Electric heating device for motor vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric heating device, in particular an electric heating device for motor vehicles, comprising an electrical connection box and a heating body, - a plurality of heating elements intended to be supplied with electric current; - a plurality of metal tubes, at least some of which are equipped with heating elements, - a plurality of metal heat sinks, the metal tubes and the metal heat sinks forming an electrically conductive case at the same potential, the device being characterized in that at least one tube (12) of the plurality of tubes comprises an electrically conductive element (16) protruding from and in contact with the at least one tube (12), the protruding element (16) being connected to a ground connector of the electrical connection box.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of heating for motor vehicles, and it particularly relates to electric heating devices, in particular for use in motor vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0002] In vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines, heating of the vehicle interior is currently provided by reusing the thermal energy generated by the internal combustion engine of such vehicles. In vehicles equipped with electric motors, where this thermal energy is not available, it is known to use electric heating devices to heat the vehicle interior. This electric heating is currently provided by a radiator equipped with a heating element, for example a heating resistor.

[0003] Such radiators are known in the prior art, comprising an aluminum heating body. The heating body comprises a number of tubes on which heating elements are mounted and a number of fin-shaped heat sinks separating each of the tubes. The heating body is covered at the top by an electrical connection box, which must be mounted in a fluid-tight manner at the top of the heating body, and from whose upper part emerges the connections of the heating elements intended to be electrically connected to the electrical connection box. In particular, the air conveyed through the heating body of an electric radiator before being led into the room may be humid, and this humidity must not adversely affect the radiator's electrical connections. For this reason, a sealing element is arranged around the upper periphery of the heating body, separating the upper part of the heating body from the electrical connection box, the upper part including the electrical outputs of the heating elements of the heating body.

[0004] The construction of an electric heating device includes the provision of a ground return for the metal frame formed by the tubes and fins, which must be as small and simple as possible, with the understanding that the ground connector to which the metal frame must be connected is fixed to the electrical connection box. Wired electrical connections extending from the outer surface of the heating body by bypassing the box are disadvantageous for the installation of the electric radiator in the associated heating installation, as they run the risk of being damaged during installation. Therefore, it is known to provide an additional component that presses against the heating body, extends the heating body longitudinally so that it can be accommodated in the electrical connection box, and is connected to the ground connector by means of conductors that extend primarily in the connection box. The presence of this additional component entails an increase in the size of the opening made in the electrical connection box to allow the connection of the heating body, which has the consequence that the size of the aforementioned seal must be modified.

[0005] The present invention proposes an electric heating device which remedies the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above, namely that the connection to earth is reliable, protected and established without any involvement in the design of the other components of the heating device, in particular in the size and position of the sealing means at the junction between the heating body and the electrical connection box.

[0006] To this end, the invention proposes an electric heating device, in particular for motor vehicles, comprising an electrical connection box and a heating body comprising a plurality of heating elements intended to be supplied with electric current, a plurality of metal tubes at least some of which contain said heating elements, and a plurality of metal heat sinks, said metal tubes and metal heat sinks being at the same potential and forming an electrically conductive frame, the device being characterized in that at least one of said plurality of tubes comprises an electrically conductive element protruding from and in contact with said at least one tube, said protruding element being connected to a ground connector of the electrical connection box.

[0007] More particularly, the conductive element protruding from said at least one tube is in electrical contact with said at least one tube, where electrical contact is understood to mean the ability of the conductive element to conduct current from the conductive frame to the ground connector, but where current does not circulate within the conductive frame during normal operation of the heating device.

[0008] According to the invention, the connection of the heating element to ground utilizes a conductive element housed within one of the heating element's tubes, so that this conductive element does not interfere with the installation of the heating element in the connection box. In particular, by forming part of the heating element's tube, the conductive element does not change the volume allocated for the heating element. In contrast, during installation of the heating element in the electrical connection box, due to the simultaneous connection of each heating element in the electrical box, the conductive element protruding from the tube at one end is located directly in the connection zone between the connection box and the heating element, and can thereby be housed in the seal formed between the upper periphery of the heating element and the electrical connection box.

