Heating medium heating device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a heating medium heating device having a cartridge-type heater in such a manner that a more compact device can be achieved. [Solution] A heating medium heating device 10 includes: a main part 12; a heating medium channel 15 provided inside the main part 12; a heater 16 supported inside the channel 15; a control board 17 that controls the heater 16; and a cover part 13 which covers the control board 17 by means of a first lateral surface 131, a second lateral surface 132 and a third lateral surface 133 disposed opposite each other, and a top surface 134, and which is secured to the main part 13 by a securing part 20 provided at an outer peripheral end part. The securing part 20 is disposed in a plane inclined with respect to a reference plane parallel to the direction of extension direction of the heater 16, and the first lateral surface 131 is erected so that the angle formed thereby with the reference plane is an obtuse angle.

Description

Heat medium heating device

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat medium heating device for a vehicle.

[0002] Conventionally, some devices (electric coolant heaters; ECHs) that electrically heat a heat medium (including water, coolant, refrigerant, etc.) flowing through a heat exchanger for vehicle air conditioning, etc., have a housing that is composed of a main body that houses a control board and a cover that covers the main body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the heat medium heating device described in Patent Document 1, a fixing surface for fixing a cover (lid) with screws is formed at the outer peripheral end of the main body (heat transfer block), and the fixing surface is formed to be inclined downward from the rear wall to the front when viewed from the side of the heat transfer block. By forming the fixing surface of the heat transfer block in this inclined manner, it is easy to accommodate a cartridge heater from the front of the heat transfer block, and further it is easy to place the control board on the pedestal of the heat transfer block, and it is easy to perform work on the cartridge heater and control board after installation.

[0003] JP 2012-131331 A

[0004] However, in the case of a conventional heat medium heating device having a cartridge-type heater, there is a limit to how far it can meet the recent demand for miniaturization of the device.

[0005] Specifically, a cartridge-type heater is configured such that, for example, a spiral nichrome wire is disposed inside a cylindrical heat transfer medium passage provided inside a housing (main body). Therefore, the heater wiring inevitably extends along the axial direction of the spiral heater (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the heat transfer medium passage) on the inner periphery side, and the wire lead-out portion (terminal) must be led out from the longitudinal end of the heat transfer medium passage to the outside in a state completely separated from the heat transfer medium passage. In this case, the side surface of the housing facing the heater's wire lead-out portion (terminal) is one of the longitudinal sides of the housing. Since an appropriate insulation distance must be ensured between this side surface and the terminal, there is a limit to how compact the device can be.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a heat medium heating device having a cartridge-type heater, which can realize a reduction in the size of the device.

[0007] The present invention relates to a heat medium heating device comprising a main body, a heat medium flow path provided inside the main body, a heater supported inside the flow path, a control board for controlling the heater, a first side surface, oppositely arranged second and third side surfaces, and a cover portion covering the control board with a top surface and fixed to the main body by a fixing portion provided on an outer peripheral end portion, wherein the fixing portion is arranged in a plane inclined with respect to a reference plane parallel to the extension direction of the heater, and the first side surface is erected so that the angle it forms with the reference plane is an obtuse angle.

[0008] According to the heat medium heating device of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect of providing a heat medium heating device having a cartridge-type heater, which can realize miniaturization of the device.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the appearance of a heat medium heating device of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a heat medium heating device of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a partially transparent side view of a heat medium heating device of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a heat medium heating device of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a heat medium heating device of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a rear view of a heat medium heating device of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a view showing a heat medium heating device of the present invention and a comparative example.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 7 show an example of an embodiment of the present invention, and in the figures, parts with the same reference numerals represent the same configuration. In addition, some components are omitted as appropriate in each figure to simplify the drawings. In addition, the shapes and dimensions of some components may be exaggerated as appropriate in each figure.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the appearance of the heat medium heating device 10 of this embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 3 is a side view taken along the arrow V1 in FIG. 1 and a partially transparent side view showing the interior of the cover unit 13. For convenience of explanation, the following definitions of directions in this embodiment will be used: the left-right direction shown in FIG. 1 is the length direction L of the heat medium heating device 10, the up-down direction shown in FIG. 1 is the width direction W of the heat medium heating device 10, and the direction perpendicular to the length direction L and the width direction W is the height direction H of the heat medium heating device 10. Regarding the height direction H, the upper side shown in FIG. 2 will be referred to as the upper side of the height direction H, and the lower side will be referred to as the lower side of the height direction H. FIG. 1 is a plan view seen from above in the height direction H.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 1 , the heat medium heating device 10 includes a housing 11, a heat medium flow path 15, a heater 16 supported inside the heat medium flow path 15, an inlet 21 and an outlet 22 of the heat medium flow path 15, a high-voltage connector 23, and a low-voltage connector 24.

