Heater unit and heater

Abstract

A heater unit according to the present disclosure comprises an insulating substrate, and a conductor that is positioned inside the substrate. The substrate comprises a body section that extends in a first direction, and a flange section that extends from the body section in a direction intersecting the first direction.

Description

Heater unit and heater

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heater unit and a heater.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a ceramic heater having a heat generating portion inside a substrate is known (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-268944

[0004] A heater unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an insulating base and a conductor located inside the base, the base including a main body portion extending in a first direction and a flange portion extending from the main body portion in a direction intersecting the first direction.

[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a heater according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a heater according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view showing an example of a heater unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view showing an example of a heater unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of attachment of the heater unit according to the first embodiment to a base portion. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a heater unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a heater according to a third embodiment.

[0006] Hereinafter, a heater unit and a heater according to the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the embodiments can be appropriately combined as long as the processing content is not contradictory. Furthermore, the same components in the following embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0007] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, expressions such as "constant," "orthogonal," "perpendicular," or "parallel" may be used, but these expressions do not necessarily mean "constant," "orthogonal," "perpendicular," or "parallel" in the strict sense. In other words, the above expressions allow for deviations due to, for example, manufacturing precision or installation precision.

[0008] In the drawings referred to below, for ease of understanding, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are defined as being orthogonal to each other, and an orthogonal coordinate system is shown in which the positive Z-axis direction is the vertically upward direction. The rotation direction around the vertical axis is also referred to as the θ direction.

[0009] Conventionally, a ceramic heater having a heat generating portion inside a substrate is known.

[0010] However, because conventional heaters are configured in a rod or plate shape, when attaching the heater to another member, it is sometimes necessary to fix the heater to the other member using a bonding material or the like.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need for a technology that can facilitate attachment to other components.

[0012] First Embodiment First, a heater according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a heater 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a heater 1 according to the first embodiment. For ease of understanding, Figs. 1 and 2 do not show a lid portion 100, which will be described later in Fig. 5.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the heater 1 according to the first embodiment may include a plurality of heater units 10 , a base portion 20 , internal wiring 70 , and a power supply portion 80 .

[0014] The heater units 10 may be configured to be detachable from the base portion 20. Each of the heater units 10 may include an insulating base 25 (described later in FIG. 3 ) and a conductor 30 located inside the base 25. The conductor 30 of the heater unit 10 may be electrically connected to an external power source via internal wiring 70 and a power supply 80. In this case, the heater unit 10 generates heat when power from the external power source is supplied to the conductor 30 via the power supply 80 and the internal wiring 70. The heater units 10 may be arranged, for example, inclined with respect to the circumferential direction of the annular base portion 20. As shown in FIG. 1 , the heater units 10 may be arranged so as to be exposed from the base portion 20. In this example, the space surrounded by the heater units 10 is heated by the heater units 10 arranged on the side surfaces, and therefore is heated relatively uniformly in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 .

[0015] Although an example in which the heater 1 includes 20 heater units 10 has been described here, the number of heater units 10 is not limited to 20. Furthermore, the arrangement of the heater units 10 is not limited to the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2. Modified examples of the arrangement of the heater units 10 will be described later.

[0016] The base portion 20 is a support member that supports the heater unit 10. For example, the base portion 20 may be a member that is annular in plan view when viewed from the insertion / removal direction (Z-axis direction) of the heater unit 10. The material of the base portion 20 may be, for example, ceramics such as silicon nitride or silicon carbide. The material of the base portion 20 may also be, for example, resin or so-called engineering plastic. The material of the base portion 20 may also be a composite material of ceramics and resin.

[0017] The shape of the base portion 20 is not limited to the shape shown in Figures 1 and 2. For example, the base portion 20 may be a member having a polygonal shape in a plan view, or a member having a circular shape in a plan view.

[0018] The internal wiring 70 is a wiring embedded in the base portion 20. The internal wiring 70 may electrically connect the heater unit 10 and the power supply portion 80. The internal wiring 70 may be, for example, a wire containing a metal material such as nickel, iron, tungsten, molybdenum, platinum, or a nickel-based heat-resistant alloy. The cross section of the internal wiring 70 may be, for example, circular, elliptical, or rectangular. The internal wiring 70 may include a first internal wiring 70a and a second internal wiring 70b. One of the first internal wiring 70a and the second internal wiring 70b may be an anode wiring and the other may be a cathode wiring.

