Heater unit and method for manufacturing heater unit

Abstract

To provide a heater unit which can stabilize conduction between a PTC heating element and an electrode terminal, and a method for manufacturing a heater unit.SOLUTION: A heater unit 1 includes a resin base material 11, a PTC heating element 10, a first electrode terminal 12, and a second electrode terminal 13. The base material 11 has a recess 11a matching the shape of the PTC heating element 10, and a slit groove 11d which is formed on the outer peripheral part of the upper surface and extends to the lower surface, the PTC heating element 10 and the second electrode terminal 13 are arranged in the recess 11a, the first electrode terminal 12 has a coating part 12a coating the recess 11a, and an extension part 12c which extends downward from the coating part 12a and is inserted to the slit groove 11d, the extension part 12c has a hole part 12d, pushes an ultrasonic welding machine against a part facing the hole part 12d on the outer surface of the base material 11 and melts the part, and the extension part 12c and the base material 11 are joined to each other by flowing a part of the melted base material 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heater unit and a method for manufacturing the heater unit. [Background technology]

[0002] 8(a) shows the state before current is applied to the PTC heating element 102, and FIG. 8(b) shows the state after current is applied to the PTC heating element 102. The heater unit 100 has a substrate 101, a PTC heating element 102, a first electrode terminal 103, and a second electrode terminal 104.

[0003] The substrate 101 has a recess 101a formed therein that fits the shape of the PTC heating element 102, and a plurality of through-holes 101b formed around the outer edge of the recess 101a. A second electrode terminal 104 is disposed within the recess 101a, and the PTC heating element 102 is disposed on top of the second electrode terminal 104. A first electrode terminal 103 is disposed on top of the first electrode terminal 104. The first electrode terminal 103 substantially covers the entire surface of the substrate 101 where the recess 101a is formed. The first electrode terminal 103 and the second electrode terminal 104 are electrically connected to the PTC heating element 102. An extension 103c extends downward from a predetermined portion on the outer periphery of the first electrode terminal 103. The extension 103c is inserted into the through-hole 101b, and the tip of the extension protruding from the underside of the substrate 101 is bent inward of the substrate 101, thereby fixing the first electrode terminal 103 to the substrate 101 (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-74465 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] 8(a), the tip of the extension 103c of the first electrode terminal 103 is bent while the extension 103c is inserted into the through-hole 101b. However, when the tip of the extension 103c is bent, it is difficult to bend the tip so that it comes into close contact with the lower surface of the base material 101, and in practice, a small gap is likely to be formed between the tip of the extension 103c and the base material 101.

[0006] Therefore, when the heater unit 100 is energized and the temperature of the PTC heating element 102 rises, the base material 101 made of resin expands more than the first electrode terminal 103 made of metal, and at this time, the first electrode terminal 103 is pushed up by the expansion of the base material 101. As a result, as shown in Figure 8(b), a gap A is generated between the PTC heating element 102 and the second electrode terminal 104, or between the PTC heating element 102 and the first electrode terminal 103, which may cause unstable conduction between the PTC heating element 102 and the first electrode terminal 103 or the second electrode terminal 104.

[0007] Therefore, it is conceivable to thermally weld the tip of extension 103c to the lower surface of base material 101. However, in this case, one manufacturing step is added, which may increase the manufacturing cost.

[0008] The present invention aims to solve these problems and provide a heater unit and a method for manufacturing the heater unit that achieves stable conduction between the PTC heating element and the electrode terminals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.

[0010] (1) a resin substrate (e.g., substrate 11); A PTC heating element (for example, a PTC heating element 10) having a pair of electrodes formed thereon; a first electrode terminal (for example, first electrode terminal 12) made of metal and electrically connected to one of the pair of electrodes; a second electrode terminal (e.g., second electrode terminal 13) made of metal and electrically connected to the other electrode of the pair of electrodes, The substrate has a recess (e.g., recess 11a) formed in the center of the upper surface and having a surface facing the outer surface of the PTC heating element, and a groove (e.g., slit groove 11d) formed in the outer periphery of the upper surface and extending toward the lower surface, the PTC heating element and the second electrode terminal are disposed in the recess; the first electrode terminal has a covering portion (e.g., covering portion 12a) that covers at least the recess on the upper surface of the base material, and an extension portion (e.g., extension portion 12c) that extends downward from the covering portion and is inserted into the groove portion, The base material has a welded portion (e.g., welded portion 30) in which a predetermined portion is melted and joined to the extension portion, The heater unit is characterized in that the extension portion has a connecting portion (for example, a hole portion 12d, a constricted portion 12e) that connects with at least a part of the welded portion.