[0013] 2 and 3, the housing 11 is composed of, for example, a main body 12, a cover 13, and a heater support 14, and its general external shape is a substantially flat rectangular parallelepiped in which the height direction H is smaller than the length direction L and the width direction W.

[0014] The main body 12 has a side surface (main body side surface 121) on one side in the longitudinal direction L, and the heat medium inlet 21, the high-voltage connector 23 for the element connected to the control board 17, the low-voltage connector 24, and the heat medium outlet 22 are concentrated on the main body side surface 121.

[0015] 4 is a plan view illustrating the heat medium flow path 15, with some circuit components and the like inside the main body 12 omitted. The heat medium flow path 15, through which the heat medium flows, is provided inside the main body 12. The heat medium flow path 15 extends in the length direction L of the main body 12 and includes an inlet-side flow path 15A and an outlet-side flow path 15B provided near both ends in the width direction W.

[0016] A substantially cylindrical heater housing 151 is provided inside each of the inlet-side flow passage 15A and the outlet-side flow passage 15B, as indicated by the large dashed line, and a heater 16 is housed and supported inside (on the inner periphery of) the heater 16. In this example, the heater 16 is a cartridge-type spiral electric wire heater. The heat medium flows through a space partitioned by the inner walls of the inlet-side flow passage 15A and the outlet-side flow passage 15B and the outer walls of the heater housing 151 provided inside both flow passages 15A and 15B.

[0017] A heater support part 14 that supports the heater 16 is provided on the opposite side (opposite position) to the main body side surface 121 in the longitudinal direction L of the main body part 12. One end of the inlet-side flow path 15A communicates with the inlet 21, and the other end connects to the heater support part 14. One end of the outlet-side flow path 15B communicates with the outlet 22, and the other end connects to the heater support part 14.

[0018] 2, heater support portion 14 has heater insertion openings 141 near both ends in the width direction W, and one end of each of two heater accommodating portions 151 is inserted into each of these heater insertion openings 141. Between the two heater insertion openings 141, there is a space that is open on the main body portion 12 side, and this space serves as a flow path communication portion 142. By closely contacting and fixing heater support portion 14 to main body portion 12 so as to face main body portion side surface 121, inlet-side flow path 15A and outlet-side flow path 15B communicate with each other via flow path communication portion 142.

[0019] The heat medium that flows in from the inlet 21 passes through the inlet-side flow path 15A around the heater 16 and is heated by the heater 16. The heat medium flows through the outlet-side flow path 15B via the flow path connecting portion 142 of the heater support portion 14 and flows out of the main body portion 12 from the outlet 22. External pipes (not shown) are connected to the inlet 21 and the outlet 22, respectively, and seal portions are formed at these connecting portions.

[0020] 2 , the upper part of the main body 12 in the height direction H is an open area, and a control board 17 is arranged to cover this open area and to comprehensively control the heater 16 and other components of the heat medium heating device 10. Although not shown in detail, circuit components of the heat medium heating device 10 (e.g., IGBTs, capacitors, wiring, etc.) are mounted on or connected to the control board 17.

[0021] 3 , the outer side of the heater support portion 14 in the longitudinal direction L of the main body 12 (rearward of the heater support portion 14 when the inlet 21 side is defined as the front) is the wire lead-out portion 30. The heater 16 has its wire 16W extending axially on the inner circumferential side of the spiral, leading out from the end on the heater support portion 14 side, and connected to a terminal 161. The terminal 161 is connected to a wire (not shown) provided on the control board 17 via a connecting means 50 such as a bus bar. Both ends of the heater accommodating portion 151 in the longitudinal direction L are closed with cap members 152 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ), and the gap between the wire 16W and the cap members 152 is sealed with a seal member (not shown). In other words, the wire lead-out portion 30 is partitioned and completely separated from the heat medium flow path 15.