[0019] 2, the first internal wiring 70a may be provided along the circumferential direction of the base portion 20 and may be located closer to the inner periphery of the base portion 20 than the plurality of heater units 10. The first internal wiring 70a may electrically connect the first power supply portion 80a to the first electrodes 60a of each of the plurality of heater units 10, which will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0020] 2, the second internal wiring 70b may be provided along the circumferential direction of the base portion 20 and positioned closer to the outer periphery of the base portion 20 than the plurality of heater units 10. The second internal wiring 70b may electrically connect the second power supply portion 80b to the second electrodes 60b of each of the plurality of heater units 10, which will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0021] The power supply unit 80 may be electrically connected to the internal wiring 70. The power supply unit 80 may be configured to receive power from an external power source. The power supplied from the external power source is supplied to the conductors 30 of the heater unit 10 via the power supply unit 80 and the internal wiring 70. The power supply unit 80 may include a first power supply unit 80a and a second power supply unit 80b.

[0022] The first power supply portion 80a may electrically connect the first internal wiring 70a to an external power supply, and the second power supply portion 80b may electrically connect the second internal wiring 70b to an external power supply.

[0023] Although an example has been shown here in which the first internal wiring 70a and the second internal wiring 70b connect all of the heater units 10 provided in the base portion 20 to the power supply unit 80, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, by increasing the number of internal wirings and power supply units, some of the heater units 10 provided in the base portion 20 may be connected to the power supply unit. This makes it possible to control the heater units 10 for each internal wiring.

[0024] As described above, the heater 1 according to the first embodiment may be configured by attaching the heater unit 10 to the base portion 20. If the heater unit is simply rod-shaped or plate-shaped, it may be necessary to fix the base portion 20 and the heater unit with a bonding material or the like when attaching the heater unit to the base portion 20. There is also a risk that the heater unit may be displaced from its desired position.

[0025] Therefore, the heater unit 10 according to the first embodiment is configured to include a flange 50. As a result, when the heater unit 10 is attached to the base 20, the flange 50 fits into a recess 22 of the base 20, which will be described later, facilitating attachment to the base 20. The heater unit 10 including the flange 50 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a front view showing an example of the heater unit 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a side view showing an example of the heater unit 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the heater unit 10 according to the first embodiment may include a base 25 , a conductor 30 , and an electrode 60 .

[0028] The base 25 may be, for example, a T-shaped member when viewed from the front. The material of the base 25 may be, for example, an insulating ceramic. For example, oxide ceramics, nitride ceramics, or carbide ceramics may be used as the material of the base 25. Specifically, alumina ceramics, silicon nitride ceramics, aluminum nitride ceramics, silicon carbide ceramics, or the like may be used.

[0029] The base 25 may include a main body 40 incorporating a pattern portion of the conductor 30, here a meandering pattern portion having straight portions and folded portions, and a flange portion 50 protruding from the main body 40. The main body 40 may be, for example, rectangular parallelepiped and extend in a first direction, here the Z-axis direction. The straight portions in the pattern portion of the conductor 30 may extend in the first direction. The main body 40 may include surfaces 40a and 40b that are surfaces orthogonal to the first direction, here the Z-axis direction, and surfaces 40c to 40f that are surfaces other than the surfaces 40a and 40b.

[0030] The flange 50 may extend from the main body 40 in a direction intersecting the first direction. In the example shown in FIG. 3 , the flange 50 extends from the main body 40 in the X-axis direction. The flange 50 may include a first flange 51 and a second flange 52. The first flange 51 and the second flange 52 are located on surfaces 40c and 40d of the main body 40 that are perpendicular to the X-axis direction, among surfaces 40a to 40f. Specifically, the first flange 51 may be located on surface 40c of the main body 40 and extend from surface 40c in the positive direction of the X-axis. The second flange 52 may be located on surface 40d opposite surface 40c and extend from surface 40d in the negative direction of the X-axis. Surface 40c is an example of a first surface, and surface 40d is an example of a second surface.

[0031] In this way, the flange portion 50 extends in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the heater unit 10, so that the thickness of the heater unit 10 does not increase.

[0032] The upper surface 51a of the first flange 51 and the upper surface 52a of the second flange 52 may be provided so as to be flush with the surface 40a of the main body 40. The upper surfaces 51a and 52a are an example of a third surface.

[0033] An example of how the heater unit 10 is attached to the base portion 20 will now be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of how the heater unit 10 according to the first embodiment is attached to the base portion 20.