[0011] According to (1), the first electrode terminal can be fixed to a predetermined portion on the outer surface of the base material. For example, when an ultrasonic welder is pressed against the portion to melt it, a portion of the melted base material bonds with the bonding portion, forming a welded portion and joining the base material and the first electrode terminal. As a result, when current is applied to the PTC heating element, the base material expands more than the extension portion when the PTC heating element operates and heats up, maintaining the bond with the base material pressing against the first electrode terminal. In this way, it is possible to maintain contact between the first and second electrode terminals and the electrodes of the PTC heating element while the PTC heating element is generating heat, thereby stabilizing conduction between the first and second electrode terminals and the PTC heating element.

[0012] (2) In (1), the connecting portion is a hole portion (for example, hole portion 12d), The heater unit is characterized in that the predetermined portion faces the hole in the outer surface of the base material.

[0013] According to (2), when an ultrasonic welding machine is pressed against a portion of the outer surface of the base material facing the hole portion and the portion is melted, a portion of the melted base material flows into the hole portion, thereby joining a portion of the base material to the first electrode terminal.

[0014] (3) The heater unit according to (2), wherein the holes are formed in a mesh shape.

[0015] According to (3), it is possible to bond a part of the base material and the first electrode terminal in a more complex manner, which makes it possible to maintain the first and second electrode terminals in contact with the electrodes of the PTC heating element more firmly.

[0016] (4) In paragraphs (2) and (3), The substrate has a vertical sidewall (e.g., a pressing recess 21) extending along the periphery of the recess, The outer surface of the vertical side wall has a pressing recess (for example, a pressing recess 21) recessed toward the inside of the base material, The heater unit is characterized in that the pressing recess and the hole at least partially overlap in the thickness direction of the vertical side wall.

[0017] According to (4), the melting point in the base material and the hole are in an appropriate positional relationship, and both the base material and the extension can be more firmly fixed.

[0018] (5) A method for manufacturing the heater unit of (1), disposing the PTC heating element and the second electrode terminal in the recess; inserting the extension into the groove and disposing the first electrode terminal on the base material so as to cover the recess; a step of pressing an ultrasonic welder against a portion of the outer surface of the base material that faces the joint portion to melt the portion, and pouring a portion of the base material melted by the ultrasonic welder into the joint portion; A method for manufacturing a heater unit, comprising:

[0019] According to (5), it becomes possible to manufacture a heater unit that achieves the effect of (1). [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heater unit and a method for manufacturing the heater unit that achieves stable conduction between the PTC heating element and the electrode terminals. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a heater unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing components of a heater unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which various components are mounted on the substrate 11 in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of an ultrasonic welder 50. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of a main part of a heater unit 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of a main part of a heater unit 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the cross-sectional structure of a conventional heater unit 100. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a heater unit 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the heater unit 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which various components are attached to the base material 11 in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 shows a cross section taken along an imaginary plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the base material 11 and passing through the center of a hole 12d, which will be described later.

[0024] [Heater unit configuration] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the heater unit 1 includes a PTC heating element 10, a resin base material 11, a first electrode terminal 12, a second electrode terminal 13, a first lead wire 14, and a second lead wire 15.

[0025] The PTC heating element 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped PTC thermistor with dimensions of 35 mm x 7 mm x 1.0 mm (t) based on a semiconductor ceramic with a positive temperature coefficient (PTC), and printed electrodes measuring 34 mm x 6 mm formed on the top and bottom surfaces of the resistance element.