[0022] 5 and 6 show the main body 12 with the cover 13 removed, with FIG. 5 being a plan view and FIG. 6 being a rear view seen from the heater support 14 side.

[0023] The heat medium heating device 10 of this embodiment employs a cartridge-type heater 16, and its wiring 16W is led out from one axial end of the heater 16. As shown in Fig. 5 , a wiring lead-out section 30 including the wiring 16W led out from the heater 16 and terminals 161 connected to the wiring 16W is provided outside the control board 17 (exposed from the control board 17) when viewed from the direction of the top surface 134. As shown in Fig. 6 , the terminals 161 of the heater 16 in the wiring lead-out section 30 are connected to the control board 17 (not shown in Fig. 6 ) via connection means 50 such as a bus bar.

[0024] Of the various wiring (not shown) connected to the control board 17, the high-voltage wiring is led to the outside via a high-voltage connector 23 provided on the side surface 121 of the main body, and the low-voltage wiring is led to the outside via a low-voltage connector 24 provided on the side surface 121 of the main body.

[0025] 3, the cover 13 is disposed above the control board 17 in the height direction. That is, the space partitioned by the open area above the main body 12 and the cover 13 is a board chamber 31 in which the control board 17 and the circuit components connected thereto are housed. The board chamber 31 is separated and partitioned from the heat medium flow path 15 (and the heater 16). The board chamber 31 is also a space that is sealed from the outside of the heat medium heating device 10.

[0026] The wiring lead-out portion 30 is covered by the first side surface 131 of the cover portion 13. In other words, the space defined by the heater support portion 14 and the first side surface 131 becomes a terminal chamber 32 in which a terminal 161 of the heater 16 is housed. The terminal chamber 32 is separated and partitioned from the heat medium flow path 15, and is a space that is sealed from the outside of the heat medium heating device 10. A predetermined insulation distance G0 (the distance to the terminal 161 in the vertical direction of the first side surface 131) is ensured between the terminal 161 and the first side surface 131.

[0027] A plurality of vehicle mounting portions 25 for fixing the heat medium heating device 10 to a vehicle are provided below (on the lower surface of) the main body 12 in the height direction H. In this example, as shown in Fig. 1 , two vehicle mounting portions 25 are provided on one side of the lower surface of the main body 12 along the length direction L, and one vehicle mounting portion 25 is provided on the other side of the lower surface of the main body 12 along the length direction L, each having a screw hole 25A. The heat medium heating device 10 is fixed to the vehicle by fastening screws (not shown) through the screw holes 25A.

[0028] The undersides of the vehicle mounting portions 25 are all flat, and as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 3, a (virtual) plane that includes multiple (three in this example) vehicle mounting portions 25 is the vehicle mounting surface AT. In this example, the vehicle mounting surface AT is used as a reference plane for the shape and posture of the heat medium heating device 10. The vehicle mounting surface AT is, for example, a plane that is parallel to a plane that includes the helical axes of the two spiral heaters 16 and is also parallel to the control board 17. In this embodiment, the vehicle mounting surface AT is described as a horizontal plane, but this does not limit the mounting direction of the heat medium heating device 1 to the vehicle. In other words, the vehicle may be mounted to the vehicle so that the vehicle mounting surface AT is aligned vertically (perpendicularly).

[0029] 4, a receiving portion 26 for fixing the cover portion 13 is provided on the outer peripheral end of the main body portion 12. In this example, the receiving portion 26 is an edge portion (which is substantially rectangular in plan view) that is continuous with the outer periphery of the main body portion 12 and has a plurality of screw holes 26A that are spaced apart. The receiving portion 26 is not limited to being a continuous edge portion, and may be provided independently in a plurality of positions corresponding to the plurality of screw holes 26A, as in the vehicle mounting portion 25.