[0009] According to one feature of the invention, the heating device is a high-voltage device, in other words a device whose electrical voltage is greater than 48 V or 52 V, for example equal to 400 V or 800 V. According to one feature of the invention, the heating element comprises at least one resistive element, in particular a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistive element, clamped between two electrodes.

[0010] According to one feature of the invention, the conductive elements are separate from these electrodes, in other words, the conductive elements are electrically isolated from these electrodes, in other words, the protruding conductive elements do not conduct current to said at least one resistive element.

[0011] According to one feature of the invention, the conductive element protruding from the at least one tube is a metal bar arranged longitudinally in the at least one tube, the metal bar including at least one metal tab contacting the inner surface of the at least one tube. This embodiment of the invention allows for the production of metal tubes by extrusion, without the need for subsequent recutting of the tube, since the metal bar is a separate element from the at least one tube. The position of the metal bar within the tube is ensured by the appropriate elasticity of the metal tab, whose spacing relative to the main surface of the bar extension is such that contact with the inner surface of the tube is ensured during insertion. Furthermore, the metal tab has an elasticity suitable for adjusting the size of the at least one tube, and the latter is intended to deform in the same way as the tube containing the heating element in order to fix the position of the heating element in the tube.

[0012] According to one feature of the invention, the at least one metal tab is a lateral portion of the metal bar, articulated at its base on the body of the metal bar. The metal tab advantageously has a hook shape with a rounded portion intended to contact the inner surface of the tube and a free end facing the body of the metal bar. The articulation of the metal tab allows easy insertion of the metal bar into the at least one tube, due to its elasticity, during which the hooks flatten and ensure good contact between the tab and the at least one tube. The tab can be obtained, for example, by cutting and subsequent bending of the lateral portion of the metal bar. This embodiment of the tab is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

[0013] According to one aspect of the invention, the at least one pipe further comprises an electrical connection member protruding from the at least one pipe, the protruding portion of the electrical connection member being electrically connected to a power source in the electrical connection box, thereby optimizing the space available in the at least one pipe. The electrical connection member may be, for example, a positive or negative bus bar.

[0014] According to one feature of the invention, the electrical connection members and the metal bars are at least partially embedded in an insulating polymer material in the longitudinal portions of the electrical connection members and the metal bars. The longitudinal portions do not cover the at least one metal tab or the ends of the electrical connection members and the metal bars that are intended to be electrically connected to the electrical connection box. This overmolding ensures electrical insulation between the metal bars and the electrical connection members. Furthermore, it facilitates the insertion and positioning of the metal bars and the electrical connection members in the tube by bundling them together as an overmolded block.

[0015] According to one feature of the invention, the metal bar includes a plurality of metal tabs uniformly distributed along the metal bar, which ensures good contact between the metal bar and the inner surface of the tube and allows the metal bar to be substantially parallel to the inner surface of the tube.

[0016] According to one feature of the invention, the at least one tube further comprises another metal bar with one or more metal tabs contacting the inner surface of the at least one tube, the metal bar and the another metal bar being arranged on either side of a central plane intersecting the width and length of the at least one tube, the metal bar and the another metal bar being fixed to each other. The other metal bar fixed to the metal bar allows the latter to be correctly positioned in the tube, and if the fixing means between the bars is itself conductive, allows for better conductive contact between the tube and the metal bar. If the fixing is achieved by overmolding, for example, the other metal bar and the metal bar are arranged on either side of the electrical connection member in the overmolding, and the other metal bar notably serves the function of assisting in the positioning of the overmolded block in the tube.

[0017] According to one feature of the invention, the metal tab of the metal bar or the metal tabs of the metal bar and the other metal bar protrude from the same side of the one metal bar or of the metal bars. This arrangement of the metal tabs makes it possible to place, for example, a heating element or a sensor on one side of the one metal bar or of the metal bars, i.e., on the side opposite to the metal tab.

