METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN ELECTRICAL HEATING DEVICE

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an electrical heating device includes the steps of providing a coil form with a longitudinal axis, winding an electrical heating element on the coil form along the longitudinal axis and inserting one end section of the electrical heating element and a connecting wire into the opening passing through the coil form, inserting the coil form with an electrical heating element wound on it into an opening passing through the coil form parallel to the longitudinal axis into the interior of a tubular metal jacket, filling the tubular metal jacket with an electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder and compacting the tubular metal jacket with coil form inserted therein and filled with the electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder, wherein, by means of the compaction, the coil form is deformed to change the ratio between the length of the main axis and the length of the secondary axis.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an electrical heating device comprising the following the steps: providing a coil form with a longitudinal axis, wherein the coil form is shaped so that cross-sectional surfaces of the coil form, to which the longitudinal axis is perpendicular, have a main axis, which corresponds to a greatest diameter of the cross-sectional surfaces, and a secondary axis, which corresponds to a smallest diameter of the cross-sectional surfaces, and wherein the coil form has at least one opening extending parallel to the longitudinal axis; one of: winding at least one section of an electrical heating element on the coil form along the longitudinal axis and inserting an end section of the electrical heating element and a connecting wire into the at least one opening passing through the coil form parallel to the longitudinal axis and inserting a coiled section of the electrical heating element into an opening passing through the coil form parallel to the longitudinal axis; inserting the coil form with the electrical heating element wound on the coil form one of at least in some sections and with the coiled section of the electrical heating element inserted into the opening passing through the coil form parallel to the longitudinal axis into the interior of a tubular metal jacket; filling the tubular metal jacket with an electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder or granulate; compacting the tubular metal jacket with the coil form inserted therein and filled with the electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder or granulate, wherein, by means of the compacting, the coil form is deformed so that a change of a ratio between one of a length of the main axis and a length of the secondary axis or a change of a position of the main axis and the secondary axis relative to each other is produced; and one of: a press contact is produced between the connecting wire and sections of the electrical heating element inserted into the at least one opening passing through the coil form parallel to the longitudinal axis and an inner wall surface of the opening passing through the coil form parallel to the longitudinal axis is brought into contact with the coiled section of the electrical heating element inserted into the opening passing through the coil form parallel to the longitudinal axis.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the coil form has a cross-sectional surface that is oval or rectangular.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the coil form has a cross-sectional surface of at least one opening extending parallel to the longitudinal axis in the coil form, the cross-sectional surface of the at least one opening deviates from a shape of a circular disk.

4. The method according to one of claim 1, characterized in that a cross-sectional surface of the at least one opening extends parallel to the longitudinal axis in the coil form and follows an outer contour of the coil form at least in certain sections.

5. The method according to one of claim 1, characterized in that the compacting step takes place in multiple steps.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that forces acting from different directions are varied in different ones of the multiple steps of the compacting step.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

[0025] In the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1a is an illustration of side cross-sectional views of the basic principle of the first variant of the invention using a first example,

[0027] FIG. 1b is a second illustration of side cross-sectional views of the basic principle of the first variant of the invention using a second example,

[0028] FIG. 1c is an illustration of side cross-sectional views of the basic principle of the second variant of the invention using a third example,

[0029] FIG. 2a is a top perspective view of a first example for a coil form with windings,

[0030] FIG. 2b is a cross section through the coil form with windings from FIG. 2a,

[0031] FIG. 2c is a top perspective view of a second example for a coil form with windings,

[0032] FIG. 2d is a cross section through the coil form with windings from FIG. 2c,

[0033] FIG. 2e is a top perspective view of a third example for a coil form with windings,

[0034] FIG. 2f is a cross section through the coil form with windings from FIG. 2e,

[0035] FIG. 2g is a top perspective view of a fourth example for a coil form with windings,

[0036] FIG. 2h is a cross section through the coil form with windings from FIG. 2g,

[0037] FIG. 3a is a partially exploded view including components for manufacturing an electrical heating device according to the first example from FIG. 1a,

[0038] FIG. 3b is an electrical heating device produced from the components shown in FIG. 3a in cross section,

