Heater integrated with heating plate, and manufacturing method therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coolant heater for a vehicle, and a manufacturing method therefor. A heating plate and a heater integrated with the heating plate, of the present invention, integrate a flow path of the heating plate with a housing so as to reduce the number of components and, further, reduce costs, can shorten processing time without requiring the attachment of a gasket or a bolt, and can reduce the size of a package and increase internal airtightness and robustness without requiring the presence of a region in which the gasket or the bolt is fastened.

Description

Heating plate integrated heater and manufacturing method thereof

[0001] The present invention relates to a water heater for a vehicle and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0002] In general, a water heater is a device installed in a vehicle that heats coolant and supplies it to the air conditioning system. It is configured in the vehicle's coolant cycle, and when necessary, heats the coolant flowing into the interior for interior heating so that it can exchange heat with cold air. At this time, a water pump is additionally installed in the vehicle to supply coolant to the water heater. The water pump compresses the coolant supplied from the air conditioning system and supplies it to the water heater. Accordingly, the water pump allows the coolant circulating inside the vehicle to circulate smoothly through the water heater and the air conditioning system. Here, a heat exchanger may be additionally installed in the vehicle to increase the temperature of the coolant.

[0003] These high-voltage film-type water heaters for vehicles operate at hundreds of volts and require heat capacities in the kilowatt range. The surface temperature of the heating element can reach 150 to 300°C. Furthermore, coolant leakage and overheating of the heating element, which runs through high voltage, can lead to electric shock and fire. Therefore, maintaining airtightness and maintaining cooling of the heating element are crucial.

[0004] Conventional high-voltage film-type water heaters for vehicles required a number of parts for assembling the heating element and the cooling path that cools the IGBT, and also had the problem of increasing the size of the housing because the positions of the bolt holes and gasket grooves for the gasket and bolt fasteners for assembling the heating plate and housing had to be considered, as well as the areas where insulation and creepage distances were formed. Furthermore, there was a problem that an empty space inevitably occurred between the heating plate and the housing, which was detrimental to the airtightness of the entire heater.

[0005] [Prior Art Literature]

[0006] [Patent Document]

[0007] Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0147145 "Water Heater Module Device"

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a heating plate-integrated heater and a method for manufacturing the same, which reduces the number of parts and further reduces costs by forming the flow path of the heating plate as an integral part of the housing, shortens the process time by eliminating the need to assemble gaskets or bolts, and reduces the package size and enhances internal airtightness by eliminating the need to secure an area where gaskets or bolts are fastened.

[0009] In addition, the present invention provides a heating plate-integrated heater and a manufacturing method thereof that can improve cooling performance for a heating element and an IGBT by forming the heating plate's path integrally with the housing.

[0010] In addition, by eliminating fastening members made of conductive materials such as bolts, the insulating structure when high voltage is applied is simplified, thereby reducing design and manufacturing difficulties, and by eliminating fastening members, the entire surface of the heating plate can be utilized, thereby reducing the shape design difficulty and manufacturing difficulty of the heating element, and an integrated heater and a manufacturing method thereof are provided.

[0011] In order to solve the above-described problem, a heating plate-integrated heater according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a heater housing having a joining groove formed on one surface thereof with a predetermined depth, a heating plate inserted into the joining groove of the heater housing and having one surface joined to one surface of the heater housing, and a joining portion formed between one surface of the heating plate and one surface of the heater housing, wherein one surface of the heater housing and one surface of the heating plate form a single flat surface.

[0012] In addition, the joint is characterized in that one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate are joined by friction stir welding.

[0013] Additionally, the depth of the joint is characterized by being lower than the depth of the joint groove by a predetermined ratio.

[0014] At this time, for example, the depth of the joint can be formed within a range of 3 mm or more and less than 8 mm.

[0015] Also, by way of example, the width of the joint can be formed within a range of 6 mm or more and less than 12 mm.

[0016] In addition, the heating plate is characterized in that a heating wire is formed on one side and a terminal for transmitting power to the heating wire is arranged on one edge side.

[0017] In addition, it is characterized in that it further includes an insulating layer including an insulating material, which is coated on the entire surface consisting of one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate.

[0018] In addition, the boundary between one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate is characterized in that it is formed along the perimeter of the outermost edge of one side of the heater housing.

[0019] In addition, the heater housing further includes a control unit for controlling the heating plate, and the heater housing further includes a receiving groove formed at a predetermined depth from the other surface, and the control unit is characterized in that it is provided inside the receiving groove.

[0020] At this time, the internal spaces of each of the receiving groove and the joining groove can be formed so as not to be connected to each other.

