] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the control box for this PTC air heater.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the upper casing of this PTC air heater.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the lower casing of this PTC air heater.

[0027] In the diagram, 1. Frame; 1a. Mounting slot; 1a1. Partition; 1a2. Glue potting tank; 1b. Snap-fit ​​slot; 1c. Snap-fit ​​block; 2. Control box; 2a. Connecting frame; 2a1. Snap-fit ​​hole; 2b. First conduit; 2c. Second conduit; 2d. First conduit groove; 2d1. First wire through hole; 2e. Second conduit groove; 2e1. Second wire through hole; 2f. Upper box body; 2f1. Annular protrusion; 2g. Lower box body; 2g1. Lower groove; 3. Busbar; 4. PTC heating core; 4a. Corrugated strip; 4b. Aluminum tube Components; 5. Potting frame; 5a. Insertion hole; 6. Silicone pad; 7. First sponge strip; 8. Second sponge strip; 9. High-voltage wiring harness; 10. High-voltage sealing ring; 11. First sealing ring cover; 12. Low-voltage wiring harness; 13. Low-voltage sealing ring; 14. Second sealing ring cover; 15. Power cord; 15a. Live wire; 15b. Neutral wire; 15c. Ground wire; 16. High-voltage waterproof ring; 17. Connecting wire; 18. Low-voltage waterproof ring; 19. High-voltage waterproof gasket; 20. Low-voltage waterproof gasket; 21. Annular sealing strip; 21a. Abutment groove. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0029] A PTC air heater, reference Figure 1-11The system includes a frame 1, a control box 2 connected to the frame 1, and several PTC heating cores 4 disposed within the frame 1 and electrically connected in parallel via a busbar 3. Each PTC heating core 4 includes adjacent corrugated strips 4a and aluminum tube assemblies 4b. A potting frame 5 is provided at the top of the frame 1, and the busbar 3 is located within the potting frame 5. The bottom of the potting frame 5 has several insertion holes 5a, and the bottom of the frame 1 has a mounting groove 1a, within which several partitions pass. 1a1 is divided into several potting grooves 1a2. The frame 1 has snap-fit ​​grooves 1b on both sides, and the two ends of the corrugated strip 4a abut against the potting frame 5 and the partition 1a1 respectively. The side parts of the two outermost corrugated strips 4a are snapped into the snap-fit ​​grooves 1b respectively. One end of the aluminum tube assembly 4b is inserted into the insertion hole 5a, and the other end of the aluminum tube assembly 4b is inserted into the potting groove 1a2. The potting frame 5 and the potting groove 1a2 are respectively filled with silicone.

[0030] The aluminum tube assembly 4b is an existing component. Specifically, the aluminum tube assembly 4b includes an aluminum tube and a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate that are simultaneously inserted inside the aluminum tube. The end of the aluminum tube located inside the potting frame is provided with a soft rubber end cap. The positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate both extend out from the soft rubber end cap. The busbar 3 is located above the soft rubber end cap and is provided with a plurality of electrode holes. The positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate extending out from the soft rubber end cap pass through the electrode holes respectively.

[0031] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 Furthermore, the glue-filling frame 5 is provided with a silicone pad 6 having a plurality of socket holes. The silicone pad 6 is simultaneously fitted onto a plurality of aluminum tube assemblies 4b, and the edges of the aluminum tube assemblies 4b and the corresponding socket holes are all interference fit. The silicone pad 6 covers a plurality of the insertion holes 5a.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 11 Specifically, the bottom of the control box 2 has a connecting frame 2a that can be engaged with the top of the frame 1. The connecting frame 2a has a snap-fit ​​hole 2a1, and the frame 1 has a snap-fit ​​block 1c. The connecting frame 2a is connected to the frame 1 by several first bolts, and the snap-fit ​​block 1c is snapped into the snap-fit ​​hole 2a1. The connecting frame 2a is also covered with a first sponge strip 7 in an annular shape. The bottom and both sides of the frame 1 are covered with the same second sponge strip 8 in a U-shape, and the two ends of the second sponge strip 8 abut against the first sponge strip 7.