[0026] The base material 11 is a resin member having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. For convenience in the following description, the longitudinal direction of the base material 11 is referred to as the vertical direction, the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction when the base material 11 is viewed from above is referred to as the horizontal direction, and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction when the base material 11 is viewed from the side is referred to as the height direction.

[0027] The material for the substrate 11 can be a thermoplastic resin with a melting point equal to or higher than the stable temperature of the PTC heating element 10. The stable temperature here refers to the temperature at which the PTC thermistor is stable in thermal equilibrium when power is applied. Because the stable temperature of a PTC thermistor can be varied from below 100°C to nearly 300°C, it is necessary to change the type of resin to match the PTC thermistor being used. In this embodiment, a PTC thermistor with a stable temperature of around 170°C is used, and therefore materials such as PBT, PPS, nylon 66, LCP, and PAI can be used for the substrate 11.

[0028] The substrate 11 has a recess 11a, a first extraction groove 11b, a second extraction groove 11c, and a slit groove 11d. The recess 11a, the first extraction groove 11b, the second extraction groove 11c, and the slit groove 11d extend downward from the upper surface of the substrate 11.

[0029] The recess 11a is formed in the approximate center of the upper surface of the base material 11, and has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the PTC heating element 10 can be placed and held.

[0030] The second extraction groove 11c is formed adjacent to the recess 11a and is configured as a communicating groove portion that communicates with the recess 11a.

[0031] The first extraction groove 11b is configured as a rectangular recess that is shallower than the second extraction groove 11c formed adjacent to the recess 11a.

[0032] The first and second extraction grooves 11b and 11c are arranged next to one end of the recess 11a in the vertical direction and are separated by a partition wall when the substrate 11 is viewed from above. A communicating groove portion of the second extraction groove 11c is formed in this partition wall.

[0033] The first lead groove 11b has the same depth as the thickness of a rectangular parallelepiped connecting terminal portion 14a of the first lead wire 14, which will be described later.

[0034] The second extraction groove 11c has approximately the same depth as the recess 11a. When an external terminal portion 13b (described later) is placed in the second extraction groove 11c, the first extraction groove 11b and the second extraction groove 11c have approximately the same depth.

[0035] The slit groove 11d is formed on the outer periphery of the substrate 11. Specifically, the substrate 11 has a recess 11a formed in the center thereof, and thus has two vertical side walls 11e, 11e extending vertically around the recess 11a and two horizontal side walls 11f, 11f extending horizontally. The slit groove 11d extends downward from the upper surfaces of the vertical side walls 11e, 11e. The slit groove 11d has an elongated opening into which an extension 12c of the first electrode terminal 12 (described later) is inserted, and the depth of the slit groove 11d is approximately the same as the length of the extension 12c. The depth of the slit groove 11d is shorter than the height of the substrate 11. Therefore, the slit groove 11d is a bottomed groove that does not penetrate from the lower surface.

[0036] A first lead groove 11b and a second lead groove 11c are formed on the upper surface of one of the lateral side walls 11f of the base material 11. Furthermore, a lead groove 11g extending from the first lead groove 11b toward the outside of the base material 11 is formed on the upper surface of the base material 11. Similarly, a lead groove 11h extending from the second lead groove 11c toward the outside of the base material 11 is formed on the upper surface of the base material 11.

[0037] The first electrode terminal 12 and the second electrode terminal 13 are made of aluminum or stainless steel.

[0038] The first electrode terminal 12 includes a plate-like, approximately rectangular covering portion 12a that covers the recess 11a, an external terminal portion 12b that extends from one short side of the covering portion 12a along the plate surface and covers the first extraction groove 11b, and an extension portion 12c that extends downward from the long side of the covering portion 12a and is inserted into the slit groove 11d. The length of the extension portion 12c is the same as or slightly shorter than the depth of the slit groove 11d. A hole 12d is formed in the plate surface of the extension portion 12c.

[0039] The second electrode terminal 13 has a shape that can be inserted into the recess 11a and the second withdrawal groove 11c, and is equipped with a terminal portion 13a that is placed on the bottom surface of the recess 11a, and an external terminal portion 13b that is electrically connected to the terminal portion 13a and is placed on the bottom surface of the second withdrawal groove 11c.

