KR-20260066980-A - PTC heater assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a PTC heater assembly. The PTC heater assembly according to the present invention is formed in a plate shape including a front portion and a pair of side portions, wherein through holes that open the front portion and the rear portion are arranged along an vertical axis, and a stone that generates heat by an applied power source is installed in each of the through holes, and the stone guide is made of an insulating material; a plurality of temperature sensors installed along the arrangement direction of the stones in the front portion, which is the main heating area of the stone guide, for sensing the temperature caused by heat transmitted to the stone guide through the stones; and a plurality of electrode plates installed on the stone guide in a manner that is attached to the stones, for applying power for heating the stones.

Inventors

• 남재용
• 장주용
• 이영철
• 하수영

Assignees

• 아진산업(주)

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20241105

Claims (5)

1. It is formed in a plate shape including a front portion, a rear portion, and a pair of side portions, wherein through holes opening the front portion and the rear portion are arranged along an vertical axis, and a stone that generates heat by an applied power source is installed in each of the through holes, and a stone guide made of an insulating material; A plurality of temperature sensors installed along the arrangement direction of the stones on the front portion, which is the main heat-generating area of the stone guide, for sensing the temperature caused by heat transmitted to the stone guide through the stones; and A PTC heater assembly characterized by including a plurality of electrode plates installed on the stone guide in a manner attached to the stones, for applying power for heating the stones.
2. In paragraph 1, A PTC heater assembly characterized in that the front and rear portions of the stone guide are each formed with a large surface area, and the pair of side portions are each formed with a relatively small surface area by having a small thickness between the front and rear portions.
3. In paragraph 2, A PTC heater assembly characterized by comprising: a printed circuit board including a main board portion installed along the side portion of the stone guide so as to mount the plurality of temperature sensors on a single circuit board, and a plurality of sensor mounting portions each bent from the main board portion toward the front portion and contacting the front portion, wherein the temperature sensors are mounted thereon.
4. In paragraph 3, A PTC heater assembly characterized in that the electrode plate attached to the front of the stone guide includes an interference prevention groove that does not interfere with the sensor mounting portion.
5. In paragraph 1, The above electrode plates are, When the stones are grouped into two groups in the order of arrangement, the first and second electrode plates are coupled to the stone guide in a manner that surrounds the stones corresponding to each group to cover each group, and a common electrode plate is disposed on the opposite side of the first and second electrode plates with the stone guide in between to generate a potential difference with the first and second electrode plates. Each of the above electrode plates includes a main body portion covering the stones and terminal portions (first and second terminal portions and a common terminal portion) that are electrically connected to the main body portion and arranged at a distance so as to be insulated from each other on the upper side of the stone guide. A PTC heater assembly characterized in that the stone guide includes an insulating groove formed with depth at a position spaced apart from the main body of the first electrode plate, and the second electrode plate positioned on the lower side among the electrode plates includes a connecting portion that connects the main body and the second terminal portion positioned at a spaced-apart position, wherein the connecting portion is fitted into the insulating groove of the stone guide so as to be insulated without interfering with the main body of the first electrode plate.

Description

PTC heater assembly The present invention relates to a PTC heater assembly, and more specifically, to a PTC heater assembly with an improved structure that enables precise measurement of the temperature of the heating element and achieves slimming of product specifications and simplification of the structure. A PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) device, also referred to as a positive temperature coefficient thermistor, is a device that exhibits behavioral characteristics in which its temperature rises due to a phase transition and its electrical resistance increases rapidly when it reaches a specific temperature range. Since PTC elements possess electrical characteristics in which electrical resistance increases rapidly, they are utilized as switches to perform power supply on/off functions. Additionally, because they have behavioral characteristics of reaching high temperatures in a relatively short time and continuously maintaining that elevated temperature, they are also used as heating elements in vehicle heaters, dryers, warmers, medical devices, heating mats, and heating systems. A PTC heater using a PTC element can typically have heat dissipation fins attached to the PTC element to increase the heat diffusion efficiency of the PTC element, and when power is applied and heat is generated in the PTC element, it is driven so that air passes through the PTC element and/or the heat dissipation fins, causing the heated air to flow out toward the target. Typically, vehicle heaters utilize the heat source from the engine compartment, but PTC heaters are sometimes applied as pre-heaters to provide a preliminary and beforehand function before the engine compartment temperature rises to an appropriate level. Meanwhile, interest in electric vehicles has been rising recently due to increased focus on energy efficiency and eco-friendliness. Since electric vehicles do not have a separate engine compartment, they are equipped with heaters driven by an electric power source, such as the aforementioned PTC heater. In the case of PTC heaters, heating elements are employed. Since it is crucial to precisely measure the temperature of all heating components within the vehicle body due to the characteristics of electric vehicles, there is a need for the development of technology capable of precisely measuring the temperature of the heating elements. Furthermore, as product lightweighting has emerged as a critical issue, there is a demand for slimmer products and simplified structures when designing heaters utilizing PTC elements. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a PTC heater assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention combined with other parts. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the components illustrated in FIG. 1 separated. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a PTC heater assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a PTC heater assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration corresponding to part V of FIG. 4 separated. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI of FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the configuration employed in this embodiment to secure an insulation distance between electrode plates. In order to clarify the understanding of the present invention in the following description, descriptions of known technologies regarding the features of the present invention will be omitted. The following embodiments are detailed descriptions to aid in understanding the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the rights of the present invention. Accordingly, equivalent inventions that perform the same function as the present invention will also fall within the scope of the rights of the present invention. Furthermore, in the following description, identical identification symbols denote identical configurations, and unnecessary redundant descriptions and descriptions of known technologies are omitted. Additionally, descriptions of each embodiment of the present invention below that overlap with the description of the technology forming the background of the invention are also omitted. Hereinafter, a PTC heater assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a PTC heater assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention combined with other parts, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the components shown in FIG. 1 separated, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a PTC heater assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a PTC heater assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing