High-robustness heating unit and heater

Abstract

The utility model provides a high-robustness heating unit and a heater, relates to the technical field of heaters, and aims to solve the technical problem of insulation failure caused by condensation of a heating unit in the prior art. A high-robustness heating unit comprises a metal substrate, an insulating layer, a heating resistance layer and a protective layer are sequentially arranged on the upper end face of the metal substrate from bottom to top, a plurality of connecting terminals are arranged at one end of the metal substrate, and each connecting terminal comprises a shell arranged on the side wall of the metal substrate and a metal terminal exposed out of the shell and connected with the heating resistance layer, one end, close to the connecting terminal, of the insulating layer extends towards the connecting terminal to the edge of the metal substrate, the upper end surface of the metal substrate comprises a covering part covered by the insulating layer and an exposed part not covered by the insulating layer, and insulating glue is encapsulated on the exposed part; the heater comprises the high-robustness heating unit and a heater shell, and a sealing ring is arranged between the heater shell and the heating unit.

Description

A highly robust heating unit and heater Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of heater technology, specifically to a highly robust heating unit and heater. Background Technology

[0002] New energy vehicles commonly incorporate heaters, which convert electrical energy into heat to provide warmth to the battery and cabin at low temperatures. A heater typically consists of a metal substrate on which an insulating layer, a heating resistor layer, and a protective layer are sequentially printed as the heating unit. Connecting terminals on one side of the metal substrate connect to the heating resistor layer and, conversely, to the control circuit board. The heating resistor layer is insulated from the metal substrate by being encased within the insulating and protective layers.

[0003] Due to the nature of the heater's operation, its internal temperature fluctuates greatly and rapidly, making it prone to condensation in humid environments. Condensation droplets appear on the surface of the heating unit and the protective layer. Because the metal substrate needs to be bolted to other structures within the heater, the brittle insulation layer cannot completely cover the metal substrate. This allows the connection terminals to conduct through the condensation droplets, causing insulation failure. Furthermore, pinholes may appear in the protective layer of the heating unit due to printing processes. These pinholes, combined with the condensation droplets, can connect the heating resistance layer to the metal substrate, resulting in insulation failure.

[0004] Furthermore, the housing and heating unit are connected by bolts. The housing has a sealing groove, and the sealing ring is placed inside the groove. A metal base plate is used to press the sealing ring in place, ensuring a seal between the housing and the heating unit. To reduce the area of ​​the sealing groove, the sealing ring is designed as an ellipse, standing upright within the groove, with its top and bottom ends serving as sealing surfaces. Because the sealing ring is relatively long, it may tilt or collapse during installation, becoming obliquely fixed to the diagonal of the sealing groove. This affects the sealing performance and ultimately leads to coolant leakage during heater operation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the first objective of this utility model is to provide a highly robust heating unit to solve the technical problem of insulation failure caused by condensation in the heating unit in the prior art.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a highly robust heating unit, including a metal substrate. The upper surface of the metal substrate is provided with an insulating layer, a heating resistance layer and a protective layer from bottom to top. One end of the metal substrate is provided with a plurality of connection terminals. The connection terminals include a housing disposed on the side wall of the metal substrate and a metal terminal exposed outside the housing and connected to the heating resistance layer. The end of the insulating layer near the connection terminal extends towards the edge of the metal substrate in the direction of the connection terminal. The upper surface of the metal substrate includes a covered part covered by the insulating layer and an exposed part not covered by the insulating layer. The exposed part is filled with insulating glue.

[0007] With the above structure, the high-robust heating unit of this utility model has the following advantages: the insulating layer near the connection terminal extends to the edge of the metal substrate, increasing the area of ​​the covered part of the metal substrate. Since the exposed part cannot be insulated due to the need for connecting bolts, the insulation effect is achieved by potting insulating glue, thereby increasing the insulation area of ​​the metal substrate. When condensation occurs, it prevents the metal substrate from conducting with the connection terminal and the heating resistance layer, ensuring the effectiveness of insulation.

[0008] As an improvement, each metal terminal is fitted with an insulating sleeve made of insulating material; with this structure, the exposed metal terminal is covered by the insulating sleeve, which further prevents the metal substrate from conducting with the connection terminal and ensures the effectiveness of the insulation.

[0009] As an improvement, each metal terminal includes a first connecting part, a second connecting part and a third connecting part. One end of the first connecting part is connected to the housing, and one end of the third connecting part is connected to the heating resistance layer. The first connecting part is higher than the third connecting part. The two ends of the second connecting part are respectively connected to the other ends of the first connecting part and the other ends of the third connecting part. An insulating sleeve covers the first connecting part and the second connecting part.

[0010] As an improvement, the surface of the third connection part is coated with conformal coating; with this structure, the conformal coating insulates the part of the metal terminal that is not covered by the insulating sleeve, further preventing the metal substrate from conducting with the connection terminal and ensuring the effectiveness of the insulation.

[0011] As an improvement, one end of the insulating sleeve and closest to the housing is attached to the housing; this structure improves the insulation effect of the insulating sleeve on the metal terminals and ensures the effectiveness of the insulation.