[0033] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 More specifically, the control box 2 has a first conduit 2b and a second conduit 2c that are respectively connected to the outside. A high-voltage wire harness 9 is installed inside the first conduit 2b. A high-voltage sealing ring 10 and a first sealing ring cover 11 are tightly fitted on the high-voltage wire harness 9. The high-voltage sealing ring 10 is interference-fitted inside the first conduit 2b, and the first sealing ring cover 11 is interference-fitted on the first conduit 2b. A low-voltage wire harness 12 is installed inside the second conduit 2c. A low-voltage sealing ring 13 and a second sealing ring cover 14 are tightly fitted on the low-voltage wire harness 12. The low-voltage sealing ring 13 is interference-fitted inside the second conduit 2c, and the second sealing ring cover 14 is interference-fitted on the second conduit 2c.

[0034] Reference Figure 8 and Figure 9 More specifically, the control box 2 also has a first wiring groove 2d and a second wiring groove 2e. The bottom wall of the first wiring groove 2d is provided with a first wire hole 2d1. A power line 15 including a live wire 15a, a neutral wire 15b and a ground wire 15c is passed through the first wire hole 2d1. A high-voltage waterproof ring 16 is tightly fitted on the power line 15 and is interference-fitted into the first wire hole 2d1. The bottom wall of the second wiring groove 2e is provided with a second wire hole 2e1. A connection wire 17 of an NTC temperature sensor is passed through the second wire hole 2e1. A low-voltage waterproof ring 18 is tightly fitted on the connection wire 17 and is interference-fitted into the second wire hole 2e1.

[0035] Reference Figure 8 Furthermore, a high-pressure waterproof gasket 19 is tightly fitted on the high-pressure waterproof ring 16 and located inside the first wire-passing groove 2d. The high-pressure waterproof gasket 19 is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the first wire-passing groove 2d. A low-pressure waterproof gasket 20 is tightly fitted on the low-pressure waterproof ring 18 and located inside the second wire-passing groove 2e. The low-pressure waterproof gasket 20 is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the second wire-passing groove 2e.

[0036] In this embodiment, the control box 2 preferably includes an upper box body 2f and a lower box body 2g that are joined together vertically. The upper box body 2f and the lower box body 2g are detachably connected by a number of second bolts. The bottom surface of the upper box body 2f has an annular protrusion 2f1, and the top surface of the lower box body 2g has a lower groove 2g1. An annular sealing strip 21 with an interference fit is embedded in the lower groove 2g1. The top of the annular sealing strip 21 has an abutment groove 21a, and the annular protrusion 2f1 is interference-fitted into the abutment groove 21a.

[0037] The top of the PTC air heater frame 1 is sealed with glue by setting a glue-filling frame 5. At the same time, a glue-filling groove 1a2 is set at the bottom of the frame 1 and sealed with glue. Meanwhile, the wiring parts on the control box 2, such as the first wiring conduit 2b, the second wiring conduit 2c, the first wire hole 2d1, and the second wire hole 2e1, are all sealed and protected, thereby improving the overall sealing performance of the PTC air heater, achieving good waterproof and dustproof effects, and thus improving the reliability of the PTC air heater.

[0038] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative examples illustrating the spirit of this utility model. Those skilled in the art to which this utility model pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of this utility model or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A PTC air-warming heater, comprising a frame (1), a control box (2) connected to the frame (1), a plurality of PTC heating cores (4) arranged in the frame (1) and electrically connected in parallel through a busbar (3), the PTC heating core (4) comprising corrugated strips (4a) and aluminum tube assemblies (4b) arranged adjacently, characterized in that, The top of the frame (1) is provided with a glue pouring frame (5), the busbar (3) is located in the glue pouring frame (5), the bottom of the glue pouring frame (5) is provided with a plurality of plug-in holes (5a), the bottom of the frame (1) is provided with a mounting groove (1a), the mounting groove (1a) is divided into a plurality of glue pouring grooves (1a2) by a plurality of partitions (1a1), the two sides of the frame (1) are provided with clamping grooves (1b), and the two ends of the corrugated strips (4a) are respectively abutted against the glue pouring frame (5) and the partitions (1a1), the sides of the two corrugated strips (4a) located at the outermost sides are respectively clamped in the clamping grooves (1b), one end of the aluminum pipe assembly (4b) is plugged into the plug-in hole (5a), the other end of the aluminum pipe assembly (4b) is plugged into the glue pouring groove (1a2), and the glue pouring frame (5) and the glue pouring groove (1a2) are respectively filled with silica gel.