[0030] Specifically, the receiving portion 26 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. Specifically, two sides extending in the width direction W of the main body 12 are parallel (horizontal) to the vehicle mounting surface AT, which serves as a reference plane, and two sides extending in the length direction L are inclined relative to the vehicle mounting surface AT. More specifically, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the receiving portion 26 includes a first receiving portion 261 extending in the width direction W at the upper end of the main body side surface 121, and a second receiving portion 262, a third receiving portion 263, and a fourth receiving portion 264 continuing clockwise from the first receiving portion 261. As shown in FIG. 3 , the first receiving portion 261 is located above the upper end of the main body side surface 121 in the height direction H (the uppermost part of the component (in this example, the low-voltage connector 24) that is located highest in the height direction H among the inlet 21, the outlet 22, the high-voltage connector 23, and the low-voltage connector 24).

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3 , the third receiving portion 263, which is parallel to the first receiving portion 261, protrudes outward (rearward) from the heater support portion 14 in the length direction L and is located below (the lower end of) the vehicle mounting surface AT in the height direction H (i.e., closer to the vehicle and further away from the control board 17). The distance L1 in the length direction L from the tip of the terminal 161 to the end of the third receiving portion 263 is, for example, 1.5 to 5 times, and preferably about 2 to 3 times, the insulation distance G0. Furthermore, the distance H1 in the height direction H from the vehicle mounting surface AT to the lower end of the third receiving portion 263 is, for example, 20% to 60%, and preferably about 30% to 50% of the distance H2, where H2 is the distance from the center line of the main body 12 in the height direction H to the vehicle mounting surface AT.

[0032] The second receiving portion 262 extends in the length direction L so as to connect one end of the first receiving portion 261 and one end of the third receiving portion 263. That is, the second receiving portion 262 is inclined so that the side of the main body side surface 121 is higher and the side of the heater support portion 14 is lower. The same is true for the fourth receiving portion 264 that is parallel to the second receiving portion 262. The degree of inclination of the second receiving portion 262 and the fourth receiving portion 264 is such that the angle α they form with the vehicle mounting surface AT is, for example, 5° to 30°, preferably 10° to 20°, and more preferably 15°.

[0033] The cover portion 13 has a generally rectangular prism shape with one side open, and has a first side surface 131, a second side surface 132, a third side surface 133, and a top surface 134. The first side surface 131 is disposed opposite the heater support portion 14, and both sides of the first side surface 131 in the width direction W are connected to the second side surface 132 and the third side surface 133. The second side surface 132 and the third side surface 133 are disposed opposite each other, and the top surface 134 is provided connected to upper ends of the first side surface 131, the second side surface 132, and the third side surface 133 in the height direction H. The cover portion 13 is formed, for example, by casting aluminum or the like, and the first side surface 131, the second side surface 132, and the third side surface 133 are formed without any draft.

[0034] A fixing portion 20 for fixing to the main body portion 12 is provided at the outer peripheral end of the cover portion 13, corresponding to the receiving portion 26. In other words, the inside of the fixing portion 20 forms an opening in the cover portion 13. In this example, the fixing portion 20 has a substantially rectangular shape that abuts against the receiving portion 26 entirely, but is not limited to this and may have any shape that can be fixed to part of the receiving portion 26, such as a shape that abuts against the receiving portion 26 partially.

[0035] As an example, the fixing portion 20 is an edge portion (approximately rectangular in plan view) that is continuous with the outer periphery of the cover portion 13 and has a plurality of screw holes 20A that are spaced apart. The screw holes 20A are naturally provided to correspond to the screw holes 26A of the receiving portion 26. The fixing portion 20 is not limited to being a continuous edge portion, and may be provided independently to correspond to the plurality of screw holes 20A.

[0036] The fixing portion 20, which is substantially rectangular in plan view, is provided so that two sides extending in the width direction W of the cover portion 13 are parallel (horizontal) to the vehicle mounting surface AT, which is a reference plane, and two sides extending in the length direction L are inclined relative to the vehicle mounting surface AT. More specifically, with reference to Fig. 1 , the fixing portion 20 is made up of a first fixing portion 201 extending along the width direction W of the main body portion side surface 121, and a second fixing portion 202, a third fixing portion 203, and a fourth fixing portion 204 continuing clockwise from the first fixing portion 201.

