PTC vapor heater with self-limiting temperature function

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of PTC steam heaters with self-limiting temperature function, including PTC heating component, further including vaporization pedestal, vaporization pedestal is equipped with vaporization cavity, vaporization pedestal is equipped with water inlet and steam outlet respectively with vaporization cavity intercommunication, water inlet and steam outlet are set apart on vaporization pedestal, the bottom of vaporization cavity is heat conduction surface, PTC heating component is set outside vaporization pedestal, the heating surface of PTC heating component and heat conduction surface are attached, shell is equipped outside vaporization pedestal, shell is equipped with fuse, thermistor and / or temperature controller respectively. Compared with prior art, heat is transmitted to vaporization cavity and heats and vaporizes liquid in vaporization cavity, and at least one of fuse, thermistor and / or temperature controller is used to monitor the heating temperature of PTC heating component, to improve the safety of electric heating steam generator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a PTC heater, and more particularly to a PTC steam heater with a self-limiting temperature function. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most electric steam generators in the industry still use traditional metal resistance wire heating tubes (i.e., "electric heating tubes") as the energy conversion unit. The essence of the technology is to use an electric current to heat the alloy resistance wire, and then transfer the heat energy through the metal tube wall to the water medium in contact, thereby continuously generating steam.

[0003] However, this traditional approach has several inherent and difficult-to-overcome drawbacks:

[0004] 1. Dry-burning hazards and safety risks: Electric heating elements have a high surface power density and heat up extremely quickly. If the water supply system malfunctions (such as a water pump failure, water circuit blockage, or water tank shortage), the heating element will be in a "dry-burning" state, and its surface temperature can rise rapidly to hundreds of degrees Celsius within tens of seconds. This can not only instantly damage the heating element but also potentially cause serious safety accidents such as short circuits, carbonization of surrounding materials, and even fires. Although protection can be provided by installing thermostats or fuses, these are reactive measures with a lag in response and cannot fundamentally eliminate the risk.

[0005] 2. Decreased thermal efficiency and short lifespan: Due to the high temperature of the resistance wire, calcium and magnesium ions in the water easily form scale on its surface. Scale buildup significantly hinders heat conduction, causing thermal efficiency to gradually decrease over time and energy consumption to increase. Simultaneously, the accumulation of high-temperature scale can lead to uneven heat dissipation in the heating element, generating thermal stress, accelerating the aging and burnout of the resistance wire, and significantly shortening the lifespan of the entire heating core.

[0006] 3. Fixed power and poor controllability: The resistance of traditional electric heating tubes is basically fixed, and their output power is mainly determined by the external power supply voltage. To achieve different steam volume or temperature adjustments, it is necessary to rely on complex external power modules (such as thyristor power regulators) to change the input voltage or current. This not only increases the cost and complexity of the circuit, but also reduces energy efficiency when operating at low power. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function, and the technical problem to be solved is to improve safety.

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function, including a PTC heating element and a vaporization base. The vaporization base is provided with a vaporization cavity. The vaporization base is provided with a water inlet and a steam outlet communicating with the vaporization cavity. The water inlet and the steam outlet are arranged far apart on the vaporization base. The bottom of the vaporization cavity is a heat-conducting surface. The PTC heating element is arranged outside the vaporization base. The heating surface of the PTC heating element is in contact with the heat-conducting surface. An outer shell is provided outside the vaporization base. A fuse, a thermistor and / or a temperature controller are respectively provided on the outer shell.

[0009] Furthermore, the vaporization cavity is provided with raised partition strips, which are distributed in the vaporization cavity to form a meandering channel in the vaporization cavity.

[0010] Furthermore, the vaporization base is provided with a PTC receiving cavity that is isolated from the vaporization cavity. The PTC receiving cavity is arranged adjacent to the vaporization cavity, and the partition between the PTC receiving cavity and the vaporization cavity forms a heat-conducting surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the separator is aligned with the direction of water flow at the inlet and spaced apart towards the steam outlet.

