Liquid heating device

Abstract

To provide a liquid heating device which can achieve a miniaturization when installing a safety device to a plurality of ceramic heaters, and can surely perform a power conduction block upon abnormality.SOLUTION: A liquid heating device 200 comprises: a capacitor 100 having an internal space 100i; a plurality of ceramic heaters 171 and 172 in which a tip end part of itself is positioned in the internal space as well as being extended to a front-and-rear direction L; and a safety device 150 that blocks a power conduction to each ceramic heater in the case where a temperature of the capacitor exceeds a setting value. The ceramic heaters are arranged along the front-and-rear direction, the safety device is arranged to an outer side of the capacitor by the number smaller than the number of ceramic heaters, or is embedded into the capacitor. In view of a cross section crossed to the front-and-rear direction, one safety device is arranged in an internal part of a region R1 which passes through each of centers G1 and G2 of gravity of at least two of a pair of adjacent ceramic heaters, and which is surrounded by two liners S1 and S2 vertical to a liner M1 connecting the centers of gravity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid heating device suitable for heating liquids such as water. [Background technology]

[0002] Hot water is required for warm water washing toilet seats, fuel cell systems, water heaters, 24-hour baths, heating vehicle washer fluid, in-vehicle air conditioners, etc. For these reasons, liquid heating devices that heat water using a built-in heater are used. In particular, when the purpose is to rapidly heat water for a warm water washing toilet seat, a rod-shaped ceramic heater is used, in which a heating element is embedded in a ceramic sheet wrapped around the outer periphery of an elongated ceramic substrate. However, if the heater is energized when the water level in the liquid heating device decreases and the device is running dry, the temperature will rise abnormally, causing the liquid heating device containing the heater to overheat. Therefore, technology has been developed that includes a safety device (such as a thermal fuse) that cuts off power to the heater when the heater's temperature rises abnormally and the device becomes too high (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-104649 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a liquid heating device is equipped with multiple ceramic heaters, providing a safety device for each heater would result in a large liquid heating device. On the other hand, providing fewer safety devices than the number of heaters could result in the safety devices not being able to adequately detect an abnormal temperature rise in any of the heaters, depending on their locations. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a liquid heating device that can be made compact when safety devices are provided for a plurality of ceramic heaters, and that can reliably cut off power to the heaters in the event of an abnormality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a liquid heating device comprising: a container having an internal space and an inlet and an outlet communicating with the internal space; a plurality of ceramic heaters extending in a front-to-rear direction, with their tips located within the internal space and with heat-generating portions at the tips; and a safety device that cuts off current to the ceramic heaters when the temperature of the container exceeds a set value. The liquid is heated by the ceramic heaters as it flows from the inlet through the internal space to the outlet, and the ceramic heaters are aligned in the front-to-rear direction, and the safety devices are arranged outside the container in a number less than the number of the ceramic heaters. 、 When viewed in a cross section intersecting the front-to-rear direction, one safety device is disposed within an area surrounded by two straight lines that pass through the centers of gravity of at least one set of two adjacent ceramic heaters and are perpendicular to the line segment connecting the centers of gravity of the ceramic heaters.

[0006] According to this liquid heating device, the number of safety devices provided is less than the number of ceramic heaters, so the liquid heating device can be made smaller than when the same number of safety devices as ceramic heaters are provided. Furthermore, since one safety device is disposed within the area for at least one pair of adjacent ceramic heaters, the safety device is located close to both of the pair of adjacent ceramic heaters. This allows for adequate detection of abnormal temperature rises in each ceramic heater, and ensures that power to the heater is cut off in the event of an abnormality.

[0007] In the liquid heating device of the present invention, difference Furthermore, a heat transfer medium having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the container may be disposed between the safety device and the container, and a recess may be provided on the outer surface of the container in the region at a portion that comes into contact with the heat transfer medium. According to this liquid heating device, the heat transfer medium that transfers heat from the ceramic heater to the safety device is disposed in the recess, so that the heat transfer medium is closer to the ceramic heater, enabling more reliable detection of abnormal temperature rise in the ceramic heater.