[0037] In this example, the first fixing portion 201 is arranged overlapping above the first receiving portion 261 in the height direction H, and similarly, the second fixing portion 202 is arranged overlapping above the second receiving portion 262, the third fixing portion 203 is arranged overlapping above the third receiving portion 263, and the fourth fixing portion 204 is arranged overlapping above the fourth receiving portion 264.

[0038] The first fixing portion 201 extends horizontally relative to the vehicle mounting surface AT. The third fixing portion 203, which is parallel to the first fixing portion 201, is connected to the lower end in the height direction H of the first side surface 131 of the cover portion 13. The third fixing portion 203 extends horizontally relative to the vehicle mounting surface AT at a position further below (the lower end of) the vehicle mounting surface AT in the height direction H (i.e., a position closer to the vehicle, a position away from the control board 17).

[0039] The second fixing portion 202 is inclined so that the side of the first main body portion side surface 121 is higher and the side of the second main body portion side surface 122 is lower. The same is true for the fourth fixing portion 204 that is parallel to the second fixing portion 202.

[0040] That is, the entire fixing portion 20 (opening of the cover portion 13) is disposed in a plane inclined relative to the vehicle mounting surface AT. By fixing the fixing portion 20 to the receiving portion 26 of the main body portion 12, the upper part of the main body portion 12 in the height direction H is covered by the second side surface 132, the top surface 134, and the third side surface 133 of the cover portion 13, and the internal space thereof is defined as a board chamber 31 that houses the control board 17 and circuit components connected thereto. The board chamber 31 is separated from the heat medium flow path 15 (and the heater 16) and is a space that is sealed from the outside of the heat medium heating device 10.

[0041] The heater support part 14 is covered by the first side surface 131, the second side surface 132, the third side surface 133 and the top surface 134 of the cover part 13, and the internal space thereof is defined as a terminal chamber 32 in which a terminal 161 of the heater 16 is disposed. The terminal 161 of the heater 16 is separated from the heat medium flow path 15 and is housed in a space sealed from the outside of the heat medium heating device 10.

[0042] By arranging the fixing portion 20 of the cover portion 13, i.e., the opening of the cover portion 13, in a plane inclined relative to the vehicle mounting surface AT (inclined at an angle α with the vehicle mounting surface AT), the inlet 21, outlet 22, high-voltage connector 23, and low-voltage connector 24 can be concentrated on a side (main body side surface 121) that is not connected to the cover portion 13. This also increases the open space of the board chamber 31 when the cover portion 13 is removed. This improves the ease of handling the heater 16 and wiring. Furthermore, it also improves the ease of installation and maintenance of the control board 17 and other components in the board chamber 31, and / or installation and maintenance of the heater support portion 14 and heater 16 in the terminal chamber 32.

[0043] 3, the third receiving portion 263 (third fixing portion 203) is disposed in the space below the heater insertion opening 141 (closer to the vehicle) in the heater support portion 14. As a result, the third receiving portion 263 (third fixing portion 203) is disposed in a position below (closer to the vehicle, farther from the control board 17) the vehicle mounting surface AT (its lower end).

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first side surface 131 of the cover portion 13 is erected so that the angle β with the vehicle mounting surface AT is an obtuse angle (see FIG. 3). The obtuse angle β is, for example, 95° to 120°, preferably 100° to 110°, and more preferably 115°. In this example, the first side surface 131 is erected perpendicular to the surface that includes the fixing portion 20 (the surface that is inclined with respect to the vehicle mounting surface AT). The surface that includes the fixing portion 20 can also be referred to as the "fixing portion arrangement surface."

[0045] With this configuration, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, when viewed from the top surface 134, the first side surface 131 of the cover portion 13 and the third fixing portion 203 approximately overlap in the height direction H (the third fixing portion 203 does not protrude rearward from the first side surface 131).

[0046] In the case of a cartridge-type heater 16, the heat medium flow path 15 and the terminal 161 of the heater 16 must be completely separated. Furthermore, because the heater 16 is arranged inside the heat medium flow path 15, the wiring 16W must extend in the axial direction of the heater 16 (heater accommodating portion 151) and the terminal 161 must be led out from the end of the heater 16 in the longitudinal direction L. Furthermore, when fastening the cover portion 13 and the main body portion 12 with screws, the fixing portion 20 (and the receiving portion 26) must have a width equal to or greater than the diameter of the screw. In other words, the third fixing portion 203 connected to the first side surface 131 must have a width sufficient to allow for screw fastening.

