Electric heater with plug contact

Abstract

An electric heater (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) includes a metal sheath (101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601) defining an interior space, an electric heating element, arranged in the interior space, an insulating material filling and electric terminals. At least one electric terminal is a plug contact (108, 109, 208, 209, 308, 309, 408, 409, 508, 509, 608, 609) made in one piece, which has a section (108b, 109b, 208b, 209b, 308b, 309b, 508b, 509b, 608a, 609b) arranged in the interior space with a contact point (110, 111, 210, 211, 310, 311), which is arranged in the interior space and at which the plug contact is connected conductively to the electric heating element directly or via an auxiliary wire (212, 213, 312, 313, 612, 613). A process for manufacturing such an electric heater is provided.

Claims

1. An electric heater comprising: a metal sheath defining an interior space; at least one electric heating element arranged in the interior space of the metal sheath; an insulating material electrically insulating the at least one electric heating element; and at least one electric terminal for the at least one electric heating element, wherein: the at least one electric terminal comprise a one piece plug contact; the at least one electric terminal has a section arranged in the interior space of the metal sheath; the section has a contact point arranged in the interior space of the metal sheath; the contact point comprises an electrical connection of the plug contact to the at least one electric heating element.

2. An electric heater in accordance with claim 1, further comprising another electric terminal comprising a one piece plug contacts, wherein: the other electric terminal comprise another one piece plug contact; the other electric terminal has another electric terminal section arranged in the interior space of the metal sheath; the other electric terminal section has another electric terminal contact point arranged in the interior space of the metal sheath; and the another electric terminal contact point comprises an electrically conductive connection of the plug contact to the at least one electric heating element, at which contact point the other plug is connected to the at least one electric heating element in an electrically conductive manner.

3. An electric heater in accordance with claim 2, wherein the contact point and the another electric terminal contact point are each embedded in the insulating material filling.

4. An electric heater in accordance with claim 3, wherein the insulating material filling is compacted at least at the point at which the contact point and the other electric terminal contact point is embedded into the insulating material filling.

5. An electric heater in accordance with claim 2, wherein: the at least one electric heating element comprises a heating wire coil wound on a coil body, the heating coil having ends inserted into holes of the coil body; a section each of the plug contact and the other plug contact is inserted into a respective hole of the coil body; and the conductive connection between the plug contact and the at least one electric heating element and the other plug contact and the at least one heating element is established at the contact point by pressing the respective inserted section of the plug contact and the other plug contact with the respective end of the heating wire coil.

6. An electric heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein the conductive connection between the plug contact and the at least one electric heating element is established at the contact point by welding.

7. An electric heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein the conductive connection between the plug contact and the at least one electric heating element is established at the contact point by crimping.

8. An electric heater in accordance with one of the claim 1, wherein: the conductive connection between the plug contact and the electric heating element is established via an auxiliary wire in conductive contact with the plug contact at the contact point; the electric heating element comprises a heating wire coil wound on a coil body, the heating wire coil having ends inserted into holes of the coil body; a section each of the auxiliary wire is inserted into one of the holes of the coil body; and the conductive connection between the auxiliary wire and the electric heating element is established in the hole by pressing this inserted section of the auxiliary wire with the inserted end of the heating wire coil.

9. An electric heater in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a plug housing, wherein at least one section of the plug contact, which is arranged outside the metal sheath, is provided with the plug housing extrusion-coated around the at least one section.

10. An electric heater in accordance with claim 9, wherein the plug housing is also extrusion-coated around a section of the metal sheath.

11. An electric heater in accordance with claim 9, wherein the plug housing has a section, which is received in the interior of the metal sheath and is pressed at said section.

12. A process for manufacturing an electric heater, the process comprising the steps of: providing a metal sheath defining an interior space; providing an electric heating element; providing at least one plug contact which is made in one piece and which has a section that can be arranged in the interior space of the metal sheath; arranging the electric heating element in the interior space of the metal sheath; establishing an electric contact at contact points between the plug contact and the electric heating element; inserting a section of the plug contact into the interior space of the metal sheath; and filling the interior space of the metal sheath with an insulating material.