[0018] According to one feature of the invention, the at least one tube further comprises one or more temperature sensors arranged on the opposite side of the one or more metal bars, the temperature sensors being in contact with the wall of the at least one tube. This arrangement optimizes the use of the tube, if it does not contain a heating element, and the tube is used for the sensor and any connection lines for the sensor that allow electrical connection to the electrical connection box. Preferably, the wall on which the sensor is located is in contact with one of the heat sinks. This improves the reliability of the sensor.

[0019] According to one feature of the invention, the at least one tube is arranged at a lateral edge of the heating element, so that it does not interfere with heat dissipation from other parts of the heating element and its arrangement is optimized for this heat dissipation.

[0020] According to one feature of the invention, as an alternative to the main variant embodiment of the invention, the protruding conductive elements are metal fingers extending through the wall of the at least one tube, it being understood that in this variant the protruding conductive elements are no longer realised by an additional component such as a metal bar, but are realised directly by the shape of the tube, the particular shape of which has the drawback of requiring cutting of the at least one tube after extrusion and is therefore not preferred. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and from a number of exemplary embodiments shown in a non-limiting manner with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an electric heating device according to the invention, in particular showing a heating element comprising a plurality of tubes and a heat sink, and an electrical connection box connected to the top of the heating element. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the tubes of the device of FIG. 1, with a heating element disposed in said tube. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the conductive element intended to be connected to ground and one of the tubes of the device of FIG. 1, said tube being separate from the tube of FIG. 2, into which this conductive element is inserted. [Figure 4] 4 is a perspective view of the top of the heating body of the heating device of FIG. 1, with the electrical connection box shown partially transparent to allow a clearer view of the connection to ground of the conductive elements protruding from the tube of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4, this time without the electrical connection box, to illustrate a variant of the embodiment which differs from the preceding figures by the contents of the tube which houses the conductive element connected to ground. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a detailed perspective view of two conductive elements each housed in one of the tubes of the heater of FIG. 5 and intended to be connected to ground, and having an electrical connection member and a metal bar embedded in an insulating polymer material. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows the elements of FIG. 6 housed in corresponding tubes, the tubes being shown transparent. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a variant of a conductive element intended to be connected to ground and housed in one of the tubes of the heater visible in FIG. 3, in which two metal bars are fixed to each other. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows the conductive elements of FIG. 8 arranged on an electric radiator, without the tubes that carry these elements and make them visible. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] It is recalled that the invention relates to an electric heating device for a motor vehicle with particular grounding means, in particular an electric heating device for a motor vehicle with one or more conductive elements each protruding from a pipe and in contact with a corresponding pipe, said conductive elements being connected to a grounding connector.

[0023] An embodiment in which the conductive element comprises a single metal bar housed in a corresponding tube will first be described, with particular reference to Figures 1 to 4.

[0024] The electric heating device 2 according to the invention is intended to heat the interior of a motor vehicle, in particular an electric vehicle, and comprises an electrical connection box 4 connected to the power supply network of the vehicle, to at least one computer of the vehicle and to the ground connection of the motor vehicle. This connection box 4 therefore comprises a positive power supply bus, a negative power supply bus, a ground connector 18 as can be seen by way of example in Figure 6, and a connection to the computer bus.

[0025] The electric heating device 2 also comprises a heating body 6 through which the air flow to be heated is intended to pass, the heating body 6 comprising a plurality of resistance elements which generate heat that is transferred to the air flow in response to an appropriate power supply from the connection box 4. For this purpose, the heating body 6 is fixed in a fluid-tight manner to the connection box at the top of the heating body, in particular by means of a sealing body (not visible here) which extends around the periphery of the heating body.

[0026] The heating element 6 is made from alternating metal tubes and heat sinks 10, which are also metal. By way of non-limiting example, the metal tubes and heat sinks are made from aluminum.