[0047] In this embodiment, even in a configuration using a cartridge-type heater 16, it is possible to achieve miniaturization of the heat medium heating device 10 (particularly miniaturization in the length direction L) while ensuring a sufficient insulating distance between the terminal 161 of the heater 16 and the first side surface 131 of the cover part 13 facing it.

[0048] 7A and 7B are schematic diagrams showing the cover portion 13 of this embodiment (FIG. 7A) and a cover portion 1013 of a comparative example (FIG. 7B).

[0049] 7A, the first side surface 131 of the cover portion 13 is erected perpendicular to a surface (the surface including the fixing portion 20, the fixing portion arrangement surface) that is inclined relative to the vehicle mounting surface AT. The cover portion 13 is attached to the main body portion 12 (receiving portion 26) by fastening with a screw N, and the width D1 of the third fixing portion 203 is set to a value that allows fastening with the screw N. An appropriate insulation distance G0 is also set between the terminal 161 and the first side surface 131.

[0050] The cover portion 1013 of the comparative example has a configuration in which the first side surface 1131 is erected perpendicular to the vehicle mounting surface AT, and the underside of the third fixing portion 1203 and the underside of the vehicle mounting surface AT are arranged in the same plane. The third fixing portion 1203 is attached to the main body portion 1012 (receiving portion 1026) by fastening with a screw N, as in this embodiment, and the width D2 of the third fixing portion 1203 is ensured to be large enough to be fastened with the screw N (approximately the same as the width D1 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 7A ). The inclination angle of the surface including the fixing portion 1020 and the insulation distance G0 between the terminal 1016 and the first side surface 1121 are also the same as in this embodiment.

[0051] In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the external size (particularly the size (length) in the longitudinal direction L) of the heat medium heating device can be made smaller than that of the comparative example.

[0052] 2 and 3, in this embodiment, peaks 135 and / or valleys 136 are formed on the top surface 134 of the cover portion 13. Specifically, the peaks 135 are formed by bulging outward from portions of the top surface 134. In this example, the peaks 135 are bulged only near the center in the width direction W. The valleys 136 are formed by recessing inward from one end of the top surface 134 to the other. In this example, the valleys 136 are provided across the entire width direction W (from the second side surface 132 to the third side surface 133).

[0053] This improves the strength of the cover 13 against forces acting in the vertical direction to the top surface 134 compared to a configuration in which the top surface 134 of the cover 13 is flat.

[0054] In particular, it is preferable to selectively provide the ridges 135 in areas where large circuit components (for example, capacitors with a large height H) are to be arranged. This makes it possible to eliminate wasted space within the board chamber 31 and ensure an appropriate insulation distance. Furthermore, in some cases where it may be necessary to replace circuit components with larger or higher voltage components due to high voltage countermeasures, providing the ridges 135 in areas where such components are to be arranged makes it possible to ensure an appropriate insulation distance without replacing the cover 13 (the cover 13 can be shared).

[0055] Furthermore, water and the like tend to accumulate in the valleys 136, but by providing the valleys 136 from one end to the other end of the top surface 134 (across the entire width direction W), the water and the like in the valleys 136 can be easily discharged. Note that the valleys 136 may also be provided across the entire length direction L.

[0056] Although not shown in the figure, the peaks 135 may further have valleys 136, but in this case too, it is desirable that the valleys 136 be provided over the entire width direction W (or length direction L) of the peaks 135 in order to facilitate the discharge of moisture and the like.

[0057] Alternatively, the configuration may include either the peaks 135 or the valleys 136. The number of peaks 135 and valleys 136 is optional.

[0058] In order to ensure a predetermined strength, the amount of expansion of the peaks 135 and the amount of depression of the valleys 136 must be a certain amount (height difference between the peaks 135 and / or valleys 136 and the adjacent areas (top surface 134)). In this case, the amount of expansion and / or depression is, for example, about 0.5 to 5 times, and preferably about 1 to 5 times, the thickness of the cover portion 13. In this embodiment, the peaks 135 are portions of the flat top surface 134 that are expanded by processing, and the valleys 136 are portions that are depressed by processing. In other words, the amount of expansion and depression is determined based on the flat top surface 134. The peaks 135 and / or valleys 136 may be formed to have corners.