13. A process in accordance with claim 12, wherein: the electric heating element provided comprises a coil body and a heating wire wound thereon; the coil body has two holes in which the ends of the heating wire are received; the holes are large enough to permit the insertion of a part of the section of the plug contact or an auxiliary wire, which was crimped or welded to the section; the section can be arranged in the metal sheath.

14. A process in accordance with claim 12, wherein: the insulating material is in the form of a powder or granular material that is compacted insulating material at least in the area of the contact points; an extrusion coating is performed before or after the compaction around the plug contact at least in a partial area comprising a contact tongue, of the plug contact, so that a plug housing surrounding the plug contact or plug contacts is formed at least in some sections.

15. A process in accordance with claim 12, further comprising another plug contact to provide a plurality of plug contacts such that the plug contacts are connected to one another and are only separated in a later process step.

16. A process in accordance with claim 15, wherein a shaping of the contact tongues of the plug contacts is performed only after the establishment of an electric connection of the plug contacts to the heating element.

17. A process in accordance with claim 12, further comprising shaping a contact tongue of the plug contacts after the step of establishing an electric connection of the plug contacts to the heating element.

18. A process in accordance with claim 12, wherein the metal sheath comprises a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion being located opposite the second end portion, the first end portion closing one end of the metal sheath, wherein the first end portion contains no openings, the at least one plug contact being located at the second end portion, the electric heating element being located adjacent to the first end portion, the at least one plug contact being formed from only one piece of material.

19. A process in accordance with claim 18, wherein the electric heating element comprises a hole, the at least one plug contact extending continuously, without interruption, from a position located outside of the metal sheath to a position located in the hole.

20. An electric heater in accordance with claim 1, wherein the metal sheath comprises a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion being located opposite the second end portion, the first end portion closing one end of the metal sheath, wherein the first end portion contains no openings, the at least one plug contact being located at the second end portion, the electric heating element being located adjacent to the one end of the metal sheath, the at least one electric heating element comprising a hole, the one piece plug contact extending continuously, without interruption, from a position located outside of the metal sheath to the electric heating element, wherein at least a portion of the one piece plug contact is located in the hole, the at least one plug contact comprising an outer surface extent extending from another end of the metal sheath continuously, without interruption, to a position adjacent to the electric heating element, wherein each portion of the outer surface extent is in direct contact with the insulating material, the another end being located opposite the one end of the metal sheath.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view through a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view through a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view through a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view through a sixth exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a possible intermediate stage in the manufacture of an electric heater according to the present invention;

(9) FIG. 8a is a schematic view of a possible intermediate stage in the manufacture of an electric heater according to the present invention, which is possible as an alternative to the intermediate stage according to FIG. 7;

(10) FIG. 8b is an electric heater from FIG. 8a after another process step;

(11) FIG. 9a is a view showing another heater that can be manufactured by means of the process according to the present invention;

(12) FIG. 9b is another view showing the other heater that can be manufactured by means of the process according to the present invention;

(13) FIG. 9c is another view showing the other heater that can be manufactured by means of the process according to the present invention;

(14) FIG. 9d is another view showing the other heater that can be manufactured by means of the process according to the present invention; and

(15) FIG. 9e is another view showing the other heater that can be manufactured by means of the process according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(16) Referring to the drawings, identical components of the same exemplary embodiments are designated below by identical reference numbers.

(17) FIG. 1 shows an electric heater 100 with a tubular metal sheath 101, which is closed by an integrally molded bottom 102. A heating element, which comprises a coil body 104 with two holes 105, 106 passing through the coil body 104 in the direction in which the electric heater extends and a heating wire coil 107 wound on the coil body 104, is arranged in the interior space 103 defined by the metal sheath 101. One end of the heating wire coil 107 is inserted into the hole 105, and the other end into the hole 106.

