Electrical Heating Block Assembly With Spring Preload on Housing Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing electrical heating devices for motor vehicles face challenges in simplifying the assembly process and reducing production costs, particularly in ensuring proper alignment and prestressing of the spring elements within the housing during assembly.
Innovation Solution
The method involves bringing the spring element into a plane containing the heating block and prestressing it during the closure of the housing, where the spring element is initially positioned outside the heating block and guided into its installation position by the moving housing parts, allowing for easier assembly and reduced complexity in the design of the spring element and housing components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the spring element is introduced into the housing part before closing the housing, then the spring element can be positioned and prestressed, but the assembly process becomes complex and requires additional displacement elements with sloping surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element is introduced into the housing part before the housing is closed, allowing it to be positioned in advance. The prestressing action is then performed during the housing closure process itself, combining two operations into one sequence and eliminating the need for separate displacement elements with complex sloping surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The function of prestressing the spring element is extracted from a separate operation involving complex displacement elements and is instead integrated into the housing closure process. This removes the need for additional specialized components and simplifies the overall assembly mechanism.
2Force
If displacement elements with sloping surfaces are used to prestress the spring element, then the spring element can be clamped, but the housing design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The complex displacement elements with sloping surfaces are removed from the housing design. The prestressing function is achieved instead through the interaction between the spring element and the housing parts during closure, using simpler geometric relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex sloping surfaces to convert linear motion into prestressing force, the invention inverts the approach by having the spring element's own elasticity provide the prestressing force when compressed between the housing parts during closure. The housing parts themselves become the prestressing mechanism through their relative displacement.
3Reliability
If the spring element is prestressed before housing closure, then the heating block can be secured, but the assembly process requires more steps and time
Solution Approach 1:
The introduction and prestressing of the spring element are merged with the housing closure operation. Both actions occur simultaneously during a single assembly sequence, eliminating separate steps and improving production efficiency while maintaining reliable securing of the heating block.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element is introduced into position before housing closure, preparing it for the prestressing action that occurs during closure. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the housing parts close, the spring element is immediately compressed and begins prestressing, securing the heating block in one continuous operation.
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 assembly process, ensures precise positioning of the spring element, and reduces production costs by allowing for standardized components and easier injection molding of the housing parts, while maintaining effective heat transfer and electrical conductivity.
Implementation Method 1
wenn das Federelement elastisch verformt wird, so speichert das Federelement elastische Verformungsenergie und wirkt mit einer Federkraft in Richtung auf die Verformung
Implementation Method 2
wenn das Federelement mit seinem freien oberen Schenkel über die geneigte Fläche gleitet, so wirkt eine Reibungskraft in Richtung auf die geneigte Fläche
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electric heating device with a housing (2) in which a heating block (8) is held under the preload force of at least one spring element (96) located approximately at the level of the heating block in its installed position, and which forms opposing housing openings (16, 18) between which the heating block (8) is exposed, wherein the heating block (8) is inserted into a housing part (4) and enclosed in the housing (2) by a further housing part (6). To simplify the manufacturing process, the present invention proposes to further develop the known method by moving the spring element (96) into its installed position and preloading it when the housing (2) is closed to enclose the heating block (8).The present invention further relates to an electric heating device that can be used in the method according to the invention and which can be manufactured relatively easily by injection molding.This electric heating device with a housing (2) in which a heating block (8) with heat-emitting and heat-generating elements (10, 12) is held under the preload force of at least one spring element (96) located in its installed position approximately at the level of the heating block and which comprises interconnected housing parts (4, 6) forming opposing housing openings (16; 18) between which the heating block is exposed, in that the spring element (96) has at least one spring leg (100) which forms an inclined sliding surface (102) for an element (108, 110) of one of the housing parts (4) and which, when the housing is closed by joining the housing parts (4, 6), is preloaded by a support surface (106) of one of the housing parts (4; 6) which extends parallel to the joining direction of the housing parts (4, 6).