[0008] In the liquid heating device of the present invention, at least a portion of the safety device may be located inside the recess. According to this liquid heating device, a part of the safety device is disposed in the recess, so that the safety device is closer to the ceramic heater, and an abnormal temperature rise of the ceramic heater can be detected more reliably. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, when safety devices are provided for a plurality of ceramic heaters, a liquid heating device can be obtained that is compact and can reliably cut off the power to the heaters in the event of an abnormality. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a liquid heating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a connection circuit between a ceramic heater and a safety device. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the ceramic heater. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the ceramic heater. [Figure 10]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a liquid heating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a liquid heating device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a liquid heating device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a connection circuit between a ceramic heater and a safety device of a liquid heating device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a liquid heating device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a connection circuit between ceramic heaters and a safety device in a liquid heating device having four ceramic heaters. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the liquid heating device according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid heating device 200 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 3, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the connection circuit between ceramic heaters 171, 172 and a safety device 150, FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the ceramic heater 171, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the ceramic heater 171.

[0012] In this first embodiment, the liquid heating device 200 is installed on a warm-water washing toilet seat, and is configured to heat room-temperature water with two built-in ceramic heaters 171, 172 to supply hot water.

[0013] The liquid heating device 200 has a generally elongated cylindrical shape (a cylindrical shape with a rounded rectangular cross section) extending in the direction of the axis L as a whole, and includes a container 100, two ceramic heaters 171, 172, and one safety device 150. The container 100 has an elongated cylindrical body 101 having an internal space 100i for containing liquid W (water), a front end cap 107 and a rear end cap 109 that close both axial end openings of the body 101, and an inlet 103 and an outlet 105 for liquid W that are integrally formed with the body 101. Both axial ends of the body 101 protrude radially like flanges, and both ends of the body 101, the front end cap 107 and the rear end cap 109 are airtightly sealed by O-rings 190 (FIG. 3).

[0014] The ceramic heaters 171 and 172 are each rod-shaped and extend in the front-rear direction AX, and are aligned in the same direction (parallel) along the front-rear direction AX. The ceramic heaters 171 and 172 are attached to the container 100 by having their base ends 17R held in a cantilever manner by sealing parts 180 at the openings of the rear end lid 109 of the container 100. The tip portions 17T of the ceramic heaters 171, 172 are located within the internal space 100i. It goes without saying that the holding portion by the sealing portion 180 is closer to the base end than the heat generating portion 17a of the ceramic heater, which will be described later. Furthermore, lead wires 15 and 16 (described later) are connected to the base end 17R of the ceramic heaters 171 and 172 for supplying power from the outside.

[0015] In this example, the axial direction of the body 101 is parallel to the axis L direction, and the ceramic heaters 171, 172 are housed in the internal space 100i of the body 101 so that the direction in which the ceramic heaters 171, 172 are arranged (front-to-back direction AX) is along the axis L direction. Also, although not shown, in this example, the liquid heating device 200 is installed on the warm water washing toilet seat so that the axis L direction is approximately horizontal and the outlet 105 side is positioned slightly upward, and each ceramic heater 171, 172 is placed horizontally.

[0016] The inlet 103 and the outlet 105 are connected to the internal space 100i and are spaced apart in the direction of the axis L, and the liquid W introduced from the outside through the inlet 103 passes through the internal space 100i along the direction of the axis L and is discharged from the outlet 105. In addition, a gap is formed between the inner wall of the container 100 and the ceramic heaters 171, 172, and the liquid W introduced into the internal space 100i through the inlet 103 is heated while coming into contact with the outer surfaces of the ceramic heaters 171, 172 along the axis L direction, and then flows to the outlet 105.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the inlet 103 and the outlet 105 are arranged in the front-to-rear direction AX (=direction of the axis L) of the ceramic heaters 171, 172, so that the water introduced from the inlet 103 flows toward the outlet 105 and toward the tip 17T while coming into contact with the outer surfaces of the ceramic heaters 171, 172. 2 is a perspective view taken along the axis L and a direction perpendicular to the axis of the inlet 103. FIG.

[0018] Here, the number of safety devices 150 (one in this example) is less than the number of ceramic heaters 171, 172 (two in this example), and they are arranged outside the container 100. Specifically, a box-shaped grease case 140 is integrally formed on the outer surface of the container 100 between the inlet 103 and the outlet 105, and the inside of this grease case 140 is filled with heat transfer grease (heat transfer medium) 160. A safety device 150 is embedded in the heat transfer grease 160.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the grease case 140 includes a box-shaped storage section 141 that is open at the top and a cover 142 that covers the top of the storage section 141, and the storage section 141 is integrated with the container 100. After the heat transfer grease 160 and the safety device 150 are placed in the container 141, which has an open top, the cover 142 is attached.