[0021] In addition, the cooling unit further includes a cooling channel through which cooling water for cooling the heating plate flows, and the heating plate is characterized in that the cooling channel is formed on the other surface.

[0022] In addition, it is characterized by including the steps of (a) manufacturing and providing a heater housing and a heating plate having a joining groove formed therein, (b) inserting a heating plate into the joining groove, (c) forming a joining portion to join one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate, and (d) coating an insulating layer on a surface formed by the one side and the one side of the heating plate.

[0023] In addition, step (a) is characterized by including the step of (a1) forming a receiving groove in the heater housing, and the step of (a2) mounting a control unit in the receiving groove of the heater housing.

[0024] Additionally, in step (c), the joint can be formed by joining one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate by friction stir welding.

[0025] Additionally, in step (d), the insulating layer can be formed by coating the entire surface consisting of one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate.

[0026] The heating plate-integrated heater of the present invention and its manufacturing method by the above configuration have the effect of reducing the number of parts and further reducing the cost by forming the flow path of the heating plate as an integral part with the housing, shortening the process time by not requiring the assembly of a gasket or bolt, and reducing the package size and enhancing the internal sealing strength by not requiring the area where the gasket or bolt is fastened.

[0027] In addition, by forming the heating plate's filament as an integral part of the housing, there is an effect of improving the cooling performance for the heating element and IGBT.

[0028] In addition, by eliminating fastening members made of conductive materials such as bolts, the insulating structure when high voltage is applied is simplified, thereby reducing design and manufacturing difficulty. In addition, since the entire surface of the heating plate can be utilized by eliminating fastening members, there is an effect of reducing the shape design difficulty and manufacturing difficulty of the heating element.

[0029] Fig. 1 is a side view of the heating plate-integrated heater of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a joint of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the depth of the joint of the present invention.

[0032] Fig. 4 is a photograph of a heating plate-integrated heater to which the joint of the present invention is applied.

[0033] Figure 5 is a top view of the heating plate-integrated heater of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 is a side view of a heating plate-integrated heater to which an insulating layer of the present invention is applied.

[0035] Fig. 7 is a side view of a heating plate-integrated heater showing the coupling relationship between the control unit and the heater housing of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8 is a plan view illustrating a cooling unit of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 9 is a side view of a heating plate-integrated heater showing the coupling relationship between the cooling unit and the heating plate of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a heating plate-integrated heater of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating detailed steps in the manufacturing process of the heater housing and heating plate of the present invention.

[0040]

[0041] ** Explanation of symbols **

[0042] 1000: Integrated heating plate heater

[0043] 100: Heater housing

[0044] 110: Combination Home

[0045] 120: Reception Home

[0046] 200: Heating plate

[0047] 210: Hot wire

[0048] 220: Terminal

[0049] 300: Joint

[0050] 400: Insulating layer

[0051] 500: Control Unit

[0052] 600: Cooling unit

[0053] 610: Cooling oil

[0054] T: Friction stir welding tool

[0055] Hereinafter, the technical concept of the present invention will be described in more detail using the attached drawings. Prior to this, it should be noted that the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings. Based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of a term to best explain his or her invention, they should be interpreted in a way that aligns with the technical concept of the present invention.

[0056]

[0057] Hereinafter, the basic configuration of the heating plate integrated heater (1000) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0058] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the heating plate-integrated heater (1000) of the present invention may include a heater housing (100) and a heating plate (200) that are formed integrally with each other, and a coupling portion (300) that connects the heater housing (100) and the heating plate (200). In more detail, the heater housing (100) may have a coupling groove (110) having a predetermined depth formed on one surface thereof, and the heating plate (200) may be inserted into the coupling groove (110) of the heater housing (100), and one surface thereof may be coupled with one surface of the heater housing (100). A heating wire (210), which is a heating element, may be printed on one surface of the heating plate (200) to generate heat. At this time, the connecting portion (300) can be formed between one side of the heating plate (200) and one side of the heater housing (100), and one side of the heater housing (100) and one side of the heating plate (200) connected through the connecting portion (300) can form one flat surface.

[0059] More specifically, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, the joining portion (300) may be formed by joining one side of the heater housing (100) and one side of the heating plate (200) by friction stir welding. At this time, the depth d of the joining portion may be formed to be a depth lower by a predetermined ratio compared to the depth of the joining groove. For example, d may be 3 mm or more and less than 8 mm. In addition, the width of the joining portion (300), that is, the diameter w of the friction stir welding tool (T), may be 6 mm or more and less than 12 mm. However, the depth d and the width w of the joining portion (300) may be adjusted according to the sizes of the heater housing (100) and the heating plate (200), and may not be limited to the above-described numerical range.