[0040] The first lead wire 14 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped connection terminal portion 14a and a first lead wire portion 14b connected to the connection terminal portion 14a. The connection terminal portion 14a is placed on the bottom surface of the first lead groove 11b in the base material 11, and the first lead wire portion 14b is placed in the lead wire groove 11g and extends to the outside of the base material 11.

[0041] The second lead wire 15 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped connection terminal portion 15a and a second lead wire portion 15b connected to the connection terminal portion 15a. The connection terminal portion 15a is placed on the bottom surface of the second extraction groove 11c in the base material 11, and the second lead wire portion 15b is placed in the lead wire groove 11h and extends to the outside of the base material 11.

[0042] [Heater unit manufacturing method] Next, the manufacturing process of the heater unit 1 will be described.

[0043] First, the connection terminal portion 14a of the first lead wire 14 is connected in advance to the external terminal portion 12b of the first electrode terminal 12 by spot welding or the like. Also, the connection terminal portion 15a of the second lead wire 15 is connected to the external terminal portion 13b of the second electrode terminal 13 by spot welding or the like.

[0044] Next, the second electrode terminal 13 is placed on the substrate 11. Specifically, the terminal portion 13a is placed in the recess 11a, the external terminal portion 13b and the connection terminal portion 15a are placed in the second extraction groove 11c, and the second lead wire portion 15b is placed in the lead wire groove 11h. Then, the second extraction groove 11c is filled with filler 20 (see FIG. 1) to fix the connection terminal portion 15a to the substrate 11. At this time, the connection portion between the external terminal portion 13b and the connection terminal portion 15a is reliably insulated from the outside.

[0045] Next, the first lead wire 14 is attached to the base material 11. Specifically, the connection terminal portion 14a is placed in the first lead groove 11b, and the first lead wire portion 14b is placed in the lead wire groove 11g.

[0046] Next, the PTC heating element 10 is housed in the recess 11a of the base material 11, and the printed electrodes below the PTC heating element 10 and the terminal portions 13a of the second electrode terminals 13 are brought into surface contact.

[0047] Next, the first electrode terminal 12 is attached to the top of the substrate 11. Specifically, the extension 12c is inserted into the slit groove 11d to bring the printed electrode of the PTC heating element 10 into surface contact with the coating 12a, and the connection terminal 14a is placed in the first extraction groove 11b. At this time, the first lead wire 14b is placed in the lead wire groove 11g. As a result, the PTC heating element 10 is sandwiched between the terminal 13a and the plate surface of the coating 12a while fitting into the recess 11a.

[0048] Next, the base material 11 on which the various components are attached is set in an ultrasonic welding machine 50 as shown in FIG.

[0049] 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of ultrasonic welding machine 50. Ultrasonic welding machine 50 includes ultrasonic oscillator 51, pressure unit 52, ultrasonic vibrator 53, cone 54, horn 55, and base 56.

[0050] The ultrasonic oscillator 51 converts the frequency of the power supply into a high electrical frequency above the ultrasonic range. The pressure unit 52 applies pressure to the ultrasonic vibrator 53 from above. The ultrasonic vibrator 53 converts the electrical frequency of the ultrasonic oscillator 51 into a mechanical vibration frequency and vibrates. The cone 54 is provided below the ultrasonic vibrator 53 and amplifies the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibrator 53 to convert it to a desired amplitude. The horn 55 is provided below the cone 54 and resonates with the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 53, applying vibration and load to the objects to be joined. The pedestal 56 is provided below the horn 55 and is used to place the objects to be joined. The anvil 57 is placed on the pedestal 56 and positions and fixes the objects to be joined so that the vibration energy from the horn 55 does not escape.

