Internal-combustion engines – With heating means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-09
2002-07-23
McMahon, Marguerite (Department: 3747)
Internal-combustion engines
With heating means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06422190
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a heating system in a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine, wherein an additional heating system or an auxiliary heating system is provided.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Additional heat sources are needed to compensate the heating deficit in motor vehicles with modern, highly efficient internal combustion engines. These systems support the vehicle's own heat circulation during the heat-up phase of the internal combustion engine or during the entire operation of the vehicle.
A prior-art additional heat source for supporting the vehicle's own heat output is, e.g., a fuel-operated additional heating system (diesel or gasoline), which is arranged in the water or coolant/heating medium circuit of the internal combustion engine and supplies heating energy to the heating system of the motor vehicle as needed. Individual components of the fuel-operated additional heating system are replaceable, so that different heat outputs, fuels (diesel or gasoline), applications, etc., can be obtained.
The advantages of fuel-operated auxiliary heaters are essentially:
High basic heat output with 3 kW,
variable heat output up to 5 kW,
high heating comfort,
high efficiency.
The relatively high manufacturing and installation costs as well as the generation of environmentally harmful waste gases are a drawback. Noise is also generated during the combustion of the fuel.
Other prior-art heat sources are electric auxiliary heaters, e.g., PTC auxiliary heaters or sheathed element glow plug type auxiliary heaters.
The advantages of electric auxiliary heaters are essentially:
Low cost of application,
low cost (parts including application),
very small space requirement,
absence of noise and emissions.
The drawbacks are especially the limited auxiliary heat output, the low efficiency and the high requirements on the onboard electric power supply system in the vehicle.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a heating system that has a simple design and makes possible a flexible design of a heating system tailored to the individual user and also a problem-free maintenance with simple means.
According to the invention, a motor vehicle heating system and system process for a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine is provided. The heating system has one of an additional heating system and an auxiliary heating system. The additional heating system and the auxiliary heating system or a part of the additional heating system or a part of the auxiliary heating system are provided as a modular component. Interfaces that are a fixed part of the motor vehicle are provided. The modular component is arranged and connected at the interfaces, whereby one modular component may be replaced with another modular component.
A first vehicle-specific interface (I) is formed by at least two fastening points. The fastening points are fixed parts of the vehicle. The fastening points define mechanical fastening locations at which the modular component can be mechanically fastened. The interfaces include a second vehicle-specific interface (II) defining an interruption point of a coolant/heating medium circuit of the internal combustion engine. The additional heating system is provided as a fuel-operated additional heating system and the auxiliary heating system is provided as an electric additional heating system. The fuel-operated additional heating system or the electric additional heating system is hydraulically connectable and and replacable, one with the other. The interfaces include a third vehicle-specific interface (III) comprising at least one electric connection, which is a fixed part of the vehicle and at which the electric additional heating system or an electric component of the electric additional heating system or of the fuel-operated additional heating system can be electrically connected.
The electric component of the electric additional heating system or of the fuel-operated additional heating system may be a control device. The modular component may be a complete, fuel-operated, additional heating system which comprises a water jacket or a coolant/heating medium jacket with fastening points arranged in a defined pattern, a heat exchanger, a combustion chamber, a side channel fan, a control device and a sensor unit. The modular component may also be a complete electric additional heating system with a water jacket or coolant/heating medium jacket of its own with fastening points arranged in a defined pattern and one or more integrated electric heating elements.
The additional heating system may be a fuel operated additional heating system or an electric additional heating system with a waterjacket or coolant/heating medium jacket fastened as a fixed part of the vehicle. The interfaces may include another (a fourth) vehicle-specific interface, which is a fixed part of the vehicle and via which the additional heating system can be rigidly connected.
The essence of the present invention is that the additional heating system or auxiliary heating system or part of the additional heating system or auxiliary heating system is designed as a modular component, which is arranged on or connected to interfaces of the heating system that are specific of the vehicle and can optionally be replaced with another such modular component.
In particular, the heating system has a first interface specific of the vehicle in the form of at least two fastening points that are fixed parts of the vehicle and to which the modular component can be mechanically fastened.
In addition, a second interface specific of the vehicle may be an interruption point of the coolant/heating medium circuit of the internal combustion engine, to which a fuel-operated additional heating system or an electric additional heating system can be hydraulically connected and can be replaced, in particular, with an additional heating system operated with the other type of energy.
A third interface specific of the vehicle is preferably at least one electric connection, which is a fixed part of the vehicle and to which an electric additional heating system or an electric component of the electric additional heating system or of the fuel-operated additional heating system, especially the control device thereof or a fan, can be electrically connected.
A first modular component is, in particular, a complete, fuel-operated additional heating system, which comprises a water jacket or a coolant/heating medium jacket with fixed fastening points arranged in a defined pattern, a heat exchanger, a combustion chamber, a fan, especially a side channel fan, a control device, and a sensor unit.
A second modular component is advantageously a complete electrical additional heating system, which has a water jacket or coolant/heating medium jacket of its own with fastening points arranged in a defined pattern and one or more integrated electric heating elements (so-called “monocoque design”).
The flexibility of a heating system is further increased if, in an advantageous variant of the present invention, a water jacket or coolant/heating medium jacket of a fuel-operated (or electric) additional heating system is rigidly fastened to the vehicle and has a fourth interface, which is specific of the vehicle, is a fixed part of the vehicle, and via which the rest of the fuel-operated (or electric) additional heating system, designed as the third modular component, can be rigidly connected.
The third modular component may be a fuel-operated additional heating system part, with a heat exchanger, a combustion chamber, a fan, especially a side channel fan, an electric control device and a sensor unit, i.e., an above-mentioned, complete, fuel-operated auxiliary heater without water jacket, wherein this modular component is mounted and fastened in the water jacket in a positive-locking manner via the fourth interface that is a fixed part of the vehicle.
However, the third modular component may also be an electric additional heating system part, especially an electric hea
Görtler Thomas
Kiesel Sabine
Benton Jason
J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG
McGlew and Tuttle , P.C.
McMahon Marguerite
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