Hybrid heater core system

Abstract

A hybrid heater core system comprising: a heater core body (100) comprising: an upper collecting head (120), a lower collecting head part (140) and a plurality of cooling water lines (160) connecting the upper and lower collecting head parts, and a PTC heater (200) connected to the heater core body and comprising: a PTC element (203), a flow path opening (200A) forming a flow path in the PTC heater, and a connector (220) formed at a first end of the PTC heater, characterized in that the PTC heater (200) further comprises: Locking projections (240) adapted to be locked at an upper end and a lower end thereof to the upper and lower collecting head portions, and a hook (260) which is locked and fixed to the cooling water pipes at a second end of the PTC heater, the hybrid heater core system also includes: projecting rails (142) formed below the upper collecting head part (120) and above the lower collecting head part (140), vertically extending locking legs (242) formed respectively at an upper end and a lower end of the PTC heater, and the locking projection (240) formed on an end portion of the locking legs, the locking projection restricting an upper and a lower end of the projecting rails while the locking legs cover the projecting rails, the cooling water pipes (160) are formed at side ends thereof with projecting ribs (162, 162'), Fixing projections (222) surrounding one of the projection ribs (162) are formed on a connector (220) side of the PTC heater, and the hook (260) of the PTC heater is arranged to surround one of the projection ribs (162').

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the InventionThe present invention relates to a hybrid heater core system capable of integrating a heater core and a related art PTC heater by simply fixing and assembling these elements to each other, and maximizing a heating power by optimizing a structure.Description of the Related ArtFor effective response of the heating power, in the case of the related art, a heater core and a PTC heater using cooling water of an internal combustion engine were used at the same time. Thus, in the related art, separate PTC heaters were provided in front of the heater core to be arranged continuously by a separate mounting structure.However, since such a structure of the related art has difficulties such as assembly difficulties and the need to integrate the separate components into one (e.g., single) air flow path, there are problems such as assembly difficulties, expensive manufacturing costs, and a flow loss due to the non-continuous (or non-continuous) air flow path. From each of US 2005 / 0 242 203 A1, US 2014 / 0 008 450 A1, KR 10 2009 0 044 751 A and KR 10 2011 0 134 621 A a hybrid heater core system according to the preamble of claim 1 is known. Furthermore, WO 2013 / 129 814 A1 discloses a hybrid heater core system having a PTC heater which has guide ribs in first and second flow path openings of an upper plate and a lower plate, respectively, by being bent in mutually facing directions.The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an admission or any suggestion that this information belongs to the prior art already known to the person skilled in the art.EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to provide a hybrid heater core system capable of integrating a heater core and a related art PTC heater by simply fixing and assembling these members to each other, and maximizing a heating power through optimization of a structure.According to the present invention, a hybrid heater core system includes a heater core body including an upper header, a lower header, and a plurality of cooling water pipes (e.g., cooling water piping) connecting the upper and lower headers, and a PTC heater connected to the heater core body and including a PTC element, a flow path opening forming a flow path in the PTC heater, a connector (e.g., a plug) formed at a first end of the PTC heater, locking protrusions configured to be locked (e.g., locked or hooked) to the upper and lower header at an upper end and a lower end thereof, and having a hook that is locked (e.g., snapped or hooked) and fixed to the cooling water lines at a second end of the PTC heater.The hybrid heater core system further includes protruding rails formed below the upper header and above the lower header, vertically extending locking legs formed respectively at an upper end and a lower end of the PTC heater, and the locking protrusion formed at an end portion of the locking legs, wherein the locking protrusion restricts an upper end and a lower end of the protruding rails while the locking legs overlap the protruding rails.The cooling water pipes are formed at side ends thereof with protrusion ribs, fixing protrusions surrounding (e.g., covering) one (of the amount) of the protrusion ribs (e.g., a left-side protrusion rib) are formed at a connector side of the PTC heater, and the hook of the PTC heater is configured to surround (e.g., covering) one (of the amount) of the protrusion ribs (e.g., a right-side protrusion rib).The PTC heater may include an upper plate, a lower plate, and the PTC element interposed between the upper plate and the lower plate, wherein the upper plate is formed with a first flow path opening therethrough (or therethrough) and the lower plate is formed with a second flow path opening therethrough (or therethrough), and wherein in the first and second flow path openings of the upper plate and the lower plate, guide ribs are formed by being bent (e.g., angled) in directions facing each other.The PTC element may be positioned at a point between the first and second flow path openings adjacent to each other, and both side ends (e.g., side surfaces) of the PTC element may be supported by the guide ribs.The PTC element may be connected to a positive electrode via the connector (e.g., plug), and the upper plate ( 201) and the lower plate ( 202) may function as a negative electrode.The PTC heater may be attached to a side surface of the heater core (e.g., the heater core body) and fixed via the hook.According to the hybrid heater core system having a structure as explained above, it is possible to integrate the heater core and PTC heater of the related art by simply fixing and assembling these members to each other, and it is possible to maximize the heating performance through optimization of a structure.Further, the weight and the cost are reduced by the integrated structure, the flow resistance is reduced by forming a continuous flow path, and thus the heating efficiency is maximized.The apparatus of the present invention has other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.Explanation of the DrawingsFIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.FIGS. 3 to 5 are views showing the connection structure of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a view showing a PTC heater of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a view showing the electrical connection of the PTC heater of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a simplified representation of the various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.In the figures, reference numerals designate the same or corresponding components of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawings.Detailed DescriptionReference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the invention to these exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended that the invention cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, variations and other embodiments, which fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 3 to 5 are views showing the connection structure of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a view showing a PTC heater of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a view showing the electrical connection of the PTC heater of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.The hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is intended to easily assemble and form an integrated element the existing heater core and an additionally installed PTC heater, and is provided with a heater core body 100 including an upper header 120, a lower header 140, and a plurality of cooling water pipes (e.g., cooling water pipes) for connecting the upper and lower header 120 and 140.FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and a PTC heater is fixed to a heater core body. The PTC heater 200 is provided with a PTC element 203, and is formed with flow path openings 200A that form a flow path similar to the cooling water pipes 160. Thus, since a (e.g., single) common air flow path is provided at the time of heating, the flow resistance is minimized.In addition, a connector (e.g., a plug) 220 is provided at a left end so that electricity can be supplied. In addition, locking protrusions 240 locked (e.g., snapped or hooked) to the upper header 120 and the lower header 140 are formed at the upper and lower ends. Accordingly, the locking of the upper end and the lower end to the heater core body 100 enables a mounting position to be securely held, thereby firmly maintaining the resistance to the flow. Further, since a hook 260 is formed at a right end, which is fixed by being locked (e.g., snapped or hooked) to the cooling water pipe 160, the one-touch type heater core system can be easily assembled.Specifically, FIG. 3 is a view showing a locking protrusion 240, and a protruding rail 142 is formed below the upper header 120 and above the lower header 140. In addition, locking legs 242 that extend vertically are formed respectively at the upper end and the lower end of the PTC heater 200, and a locking protrusion 240 is formed at the end portion of the locking leg 242. In addition, the locking protrusions 240 are mounted to restrict the upper and lower ends of the rail 142 while the locking legs 242 overlap the rail 142.That is, the PTC heater 200 is temporarily mounted to the heater core body 100 via the locking protrusion 240, and is finally fastened by the hooks 260. After the fixing, a configuration capable of maintaining the mounting position before the flow in the vertical direction is provided.In addition, FIG. 5 shows fixing protrusions 222, and the cooling water pipe 160 of the heater core body 100 is formed with protrusion ribs (or protrusion ribs) 162 at the side end. In addition, fixing protrusions 222 surrounding (e.g., covering) protrusion ribs 162 of the leftmost cooling water pipe 160 are formed on the connector (220) side of the PTC heater 200, and the hooks 260 of the PTC heater 200 can be fixed, as shown in FIG. 4, by a structure surrounding (e.g., covering or enveloping) the protrusion ribs 162' of the rightmost cooling water pipe 160.Meanwhile, FIG. 6 is a view showing the PTC heater of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a view showing the electrical connection of the PTC heater of the hybrid heater core system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.As shown in FIG. 6, the PTC heater 200 is configured to have an upper plate 201, a lower plate 202, and a PTC element 203 interposed therebetween, and flow path openings 200A are formed to pass through the upper plate 201 and the lower plate 202, and guide ribs 201A and 202A may be formed by being bent (e.g., angled) in directions facing each other in the flow path openings 200A of the upper plate 201 and the lower plate 202. Thus, the PTC element 203 may be located (or disposed) at a point between adjacent flow path openings 200A, and both side ends (e.g., side surfaces) may be supported by the guide ribs 201A and 202A.In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the PTC element may be connected to a positive electrode via the connector 220, and the upper plate and the lower plate may function as a negative electrode. That is, the positive electrode of the PTC element is connected via the connector 220, a terminal L is disposed along the PTC element, and the positive electrode is connected via the terminal. In addition, since the entire upper plate and the entire lower plate form a negative electrode, a configuration of an internal circuit (e.g., a circuit) is simplified. In the case where the terminal is disposed between the upper plate and the PTC element 203, an insulator is naturally inserted and insulated between the terminal and the upper plate. According to the hybrid heater core system having a structure as explained above, it is possible to integrate the heater core and the PTC heater of the related art by simply attaching and assembling these members, and it is possible to maximize the heating performance through optimization of a structure.Further, the integrated structure reduces weight and cost, reduces the flow resistance by forming a continuous (or continuous) flow path, and thus maximizes the heating efficiency.For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner" and "outer" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures.The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and use the various embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof.

