Heat transfer medium heating device

Abstract

In a heat transfer medium heating device in which a plurality of rod-shaped heating bodies are accommodated in a housing body, the flow resistance of heating flow paths adjacent to one another along the rod-shaped heating bodies and a connecting flow path connecting them is improved, and unevenness in the flow of the heat transfer medium in the plurality of heating flow paths is eliminated.The heat transfer medium heating device comprises a plurality of rod-shaped heat generating bodies arranged side by side and a housing body in which the plurality of rod-shaped heat generating bodies are accommodated, wherein the housing body comprises a plurality of heating flow paths which allow a heat transfer medium to flow along the rod-shaped heat generating bodies, and a connecting flow path which connects the plurality of heating flow paths to one another, wherein the connecting flow path has a flow path widening section which causes the flow path width of the heat transfer medium to be widened on the side opposite to the longitudinal direction of the heating flow paths.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat transfer medium heating device. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] In a heating device for a heat medium used in a vehicle air conditioning device or the like, a heating flow path is typically formed in a housing body in which a rod-shaped heat generating body is housed, through which the heat medium flows along the heat generating body. In the housing body in which a plurality of heat generating bodies are housed, a plurality of heating flow paths are formed on the adjacently arranged plurality of heat generating bodies, and a connecting flow path is formed connecting the plurality of heating flow paths. Heat medium flowing in through an inflow port of the housing body reaches an outflow port of the housing body via the plurality of heating flow paths and the connecting flow path, and is heated to a predetermined temperature along the way (see, for example, Patent Document 1). LIST OF REFERENCE DOCUMENTSPATENT DOCUMENTS

[0003] Patent Document 1: JP 2016-536197 A SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In the above prior art heat transfer medium heating device, a plurality of rod-shaped heat generating bodies are arranged side by side, and the connecting flow path is formed in a direction orthogonal to the adjacent linear heating flow paths. Therefore, since the heat transfer medium flowing from the heating flow paths to the connecting flow path undergoes an abrupt change in direction, the flow resistance increases, resulting in a problem that the flow of the heat transfer medium becomes uneven in the plurality of heating flow paths between which the connecting flow path is located.

[0005] The present invention was conceived to address this problem. Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to improve the flow resistance of a plurality of heating flow paths arranged adjacently along the rod-shaped heating bodies and a connecting flow path connecting them, and to eliminate unevenness in the flow of the heat transfer medium in the plurality of heating flow paths, in a heat transfer medium heating device in which a plurality of rod-shaped heating bodies are accommodated in a housing body. SOLUTION OF THE TASKS

[0006] To achieve this object, a heat carrier heating device of the present invention is equipped with the following configuration.

[0007] A heat carrier heating device comprising a plurality of rod-shaped heat generating bodies arranged side by side and a housing body in which the plurality of rod-shaped heat generating bodies are accommodated, wherein the housing body comprises a plurality of heating flow paths which allow a heat carrier to flow along the rod-shaped heat generating bodies, and a connecting flow path connecting the plurality of heating flow paths to one another, is characterized in that the connecting flow path has a flow path widening section which causes the flow path width of the heat carrier to be widened on the side opposite to the longitudinal direction of the heating flow paths. EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0008] According to the present invention having these features, the flow resistance of the plurality of heating flow paths arranged side by side along the rod-shaped heating bodies and the connecting flow path connecting them is improved, and unevenness in the flow of the heat carrier in the plurality of heating flow paths is eliminated, whereby the heating efficiency of the heat carrier heating device can be increased. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] They show: Fig. 1 an external view of a heat transfer medium heating device; Fig. 2 a sectional view of the heat transfer medium heating device; Fig. 3 is an explanatory view of the flow of heat carrier in the heat carrier heating device; and Fig. 4 a sealing portion of a second housing body portion. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the figures. In the following description, identical reference numerals in the different figures refer to parts with the same function, and a repeated description of these parts for the individual figures is omitted for the sake of simplicity.

[0011] As in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a heat-transfer medium heating device 1 includes a plurality of rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B) and a housing body 3. The plurality of rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B) are housed in the housing body 3, and heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) are formed in the housing body 3 around the rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B), allowing a heat-transfer medium to flow along the rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B). Furthermore, a connecting flow path 11 is formed in the housing body 3 to connect the plurality of heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) to each other.

[0012] A terminal portion 2T is provided at one end of the rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B), and the terminal portion 2T is connected to a control board (not shown) via a connecting line (busbar). Both ends of the rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B) are supported in the housing body 3 via a sealing member (an O-ring or the like) 4.

[0013] The plurality of rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B) are arranged side by side in the housing body 3. A linear receiving space is formed in the housing body 3, which receives the plurality of rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B). When the rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B) are received in this receiving space, the gaps formed around the rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B) represent the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) of the heat carrier.

[0014] In the illustrated example, an inflow portion 13 and an outflow portion 14 are provided on the housing body 3 on the side of the rod-shaped heat generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B) opposite the connecting portion 2T. The inflow portion 13 communicates with the heating flow path 10 (10A) in which one rod-shaped heat generating body 2 (2A) is accommodated, and the outflow portion 14 communicates with the heating flow path 10 (10B) in which the other rod-shaped heat generating body 2 (2B) is accommodated.The heat transfer medium flowing into the inflow portion 13 of the casing body 3 is heated while flowing through one heating flow path 10 (10A) in which the rod-shaped heat generating body 2 (2A) is accommodated, flows through the connecting flow path 11, is further heated while flowing through the other heating flow path 10 (10B) in which the rod-shaped heat generating body 2 (2B) is accommodated, and reaches the outflow portion 14.

[0015] A circuit component receiving portion 30 is formed in the housing body 3 between the plurality of heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) arranged side by side. Circuit components and the like connected to the control board (not shown) are accommodated in the circuit component receiving portion 30.

[0016] The housing body 3 includes a first housing body portion 3A and a second housing body portion 3B. The first housing body portion 3A forms the plurality of heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) and the connecting flow path 11, the inflow portion 10 and the outflow portion 14, and the circuit component accommodating portion 30. In contrast, a flow path expanding portion 20 is formed in the second housing body portion 3B, which expands the flow path of the connecting flow path 11.

[0017] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the flow path extension section 20, which supplements the connecting flow path 11 by means of the second housing body section 3B, causes the flow path width of the heat transfer medium to be expanded on the side opposite to the longitudinal direction of the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B). In the illustrated example, when no flow path extension section 20 is provided, the flow path width of the connecting flow path 11 in the longitudinal direction of the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) is W1. However, by supplementing the flow path extension section 20 with the second housing body section 3B, the flow path width of the connecting flow path 11 in the longitudinal direction of the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) is expanded to W2 (>W1).In other words, by the flow path widening portion 20, the flow path width of the connecting flow path 11 is widened in the longitudinal direction of the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) by (W2-W1) on the side opposite to the longitudinal direction of the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B).

[0018] Fig. Figure 3 illustrates the flow of the heat transfer fluid from one heating flow path 10 (10A) through the connecting flow path 11 to the other heating flow path 10 (10B). If the flow path extension section 20 is not provided, the flow direction of the heat transfer fluid is changed approximately at a right angle, as shown by the broken line. This abrupt change in flow direction causes the flow resistance to increase.

[0019] On the other hand, if the flow path extension section 20 is added, the flow of the heat transfer fluid becomes as shown by the dot-dash line, with the flow path extension section 20 forming a flow path of the heat transfer fluid in a direction that intersects the longitudinal direction of the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) at an obtuse angle. This mitigates the abrupt change in the flow path direction for the flow of the heat transfer fluid from one heating flow path 10 (10A) through the connecting flow path 11 to the other heating flow path 10 (10B), and improves the flow resistance.

[0020] As in Fig. 4, the second housing body portion 3B may be formed as a single component, and by adhesively bonding it to the first housing body portion 3A, the connecting portion 2T side of the rod-shaped heat generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B) in the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) is sealed, thus complementarily forming the flow path extension portion 20 on the connecting flow path 11. Therefore, the second housing body portion 3B includes a sealing portion 21 surrounding the connecting portions 2T of the plurality of rod-shaped heat generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B) and tightly adhering to the first housing body portion 3A on both outer sides of the connecting flow path 11 in the flow direction.