[0020] The safety device 150 may be any device that cuts off the power supply to the ceramic heaters 171 and 172 when the temperature of the container 100 exceeds a set value. In this example, safety device 150 is a known pellet-type thermal fuse, with first lead wire 150a and second lead wire 150b extending from both ends thereof. Parts of the wall surfaces of housing portion 141 facing inlet 103 and outlet 105 are cut out, and first lead wire 150a and second lead wire 150b are exposed to the outside from each cutout portion.

[0021] 7, in the safety device 150, a first lead wire 150a is connected to the power source PW side to the ceramic heaters 171, 172, and a second lead wire 150b is connected in parallel to the two ceramic heaters 171, 172. Alternatively, the first lead wire 150a may be connected to the earth side, and the second lead wire 150b may be connected to the power source PW side.

[0022] The conductivity of the heat transfer medium 160, such as heat transfer grease, is higher than the thermal conductivity of the container 100. The heat transfer medium is not limited to heat transfer grease, and may be, for example, a heat transfer medium made of resin and metal powder. The heat transfer medium, such as heat transfer grease, may be a hardening type. In the case of a hardening type, the grease case 140 is not required, and the safety device 150 may be held on the outer surface of the container 100 via the hardening type heat transfer medium. An example of the curable heat transfer medium is curable silicone heat dissipation grease.

[0023] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, a partition wall 100s is provided in the internal space 100i between the inlet 103 and the outlet 105 to separate each of the multiple ceramic heaters 171, 172, and the water introduced from the inlet 103 flows through the partition wall 100s for each of the ceramic heaters 171, 172. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 6, the partition walls 100s are not provided in the internal space 100i near the outlet 105, and the internal space 100i is a single internal space 100i. This increases the volume of the internal space 100i near the outlet 105, making it easier for boiling bubbles generated on the inlet 103 side to escape to the outside through the outlet 105. In addition, water that has been heated inside the separate partition walls 100s joins together, providing hot water at a uniform temperature. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the axis L passing through the center of the minor axis of the liquid heating device 200, and FIGS. 4 and 6 are cross-sectional views perpendicular to the axis L in FIG.

[0024] Next, the positional relationship between the ceramic heaters 171 and 172 and the safety device 150 will be described with reference to FIG. 5, when viewing a cross section intersecting the front-to-rear direction AX (which is equivalent to the direction of the axis L in this example), a line segment M1 is drawn connecting the centers of gravity G1 and G2 of a pair of two adjacent ceramic heaters 171 and 172. Next, two straight lines S1 and S2 are drawn that pass through the centers of gravity G1 and G2 and are perpendicular to the line segment M1. One safety device 150 is arranged inside an area R1 surrounded by the straight lines S1 and S2.

[0025] In this way, the number of safety devices 150 arranged is less than the number of ceramic heaters 171, 172, so the liquid heating device 200 can be made smaller than when the same number of safety devices as ceramic heaters are provided. Furthermore, one safety device 150 is disposed within region R1 for at least one set of two adjacent ceramic heaters 171, 172, so the safety device 150 is close to both of the set of two adjacent ceramic heaters 171, 172. This allows for sufficient detection of abnormal temperature rises in each of the ceramic heaters 171, 172, and ensures that power to the heaters is cut off in the event of an abnormality.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 5, in this example, a recess 101r is provided in a portion of the outer surface of the container 101 in the region R1 that comes into contact with the heat transfer medium 160. As a result, the heat transfer medium 160 that transfers heat from the ceramic heaters 171, 172 to the safety device 150 is located in the recess 101r, so that the heat transfer medium 160 is closer to the ceramic heaters 171, 172, and abnormal temperature rises in the ceramic heaters 171, 172 can be detected more reliably.

[0027] In this example, the recess 101r is substantially wedge-shaped with its deepest point being the intersection of circles surrounding the ceramic heaters 171 and 172. The recess 101r is provided inside the accommodation portion 141. In addition, when looking at a cross section of the container 101 that intersects with the front-to-back direction AX, if at least a part of the outline of the part where the heat transfer medium 160 is present is located inside the container 101 (closer to the ceramic heaters 171, 172) than the approximate curve P that passes through the outline of the container 101 in the part where the heat transfer medium 160 is not present, it is considered to be a recess.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 5, in this example, at least a part of the safety device 150 (the bottom side in FIG. 5) is located inside the recess 101r. As a result, a part of the safety device 150 is interposed in the recess 101r, so that the safety device 150 is even closer to the ceramic heaters 171, 172, and an abnormal temperature rise in the ceramic heaters 171, 172 can be detected more reliably.