(18) Furthermore, two plug contacts 108, 109 are seen, which have, on the terminal side, an integrally molded contact tongue 108a, 109a each and a section 108b, 109b each arranged in the interior space 103 of the metal sheath 101. The end 108c, 109c of the plug contact 108, 109 located opposite the terminal side is inserted into a respective hole 105 and 106, respectively.

(19) The dotted section in the area of the interior space 103 indicates that this area is filled with an insulating material filling consisting of a powder or granular material, which filling is compacted especially in the area of the metal sheath 101 in which the coil body 104 is located. The sections of the heating wire coil 107 and of the plug contacts 108c, 109c, which are received in the respective holes 105 and 106, are brought into conductive contact with one another by this compaction, so that contact points 110, 111, at which the heating wire coil 107 and sections 108c, 109c are conductively connected to one another, are formed.

(20) The electric heater 200 according to FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 only in that the contact between the plug contacts 208, 209 and the heating wire coil 207 is brought about indirectly via auxiliary wires 212, 213, one section 212a, 213a of which is arranged in the holes 205, 206 of the coil body 204 instead of a section of the plug contacts 208, 209. The contact points 210, 211 are therefore formed by crimp sleeves, with which the sections 208b, 209b arranged in the interior space 203 of the metal sheath 201 are connected electrically conductively to the auxiliary wires 212, 213.

(21) The electric heater 300 according to FIG. 3 differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 only in that the contact between the plug contacts 308, 309 and the heating wire coil 307 is established indirectly via auxiliary wires 312, 313, which are arranged in the holes 305, 306 of the coil body 304 instead of a section of the plug contacts 308, 309. The contact points 310, 311 are therefore formed by welds, with which the sections 308b, 309b arranged in the interior space 303 of the metal sheath 301 are connected to the auxiliary wires 312, 313 in an electrically conductive manner.

(22) The electric heater 400 shown in FIG. 4 as an exploded view has a design similar to that of the heater shown in FIG. 1 and differs from this in that the plug contacts 408, 409 have bent contact tongues 408a, 409b, which are extrusion-coated with a plug housing 414 in the form of an angle plug. The extrusion-coated areas of the plug contacts 408, 409 are not visible in reality and are therefore indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 4.

(23) The plug housing 414 has a section 414a, which is dimensioned such that it can be inserted into the terminal-side end area of the metal sheath 401 with the bottom 402 and can be fixed there by pressing.

(24) The exploded view in FIG. 4 shows once again clearly how simply the electric heater according to the present invention can be manufactured. The plug contacts 408, 409 can be manufactured in a simple stamping process, bent and extrusion-coated in a subsequent processing step with the plug housing 414, e.g., in the form of the angle plug, so that a prefabricated plug assembly unit is formed, from which the sections of the plug contacts 408, 409, with which sections the connection to the heating element is established, protrude. These sections have such a rigid design that they can carry their own weight without a noticeable deformation and can support the plug against a force applied along the direction in which they extend.

(25) It is only necessary to insert the coil body 404 with the heating wire coil 407 arranged on it into the interior space 403 of the metal sheath 401. The insulating material filling, not shown in FIG. 4, in the form of a powder or granular material, can be poured into the metal sheath 401 in a first variant of the process before the plug assembly unit is inserted through the insulating material into the holes 405, 406 of the coil body 404.

(26) However, a preferred alternative comprises the partial insertion of the sections of the plug contacts 408, 409, which shall be received in the holes 405, 406, into the holes 405, 406 before the filling before filling the metal sheath 401 (which may, in principle, also take place already when the coil body 404 is not yet inserted into the interior space 403 of the metal sheath 401, in which case the components thus preconfigured are inserted together into the metal sheath 401), after which the filling with the insulating material, not shown, is carried out, and the plug assembly unit is finally pushed a bit further into the interior space 403 of the metal sheath 401, so that the section 414a of the plug housing 414 is received at least partially in the metal sheath 401.