[0051] The objects to be joined in this embodiment are the base material 11 and the extension 12c. The base material 11 is set on the anvil 57 with the outer surface of the vertical side wall 11e of the base material 11 facing upward, so as to sandwich the covering 12a of the first electrode terminal 12 and the lower surface of the base material 11. Furthermore, the anvil 57 is set on the base 56 so that a portion of the outer surface of the vertical side wall 11e facing the hole 12d of the extension 12c faces the horn 55. Then, the horn 55 is brought into contact with the vertical side wall 11e, and a load is applied to the ultrasonic vibrator 53 by the pressure unit 52. With the horn 55 applying a local load to the outer surface of the vertical side wall 11e, the ultrasonic oscillator 51 vibrates the ultrasonic vibrator 53.

[0052] As a result, the portion of the outer surface of base material 11 facing hole 12d melts, and the load from horn 55 causes it to bulge toward hole 12d, with part of the molten base material 11 flowing into hole 12d. Finally, the pressure from pressure unit 52 is released, and horn 55 is moved away from base material 11, causing the melted portion to solidify. This forms welded portion 30 (see FIG. 5), joining base material 11 and extension 12c. In this manner, heater unit 1 is assembled.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 5, a portion of the base material 11 that has flowed into the hole 12d solidifies, forming a welded portion 30, thereby welding the extension 12c to the base material 11. A pressure mark remains on the base material 11 at a location where the horn 55 of the ultrasonic welding machine 50 is pressed. That is, a pressure mark is present on the outer surface of the vertical side wall 11e of the base material 11. In FIG. 5, the pressure mark is a pressure recess 21 recessed toward the inside of the base material 11. The pressure recess 21 and the hole 12d at least partially overlap in the thickness direction of the vertical side wall. In other words, when the pressure recess 21 is viewed from the recess direction, the bottom of the pressure recess 21 is located within the range of the hole 12d. This ensures an appropriate positional relationship between the melted portion of the base material 11 and the hole 12d, thereby more firmly fixing the base material 11 and the extension 12c together. Moreover, by visually checking the pressing recess 21, it is possible to check from the appearance of the heater unit 1 whether ultrasonic welding has been performed or not.

[0054] In the heater unit 1 of this embodiment manufactured in this manner, when an ultrasonic welder is pressed against a portion of the outer surface of the base material 11 facing the hole 12d to melt this portion, a portion of the molten base material 11 flows into the hole 12d, bonding a portion of the base material 11 to the extension 12c of the first electrode terminal 12, as shown in Fig. 5. As a result, when current is applied to the PTC heating element 10, the PTC heating element 10 operates and heats up, and the base material 11 expands more than the extension 12c, maintaining the bond with the base material 11 pressing against the first electrode terminal 12. In this way, while the PTC heating element 10 is generating heat, the first electrode terminal 12 and the second electrode terminal 13 can be maintained in contact with the printed electrodes of the PTC heating element 10, thereby stabilizing electrical continuity between the first electrode terminal 12, the second electrode terminal 13, and the PTC heating element 10.

[0055] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the hole 12d is formed in a circular shape. However, this is not limited to this. It may be an elongated hole, a rectangular hole, or even a predetermined shape such as a star. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the hole 12d may be formed in a mesh shape consisting of a group of multiple holes. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the mesh-shaped hole 12d allows for more complex bonding between a portion of the base material 11 and the extension 12c. This allows the first electrode terminal 12 and the second electrode terminal 13 to be more securely connected to the electrodes of the PTC heating element 10 than when there is only one hole.

[0056] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, hole 12d is formed in extension 12c, and a portion of molten base material 11 flows into hole 12d, but the portion into which the portion of molten base material 11 flows does not need to be a through-hole. For example, as shown in FIG. 6(b), a constricted portion 12e may be formed, and a portion of molten base material 11 may flow into this constricted portion 12e. Furthermore, contrary to the constricted portion 12e shown in FIG. 6(b), a protrusion that is convex outward along the plate surface of extension 12c may be formed, and a portion of molten base material 11 may flow around this protrusion. In short, it is sufficient that a connecting portion that can be connected to weld portion 30 is formed in extension 12c, and the shape of the connecting portion can be set appropriately.