[0039] FIG. 4a is a partially exploded view including components for manufacturing an electrical heating device according to the first example from FIG. 1b,

[0040] FIG. 4b is an electrical heating device produced from the components shown in FIG. 4a in cross section,

[0041] FIG. 5a is a partially exploded view including components for manufacturing an electrical heating device according to the third example from FIG. 1c, and

[0042] FIG. 5b is an electrical heating device produced from the components shown in FIG. 5a in cross section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] FIG. 1a shows the basic principle of the first variant of the invention for a first example. In the upper area of FIG. 1a, a cross section through an electrical heating device 10 before the compacting is shown. The tubular metal jacket 15 can be seen, in whose interior the oval coil form 11 is arranged with main axis H1, secondary axis N1, and two openings 12 parallel to its longitudinal axis extending at the center toward the viewer with disk-like opening cross sections and is embedded in electrically insulating powder or granulate 16 with good heat-conducting properties, e.g., magnesium oxide.

[0044] In the opening 12 of the coil form 11, an end section 13a, 13b of the electrical heating element 13 designed as a heating conductor coiled on the coil form 11 is arranged together with a connecting wire 14.

[0045] At the bottom left and bottom right in FIG. 1a, cross sections of two electrical heating devices 10, 10 are shown with coil forms 11, 11, electrical heating elements 13, 13, 13 designed as heating conductors, connecting wires 14, 14, tubular metal jackets 15, 15, and electrically insulating powder or granulate 16, 16 with good heat-conducting properties, which can be obtained from the arrangement shown in the upper part of FIG. 1a through suitable compacting processes as shown schematically by the arrows, which, however, do not indicate actual instructions for pressing direction and/or pressing force distribution during the pressing process.

[0046] The coil form 11, 11 and the tubular metal jacket 15, 15 have been reshaped in the example at the bottom left to a rectangular shape by compacting or pressing processes, in the example at the bottom right to a circular shape, which automatically has the result that the ratio of the main axis H1, H1 to the secondary axis N1, N1 also changes. In the example of the coil form 11 shaped into a rectangle, it is also easy to see that some cases also result in a change to the position of the main axis H1, H1 relative to the secondary axis N1, N1, because there the angle between the axes determined according to the definition specified above has obviously changed.

[0047] The openings 12 of the original coil form 11 are closed by the compacting, so that an intimate press contact is produced between the end sections 13a, 13b and 13a 13b on one side and the corresponding connecting wires 14, 14, respectively.

[0048] It is to be emphasized particularly that the dimensions of the coil forms 11, 11 after the compacting are such that the openings 12 in the coil form 11 could not be accommodated in them. As a consequence from the production following the method according to the invention, initially significantly larger openings can be provided in the coil form for inserting connecting wires or heating wire coils.

[0049] FIGS. 3a and 3b show the components of one such electrical heating device and, respectively, the electrical heating device manufactured with the method according to the invention in the variant shown in FIG. 1a on the right in cross section. Accordingly, the reference symbols of FIG. 3a correspond to the reference symbols of the illustration in FIG. 1a at the top and the reference symbols of FIG. 3b correspond to the reference symbols of the illustration in FIG. 1a at the bottom right and designate the same components.

[0050] As can be seen in FIG. 3a, a coil form 11 with openings 12 is provided, in which, in this example, the electrical heating element 13 is already coiled and inserted with its end sections 13a, 13b not visible in FIG. 3a in the openings 12. The cross section of the coil form 11 and the opening 12 can be seen in the illustration of FIG. 1a at the top. The coiling of the electrical heating element 13 can also be performed at a later time, but it must take place before the coil form 11 is inserted into the tubular metal jacket 15 with the base and would also be better to be performed before the connecting wires 14, which carry insulation 18 in the part later extending out from the electrical heating device, are inserted into the openings 12, because this makes the threading of the end sections 13a,13b of the electrical heating element easier.

[0051] When the coil form 11 with windings is then inserted into the tubular metal jacket 15 and the connecting wires 14 are inserted at least in some sections into the openings 12, which can take place while the coil form 11 is still arranged outside of the tubular metal jacket 15 or when the coil form 11 is already arranged inside the tubular metal jacket 15, the tubular metal jacket 15 is filled with electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder or granulate, e.g., magnesium oxide, and closed with an optional plug 19.