Claims

A hybrid heater core system, comprising: a heater core body (100) comprising: an upper header (120), a lower header (140), and a plurality of cooling water pipes (160) connecting the upper and lower headers, and a PTC heater (200) connected to the heater core body and comprising: a PTC element (203), a flow path opening (200A) forming a flow path in the PTC heater, and a connector (220) formed at a first end of the PTC heater, characterized in that the PTC heater (200) further comprises: locking protrusions (240) configured to:, In order to be locked at an upper end and a lower end thereof to the upper and lower header portions, and a hook (260) locked and fixed at a second end of the PTC heater to the cooling water pipes, the hybrid heater core system further comprises: protruding rails (142) formed below the upper header portion (120) and above the lower header portion (140); vertically extending locking legs (242) formed respectively at an upper end and a lower end of the PTC heater; and the locking protrusion (240) formed at an end portion of the locking legs, wherein the locking protrusion restricts an upper and a lower end of the protruding rails while the locking legs overlap the protruding rails, the cooling water pipes (160) are formed at side ends thereof with protrusion ribs (162, 162'), fixing protrusions (222) surrounding one of the protrusion ribs (162) are formed at a connector (220) side of the PTC heater, and the hook (260) of the PTC heater is configured to surround one of the protrusion ribs (162').The hybrid heater core system according to claim 1, wherein the PTC heater (200) comprises: an upper plate (201), a lower plate (202), and the PTC element (203) interposed between the upper plate and the lower plate, wherein the upper plate is formed with a first flow path opening therethrough and the lower plate is formed with a second flow path opening therethrough, and wherein in the first and second flow path openings of the upper plate and the lower plate, guide ribs (201A, 202A) are formed by being bent in directions facing each other.The hybrid heater core system according to claim 2, wherein the PTC element (203) is positioned at a point between the first and second flow path openings adjacent to each other, and both side ends of the PTC element are supported by the guide ribs (201A, 202A).The hybrid heater core system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the PTC element (203) is connected to a positive electrode via the connector (220), and the upper plate (201) and the lower plate (202) function as a negative electrode.The hybrid heater core system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the PTC heater (200) is attached to a side surface of the heater core and is fixed via the hook (260).

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