[0057] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the extension 12c is a flat plate extending straight downward. However, a bent portion may be formed at the lower end of the extension 12c. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the tip of the extension 12c is bent inward in a dogleg shape to form the bent portion 12f. As a result, when the extension 12c is inserted into the slit groove 11d, the tip of the bent portion 12f abuts against the inner wall surface of the slit groove 11d, bringing the outer surface of the extension 12c closer to the outer wall surface of the slit groove 11d. Therefore, when the ultrasonic welder 50 is pressed against a portion of the outer surface of the substrate 11 facing the hole 12d, a portion of the molten substrate 11 easily flows into the hole 12d. The portion of the substrate 11 that flows into the hole 12d either remains around the hole 12d or flows down from the hole 12d, blocking the slit groove 11d. As a result, the extension 12c is even less likely to fall out of the slit groove 11d.

[0058] Furthermore, in the manufacturing process of the heater unit 1, a disk made of the same material as the substrate 11 may be fitted into the hole 12d, and then the extension 12c may be inserted into the slit groove 11d. In this way, when an ultrasonic welder 50 is pressed against a portion of the outer surface of the substrate 11 facing the hole 12d, the substrate 11 melted into the hole 12d and the disk are bonded together, or the extension 12c and the substrate 11 can be bonded together by melting the disk. As described above, the shape of the hole 12d is not limited to a circular shape. Therefore, a member made of the same material as the substrate 11 and shaped to match the shape of the hole 12d may be fitted into the hole 12d. Furthermore, any shape is acceptable as long as it can be fitted into the hole 12d. Alternatively, the hole 12d may be filled with a powder or paste made of the same material as the substrate 11, and then the extension 12c may be inserted into the slit groove 11d. This makes it easy to fill the mesh-shaped hole 12d with the same material as the substrate 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 heater unit 10 PTC heating elements 11 Base material 11a Recess 11b 1st pull-out groove 11c 2nd pull-out groove 11d Slit groove 11e Vertical side wall 11th floor side wall 11g Lead wire groove 11h Lead wire groove 12 1st electrode terminal 12a Covering part 12b External terminal section 12c extension 12d hole 12e Waist 12f Bending part 13 2nd electrode terminal 13a Terminal section 13b External terminal section 14 First lead wire 14a Connection terminal 14b First lead wire section 15 Second lead wire 15a Connection terminal 15b Second lead wire section 21 Pressing recess 30 Welded area

Claims

1. A resin base material; a PTC heating element having a pair of electrodes formed thereon; a first electrode terminal made of metal and electrically connected to one of the pair of electrodes; a second electrode terminal made of metal and electrically connected to the other electrode of the pair of electrodes, the base material has a recess formed in the center of its upper surface and having a surface facing an outer surface of the PTC heating element, and a groove formed in the outer periphery of its upper surface and extending toward its lower surface; the PTC heating element and the second electrode terminal are disposed in the recess; the first electrode terminal has a covering portion that covers at least the recessed portion on the upper surface of the base material, and an extension portion that extends downward from the covering portion and is inserted into the groove portion, the base material has a welded portion where a predetermined portion is melted and joined to the extension portion, The heater unit is characterized in that the extension portion has a connecting portion that connects with at least a part of the welded portion.

2. the coupling portion is a hole portion, 2. The heater unit according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined portion faces the hole in the outer surface of the base material.

3. 3. The heater unit according to claim 2, wherein the holes are formed in a mesh pattern.

4. the substrate has a vertical sidewall extending along the periphery of the recess; The outer surface of the vertical side wall has a pressing recess recessed toward the inside of the base material, 4. The heater unit according to claim 2, wherein the pressing recess and the hole at least partially overlap in the thickness direction of the vertical side wall.

5. A method for manufacturing the heater unit according to claim 1, disposing the PTC heating element and the second electrode terminal in the recess; inserting the extension into the groove and disposing the first electrode terminal on the base material so as to cover the recess; a step of pressing an ultrasonic welder against a portion of the outer surface of the base material that faces the joint portion to melt the portion, and pouring a portion of the base material melted by the ultrasonic welder into the joint portion; A method for manufacturing a heater unit, comprising:

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