[0034] 5 , the base portion 20 may have a through-hole 21 that penetrates in a first direction, here the Z-axis direction. The main body portion 40 of the heater unit 10 may be inserted into the through-hole 21. The through-hole 21 may be located inside a recess 22 formed in the base portion 20. When the main body portion 40 of the heater unit 10 is inserted into the through-hole 21, a first flange portion 51 and a second flange portion 52 of the heater unit 10 may be fitted into the recess 22.

[0035] As described above, the heater unit 10 according to the first embodiment includes the flange 50, and therefore, when the heater unit 10 is attached to the base 20, the flange 50 is engaged with the recess 22 of the base 20, making it easy to attach the heater unit 10 to the base 20. Therefore, compared to when the heater unit 10 is rod-shaped or plate-shaped, the heater unit 10 can be attached to the base 20 more easily. Also, misalignment of the heater unit 10 can be reduced.

[0036] The conductor 30 is located inside the base 25. A first electrode 60a may be connected to one end of the conductor 30, and a second electrode 60b may be connected to the other end of the conductor 30. The conductor 30 may be a member that generates heat when a current flows through it. The conductor 30 may include a high-resistance conductor containing, for example, tungsten, molybdenum, or platinum. The shape of the conductor 30 is not limited to the shape shown in the figure, and can be changed as appropriate depending on, for example, the heat generation characteristics required of the heater 1.

[0037] The electrode 60 is electrically connected to the conductor 30 of the heater unit 10 and the internal wiring 70 of the base portion 20. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, the conductor 30 and the internal wiring 70 may be connected via a terminal portion 90 provided in the recess 22 of the base portion 20. The material of the electrode 60 may be, for example, a metal such as nickel or titanium.

[0038] The electrode 60 may be located on the flange 50. With this configuration, the electrode 60 is located far from the heat-generating portion, which lengthens the heat path from the heat-generating portion to the electrode 60 and reduces deterioration of the electrode 60 due to heat. This improves the durability of the heater unit 10.

[0039] The electrode 60 may include a first electrode 60a and a second electrode 60b. The first electrode 60a may be located on the lower surface 51b of the first flange 51. The first electrode 60a may electrically connect the first internal wiring 70a and the conductor 30 via a terminal portion 90a. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the first electrode 60a may be provided in a recess located on the lower surface 51b. The second electrode 60b may be located on the lower surface 52b of the second flange 52. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the second electrode 60b may be provided in a recess located on the lower surface 52b. The second electrode 60b may electrically connect the second internal wiring 70b and the conductor 30 via a terminal portion 90b. This allows the heater unit 10 to be attached to the base portion 20 and the conductor 30 to be electrically connected to the internal wiring 70 in a single operation, specifically, by inserting the heater unit 10 into the through-hole 21 of the base portion 20. The lower surface 51b and the lower surface 52b are examples of a fourth surface.

[0040] 5, a lid 100 may be provided on the upper surface of the base 20. The lid 100 may be made of, for example, aluminum nitride or aluminum oxide. This can reduce the intrusion of corrosive gases from the outside. The space between the recess 22 of the base 20 and the heater unit 10 may be filled with a sealing material such as high-melting-point glass.

[0041] As described above, the heater unit 10 according to the first embodiment includes the flange 50, and therefore, when the heater unit 10 is attached to the base 20, the flange 50 fits into the recess 22 of the base 20, making it easy to attach the heater unit 10 to the base 20. Therefore, compared to when the heater unit 10 is rod-shaped or plate-shaped, it is easier to attach the heater unit 10 to other members such as the base 20. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce misalignment of the heater unit 10.

[0042] Second Embodiment Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a heater unit according to a second embodiment. While an example in which the heater unit 10 includes the first flange 51 and the second flange 52 has been described, the flange 50 may be provided on at least a surface other than the surface 40a and the surface 40b, and the position, number, and shape of the flange 50 are not limited to those in the above example. For example, the flange 50 may be provided circumferentially around the main body 40. This makes it easier to attach the heater unit 10 to other components, such as the base 20.

[0043] Third Embodiment Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a heater 1 according to a third embodiment. In the first embodiment, an example in which a plurality of heater units 10 are arranged in a circumferentially inclined orientation with respect to the base portion 20 is shown, but the arrangement of the heater units 10 is not limited to this example. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, a plurality of heater units 10a may be arranged along the circumferential direction of the base portion 20a.

[0044] (Other embodiments) In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the heater unit 10 has two flanges 50, the first flange 51 and the second flange 52. However, the heater unit 10 may be configured to have only one of the first flange 51 and the second flange 52.