[0012] Furthermore, the outer shell includes a bottom shell and a top shell. The bottom shell has a bottom shell receiving cavity, and the vaporization base is disposed in the bottom shell receiving cavity. A clearance notch is provided on the side wall of the bottom shell opposite to the water inlet and the steam outlet. The bottom shell has an opening that communicates with the bottom shell receiving cavity, and the top shell is sealed to the opening.

[0013] Furthermore, the vaporization base is provided with an assembly port communicating with the PTC receiving cavity. The PTC heating element is assembled into the PTC receiving cavity from the assembly port. An avoidance notch is provided on the side wall of the bottom shell to avoid the assembly port.

[0014] Furthermore, the end of the vaporization base away from the heat-conducting surface is open, and a sealing ring is provided on the open end to achieve a seal with the surface shell.

[0015] Furthermore, when a fuse, a thermistor, and a temperature controller are provided, the fuse and the thermistor are located in the bottom housing cavity, and the temperature controller is located on the vaporization base.

[0016] Furthermore, the shell is provided with a raised edge that matches the opening of the vaporization base.

[0017] Furthermore, the vaporization base is made of aluminum.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, this utility model improves the safety of the electric steam generator by isolating the PTC heating element from the vaporization chamber, and by having the heating surface of the PTC heating element in contact with the heat-conducting surface of the vaporization chamber, allowing heat to be transferred to the vaporization chamber and heating and vaporizing the liquid entering the vaporization chamber. The heating temperature of the PTC heating element is monitored by at least one of a fuse, a thermistor, and / or a temperature controller. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is the front view of this utility model.

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A sectional view along the A-A direction.

[0023] Figure 5 Based on Figure 3 The right view.

[0024] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view along the C-C direction.

[0025] Figure 7 Based on Figure 3 Top view.

[0026] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A cross-sectional view along the B-B direction.

[0027] Figure 9 This is another structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 A schematic diagram of its breakdown. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0030] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, this utility model discloses a PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function, including a vaporization base 2, a PTC heating element 1, and a shell 3, wherein:

[0031] The vaporization base 2 has a flat, rectangular structure with two rectangular surfaces and four sidewalls. A recessed vaporization chamber 21 is provided on one of the rectangular surfaces, forming an opening communicating with the vaporization chamber 21. A water inlet 22 is provided on one sidewall, and a steam outlet 23 is provided on the other sidewall. The water inlet 22 and the steam outlet 23 are positioned far apart. Figure 2 As can be seen, the water inlet 22 and the steam outlet 23 are set away from the angle formed by the two side walls, thereby forming a channel with sufficient distance so that the liquid entering the vaporization chamber 21 vaporizes in the channel and is discharged from the steam outlet 23. A heat-conducting surface 24 is formed on another rectangular surface, which is the bottom of the vaporization chamber 21.

[0032] The PTC heating element 1 is disposed outside the vaporization base 2, and its heating surface is in contact with the heat-conducting surface 24, thereby heating the liquid in the vaporization chamber 21.

[0033] Both the vaporization base 2 and the PTC heating component 1 are located in the outer casing 3.

[0034] A fuse 4, a thermistor 5, and a temperature controller 6 are respectively installed in the outer casing 3 to monitor the temperature of the PTC heating element 1. The Curie point temperature is set to <265℃. That is to say, when the water temperature in the heating chamber is below the boiling point, the PTC chip displays high power; when dry burning causes the temperature to exceed the Curie point, the power of the PTC heating element 1 is reduced to below a safe value by the external controller. Since the PTC element has self-limiting temperature characteristics, the temperature can be controlled below 200℃ during dry burning, thus avoiding the risk of fire and improving the safety of the product.