[0060] In addition, the boundary between one side of the heater housing (100) and one side of the heating plate (200), i.e., the position where the joining portion (300) is formed, may follow the perimeter of the outermost edge of one side of the heater housing (100). That is, the heater housing (100) may have a joining groove (110) formed in the center excluding the outer perimeter of one side, and the heating plate (200) may be fitted into the joining groove (110). Alternatively, the joining groove (110) may be formed in a shape corresponding to a predetermined shape of the heating plate (200) on one side of the heater housing (100) so that the heating plate (200) may be fitted therein.

[0061] By forming one side of the heater housing (100) and one side of the heating plate (200) as an integral part in this way, the number of separate fastening parts, such as bolts and gaskets, can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost. In addition, the process time can be shortened because the gaskets or bolts do not need to be assembled, and the package size can be reduced and the airtightness inside the heater housing (100) can be enhanced because the area where the gaskets or bolts are fastened does not need to be secured. In addition, by forming the flow path of the heating plate (200) as an integral part of the housing, the cooling performance for the heating element and the IGBT can be improved. In addition, by eliminating fastening members made of a conductive material, such as bolts, the insulation structure when high voltage is applied is simplified, thereby reducing the design and manufacturing difficulties. In addition, since the entire surface of the heating plate (200) can be utilized by eliminating the fastening members, the heating element printed on one side of the heating plate (200) can be designed and manufactured with a higher degree of freedom.

[0062]

[0063] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the heating plate-integrated heater (1000) of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9.

[0064] As described above, the heating plate (200) may have a heating wire (210) formed on one surface. At this time, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a terminal (220) for transmitting power to the heating wire (210) may be arranged on one edge. Accordingly, by positioning an external power source on one edge, the arrangement of the wire for supplying power to the heating wire (210) may be simplified. As described above, by forming one surface of the heater housing (100) and one surface of the heating plate (200) as one surface, the positions of the heating wire (210) and the electrode can be set with a higher degree of freedom for the entire surface of the heating plate (200).

[0065] In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 6, an insulating layer (400) including an insulating material may be further included, which is coated on the entire surface formed by one side of the heater housing (100) and one side of the heating plate (200). By including the insulating layer (400), the heating wire (210) printed on the heating plate (200) can be insulated from the outside, thereby increasing stability. As described above, by forming one side of the heater housing (100) and one side of the heating plate (200) into one surface, insulation can be easily applied to the entire surface of the heating plate (200).

[0066] In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the heater housing (100) further includes a control unit (500) that controls the heating plate (200), and the heater housing (100) further includes a receiving groove (120) formed at a predetermined depth from the other surface, and the control unit (500) may be provided inside the receiving groove (120). At this time, the internal spaces of the receiving groove (120) and the coupling groove (110) may not be connected to each other. That is, by providing the control unit (500) on the opposite side of the surface to which the heating plate (200) is coupled, even if one surface of the heating plate (200) and one surface of the heater housing (100) are formed integrally, an area where the control unit (500) is provided can be secured.

[0067] In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the cooling unit (600) further includes a cooling channel (610) through which cooling water for cooling the heating plate (200) flows, and the heating plate (200) may have the cooling channel (610) formed on the other surface. In more detail, as illustrated in FIG. 9, a groove may be formed on the other surface of the heating plate (200), and the cooling channel (610) may be formed in the internal space of the groove formed on the other surface of the heating plate (200), that is, in the space between the other surface of the heating plate (200) and the joining groove (110) of the heater housing (100). Accordingly, the heat transferred to the other side of the heating plate (200) can be smoothly cooled, and by providing the cooling unit (600) on the opposite side of the surface to which the heating plate (200) is coupled, even if one side of the heating plate (200) and one side of the heater housing (100) are formed as one piece, an area where the cooling unit (600) is provided can be secured.

[0068]

[0069] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a heating plate (200) integrated heater of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0070] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the method for manufacturing a heater integrated with a heating plate (200) of the present invention may include (a) a step of manufacturing and providing a heater housing (100) and a heating plate (200) having a joining groove (110) formed therein, (b) a step of inserting the heating plate (200) into the joining groove (110), (c) a step of forming a joining portion (300) to join one side of the heater housing (100) and one side of the heating plate (200), and (d) a step of coating an insulating layer (400) on the entire surface formed by the one side and the one side of the heating plate (200).

[0071] At this time, as illustrated in FIG. 111, it is preferable that step (a) includes the steps of (a1) forming a receiving groove (120) in the heater housing (100), and (a2) mounting the control unit (500) in the receiving groove (120) of the heater housing (100). At this time, the internal spaces of each of the receiving groove (120) and the joining groove (110) may not be connected to each other. That is, by providing the control unit (500) on the opposite side of the surface to which the heating plate (200) is joined, even if one surface of the heating plate (200) and one surface of the heater housing (100) are formed integrally, an area where the control unit (500) is provided can be secured.