(27) The electric contact between the plug contacts 408, 409 and the heating element 407 can then be established in a subsequent compaction step together or sequentially, the insulating material filling can be compacted, and the firm, non-positive and/or positive-locking seating of the plug housing 414, designed as an angle plug here, in the metal sheath 401 can be achieved.

(28) As a result, a heater 400 comprising a small number of components with integrated plug is obtained, in which contact problems between individual components are extensively avoided.

(29) The fifth embodiment of a heater 500, which is shown as an exploded view in FIG. 5, can be assembled in an especially simple manner. In addition to the coil body 504, on which a heating wire coil 507 is wound, an additional ceramic tube 515 with ducts 516, 517 contained therein for inserting the plug contacts 508, 509 is provided here.

(30) The plug contacts 508, 509 have a heating coil contact section 508c, 509c each, which are inserted in the assembled state into holes 505, 506 in the coil body 504 and establish the contact with the heating wire coil 507 within the coil body 504. Furthermore, they have a guide section 508b, 509b, which is received in the ducts 516, 517 in the assembled state and is guided there. At the plug-side end, the plug contacts 508, 509 are provided with contact tongues 508a, 509a each. The guide section 508b, 509b is made broader or thickened compared to the heating coil contact section 508c, 509c, so that a stop 508d, 509d each is formed at the transition between the guide section 508b, 509b and the heating coil contact section 508c, 509c. If such a stop, which may also be formed in another manner and is also advantageous in itself without the additional features of the exemplary embodiments according to FIG. 5, is provided at the plug contact 508, 509, this has the advantage that the depth of insertion, i.e., the length of the section of the plug contact 508, 509, which is inserted into the coil body 504, is defined. As a result, good reproducibility of the length of the sections of the plug contacts 508, 509 protruding on the terminal side can be guaranteed by insertion up to the stop 508d, 509d even in case of manual manufacture.

(31) Furthermore, a plug housing 518 is provided, which has a connection section 518a and a plug housing section 518b and is preferably extrusion-coated around the plug contacts 508, 509, so that at least parts of the contact tongues 508a, 509a are received in a cavity, which adjoins the terminal-side end face of the plug housing 518 and into which a counterplug can be inserted.

(32) To assemble the heater 500, a metal sheath 501 is provided, which is provided with a bottom 502 and into which the coil body 504 on which the heating wire coil 507 is wound and the ceramic tube 515 are inserted. The length of the coil body 504 and of the ceramic tube 515 is preferably selected to be such that when these are brought into their end position in the metal sheath 501, they adjoin each other. Furthermore, the terminal-side boundary surface of the ceramic tube 515 preferably also presets in this position the desired filling height of the insulating material filling, which is subsequently filled in. It is guaranteed thereby that the plug contacts 508, 509, around which the plug housing 518 is extrusion-coated, can be inserted in the next step in a simple manner.

(33) The metal sheath 501 advantageously protrudes on the terminal side over the ceramic tube 515 if a plug housing 518 is provided with a connection section 518a, whereas it may be advantageous in the embodiments without such a connection section 518a or entirely without a plug housing 518 but with an additional ceramic tube 515 if the metal sheath 501 and the ceramic tube 515 end in the same plane on the terminal side in the assembled state. Such a protrusion makes it possible to fix the plug housing 518 with the connection section 518a in the metal sheath 501 during the pressing of the insulating material filling, which is necessary anyway and which also ensures the electrical contact between the heating wire coil 507 and the plug contacts 508, 509.

(34) FIG. 6 shows a cross section through a sixth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The electric heater 600 according to FIG. 6 differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 only in that the contact between the plug contacts 608, 609 and the heating wire coil 607 is established indirectly via auxiliary wires 612, 613, which are arranged in the holes 605, 606 of the coil body 604 instead of a section of the plug contacts 608, 609.