[0052] This configuration is then transformed into the electrical heating device 10 by compacting the tubular metal jacket 15 with coil form 11 inserted therein and filled electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder or granulate, wherein, by the compacting, the coil form 11 is deformed so that a change of the ratio between the length of the main axis and the length of the secondary axis and/or a change of the position of the main axis and secondary axis relative to each other is produced and a press contact between connecting wires 14 and sections 13a, 13b of the electrical heating element 13 inserted into the openings 12 passing through the coil form 11 parallel to the longitudinal axis is produced.

[0053] FIG. 1b shows the basic principle of the first variant of the invention for a second example of an electrical heating device 20 before the pressing or the electrical heating devices 20, 20 obtained by pressing this intermediate stage with coil forms 21, 21, 21, openings 22, electrical heating element 23, 23, 23, connecting wires 24, 24, 24, tubular metal jackets 25, 25, 25, and electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder or granulate 26, 26, 26. The difference between the two examples according to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b consists only in the geometric base shape on one hand for the provided coil form 21 and on the other hand for the opening cross section of the openings 22 provided therein. For this reason, reference to the description for FIG. 1a can also be used for the description of FIG. 1b, wherein the reference symbols used in the earlier figure have now been increased by ten.

[0054] FIGS. 4a and 4b show the components of one such electrical heating device and the electrical heating device manufactured with the method according to the invention, respectively, in the variant shown in FIG. 1b on the right in cross section. Accordingly, the reference symbols of FIG. 4a correspond to the reference symbols of the illustration in FIG. 1b at the top and the reference symbols of FIG. 4b correspond to the reference symbols of the illustration in FIG. 1b at the bottom right and designate the same components.

[0055] As can be seen in FIG. 4a, a coil form 21 with openings 22 is provided, in which, in this example, the electrical heating element 23 is already coiled and with its end sections 23a, 23b not visible in FIG. 4a inserted in the openings 22. The cross section of the coil form 21 and the openings 22 can be seen in the illustration in FIG. 1a at the top. The coiling of the electrical heating element 23 can also be performed at a later time, but it must take place before the coil form 21 is inserted into the tubular metal jacket 25 with base and would also be better to be performed before the connecting wires 24, which later have insulation 28 in the part extending out of the electrical heating device, are inserted in the openings 22, because this makes the threading of the end sections 23a, 23b of the electrical heating element easier.

[0056] When the coil form 21 with windings is then inserted into the tubular metal jacket 25 and the connecting wires 24 are inserted at least in some sections into the openings 22, which can happen while the coil form 21 is still arranged outside the tubular metal jacket 25 or when the coil form 1 is already arranged inside the tubular metal jacket 25, the tubular metal jacket 25 is filled with electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder or granulate, e.g., magnesium oxide, and closed with an optional plug 29.

[0057] This configuration is then transformed into the electrical heating device 20 by compacting the tubular metal jacket 25 with coil form 21 inserted therein and filled, electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder or granulate, wherein the coil form 21 is deformed by the compacting so that a change of the ratio between the length of the main axis and the length of the secondary axis and/or a change of the position of the main axis and secondary axis relative to each other is produced and a press contact between connecting wires 24 and sections 23a, 23b of the electrical heating element 23 inserted into the opening 22 passing through the coil form 21 parallel to the longitudinal axis is also produced.

[0058] FIG. 1c illustrates the basic principle of the second variant of the invention using a third example. The non-pressed electrical heating device 30 can be seen at the top and the electrical heating device 30 produced by suitable pressing processes also shown here symbolically by arrows can be seen at the bottom, each with coil forms 31,31, openings 32, electrical heating elements 33, 33, connecting wires 34, 34, tubular metal jackets 35, 35, and electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder or granulate 36, 36.

[0059] The difference between the first variant of the invention according to the first two examples shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b and the second variant of the invention according to the example shown in FIG. 1c is that, for the electrical heating device 30, 30, the electrical heating element 33, 33 is arranged coiled in the opening 32, which reduces the necessary installation space for the electrical heating device 30, 30, while the contact with the connecting wires can basically also take place outside of the coil form 31, 31, as will be described in more detail below using an example.

