Auxiliary Heater Housing with Flow Resistance Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical heating devices for motor vehicles face challenges in being installed into air conditioning housings with ill-fitting flow channels without compromising the optimal flow conditions necessary for heating, as their housing dimensions often do not match the flow channel dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A flow resistance element is introduced as a separate component that protrudes from the housing to bridge the gap between the housing and the flow channel, allowing for installation of standard electrical heating devices into varying flow channels while maintaining optimal heat transfer conditions, and can be manufactured through injection molding with retaining lugs for secure mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the housing dimensions are fixed for standard manufacturing, then manufacturing precision and ease of manufacture are improved, but adaptability to different flow channel sizes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flow resistance element is separated from the housing as an independent component. This segmentation allows the housing to maintain fixed dimensions for standard manufacturing while the separate flow resistance element can be adjusted or selected to match different flow channel sizes, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing ease and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow resistance element acts as an intermediary component between the housing and the flow channel walls. It bridges the gap caused by dimension mismatches, enabling standard housings to be adapted to various flow channel configurations without requiring custom manufacturing of the housing itself.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the housing is enlarged to fit larger flow channels, then adaptability is improved, but the flow resistance at the heating device level increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow resistance element provides localized flow resistance control at specific positions within the flow channel, rather than requiring a uniformly enlarged housing. This allows the housing to maintain its optimal dimensions while the flow resistance element compensates for size mismatches locally, preventing excessive flow resistance at the heating device level.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow resistance element serves as a mediator that fills the gap between the housing and flow channel walls without requiring the housing itself to be enlarged. This intermediary approach maintains the housing's optimal dimensions for low flow resistance while adapting to larger flow channels through the separate element.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom housing dimensions are used for each flow channel size, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the flow resistance function from the housing structure, the system allows standardization of the housing component while providing customization only where necessary (the flow resistance element). This reduces device complexity compared to fully custom housings while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized housing design with the detachable flow resistance element creates a universal base component that can be used across multiple applications. The flow resistance element can be swapped or adjusted to accommodate different flow channel sizes, providing multi-functionality without requiring multiple custom housing designs.
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 solution enables the installation of electrical heating devices with existing dimensions into non-matching flow channels, ensuring optimal heat transfer and adaptability to varying pressure differences, while simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing material usage.
Implementation Method 1
The heating block comprises at least one PTC heating element
Implementation Method 2
at least one radiator element which abuts it
Implementation Method 3
heat air normally flowing through the air conditioning housing
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical motor-vehicle auxiliary heating device is held in a housing forming oppositely situated air passage areas with formed air passage apertures. A flow resistance element protrudes beyond the outer side of the housing, is manufactured as a component independent of the housing, and is connected to it. The invention also relates to a motor-vehicle air conditioning device with an air conditioning housing which accommodates a motor-vehicle auxiliary heating system and which forms at least one flow channel, which leads to the motor-vehicle auxiliary heating and forms an insertion opening for the motor-vehicle auxiliary heating as well as a boundary wall situated opposite the insertion opening. At least one flow resistance element is provided that is manufactured as a component independent of the housing and the air conditioning housing and that bridges a clearance distance between the housing and the wall(s) of the air conditioning housing.