[0027] The metal tubes 8 are distinguished into two types depending on what they contain: the heating tube 32, which can be arranged in particular in the center of the heating body, and the electrical connection tubes 12, 14, which can be arranged at the ends of the stack of tubes and heat sinks, in particular at the lateral ends of the heating body. It should be noted that in the example shown, the shape of the heating tube and the shape of the electrical connection tube are the same and it is only possible to distinguish them by what they contain.

[0028] The heater tube 32 contains a heating element whose heat is conducted by the walls of the heater tube to a fin-shaped heat sink 10 which dissipates the heat into the vehicle interior.

[0029] 1, the heating element 6 has an overall parallelepiped shape, the side walls of which are formed by two lateral tubes, in this case forming electrical connection tubes 12, 14. The length of the heating element 6 is equal to the length of one of the tubes 8, the width of the heating element is equal to the distance separating the lateral tubes, and the height of the heating element is the width of one of the side walls, i.e. the width of one of the tubes 8.

[0030] 2 shows a heating tube 32 equipped with a heating element. Like each tube 8, the heating tube 32 has an overall parallelepiped shape and is arranged in the heating element 6 such that the length 56 of the heating tube 32 corresponds to the length of the heating element 6 and the width 58 of the tube 32 corresponds to the height of the heating element 6. The smallest dimension of this parallelepiped also corresponds to the thickness 60 of the heating tube 32.

[0031] The heating elements are in the form of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistance elements 44, in particular ceramic stones with a PTC effect in this case. These resistance elements 44 are passed by the current carried by the two electrodes 38 and 40 when the electric heating device 2 is in operation. The electrodes 38 and 40 are electrically insulated from the tube 32 by two insulating layers 34 and 36. A number of resistance elements 44 are mounted in parallel along the tube 32 between the two electrodes 38 and 40. The resistance elements 44 comprise a metal layer 42, for example made of aluminum, on each of their respective surfaces in contact with the electrodes 38, 40. It should be noted that this embodiment of the heating elements does not imply any limitation of the invention, as long as they are housed in the heating tube 32 in the same way as described above.

[0032] 4, for each heating tube 32, a first electrode 38 is fixed to a positive power supply bus 39 that is electrically connected to the electrical connection box 4 of the electric heating device 2 when the heating body is fixed to the electrical connection box 4. Similarly, for each heating tube 32, a second electrode 40 is fixed to a negative power supply bus 41 that is electrically connected to the electrical connection box 4. Thus, via command of the electrical connection box 4, it is possible to simultaneously supply multiple heating elements. Multiple positive power supply buses 39 may be provided to allow differentiated control of multiple groups of heating elements.

[0033] As mentioned above, the electrically conductive element is constituted by a metal bar housed in a corresponding tube. In this embodiment, at least one electrical connection tube 12, 14 is provided with a metal bar 16 made of aluminum, which is housed in a tube and whose free end protrudes in the direction of the length of this tube from the corresponding electrical connection tube towards the connection box 4, as particularly shown in FIG. 4. In this case, each tube located at a lateral end of the heating element is provided with such a metal bar, although in a variant it is possible to provide a single tube of the heating element with a metal bar 16, which does not necessarily have to be located at a lateral end of the heating element 6.

[0034] In accordance with the above, the connecting pipes 12, 14 have the same shape and dimensions as the heating pipe 32, which makes it possible to identify in FIG. 3 the longitudinal length 56, width 58 and thickness 60 of the connecting pipes.

[0035] It will be understood that the internal configuration of the electrical connection tubes 12, 14 may be similar, so only one of the electrical connection tubes 12 will be described in detail here, with particular reference to Figure 3. The portion of the metal bar 16 that extends beyond the tube 12 in the direction of the connection box 4 once the metal bar has been inserted into the tube, i.e., the free end visible in Figure 4, is a metal finger 48 to which a connector 46 is welded. This connector is itself connected to the ground connector 18 of the connection box 4 by means of a conductor 47, shown in this case diagrammatically in Figure 4.