[0012] As an improvement, the protective layer consists of three layers stacked sequentially. This structure reduces the risk of pinholes by increasing the number of protective layers, further preventing conductivity between the metal substrate and the heating resistor layer, and ensuring the effectiveness of insulation.

[0013] The second objective of this invention is to provide a heater, including the aforementioned highly robust heating unit, and a heater housing connected to the heating unit, with a sealing ring provided between the heater housing and the heating unit.

[0014] With this structure, the heater in this utility model has the following advantages: the insulating layer near the connection terminal extends to the edge of the metal substrate, increasing the area of ​​the covered part of the metal substrate. Since the exposed part cannot be insulated due to the need for connecting bolts, the insulation effect is achieved by potting insulating glue, thereby increasing the insulation area of ​​the metal substrate. When condensation occurs, it prevents the metal substrate from conducting with the connection terminal and the heating resistance layer, ensuring the effectiveness of insulation.

[0015] As an improvement, the sealing ring has two adjacent protrusions at both the top and bottom ends of its cross-section, with a groove formed between the two adjacent protrusions. With this structure, both the top and bottom ends have two support points with the sealing groove, which improves the stability of the sealing ring in the sealing groove and prevents the sealing ring from collapsing. Furthermore, the two protrusions at both the top and bottom ends of the sealing ring can form two seals, improving the sealing effect. Even if the sealing ring collapses, it can still produce a certain sealing effect.

[0016] As an improvement, each protrusion is an outward-convex arc shape; this structure increases the contact area between the seal ring and the sealing groove when the seal ring is compressed and deformed.

[0017] As an improvement, several protrusions are provided at equal intervals along the circumference on both the inner and outer walls of the sealing ring; this structure improves the stability of the connection between the sealing ring and the sealing groove. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 2 is a side view of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the sealing ring in Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0022] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the sealing ring in Embodiment 2 of this utility model.

[0023] Reference numerals: 1. Metal substrate; 11. Covering part; 12. Exposed part; 2. Insulating layer; 3. Heating resistance layer; 4. Protective layer; 5. Connecting terminal; 51. Housing; 52. Metal terminal; 521. First connecting part; 522. Second connecting part; 523. Third connecting part; 6. Insulating sleeve; 7. Sealing ring; 8. Protrusion; 9. Groove; 10. Protrusion. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following is a detailed description of a highly robust heating unit and heater according to the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Example 1

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a highly robust heating unit includes a metal substrate 1. As shown in Figure 3, the upper surface of the metal substrate 1 is provided with an insulating layer 2, a heating resistance layer 3, and a protective layer 4 from bottom to top. One end of the metal substrate 1 is provided with a plurality of connection terminals 5. The connection terminals 5 include a housing 51 disposed on the side wall of the metal substrate 1 and a metal terminal 52 exposed outside the housing 51 and connected to the heating resistance layer 3. The specific connection structure and connection method between the connection terminals 5 and the metal substrate 1 are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the insulating layer 2 extends from one end near the connecting terminal 5 to the edge of the metal substrate 1 in the direction of the connecting terminal 5. In other words, compared with the insulating layer 2 in the prior art, the insulating layer 2 has a wider coverage area and a larger coverage area for the metal substrate 1 in the direction near the connecting terminal 5. Therefore, the part of the metal substrate 1 directly below the metal terminal 52 is covered by the insulating layer 2.

[0028] In addition, the upper surface of the metal substrate 1 includes a covered portion 11 covered by the insulating layer 2 and an exposed portion 12 not covered by the insulating layer 2. The exposed portion 12 cannot be covered by the insulating layer 2 because it requires connecting bolts. Since the insulating layer 2 is a brittle material, if bolts are installed, the insulating layer 2 in this part will break. Therefore, in this embodiment, insulating glue is used to insulate the exposed portion 12, that is, the exposed portion 12 is filled with insulating glue.

[0029] In this embodiment, the insulating layer 2 near the connecting terminal 5 extends to the edge of the metal substrate 1, increasing the area of ​​the covered portion 11 of the metal substrate 1. Since the exposed portion 12 requires connecting bolts, the insulating layer 2 cannot be installed. The insulating effect is achieved by potting insulating glue, thereby increasing the insulating area of ​​the metal substrate 1. When condensation occurs, it prevents the metal substrate 1 from conducting with the connecting terminal 52 and the heating resistance layer 3, ensuring the effectiveness of the insulation.

[0030] To further ensure the effectiveness of insulation, each metal terminal 52 is fitted with an insulating sleeve 6 made of insulating material. Specifically, each metal terminal 52 includes a first connecting part 521, a second connecting part 522, and a third connecting part 523. One end of the first connecting part 521 is connected to the housing 51, and one end of the third connecting part 523 is connected to the heating resistance layer 3. The first connecting part 521 is higher than the third connecting part 523. The two ends of the second connecting part 522 are respectively connected to the other ends of the first connecting part 521 and the third connecting part 523. The insulating sleeve 6 covers the first connecting part 521 and the second connecting part 522. The surface of the third connecting part 523 is coated with a three-proof paint.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the end of the insulating sleeve 6 closest to the housing 51 is attached to the housing 51. The insulating sleeve 6 covers the entire first connecting portion 521 and the upper half of the second connecting portion 522, while the lower half of the second connecting portion 522 and the third connecting portion 523 exposed outside the insulating sleeve 6 are coated with conformal coating. For the material of the insulating sleeve 6, conventional insulating materials from the prior art, such as insulating rubber, can be used.