(35) The contact between the plug contacts 608, 609 and the auxiliary wires 612, 613 is established here by inserting the ends of the plug contacts 608, 609, which ends face the coil body, and the terminal-side ends of the auxiliary wires 612, 613 into holes 621, 622 of a small ceramic tube 623 in such a way that they overlap each other and by bringing them then into contact with one another by pressing. Contacting by pressing is especially advantageous in case of low-voltage applications, because the effects of contact resistances can thus be reduced. In addition, welding of auxiliary wires 612, 613 and plug contacts 608, 609 may optionally be performed.

(36) FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a possible intermediate stage in the manufacture of an electric heater, which may occur especially during the manufacture of the electric heaters according to FIGS. 1 through 3 and 6. The preliminary stage 700 of such an electric heater shown in FIG. 7 is obtained if the plug contacts 708, 709 are provided such that they are connected to one another via a connection piece 710, i.e., for example, they are stamped together. As a result, it becomes possible, on the one hand, to insert all plug contacts in one process step, and it is ensured, on the other hand, that the plug contacts 708, 709 are positioned accurately in relation to one another and especially that they protrude from the metal sheath 701 by exactly the same amount.

(37) To obtain an operable electric heater, the plug contacts 708, 709 will then have to be separated from one another in a later process step, which may be carried out especially at the end of the manufacturing process, by removing the connection piece 710.

(38) Additional advantages arise if, instead of manufacturing the preliminary stage according to FIG. 7, a manufacturing process is selected, which likewise leads to the preliminary stage shown in FIG. 8, which may likewise occur especially in the embodiments of electric heaters shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 and 6. The preliminary stage 800 of such an electric heater with metal sheath 801, which preliminary stage is shown in FIG. 1, is obtained if the plug contacts 808, 809 are connected to one another via a connection piece 810, which represents the blank, from which the desired contact tongues are stamped later in the process.

(39) The electric heater 850 manufactured according to this stamping step is shown in FIG. 8b. It differs from the preliminary stage 800 in that contact tongues 808a, 809a are stamped out of its connection piece 810, so that the plug contacts 808, 809 are no longer connected to one another. The stamping waste generated in this stamping step is shown as well.

(40) As a result, it becomes possible, on the one hand, not only to insert all plug contacts in one process step, while, on the other hand, the plug contacts 808, 809 stamped later are positioned accurately in relation to one another and they especially protrude from the metal sheath 801 by exactly the same amount, but the corresponding assembly unit can be manufactured by mass production and can then be easily adapted to the requirements of different customers or use environments by a final second stamping step.

(41) While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

APPENDIX

List of Reference Numbers

(42) 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 850 Electric heater 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801 Metal sheath 102, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602 Bottom 103, 203, 303, 403, 503, 603 Interior space 104, 204, 304, 404, 504, 604 Coil body 105, 106, 205, 206, 305, 306, 621, 622, 405, 406, 505, 506, 605, 606 Hole 107, 207, 307, 407, 507, 607 Heating wire coil 108, 109, 208, 209, 308, 309, 408, 409, 508, 509, 608, 609, 708, 709 Plug contact 108a, 109a, 208a, 209a, 308a, 309a, 408a, 409a, 508a, 509a, 608a, 609a, 708a, 709a, 808a, 809a Contact tongue of the plug contact 108b, 109b, 208b, 209b, 308b, 309b, 508b, 509b Section of the plug contact arranged in the interior space of the metal sheath 108c, 109c, 508c, 509c Section of the plug contact inserted into the coil body 110,111,210,211,310,311 Contact points 212, 213, 312, 313, 612, 613 Auxiliary wire 212a, 213a, 312a, 313a Section of the auxiliary wire inserted into the coil body 414 Plug housing 414a Section 508d, 509d Stop 516, 517 Ducts 518 Plug housing 518a Connection section 518b Plug housing section 623 Small ceramic tube 700, 800 Preliminary stage of an electric heater 710, 810 Connection piece 860 Stamping waste