[0060] FIGS. 5a and 5b show the components of a one such electrical heating device and the electrical heating device produced with the method according to the invention in the variant shown in FIG. 1c at the bottom in cross section. Accordingly, the reference symbols of FIG. 5a correspond to the reference symbols of the top illustration in FIG. 1c and the reference symbols of FIG. 5b correspond to the reference symbols of the illustration in FIG. 1c at the bottom and designate the same components.

[0061] As can be seen in FIG. 5a, a coil form 31 with openings 32 is provided. In this example, however, the electrical heating element 33 is already coiled and connected by means of solder points 38 to the connecting wires 34 and then inserted into the openings 32 passing through the coil form 31 so that the connecting wires 34 extend out of the coil form. More details about this arrangement, which is then inserted into the tubular metal jacket 35, can be seen in the illustration in FIG. 1c at the top.

[0062] Therefore, because the tubular metal jacket 35 used here does not have its own base, but instead a separate base plate 39b, it is also possible, in particular, to keep the coiled heating element 33 under tensile stress until it is inserted into the coil form 31 or to insert the coiled heating element 33 in the opening 32 of the coil form 31 only when this is already arranged inside the tubular metal jacket 35.

[0063] After arranging the separate base plate 39b in the tubular metal jacket 35, the electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder or granulate 36 can be filled and then the other end of the tubular metal jacket 35 can be closed with the optional plug 39.

[0064] This configuration is then transformed into the electrical heating device 30 by compacting the tubular metal jacket 35 with coil form 31 inserted therein and filled, electrically insulating, heat-conductive powder or granulate 36, wherein by the compacting, the coil form 31 is deformed so that a change of the ratio between the length of the main axis and the length of the secondary axis and/or a change in the position of the main axis and secondary axis relative to each other is produced and the inner wall surface of the opening 32 passing through the coil form 31 parallel to the longitudinal axis is brought into contact with the coiled section of the electrical heating element 33 inserted into the opening 32 passing through the coil form 31 parallel to the longitudinal axis.

[0065] FIGS. 2a to 2h show four examples of coil forms 41, 51, 61, 71 with longitudinal axis L and an essentially equivalent oval base shape of the cross section, to which the longitudinal axis L is perpendicular, on which an electrical heating element 43, 53, 63, 73 is coiled in the direction of the coil pitch s. The differences between the coil forms 41, 51, 61, 71 are in the shape of their openings 42, 52, 62, 72 and in the presence of locally thinner sections by means of grooves 67 in the case of coil form 61.

[0066] These examples are intended to demonstrate, in particular, another degree of freedom in the design and production of an electrical heating device according to the basic principles of the invention, because, through the dimensioning of the openings 42, 52, 62, 72 and locally thinner sections of the coil form, e.g., by grooves 67 formed at suitable positions, its behavior during the compacting processes can be influenced in a desired way. Apart from the sequence of the pressing processes, this parameter can also be used to optimize the properties of the electrical heating device produced according to the invention.

[0067] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0068] 10,10,10,20,20,20, [0069] 30,30 Electrical heating device [0070] 11,11,11,21,21,21, [0071] 31,31,41,51,61,71 Coil form [0072] 12,12,12,22,22,22, [0073] 32,32,42,52,62,72 Opening [0074] 13,13,13,23,23,23, [0075] 33,33,43,53,63,73 Electrical heating element [0076] 13a,13a,13a,23a,23a,23a End section [0077] 13b,13b,13b,23b,23b,23b End section [0078] 14,14,14,24,24,24, [0079] 34,34 Connecting wire [0080] 15,15,15,25,25,25, [0081] 35,35 Tubular metal jacket [0082] 16,16,16,26,26,26, [0083] 36,36 Powder or granulate [0084] 18,18,28,28 Insulation [0085] 19,19,29,29,39a,39a Plug [0086] 38 Solder point [0087] 39b,39b Base [0088] 67 Groove [0089] L Longitudinal axis [0090] s Coil pitch [0091] H1,H1 Main axis [0092] N1,N1 Secondary axis