Heatable fluid line and method for its production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heatable media lines for vehicles require complex and costly production processes due to numerous connection points between heating wires and line connectors, which are prone to damage from vibrations, leading to high manufacturing costs and potential short circuits.
Innovation Solution
A heatable media line design where the same strands along the media line also serve to heat the line connectors, eliminating the need for additional heating strands and connection points, with a prefabricated media line wrapped with a heating element that is cut to length and connected to line connectors using spikes or lasers, avoiding crimping points and using adaptive winding for efficient heat distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If separate heating wires are used for media lines and line connectors, then heating coverage is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heating functions for the media line and line connector into a single continuous heating wire. The heating wire is laid in sections along the media line and extends continuously onto the line connector without connection points, eliminating the need for separate heating wires while maintaining heating coverage for both components.
Solution Approach 2:
The single heating wire serves multiple functions: it heats the media line along its length and simultaneously heats the line connector at its end. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate heating systems while reducing overall device complexity.
2Temperature
If multiple connection points are used for heating wires, then heating effectiveness is improved, but reliability decreases due to vibration damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic connection points from the heating wire system. By making the heating wire continuous from the media line onto the line connector without any connection points, the design eliminates the weak spots that would be susceptible to vibration damage while maintaining heating effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating wire is pre-positioned to extend continuously from the media line onto the line connector before any assembly or operation occurs. This preliminary continuous layout prevents the formation of connection points that would later be vulnerable to vibration-induced failures.
3Manufacturing precision
If complex assembly processes are used to connect heating wires, then heating precision is improved, but manufacturing cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heating wire installation into simple sections along the media line, with each section being independently laid but connected continuously to the next. This segmentation allows for easy positioning and installation while maintaining continuous heat transfer, simplifying the overall assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating wire is pre-laid in sections along the media line with extensions ready to wrap around the line connector. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex on-site connections, allowing for rapid assembly while maintaining precise heating wire positioning.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies the production process, reduces manufacturing costs, and enhances durability by eliminating connection points susceptible to damage, while maintaining effective heat coupling and insulation, thus reducing the risk of short circuits.
Implementation Method 1
electrical heating elements are provided in an arrangement that at least partially surrounds the flow channel
Implementation Method 2
the heating conductor is wrapped with adhesive tape, thus fixing it to the pipe. Alternatively, a layer of varnish or adhesive can be used for fixing
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 1d~2b
Figure 3~4a
AI summary
The invention relates to a heatable medium pipe (1) having at least one pipe connector (11, 17, 211) and heating element (2), wherein the heating element (2) has a few wires (20, 21), in particular two wires, and said wires (20, 21) extend continuously along the medium pipe (10) and along the at least one pipe connector (11, 17, 211). In a method for producing such a heatable medium pipe (1), the heating element is continuously wound around a tubular medium pipe and the heating element is pre-assembled on the medium pipe in that the heating element is fastened or fixed by at least one fastening element (16), the medium pipe is cut to a first length for the particular application, said length corresponding to the desired medium pipe length (lR) plus the heating element length (lH) required for wrapping around the at least one pipe connector (11, 17, 211) and the transition area (18, 19), the fastening element (16) is removed in the region (12, 13, 112, 113) outside the desired medium pipe length (lR), the heating element (2) is unwrapped from the medium pipe section cut from the first length, the medium pipe is cut to the desired medium pipe length (lR) to form a second medium pipe section (14, 114), the medium pipe section (14, 114) is connected to the at least one pipe connector (11, 17, 211) as the medium pipe (10), and the heating element is at least wrapped around the at least one pipe connector (11, 17, 211).