[0072] In addition, in step (c), the joining portion (300) may be formed by joining one side of the heater housing (100) and one side of the heating plate (200) by friction stir welding. At this time, the width w of the joining portion (300) may be 3 mm or more and less than 5 mm. However, the width w of the joining portion (300) may be adjusted according to the sizes of the heater housing (100) and the heating plate (200), and may not be limited to the numerical range described above.

[0073] In addition, in step (d), the insulating layer (400) can be coated on the entire surface formed by one side of the heater housing (100) and one side of the heating plate (200). By including the insulating layer (400), the heating wire (210) printed on the heating plate (200) can be insulated from the outside, thereby increasing stability. As described above, by forming one side of the heater housing (100) and one side of the heating plate (200) into one surface, insulation can be easily applied to the entire surface of the heating plate (200).

[0074]

[0075] The technical concept of the present invention should not be construed solely based on the above-described embodiments. The scope of application is diverse, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed in the claims. Therefore, such improvements and modifications, as long as they are obvious to those skilled in the art, fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0076] According to the present invention, by forming the heating plate's flow path as an integral part of the housing, the cooling performance of the heating element and IGBT can be improved. Furthermore, this improved structure reduces the number of components, thereby lowering design and manufacturing difficulty, further reducing costs, shortening process times, reducing package size, and enhancing internal sealing.

Claims

1. A heater housing having a joining groove having a predetermined depth formed on one side; A heating plate inserted into the coupling groove of the heater housing, one surface of which is coupled with one surface of the heater housing; including a joint formed between one side of the heating plate and one side of the heater housing; A heating plate-integrated heater characterized in that one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate form a single flat surface.

2. In paragraph 1, The above joint is, A heating plate-integrated heater in which one side of the above heater housing and one side of the above heating plate are joined by friction stir welding.

3. In paragraph 2, A heating plate-integrated heater, characterized in that the depth of the above-mentioned joint is lower by a predetermined ratio than the depth of the above-mentioned joint groove.

4. In paragraph 2, A heating plate-integrated heater characterized in that the depth of the above-mentioned joint is formed within a range of 3 mm or more and less than 8 mm.

5. In paragraph 2, A heating plate-integrated heater characterized in that the width of the above-mentioned joint is formed within a range of 6 mm or more and less than 12 mm.

6. In paragraph 1, The above heating plate, A hot wire is formed on one side, A heating plate-integrated heater characterized in that a terminal for transmitting power to the heating wire is arranged on one edge side.

7. In paragraph 1, A heating plate-integrated heater characterized in that it further includes an insulating layer comprising an insulating material, which is coated on the entire surface consisting of one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate.

8. In paragraph 1, A heating plate-integrated heater, characterized in that a boundary between one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate is formed along the perimeter of the outermost edge of one side of the heater housing.

9. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a control unit for controlling the above heating plate; The above heater housing, It further includes a receiving groove formed at a predetermined depth from the surface, A heating plate-integrated heater, characterized in that the control unit is provided inside the receiving groove.

10. In paragraph 9, A heating plate-integrated heater characterized in that the internal spaces of each of the receiving groove and the joining groove are formed so as not to be connected to each other.

11. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a cooling unit including a cooling passage through which cooling water for cooling the heating plate flows; The above heating plate, A heating plate-integrated heater characterized in that the cooling channel is formed on the other surface.

12. In the manufacturing method of the heating plate integrated heater of Article 1, (a) a step of manufacturing and providing the heater housing and the heating plate in which the above-mentioned joining groove is formed; (b) a step of inserting the heating plate into the above joining groove; (c) a step of forming a joint to join one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate; (d) A method for manufacturing a heating plate-integrated heater, characterized by comprising a step of coating an insulating layer on a surface formed of one side and one side of the heating plate.

13. In paragraph 12, Step (a) above, (a1) a step of forming a receiving groove in the heater housing; (a2) A method for manufacturing a heating plate-integrated heater, characterized by including a step of mounting a control unit in a receiving groove of the heater housing.

14. In paragraph 12, In step (c) above, A method for manufacturing a heating plate-integrated heater, characterized in that the above-mentioned joint is formed by joining one side of the heater housing and one side of the heating plate by friction stir welding.

15. In paragraph 12, In step (d) above, A method for manufacturing a heating plate-integrated heater, characterized in that the insulating layer is formed by coating the entire surface formed by one surface of the heater housing and one surface of the heating plate.

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