2. The PTC wind heater according to claim 1, wherein, The glue pouring frame (5) is provided with a silica gel pad (6) with a plurality of sleeve holes, the silica gel pad (6) is sleeved on a plurality of the aluminum pipe assemblies (4b) at the same time, and the aluminum pipe assembly (4b) and the edge of the corresponding sleeve hole are in interference fit, and the silica gel pad (6) covers a plurality of the plug-in holes (5a).

3. The PTC wind heater according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The bottom of the control box (2) is provided with a connecting frame (2a) capable of being connected to the top of the frame (1), the connecting frame (2a) is provided with a clamping hole (2a1), the frame (1) is provided with a clamping block (1c), the connecting frame (2a) is connected to the frame (1) by a plurality of first bolts, and the clamping block (1c) is clamped in the clamping hole (2a1), and the connecting frame (2a) is further covered with a first sponge strip (7) in the form of a ring.

4. The PTC wind heater according to claim 3, wherein, The bottom and the two sides of the frame (1) are covered with a second sponge strip (8) in the form of a U, and the two ends of the second sponge strip (8) are abutted against the first sponge strip (7) at the same time.

5. The PTC air warming heater according to claim 3, wherein The control box (2) is provided with a first wire pipe (2b) and a second wire pipe (2c) respectively communicating with the outside, a high-voltage wire harness (9) is arranged in the first wire pipe (2b), the high-voltage wire harness (9) is tightly sleeved with a high-voltage sealing ring (10) and a first sealing ring cover (11), the high-voltage sealing ring (10) is arranged in interference in the first wire pipe (2b), the first sealing ring cover (11) is sleeved in interference on the first wire pipe (2b), a low-voltage wire harness (12) is arranged in the second wire pipe (2c), the low-voltage wire harness (12) is tightly sleeved with a low-voltage sealing ring (13) and a second sealing ring cover (14), the low-voltage sealing ring (13) is arranged in interference in the second wire pipe (2c), and the second sealing ring cover (14) is sleeved in interference on the second wire pipe (2c).

6. The PTC air warming heater according to claim 3, wherein The control box (2) is further provided with a first threading groove (2d) and a second threading groove (2e), a first wire passing hole (2d1) is formed in the bottom wall of the first threading groove (2d), a power supply wire (15) containing a live wire (15a), a zero line (15b) and a ground wire (15c) is threaded in the first wire passing hole (2d1), a high-pressure waterproof ring (16) is tightly sleeved on the power supply wire (15), the high-pressure waterproof ring (16) is interference-fitted in the first wire passing hole (2d1), a second wire passing hole (2e1) is formed in the bottom wall of the second threading groove (2e), a connecting wire (17) of an NTC temperature sensor is threaded in the second wire passing hole (2e1), a low-pressure waterproof ring (18) is tightly sleeved on the connecting wire (17), and the low-pressure waterproof ring (18) is interference-fitted in the second wire passing hole (2e1).

7. A PTC air warming heater according to claim 6, wherein The high-pressure waterproof ring (16) is tightly sleeved with a high-pressure waterproof gasket (19) located in the first threading groove (2d), and the high-pressure waterproof gasket (19) is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the first threading groove (2d); the low-pressure waterproof ring (18) is tightly sleeved with a low-pressure waterproof gasket (20) located in the second threading groove (2e), and the low-pressure waterproof gasket (20) is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the second threading groove (2e).

8. The PTC air warming heater according to claim 3, wherein, The control box (2) comprises an upper box body (2f) and a lower box body (2g) jointed up and down, the upper box body (2f) and the lower box body (2g) are detachably connected through a plurality of second bolts, the bottom surface of the upper box body (2f) is provided with an annular protrusion (2f1), the top surface of the lower box body (2g) is provided with a lower groove (2g1), the lower groove (2g1) is embedded with an interference-fitted annular sealing strip (21), the top portion of the annular sealing strip (21) is provided with an abutting groove (21a), and the annular protrusion (2f1) is interference-fitted in the abutting groove (21a).

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