[0029] Next, the configuration of the ceramic heater will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Since the ceramic heaters 171 and 172 have the same shape, only the ceramic heater 171 will be described. 8, the ceramic heater 171 has a heating element 17h that generates heat when externally energized via lead wires 15 and 16. The heating element 17h has a heating portion 17a at its front end that is formed as a heating pattern by meandering a conductor in the front-to-rear direction AX, and a pair of lead portions 17b that are drawn out from both ends of the heating portion 17a to the rear end side. The heat generating portion 17a has a length of Lh in the front-to-rear direction AX.

[0030] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the heating element 17h has a heating portion 17a, two lead portions 17b, and an electrode pattern 17c formed at the rear end of each lead portion 17b. The heating element 17h is sandwiched between two ceramic green sheets 17s1 and 17s2. The ceramic green sheets are made of alumina. The heating portion 17a and the lead portions 17b are made of tungsten, rhenium, or the like. Two electrode pads 17p to which lead terminals 18 (see FIG. 8) are brazed are formed on the surface of the ceramic green sheet 17s2. The electrode pattern 17c is connected to the electrode pads 17p via through-holes to form a laminate of ceramic green sheets.

[0031] Furthermore, by wrapping this laminate around a rod-shaped ceramic base 17g whose main component is alumina or the like with the ceramic green sheet 17s2 facing outward and firing it, the ceramic green sheets 17s1 and 17s2 become ceramic sheets 17s and are wrapped around the outer periphery of the ceramic base 17g to produce an integrated ceramic heater 171. The ceramic base 17g may be cylindrical with through holes or pillar-like without holes, but if cylindrical, it is desirable to seal the through holes with resin or the like to prevent water leakage. The lead wires 15 and 16 are crimped to lead terminals 18 and electrically connected to them (see FIG. 8).

[0032] When the laminate is wound around the ceramic base 17g, the laminate is wound with a gap between its two ends in the front-rear direction AX. For this reason, a slit 17v, which serves as a recessed groove along the front-rear direction AX, is formed as a non-heat-generating portion in the wound portion on the outer surface of the ceramic heater 171. Therefore, when looking at a radial cross section of the ceramic heater 171, the heat generating portion 17a is embedded in the ceramic heater 171 in the form of a ring with ends, and a slit 17v, which serves as a non-heat generating portion, is formed between the two ring ends 17e of the heat generating portion 17a.

[0033] Next, a liquid heating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid heating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. The liquid heating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is similar to the liquid heating device 200 according to the first embodiment, except for the positioning of the safety device 150 and thus the configuration of the container 110. Therefore, the same components as those of the liquid heating device 200 are denoted by the same symbols and will not be described.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 10, in the liquid heating device according to the second embodiment, one safety device 150 is embedded in the container 110. Specifically, the spacing between the ceramic heaters 171, 172 is increased to form a partition wall 100s2 that is wider than the partition wall 100s of the container 100 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 3, and the safety device 150 is embedded in this partition wall 100s2.

[0035] In the second embodiment as well, the number of safety devices 150 arranged is less than the number of ceramic heaters 171, 172, so the liquid heating device can be made smaller than when the same number of safety devices as ceramic heaters are provided. Furthermore, since one safety device 150 is disposed inside the region R1, the safety device 150 is close to both of the pair of adjacent ceramic heaters 171, 172. This allows for sufficient detection of abnormal temperature rises in each of the ceramic heaters 171, 172, and ensures that power to the heaters is cut off in the event of an abnormality.