[0036] Since the metal fingers 48 extend beyond the wall of the connecting tube 12 and therefore form longitudinal projections for this connecting tube, it is possible to ground the heating element 6 via these metal fingers, which extend continuously in the longitudinal direction of the envelope defining the heating element, towards the connection box 4. The seal used to seal the joint between the upper periphery of the heating element 6 and the connection box 4 thus ensures that this connection to ground is also fluid-tight, without the need to provide for larger seal dimensions. Advantageously, the electrical conductors enabling the connection to ground do not extend outside the heating element, which makes it possible to avoid interfering with the mounting and the risk that this mounting could damage the electrical conductors.

[0037] The metal bar 16 incorporated in the connecting pipe 12 has a substantially flat body and metal tabs 20 regularly distributed along the metal bar 16, which have the purpose of ensuring contact between the metal bar and the connecting pipe 12. It will be seen that the metal tabs 20 are articulated to the body of the metal bar 16 at their bases 200, which define an axis of articulation, and whose flexibility ensures contact with the connecting pipe without the risk of being unable to insert the metal bar into the connecting pipe.

[0038] The metal tab 20 is produced by cutting the longitudinal edges of the metal bar 16, followed by various bending operations. The metal tab 20 is first bent to free it from the plane inscribed by the body of the metal bar, thus forming a protrusion that is articulated with respect to the base 200. The metal tab is then bent again so that the free end 202 is returned toward the body of the metal bar 16, giving it a hook shape with rounded edges 204 that form the contact surface between the tab 20 and the wall of the tube 12 facing it. This hook shape and its resilience facilitate the insertion of the metal bar 16 into the tube 12 without the free end 202 rubbing against the inner surface of the tube.

[0039] The insertion of the conductive element formed by the metal bar 16 into the connecting tubes 12, 14 is clearly visible in FIG. 3 by the metal bar being inserted into the connecting tubes through openings formed in the longitudinal ends of the connecting tubes. The metal bar 16 has a flat rod shape with a protruding tab 20. Therefore, the flat portion of the metal bar 16 is inserted into the tube 12 facing the larger wall 62 of the tube 12 so that the hook can contact the inner surface of the connecting tube, which defines the thickness 60 of the connecting tube. The hook is formed so that, in the direction in which the thickness 60 of the connecting tube 12 is inscribed, it is slightly larger than the opening of the tube through which the metal bar is inserted. This flattening deformation during insertion improves the chances of contact between the wall surface of the tube 12 and the tab 20. In other words, the thickness 60 of the connecting tube 12 is smaller than the average distance between the rounded edge of the tab and the plane inscribed by the body of the metal bar 16.

[0040] 3, the metal bars 16 are inserted in a direction such that the base 200 of each tab 20 enters the connecting tube 12 before the rounded edge 204 of the corresponding tab, which again has the effect of facilitating insertion of the metal bars. As a result, the metal fingers 48 are closer to the rounded edge 204 of the metal tab 20 than their bases 200, so that they extend beyond the opening through which the metal bar 16 was inserted.

[0041] The contact between these tabs 20, which form part of the conductive element intended to be connected to earth, and the inner surface of the connecting tube 12 makes it possible to ground the connecting tube 12 and therefore all the heat sinks 10 and all the tubes 8 of the heating body 6, taking into account that these elements are made of metal and are in contact with each other.

[0042] 5 to 8, a variant of the embodiment will now be described, which differs from the one described above in that the connecting tubes 12, 14 not only house conductive elements protruding from the tubes to be connected to earth, but also house an electrical connection member 26. This metallic connection member 26 makes it possible to circulate the current required to activate the heating elements in the heating tubes from an electrical connection box on the upper side of the heating body to the lower part of the heating body, where some heating elements may have electrodes similar to those described for the upper part of the heating body.

[0043] At the top of the heating element, the electrodes 38, 40 associated with each heating tube 32 are connected to a power supply bus for connection to the electrical connection box as described above. The electrical connections 26 present on the connection tubes 12, 14 are also connected to the electrical connection box via a power supply bus 43.

[0044] 6 and 7 show more specifically the conductive elements intended to be connected to ground and the electrical connection members 26 as they appear in the connecting tubes 12, 14.