[0045] In the above-described embodiments, examples have been described in which the main body 40 of the heater unit 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but the shape of the main body 40 of the heater unit 10 does not necessarily have to be a rectangular parallelepiped. For example, the main body 40 of the heater unit 10 may have a cylindrical shape.

[0046] In the above-described embodiments, examples have been described in which the flange portion 50 is positioned flush with a surface of the main body portion 40 that is perpendicular to the first direction, but the flange portion 50 does not necessarily need to be flush with a surface of the main body portion 40 that is perpendicular to the first direction. For example, in the first embodiment, the upper surfaces 51 a, 52 a of the flange portion 50 may be positioned lower than one surface 40 a of the two surfaces 40 a, 40 b of the main body portion 40 that are perpendicular to the first direction and higher than the other surface 40 b. Furthermore, the heater 1 or heater unit 10 in each embodiment can be manufactured by a conventional, well-known manufacturing method.

[0047] The present technology may also be configured as follows: (1) A heater unit (for example, heater unit 10) includes an insulating base (for example, base 25) and a conductor (for example, conductor 30) located inside the base. The base includes a main body portion (for example, main body portion 40) extending in a first direction, and a flange portion (for example, flange portion 50) extending from the main body portion in a direction intersecting the first direction.

[0048] (2) In the heater unit described in (1) above, the main body may be rectangular parallelepiped, and the flange may be located on one of the multiple faces of the main body other than the face perpendicular to the first direction.

[0049] (3) In the heater unit described in (1) or (2) above, the main body may have a first surface (for example, surface 40c) that is a surface other than a surface perpendicular to the first direction, and a second surface (for example, surface 40d) located opposite the first surface, and the flange may have a first flange located on the first surface and a second flange located on the second surface.

[0050] (4) In the heater unit described in (1) or (2) above, the flange may be provided circumferentially around the main body.

[0051] (5) The heater unit according to any one of (1) to (4) above may include an electrode connected to a conductor, and the electrode may be located on the flange.

[0052] (6) In the heater unit described in (5) above, the flange portion has a third surface (for example, upper surfaces 51 a, 52 a) that is flush with a surface of the main body portion that is perpendicular to the first direction, and a fourth surface (for example, lower surfaces 51 b, 52 b) that is located opposite the third surface, and the electrode may be located on the fourth surface.

[0053] (7) A heater (for example, heater 1) may include a heater unit according to any one of (1) to (6) above, and a base portion (for example, base portion 20) having a recess (for example, recess 22) that fits into the flange portion of the heater unit.

[0054] (8) The heater according to (7) above may include a plurality of heater units, and the base portion may include a plurality of recesses that fit with the flange portions.

[0055] (9) In the heater described in (8) above, the base portion may be annular, and the plurality of recesses may be positioned circumferentially around the base portion.

[0056] The disclosed embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Indeed, the above-described embodiments may be embodied in various forms. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0057] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 heater 10 heater unit 20 base portion 22 recess 25 substrate 30 conductor 40 main body portion 50 flange portion 51 first flange portion 52 second flange portion

Claims

1. A heater unit comprising: an insulating base; and a conductor located inside the base, the base comprising: a main body portion extending in a first direction; and a flange portion extending from the main body portion in a direction intersecting the first direction.

2. A heater unit as described in claim 1, wherein the main body is rectangular, and the flange is located on one of a plurality of faces of the main body other than a face perpendicular to the first direction.

3. A heater unit as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the main body portion has a first surface which is a surface other than a surface perpendicular to the first direction, and a second surface located opposite the first surface, and the flange portion has a first flange portion located on the first surface, and a second flange portion located on the second surface.

4. A heater unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flange portion is provided circumferentially around the main body portion.

5. A heater unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an electrode connected to the conductor, the electrode being located in the flange portion.

6. A heater unit as described in claim 5, wherein the flange portion has a third surface that is flush with a surface of the main body portion that is perpendicular to the first direction, and a fourth surface that is positioned opposite the third surface, and the electrode is positioned on the fourth surface.

7. A heater comprising: a heater unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and a base portion having a recess that fits with the flange portion of the heater unit.

8. The heater according to claim 7, comprising a plurality of said heater units, and said base portion having a plurality of said recesses that fit with said flange portion.

9. The heater according to claim 8, wherein the base portion is annular, and the plurality of recesses are positioned circumferentially about the base portion.

Images