[0036] Next, a liquid heating device 200B according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the liquid heating device 200B, and Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid heating device 200B. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Fig. 5 of the first embodiment. The liquid heating device 200B has three ceramic heaters 171, 172, 173 and two safety devices 151, 152, and is similar to the liquid heating device 200 of the first embodiment except for the different configuration of the container 100B. Therefore, the same components as those of the liquid heating device 200 are given the same symbols and will not be described.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 11, the liquid heating device 200B has a container 100B that is generally triangular tubular (tubular with a triangular cross section) as a whole, and three ceramic heaters 171-173. The container 100B has an elongated cylindrical body 101B having an internal space 100i for containing a liquid (water), a front end cap 107B and a rear end cap 108 that close the openings at both ends of the body 101B in the axial direction L, and an inlet 103B and an outlet 105B for the liquid W. The inlet 103B and outlet 105B are respectively formed integrally with the front end cap 107B and the body 101B. The front end cap 107B is fitted to the front end of the body 101 in the axial L direction (the end on the side where the ceramic heaters 171-173 are exposed). On the other hand, a rear end cap 108 is liquid-tightly sealed at the rear end in the axial direction of the body portion 101 via a rubber seal such as a packing.

[0038] The three ceramic heaters 171-173 are each shaped like a rod extending in the front-to-rear direction AX, and extend in the same direction (parallel). The base end 17R of each of the ceramic heaters 171-173 penetrates three openings 107m1-107m3 in the front-end lid 107B. The gaps between the ceramic heaters 171-173 and the openings 107m1-107m3 are sealed with a fixing member 185 made of epoxy resin, thereby fixing the ceramic heaters 171-173 to the container 100 in a cantilevered manner. In this example, the ceramic heaters 171 to 173 are housed in the internal space 100i of the body 101 such that the front-to-rear direction AX in which the ceramic heaters 171 to 173 are arranged is aligned with the axis L of the body 101.

[0039] The inlet 103B and the outlet 105B are connected to the internal space 100Bi (Figure 12) and are spaced apart in the direction of the axis L, and liquid introduced from the outside through the inlet 103B passes through the internal space 100Bi along the direction of the axis L and is discharged from the outlet 105B. In addition, a gap is formed between the inner wall of the container 100 and the ceramic heaters 171-173, and the liquid introduced into the internal space 100Bi through the inlet 103 is heated while coming into contact with the outer surfaces of the ceramic heaters 171-173 along the axis L direction, and then flows to the outlet 105.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 12, the safety devices 151 and 152 are arranged outside the container 100B in a number (two in this example) less than the number (three in this example) of the ceramic heaters 171 to 173. 11, box-shaped grease cases 140B1 and 140B2 are integrally formed on two of the three outer surfaces of the container 100B between the inlet 103B and the outlet 105B. The grease cases 140B1 and 140B2 have the same configuration as the grease case 140 of the first embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the inside of each of the grease cases 140B1 and 140B2 is filled with heat transfer grease (heat transfer medium) 160. In the heat transfer grease 160, the safety devices 151 and 152 are embedded.

[0041] Next, the positional relationship between the ceramic heaters 171 to 173 and the safety devices 151 and 152 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, when viewing a cross section intersecting the front-to-rear direction AX (which is equivalent to the direction of the axis L in this example), a line segment M1 connecting the centers of gravity G1 and G2 of a pair of two adjacent ceramic heaters 171 and 172 and two straight lines S1 and S2 are drawn, and one safety device 151 is arranged inside an area R1 surrounded by the straight lines S1 and S2. Similarly, for another set of two adjacent ceramic heaters 171 and 173, two straight lines S3 and S4 are drawn that pass through the centers of gravity G1 and G3 of the respective heaters and are perpendicular to the line segment M2. Another safety device 152 is then placed inside an area R2 enclosed by the straight lines S3 and S4.

[0042] In this way, the number of safety devices 151, 152 arranged is less than the number of ceramic heaters 171-173, so the liquid heating device 200B can be made smaller than when the same number of safety devices as ceramic heaters are provided. Furthermore, one safety device 151 is arranged within region R1 for one set of two adjacent ceramic heaters 171, 172, and one safety device 152 is arranged within region R2 for another set of two adjacent ceramic heaters 171, 173. This means that the safety device 151 is close to both of the set of two adjacent ceramic heaters 171, 172, and similarly the safety device 152 is close to both of the other set of two adjacent ceramic heaters 171, 173. This makes it possible to adequately detect abnormal temperature rises in the ceramic heaters 171-173, and to reliably cut off power to the heaters in the event of an abnormality.

