PTC Heater and Control Board Integration to Reduce Device Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric devices with PTC heaters and control boards have complex structures and large space occupation due to separate cavities for the PTC heating element and the PCB assembly, leading to unstable output power and increased size.
Innovation Solution
An electric device with a PTC heater and control board integrated with a bus module, where a cast aluminum part houses the PTC heater, silicone sheet, and PCB control board, with a bus grouping module integrated onto the PCB, reducing volume and simplifying structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate cavities are used for PTC heater and PCB control board, then each component can be independently accommodated, but the device structure becomes complex and space occupation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the PTC heater cavity and PCB control board cavity into a single integrated housing structure. The PTC heater is mounted on the housing, while the PCB control board is positioned within the same housing space, eliminating the need for separate cavities and reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining independent component accommodation
2Ease of manufacture
If separate cavities are used for PTC heater and PCB control board, then each component can be independently accommodated, but the device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional cavities into a single integrated housing volume. The PTC heater cavity and PCB control board cavity share the same housing space, with the PTC heater mounted on the housing exterior and the PCB positioned inside, significantly reducing the total device volume while maintaining independent component placement
Solution Approach 2:
The PCB control board is nested within the housing structure that also accommodates the PTC heater. The PCB is positioned in the internal space of the housing, while the PTC heater occupies the external mounting surface, creating a nested arrangement that minimizes overall device volume
3Ease of manufacture
If U-shaped tube is used to mount PTC heater in cavity, then the heater can be accommodated, but the output power becomes unstable due to coordination issues between tube size and cavity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the PTC heater from the traditional U-shaped tube mounting method and directly mounts it on the housing surface. This eliminates the intermediate U-shaped tube component that caused coordination issues between tube size and cavity dimensions, thereby stabilizing the output power while maintaining ease of heater accommodation
4Adaptability or versatility
If additional bus board is used for PTC heater connection, then the control functionality is complete, but the device structure becomes more complex and space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bus board functionality directly into the PCB control board. The PCB is designed to provide both control functions and bus communication capabilities in a single integrated circuit board, eliminating the need for a separate additional bus board and reducing structural complexity while maintaining complete control functionality
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
The integration of the PTC heater and control board reduces device volume, stabilizes heating power, and eliminates the need for an additional bus board, resulting in a simpler, more compact device with improved heat transfer and insulation.
Implementation Method 1
Positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater is a heater that uses PTC thermistor element as a heat source
Implementation Method 2
The PTC thermistor element has the characteristics of increasing or decreasing the resistance as the ambient temperature changes
Implementation Method 3
A height of the PTC heater is kept 5 mm lower than a top surface of the PTC heater accommodating cavity, which ensures effective transfer of heat from the PTC heater to coolants in the water channels
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Provided is an electric device with PTC heater and control board integrated with bus module, including a plastic water box, wherein a cast aluminum part is inserted into the plastic water box and fastened to the plastic water box by a first bolt, the cast aluminum part is provided with an upper cover at its top, the cast aluminum part is provided with a high-voltage socket connected to the cast aluminum part by a third bolt on a side and a low-voltage socket connected to the cast aluminum part by a fourth bolt on a side away from the high-voltage socket.