[0045] In a variant of this embodiment, the connecting pipe 12 comprises, in addition to the metal bar 16, another metal bar 22 which also comprises metal tabs 24 regularly distributed in its longitudinal direction. These tabs 24 are similar to the tabs 20 and are arranged on the other metal bar 22 in the same way as the tabs on the metal bar 16.

[0046] The tab 24 of the other metal bar 22 is also intended to contact the inner surface of the corresponding connecting tube 12,14.

[0047] The metal bar 16 and the other metal bar 22 are fixed to one another by being overmolded with a rigid synthetic material, for example a plastic material, so as to form a block that can be easily positioned in the connecting pipes 12, 14. The overmolded block also makes it possible to position the electrical connection members 26, 52 in the connecting pipes 12, 14 without the risk that electrical contact between this electrical connection member 26, 52 and the metal bars 16, 22 could result in a short circuit.

[0048] In FIG. 6, two overmolded blocks can be seen, each intended to be housed in one of the connecting tubes 12, 14, each comprising a metal bar 16 and another metal bar 22 arranged on either side of the electrical connection member.

[0049] For the overmolded block intended to be housed in the first connecting tube 12, the electrical connection member 26 is placed between the metal bar 16 and the other metal bar 22 before overmolding the longitudinal section of this assembly formed by the electrical connection member and the metal bar. This overmolding 54, i.e. the overmolded longitudinal section, does not cover the tabs 20, 24, the longitudinal ends of the electrical connection member 26, nor the metal fingers 48 forming the ends of the metal bar 16.

[0050] As a similar example, for an overmolded block intended to be housed in the second connecting tube 14, the electrical connection member 52 is placed between the two metal bars 16, 20, and the overmolding 54 of the assembly is brought about so as not to cover the metal tabs and not to cover the ends that allow the electrical connection.

[0051] For each connecting tube, the overmold 54 ensures insulation between the other metal bar 22, which is set to ground potential, and the electrical connection members 26, 54, and between the electrical connection members 26, 54 and the metal bar 16. The presence of the other metal bar 22, located on the other side of the electrical connection members 26, 54, allows the assembly to be positioned in a stable manner, with the tabs 20, 24 substantially parallel to the wall of the abutting tube, thereby ensuring that the electrical connection member 26 is ideally positioned based on the desired theoretical position so that it is connected to the power supply bus both above and below the heating element. In this regard, the metal bar 16 and the other metal bars 22 are not connected, so the metal tabs of the other metal bars only serve to correctly position the overmold block within the connecting tube. Only the tab 20 of the metal bar 16 serves to create an electrical bridge between the wall of the tube (and therefore the heating element) and the ground connector 18, via the body of the metal bar, the metal fingers 48, and the conductors 47, in turn.

[0052] 7 shows in a transparent state the overmold block comprising the overmold 54, the metal bar 16, the electrical connection member 26 and the other metal bar 22 in the connecting pipe 12. In this figure it is possible to see what has been mentioned above, namely that the overmold 54 is made to leave sufficient clearance so that the tabs 20, 24 can bend at the moment of insertion in the connecting pipe and ensure contact with the inner surface of the connecting pipe 12.

[0053] The metal bars are oriented in the overmold block so that the metal tabs 20, 24 of each of the metal bars are positioned against the same wall of the connecting tubes 12, 14. This configuration makes it possible to accommodate the temperature sensors 28, 30 in these connecting tubes and ensure that they contact the wall of the tube opposite the wall that the metal tabs are in contact with. The elasticity of the metal tabs tends to press the overmold against this opposite wall, and the temperature sensors can be positioned facing the overmold 54 facing this opposite wall. These temperature sensors have connections 50 visible in FIG. 6 that are intended to be connected to computer bus connections in the electrical connection box 4.

[0054] Without departing from the background of the invention, the connecting pipes 12, 14 comprising the metal bar 16 may also be provided with heating elements.