[0043] 12, in this example as well, a recess 101Br1 is provided on the outer surface of the container 101B in region R1 at a location that comes into contact with the heat transfer medium 160. Similarly, a recess 101Br2 is provided on the outer surface of the container 101B in region R2 at a location that comes into contact with the heat transfer medium 160. As a result, the heat transfer medium 160 that transfers the heat from the ceramic heaters 171 and 172 to the safety device 151 is located in the recess 101Br1. Similarly, the heat transfer medium 160 that transfers the heat from the ceramic heaters 171 and 173 to the safety device 152 is located in the recess 101Br2. Therefore, the heat transfer medium 160 is even closer to the ceramic heaters 171 to 173, and abnormal temperature rises in the ceramic heaters 171 to 173 can be detected more reliably.

[0044] In this example, the recesses 101Br1 and 101Br2 are also generally wedge-shaped, with their deepest points located at the intersections of circles surrounding the ceramic heaters 171 and 172, respectively, and the intersections of circles surrounding the ceramic heaters 171 and 173, respectively. The recesses 101Br1 and 101Br2 are provided inside the housing portions of the grease cases 140B1 and 140B2, respectively.

[0045] Also, as shown in FIG. 12, in this example, at least a portion (bottom side in FIG. 5) of the safety devices 151 and 152 is located inside the recesses 101Br1 and 101Br2, respectively. As a result, parts of the safety devices 151 and 152 are interposed in the recesses 101Br1 and 101Br2, so that the safety devices 151 and 152 are closer to the ceramic heaters 171-173, and abnormal temperature rises in the ceramic heaters 171-173 can be detected more reliably.

[0046] 13, in the safety device 151, a first lead wire 151a is connected to the power source PW side to the ceramic heaters 171 to 173, and the three ceramic heaters 171 to 173 are connected in parallel to a second lead wire 151b. In addition, in the safety device 152, a first lead wire 152a is connected to the three ceramic heaters 171 to 173 in parallel, and a second lead wire 152b is connected to the earth side. The ceramic heater 173 may be directly connected to the power supply PW side without passing through the safety device 151, and the ceramic heater 172 may be directly connected to the earth side without passing through the safety device 152.

[0047] Next, a liquid heating device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid heating device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. The liquid heating device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is similar to the liquid heating device 200B according to the third embodiment, except for the positioning of the safety device 150 and thus the configuration of the container 120. Therefore, the same components as those of the liquid heating device 200B are denoted by the same symbols and will not be described.

[0048] 14, in the liquid heating device according to the fourth embodiment, one safety device 150 is embedded in the container 120. Specifically, the intervals between the ceramic heaters 171-173 are increased, the partition wall 120s of the container 100 surrounded by the ceramic heaters 171-173 is made wider, and the safety device 150 is embedded in this partition wall 120s.

[0049] In the fourth embodiment as well, the number of safety devices 150 arranged is less than the number of ceramic heaters 171 to 173, so the liquid heating device can be made smaller than when the same number of safety devices as ceramic heaters are provided.

[0050] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but covers various modifications and equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the third embodiment, the safety device 152 may be omitted, and one safety device 151 may be provided for the three ceramic heaters 171 to 173.

[0051] Also, as shown in FIG. 15, for example, two safety devices 153 and 154 may be provided for four ceramic heaters 171 to 174. 12, one safety device 154 may be disposed inside the region R2 of one pair of ceramic heaters 173, 174. In this case, taking an example of a connection circuit between the ceramic heaters 171-174 and the safety devices 153, 154, the safety device 153 has a first lead wire 153a connected to the power supply PW side to the ceramic heaters 171, 172, and the two ceramic heaters 171, 172 connected in parallel to the second lead wire 153b. Also, the safety device 154 has a first lead wire 154a connected to the power supply PW side to the ceramic heaters 173, 174, and the two ceramic heaters 173, 174 connected in parallel to the second lead wire 154b.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 16, as a modification of the liquid heating device according to the third embodiment, there may be one recess 130Br, which extends deep to the center of the container 130 surrounded by the ceramic heaters 171-173. In this example, one safety device 150 is disposed in the deepest part of the recess 130Br, and a heat transfer medium 160 is interposed between the recess 130Br and the safety device 150. [Example]