[0021] Fig.4 shows a top view of the configuration of the sealing portion 21 of the second housing body portion 3B. On the sealing portion 21, inclined portions 21A, 21B are provided on an inner edge extending along the connecting flow path 11, at which the sealing width increases toward the center of the flow path extension portion 20. The inclined portion 21A provided on one of the two outer sides of the connecting flow path 11 in the flow direction is longer than the inclined portion 21B provided on the other side. Connection portion through-holes 23 are provided at both ends of the sealing portion 21, through which the connection portions 2T of the rod-shaped heat-generating bodies 2 (2A, 2B) are guided.

[0022] The sloped portions 21A, 21B provided on the sealing portion 21 are formed to provide fastening holes 22 in the sealing surface of the sealing portion 21. The fastening holes 22 are holes into which a fastening element is inserted when connecting the second housing body portion 3B to the first housing body portion 3A. By forming the sloped portion 21A longer than the sloped portion 21B as mentioned above, a three-point fastening is possible, in which one fastening hole 22 is provided on the sloped portion 21A side and two fastening holes 22 are provided on the sloped portion 21B side.By making the slope of the slope portion 21A long and gentle by means of the three-point fixing, the flow resistance in the flow path extension portion 20 formed by the second housing body portion 3B can be restricted while maintaining the sealing performance of the sealing portion 21.

[0023] According to the heat carrier heating device 1 of the embodiment of the present invention as described above, since the flow path widening portion 20 that widens the flow path width of the heat carrier on the opposite side to the longitudinal direction of the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) is provided on the connecting flow path 11 that connects the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) arranged side by side along the rod-shaped heat generating bodies 2 (2A, 2A), the flow resistance for the flow of the heat carrier from one heating flow path 10 (10A) through the connecting flow path 11 to the other heating flow path 10 (10B) can be improved.By improving the flow resistance, unevenness in the flow of the heat carrier in the plurality of heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B) is eliminated, and the heating efficiency of the heat carrier heating device 1 can be increased by the uniform flow of the heat carrier in the heating flow paths 10 (10A, 10B).

[0024] While embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the figures, the specific embodiments are not limited to these embodiments, and design changes that do not deviate from the spirit of the present invention are also within the scope of the invention. As long as there is no contradiction or problem regarding their purpose, configuration, and the like, the individual techniques of the above embodiments can be transferred and combined with each other. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 heat transfer medium heating device 2, 2A, 2B rod-shaped heat generating body 2T connection section 3 housing body 3A first housing body section 3B second housing body section 4 Sealing element 10, 10A, 10B Heating flow path 11 Connecting flow path 13 Inflow section 14 Outflow section 20 Flow path extension section 21 Sealing section 21A, 21B Inclined section 22 mounting hole 23 Connection section through hole 30 Circuit component receiving section QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2016-536197 A

[0003]

Claims

[1] A heat transfer medium heating device comprising a plurality of rod-shaped heat generating bodies arranged side by side and a housing body in which the plurality of rod-shaped heat generating bodies are accommodated, wherein the housing body comprises a plurality of heating flow paths which allow a heat transfer medium to flow along the rod-shaped heat generating bodies, and a connecting flow path connecting the plurality of heating flow paths to one another, characterized by that the connecting flow path has a flow path extension section which causes an extension of the flow path width of the heat carrier on the side opposite to the longitudinal direction of the heating flow paths. [2] Heat carrier heating device according to claim 1, characterized bythat in the flow path extension section, a flow path of the heat carrier is formed in a direction which intersects the longitudinal extension direction of the heating flow paths at an obtuse angle. [3] Heat carrier heating device according to claim 1, characterized by that the housing body comprises a first housing body portion in which the plurality of heating flow paths and the connecting flow path connecting the end portions of the heating flow paths are formed, and a second housing body portion which supplements the connecting flow path by a flow path extension portion. [4] Heat carrier heating device according to claim 3, characterized byin that the second housing body portion comprises a sealing portion surrounding connecting portions of the plurality of rod-shaped heat generating bodies and closely adhering to the first housing body portion on both outer sides of the connecting flow path in the flow direction. [5] Heat carrier heating device according to claim 4, characterized by that on an inner edge of the sealing portion extending along the connecting flow path, inclined portions are provided at which the sealing width is increased toward the center of the flow path extension portion, wherein the inclined portion provided on one of the two outer sides of the connecting flow path in the flow direction is longer than the inclined portion provided on the other side.

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