[0055] 8 and 9 show another variant of the invention in which the metal bar 16 and the other metal bar 22 are connected to each other via a rigid metal coupling 17 without any intervening electrical connection. It will be understood that in this configuration the metal tabs 20, 24 of each metal bar participate in positioning the metal bar within the connecting tubes 12, 14 to ensure that the tabs and the body are in contact with the tube wall, but all of them participate in the grounding of the heating body.

[0056] Finally, in another embodiment variant of the invention (not shown here), the electrically conductive element that protrudes from the tube and that is intended to be connected to ground according to the invention is formed by an element integrated in one of the walls of the connecting tubes 12, 14. The metal bar, as described in the previous variant, is replaced by a metal finger that extends through the wall of the connecting tube 12, 14, and that thus forms a longitudinal protrusion of the connecting tube 12, 14 at the end of the tube that is located in the connection zone between the connection box 4 and the heating body 6. It will be understood that in this case the tube may also incorporate a heating element and / or an electrical connection member, as previously described.

[0057] The present invention, as just described through its various embodiments, achieves the object it set itself, namely to propose an electric heating device that provides a simplified means for grounding the heating body, which allows for a quick installation of the electric heating device without the need to change the dimensions of the sealing means.

[0058] However, the invention is not limited to the means and arrangements described and illustrated herein, but it extends to any equivalent means and arrangements and to any technically operable combinations of such means.

Claims

1. An electric heating device (2), in particular an electric heating device (2) for a motor vehicle, the device (2) comprising an electrical connection box (4) and a heating body (6), - a plurality of heating elements intended to be supplied with current, - a plurality of metal tubes (8), at least some of the plurality of metal tubes (8) comprising the heating elements, - a plurality of metal heat sinks (10), the metal tubes and the metal heat sinks form a conductive frame at the same potential, the device (2) comprises a conductive element (16) protruding from at least one tube (12) of the plurality of tubes (8) and being in electrical contact with the at least one tube, the protruding element (16) being connected to the ground connector (18) of the electrical connection box (4), characterized in that, electric heating device (2).

2. The element protruding from the at least one tube (12) is a metal bar (16) arranged longitudinally in the at least one tube (12), the metal bar (16) comprising at least one metal tab (20) in contact with the inner surface of the at least one tube (12), the electric heating device (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The at least one metal tab (20) is a lateral part of the metal bar (16), and is articulated to the body of the metal bar (16) at the base of the metal tab (20), the electric heating device (2) according to claim 2, characterized in that.

4. The at least one tube (12) further comprises an electrical connection member (26) protruding from the at least one tube (12), the protruding part of the electrical connection member (26) being electrically connected to the power supply in the electrical connection box (4), the electric heating device (2) according to any one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that.

5. The electrical connection member (26) and the metal bar (16) are at least partially embedded in an insulating polymer material in the longitudinal parts of the electrical connection member (26) and the metal bar (16), the electric heating device (2) according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. The metal bar (16) comprises a plurality of metal tabs (20) uniformly distributed along the metal bar (16), the electric heating device (2) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that.

7. The at least one tube (12) further comprises another metal bar (22) having one or more metal tabs (24) in contact with the inner surface of the at least one tube (12), and the metal bar (16) and the other metal bar (22) are arranged on both sides of a central plane intersecting the width of the at least one tube (12) in the longitudinal direction, and the metal bar (16) and the other metal bar (22) are fixed to each other. The electric heating device (2) according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

8. The metal tabs (20, 24) of the metal bar (16), or the metal tabs (20, 24) of the metal bar (16) and the metal tabs (20, 24) of the other metal bar (22) project from the same side of the one metal bar (16) or the plurality of metal bars (16, 22). The electric heating device (2) according to claim 6 or 7.

9. The at least one tube (12) further comprises one or more temperature sensors (28, 30) arranged on the side opposite to the same side of the one metal bar or the plurality of metal bars (16, 22), and the temperature sensors (28, 30) are in contact with the wall of the at least one tube (12). The electric heating device (2) according to claim 8.

10. The at least one tube (12) is arranged at a lateral edge of the heating element (6). The electric heating device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images