[0032] In addition, to further ensure the effectiveness of insulation, the protective layer 4 consists of three layers stacked sequentially. By increasing the number of protective layers 4, the risk of pinholes is reduced, and the conduction between the metal substrate 1 and the heating resistor layer 3 is further prevented.

[0033] In this invention, the creepage distance is increased by increasing the area of ​​the insulating layer 2, by potting the metal substrate 1 with glue, and by covering the metal terminal 52 with the insulating sleeve 6. The creepage distance from the metal terminal 52 to the metal substrate 1 is increased from 5.02 mm to 6.81 mm, which greatly reduces the risk of insulation failure caused by condensation droplets. By increasing the number of printing cycles of the protective layer 3, the possibility of condensation connecting the heating resistor layer 3 and the metal substrate 1 is eliminated, thus improving the robustness of the heating unit.

[0034] Example 2

[0035] This embodiment provides a heater, including the high-robust heating unit in Embodiment 1, and a heater housing. The heater housing is connected to the heating unit, and a sealing ring 7 is provided between the heater housing and the heating unit. The heater housing and the connection structure and connection method between the heater housing and the heating unit are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0036] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the sealing ring 7 has two adjacent protrusions 8 at both the top and bottom ends of its cross section, and a groove 9 is formed between the two adjacent protrusions 8. Both the top and bottom ends have two support points with the sealing groove, which improves the stability of the sealing ring 7 in the sealing groove and prevents the sealing ring 7 from collapsing. Furthermore, the two protrusions 8 at both the top and bottom ends of the sealing ring 7 can form two seals, which improves the sealing effect. Even if the sealing ring 7 collapses, it can still produce a certain sealing effect.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, each protrusion 8 is an outwardly convex arc shape, while the groove 9 is an inwardly concave arc shape. Several protrusions 10 are provided at equal intervals along the circumference on both the inner and outer walls of the sealing ring 7.

[0038] In this embodiment, the sealing ring 7 is less likely to collapse during assembly, and the filling rate of the sealing groove is increased by about 10%, improving the robustness of the heater.

[0039] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the two embodiments described above. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A highly robust heating unit, comprising a metal substrate (1), wherein an insulating layer (2), a heating resistance layer (3), and a protective layer (4) are sequentially disposed from bottom to top on the upper surface of the metal substrate (1), and a plurality of connecting terminals (5) are provided at one end of the metal substrate (1), wherein the connecting terminals (5) include a housing (51) disposed on the side wall of the metal substrate (1) and a metal terminal (52) exposed outside the housing (51) and connected to the heating resistance layer (3), characterized in that, The insulating layer (2) extends from one end near the connecting terminal (5) toward the edge of the metal substrate (1) in the direction of the connecting terminal (5). The upper surface of the metal substrate (1) includes a covered portion (11) covered by the insulating layer (2) and an exposed portion (12) not covered by the insulating layer (2). The exposed portion (12) is filled with insulating glue.

2. The highly robust heating unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the metal terminals (52) is fitted with an insulating sleeve (6) made of insulating material.

3. The highly robust heating unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the metal terminals (52) includes a first connecting portion (521), a second connecting portion (522), and a third connecting portion (523). One end of the first connecting portion (521) is connected to the housing (51), and one end of the third connecting portion (523) is connected to the heating resistance layer (3). The first connecting portion (521) is higher than the third connecting portion (523). The two ends of the second connecting portion (522) are respectively connected to the other end of the first connecting portion (521) and the other end of the third connecting portion (523). The insulating sleeve (6) wraps around the first connecting portion (521) and the second connecting portion (522).

4. The highly robust heating unit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The surface of the third connecting part (523) is coated with a three-proof paint.

5. The highly robust heating unit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The end of the insulating sleeve (6) that is close to the housing (51) is attached to the housing (51).

6. The high robustness heating unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective layer (4) consists of three layers stacked sequentially from top to bottom.

7. A heater characterized by, The heating unit includes the highly robust heating unit as described in any one of claims 1-6, and further includes a heater housing connected to the heating unit, wherein a sealing ring (7) is provided between the heater housing and the heating unit.

8. The heater according to claim 7, characterized in that, The sealing ring (7) has two adjacent protrusions (8) at both the upper and lower ends of its cross section, and a groove (9) is formed between the two adjacent protrusions (8).

9. The heater according to claim 8, characterized in that, Each of the protrusions (8) is an outwardly convex arc shape.

10. The heater of claim 7, wherein, The sealing ring (7) has several protrusions (10) equidistantly spaced along the circumference on both the inner and outer walls.

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