[0053] The liquid heating device 200 shown in FIG. 1 was manufactured. First, alumina powder and glass component powder, which act as sintering aids, were ground and mixed with water in a mill to form a clay-like mixture, which was then mixed with a binder. This mixture was extruded using a die equipped with a core in an extruder to form a cylindrical ceramic substrate, which was then cut to a predetermined length and calcined. The outer diameter and length of the ceramic substrate were determined taking into account the firing shrinkage rate. On the other hand, a heater pattern was printed and formed on an alumina green sheet using tungsten and molybdenum paste, along with a terminal connected to the heater pattern on the opposite side of the sheet. The size of the heater printing area was determined taking into account the shrinkage rate during ceramic firing. The heater pattern was formed by calculating the resistance value at room temperature from the resistance value at high temperatures and the resistance variation due to temperature rise (resistance temperature coefficient x temperature difference x initial resistance value). The sheet size was also prepared and cut taking into account the shrinkage rate during firing.

[0054] The printed ceramic green sheet was cut to a specified size and wrapped around a pre-fired ceramic substrate, then fired together. The completed heater had a total length LM of 60 mm, a maximum outer diameter D of 2.8 mm, and a room temperature resistance of 9 Ω. The resistance of the ceramic heater was adjusted by changing the length (number of folds) and thickness of the heating element. The exposed terminals of the fired heater were nickel-plated, and nickel leads were brazed to the heater using Ag solder. Lead wires were then crimped to the leads to complete the ceramic heater.

[0055] Next, two ceramic heaters were attached to the resin container. Specifically, each ceramic heater was passed through two through-holes in the rear cap and fixed in place using an epoxy adhesive as a sealing member. The rear cap, body, and front cap were then airtightly connected via an O-ring to complete the liquid heating device 200. 1 and 5, heat transfer grease 160 and one safety device 150 were placed inside the grease case 140. The safety device 150 was placed inside an area R1 surrounded by straight lines S1 and S2 in FIG.

[0056] Water at a flow rate of 450 cc / min and a temperature of 5°C was introduced into the obtained liquid heating device 200, and the applied voltage per ceramic heater was controlled so that the outlet temperature was 35°C. After that, the running water was stopped with the voltage still applied. As a result, the heater temperature rose, but when it exceeded the temperature setting that would not cause abnormalities (thermal deformation) in the resin container, the safety device 150, which is a fuse, broke and the power to the heater was cut off. This prevented the temperature from rising any further and prevented abnormalities in the container.

[0057] On the other hand, when the safety device 150 was placed outside the area R1 surrounded by the straight lines S1 and S2 in Figure 5 and was installed close to one of the ceramic heaters 171, the ceramic heater 172 on the side farthest from the safety device 150 overheated and exceeded the temperature setting, but the safety device 150 did not detect this, and the ceramic heater 172 became even hotter, causing part of the container to thermally deform, after which the safety device 150 detected this and broke the wire, causing the heater power to stop. As a result, the container was deformed and part of the resin in the container was burned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 17a Heat generating part 100, 100B, 110, 120, 130 containers 100i, 100Bi interior space 101r, 101Br1, 101Br2, 130Br recess 103, 103B entrance 105, 105B outlet 150~154 Safety device 160 Heat Transfer Medium 171~173 Ceramic heater 200, 200B liquid heating device L Forward / backward direction W liquid G1~G3 Ceramic heater center of gravity M1, M2 Line connecting the centers of gravity S1~S4 Two straight lines R1, R2 area

Claims

1. a container having an internal space and an inlet and an outlet communicating with the internal space; a plurality of ceramic heaters extending in a front-rear direction, with their tips positioned within the internal space and with heat generating portions at the tips; a safety device that cuts off power to the ceramic heater when the temperature of the container exceeds a set value; Equipped with A liquid heating device that heats a liquid by the ceramic heater while the liquid is introduced from the inlet, passes through the internal space, and flows to the outlet, The ceramic heaters are aligned along the front-rear direction, the safety devices are arranged outside the container in a number less than the number of the ceramic heaters; A liquid heating device characterized in that, when viewed in a cross section intersecting the front-to-rear direction, one safety device is disposed within an area surrounded by two straight lines that pass through the centers of gravity of at least one set of two adjacent ceramic heaters and are perpendicular to the line segment connecting the centers of gravity of each.

2. Furthermore, a heat transfer medium having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the container is disposed between the safety device and the container, 2. The liquid heating device according to claim 1, wherein a recess is provided in a portion of the outer surface of the container in the region that comes into contact with the heat transfer medium.

3. The liquid heating device according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the safety device is located inside the recess.

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