[0059] The heat medium heating device 10 of this embodiment is mounted on vehicles such as hybrid automobiles and electric automobiles, and is applied to vehicle air conditioning systems, etc., in the case of hybrid automobiles as an auxiliary heat source that supplies heat to compensate for the lack of waste heat from the engine, and in the case of electric automobiles as an alternative heat source that supplies heat in place of an engine that does not exist.

[0060] For example, in the case of a hybrid vehicle, LLC (Long Life Coolant) for cooling the engine flows as a heat medium through the heat medium flow path 15 of the heat medium heating device 10 and is heated by a heater 16. The LLC circuit is provided in a vehicle air conditioning system, and heat from the LLC heated by the engine and the heat medium heating device 10 is used to heat refrigerant circulating in a refrigerant circuit provided in the vehicle air conditioning system, thereby heating or cooling the vehicle cabin. Furthermore, in both hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles, the heat medium heating device 10 is provided together with a heater core in a heating circuit through which antifreeze circulates, and the heat medium heating device 10 is used as a heat source for heating the antifreeze, and air heated by the heater core is blown into the vehicle cabin during heating.

[0061] In the case of an electric vehicle, the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit flows through the heat medium flow path of the heat medium heating device 10 and is heated by the heater 16. The refrigerant circuit itself functions as a heat pump and serves as a heat source for the vehicle air conditioner, but hot water can be obtained by flowing the heat medium (water) in the heat medium circuit (water circuit) that exchanges heat with the refrigerant circuit through the flow path of the heat medium heating device 10, and this hot water can be used as a heat source for the vehicle air conditioner or for controlling the temperature of a temperature-controlled object such as a battery.

[0062] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined by utilizing each other's technologies as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in their purposes, configurations, etc.

[0063] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Heat medium heating device 11 Housing 12 Main body 13 Cover 14 Heater support 15 Heat medium flow path 15A Inlet flow path 15B Outlet flow path 16 Heater 161 Terminal 16W Wiring 17 Control board 20 Fixing part 20A Screw hole 21 Inlet 22 Outlet 23 High-voltage connector 24 Low-voltage connector 26 Receptacle 26A Screw hole 30 Wiring pull-out part 31 Board chamber 32 Terminal chamber 121 Side of main body 131 First side 132 Second side 133 Third side 134 Top surface 135 Peak 136 Valley 141 Heater insertion port 142 Flow path communication part 151 Heater accommodating part

Claims

1. A heat medium heating device comprising: a main body; a heat medium flow path provided inside the main body; a heater supported inside the flow path; a control board for controlling the heater; a first side surface, oppositely arranged second and third side surfaces; and a cover portion covering the control board with a top surface and fixed to the main body by fixing portions provided on an outer peripheral edge, wherein the fixing portions are arranged in a plane inclined with respect to a reference plane parallel to the extension direction of the heater, and the first side surface is erected so that the angle it forms with the reference plane is an obtuse angle.

2. The heat medium heating device according to claim 1, wherein the first side surface is erected in a direction perpendicular to the inclined surface.

3. The heat medium heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an inlet / outlet for the heat medium provided on one side of the main body, and a wiring draw-out portion provided on the other side opposite the inlet / outlet across the control board, the wiring draw-out portion being provided on the outside of the control board when viewed from the direction of the top surface, and the first side surface covering the wiring draw-out portion.

4. The heat medium heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the main body has a vehicle mounting portion for fixing to a vehicle and a receiving portion to which the fixing portion is fixed, and a portion of the receiving portion is positioned closer to the vehicle than the vehicle mounting portion.

5. The heat medium heating device according to claim 1, wherein the top surface has a ridge portion that bulges outward.

6. The heat medium heating device according to claim 1, wherein the top surface has a valley portion that is recessed into the interior and reaches from one end of the top surface to the other end.

7. The heat medium heating device according to claim 6, wherein the valley portion extends from the second side surface to the third side surface.

Images