[0035] In this utility model, the vaporization base 2 is made of aluminum material, specifically a cast aluminum part.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, a raised partition bar 25 is provided in the vaporization chamber 21. The partition bar 25 is a strip-shaped structure and is spaced apart from the position near the water inlet 22 toward the steam outlet 23. The partition bar 25 extends along the water flow direction of the water inlet 22. Adjacent partition bars 25 can be staggered to form a meandering channel in the vaporization chamber 21 for liquid vaporization, thereby generating steam more fully.

[0037] from Figure 2 As can be seen, the dividing strip 25 between the steam outlet 23 and the zero point is L-shaped to close one end of the channel and prevent the vaporized steam from returning to the channel.

[0038] like Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, a PTC receiving cavity 26 is provided at the bottom of the vaporization base 2, which is isolated from the vaporization cavity 21. The bottom of the vaporization base 2 is provided with a protruding part, and the PTC receiving cavity 26 is disposed in the protruding part. The PTC receiving cavity 26 is disposed adjacent to the vaporization cavity 21. The partition between the PTC receiving cavity 26 and the vaporization cavity 21 forms a heat-conducting surface 24 for heat conduction.

[0039] like Figure 2 , Figures 4 to 8 As shown, the outer shell 3 includes a bottom shell 31 and a top shell 32. The outer shell 3 is rectangular. The bottom shell 31 has a bottom shell receiving cavity 33, and the vaporization base 2 is disposed in the bottom shell receiving cavity 33. Screw holes are provided around the bottom shell 31 and around the vaporization base 2. Corresponding screw holes are also provided around the top shell 32. After the vaporization base 2 is assembled into the bottom shell receiving cavity 33, the top shell 32 is closed, and screws are passed through the screw holes on the top shell 32 and the screw holes on the vaporization base 2 in sequence, and then threadedly connected and tightened to the screw holes on the bottom shell 31 to fix the vaporization base 2 in the bottom shell 31. For installation, clearance notches are provided on the side walls of the bottom shell 31 opposite to the water inlet 22 and the steam outlet 23, so that after the vaporization base 2 is assembled into the bottom shell 31, the water inlet 22 and the steam outlet 23 extend out from the clearance notches on the bottom shell 31. An opening communicating with the bottom shell receiving cavity 33 is provided on the bottom shell 31, and the face shell 32 is sealed to the opening on the bottom shell 31. Specifically, an opening is provided on the rectangular surface of the vaporization base 2 away from the heat conduction surface 24, and a sealing ring 7 is provided on the edge of the opening. The sealing ring 7 is used to seal between the opening and the face shell 32 to achieve waterproofing.

[0040] like Figure 2 and Figure 8 As shown, in this utility model, the vaporization base 2 is provided with an assembly port 261 that communicates with the PTC receiving cavity 26 to facilitate the installation and disassembly of the PTC heating component 1. The PTC heating component 1 is assembled into the PTC receiving cavity 26 through the assembly port 261. A clearance notch is provided on the side wall of the bottom shell 31 to avoid the assembly port 261. The lead wire of the PTC heating component 1 extends out of the clearance notch to the outside of the outer shell 3.

[0041] In this invention, a fuse 4, a thermistor 5, and a temperature controller 6 are simultaneously provided. A temperature controller assembly slot 27 is provided on the vaporization base 2, and the temperature controller 6 is disposed in the temperature controller assembly slot 27. The temperature controller assembly slot 27 is adjacent to the vaporization chamber 21, specifically located outside the side wall of the vaporization chamber 21 at the assembly port 261. The fuse 4 and the thermistor 5 are disposed in the bottom shell receiving cavity 33, specifically located at the lower end of the vaporization chamber 21, adjacent to the PTC receiving cavity 26. The leads of the fuse 4, the thermistor 5, and the temperature controller 6 are all led out to the outside of the bottom shell 31. The fuse 4, the thermistor 5, and the temperature controller 6 achieve a dual combination of "active suppression + recoverable protection + non-recoverable protection" and "temperature protection + current protection".

[0042] like Figure 5 As shown, the faceplate 32 has a protruding edge 321 that matches the opening of the vaporization base 2 to limit the sealing ring 7.

[0043] like Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, as another embodiment of the vaporization base 2, the water inlet 22 and the steam outlet 23 are arranged on opposite side walls and on different sides. The rest of the structure is the same as the structure described above, so as to extend the liquid vaporization path, which will not be described again here.

[0044] In this invention, the PTC heating component 1 adopts the prior art and mainly includes a PTC element and an electrode plate disposed outside the PTC element. In this invention, a thermally conductive silicone sheet 11 is wrapped around the electrode plate for heat conduction and insulation.

[0045] This invention can be widely integrated into various household and light commercial steam products, especially suitable for scenarios with stringent requirements for operational safety, energy economy and service life. Typical applications include robot heating modules, steam cleaning equipment, miniature steam ovens, medical device sterilization systems and industrial-grade precision humidification devices.

Claims

1. A PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function, comprising a PTC heating element (1), characterized in that: It also includes a vaporization base (2), on which a vaporization cavity (21) is provided. The vaporization base (2) is provided with a water inlet (22) and a steam outlet (23) communicating with the vaporization cavity (21). The water inlet (22) and the steam outlet (23) are located far apart on the vaporization base (2). The bottom of the vaporization cavity (21) is a heat-conducting surface (24). The PTC heating element (1) is located outside the vaporization base (2). The heating surface of the PTC heating element (1) is in contact with the heat-conducting surface (24). A shell (3) is provided outside the vaporization base (2). A fuse (4), a thermistor (5) and / or a temperature controller (6) are provided on the shell (3).

2. The PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vaporization chamber (21) is provided with raised partition strips (25), which are distributed in the vaporization chamber (21) to form a meandering channel in the vaporization chamber (21).

3. The PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vaporization base (2) is provided with a PTC receiving cavity (26) that is isolated from the vaporization cavity (21). The PTC receiving cavity (26) is arranged adjacent to the vaporization cavity (21), and the partition between the PTC receiving cavity (26) and the vaporization cavity (21) forms a heat-conducting surface (24).

4. The PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function according to claim 3, characterized in that: The separator (25) is set at the same level as the water flow direction of the inlet (22) and spaced apart in the direction of the steam outlet (23).

5. The PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer shell (3) includes a bottom shell (31) and a front shell (32). The bottom shell (31) is provided with a bottom shell receiving cavity (33). The vaporization base (2) is disposed in the bottom shell receiving cavity (33). A clearance notch is provided on the side wall of the bottom shell (31) opposite to the water inlet (22) and the steam outlet (23). The bottom shell (31) is provided with an opening that communicates with the bottom shell receiving cavity (33). The front shell (32) is sealed to the opening.

6. The PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function according to claim 5, characterized in that: The vaporization base (2) is provided with an assembly port (261) that communicates with the PTC receiving cavity (26). The PTC heating component (1) is assembled into the PTC receiving cavity (26) from the assembly port (261). A clearance notch is provided on the side wall of the bottom shell (31) to avoid the assembly port (261).

7. The PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function according to claim 6, characterized in that: The vaporization base (2) is open at one end away from the heat-conducting surface (24), and a sealing ring (7) is provided on the open end to achieve a seal between it and the shell (32).

8. The PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function according to claim 7, characterized in that: When a fuse (4), a thermistor (5) and a temperature controller (6) are provided, the fuse (4) and the thermistor (5) are located in the bottom shell receiving cavity (33), and the temperature controller (6) is located on the vaporization base (2).

9. The PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function according to claim 8, characterized in that: The faceplate (32) is provided with a raised edge (321) that matches the opening of the vaporization base (2).

10. The PTC steam heater with self-limiting temperature function according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that: The vaporization base (2) is made of aluminum.

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