US 11,781,459 B2
Heating unit for an exhaust-gas system of an internal combustion engine
Gerd Gaiser, Reutlingen (DE)
Assigned to Purem GmbH, Neunkirchen (DE)
Filed by Purem GmbH, Neunkirchen (DE)
Filed on Oct. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/50,830.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2021 128 240.3 (DE), filed on Oct. 29, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0136357 A1, May 4, 2023
Int. Cl. F01N 3/26 (2006.01); F01N 3/027 (2006.01); F01N 3/20 (2006.01); F01N 3/28 (2006.01)
CPC F01N 3/26 (2013.01) [F01N 3/027 (2013.01); F01N 3/2013 (2013.01); F01N 3/2889 (2013.01); F01N 3/2026 (2013.01); F01N 2240/16 (2013.01); F01N 2260/04 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heating unit for an exhaust-gas system of an internal combustion engine, the heating unit comprising:
a heating-unit housing for conducting a flow of exhaust gas in an exhaust-gas main flow direction (A);
a plurality of heating elements arranged in said heating-unit housing;
each of said heating elements being shaped in a meandering manner and having a plurality of plate-like heating sections following one another in a heating-element longitudinal direction (H);
said heating sections of each of said heating elements being connected one to another via respective connecting sections;
each of said heating elements defining two connection regions arranged at a distance from one another in said heating-element longitudinal direction (H) for electrically conductively connecting each one of said heating elements to at least one of the following:
i) a connection region of a further heating element; and,
ii) to a voltage source;
for each of said heating elements, a heating-conductor length between the connection regions thereof is greater than an extent length of the heating element between the connection regions thereof in said heating-element longitudinal direction (H); and,
at least two of said heating elements having the same heating-conductor length;
wherein, for at least one heating element of said at least two heating elements having the same heating-conductor length, a transverse dimension (Q) transverse to said exhaust-gas main flow direction (A) and transverse to said heating-element longitudinal direction (H) varies in the direction of said heating-element longitudinal direction (H).
 
21. A heating unit for an exhaust-gas system of an internal combustion engine, the heating unit comprising:
a heating-unit housing for conducting a flow of exhaust gas in an exhaust-gas main flow direction (A);
a plurality of heating elements arranged in said heating-unit housing; each of said heating elements being shaped in a meandering manner and having a plurality of plate-like heating sections following one another in a heating-element longitudinal direction (H);
said heating sections of each of said heating elements being connected one to another via respective connecting sections;
each of said heating elements defining two connection regions arranged at a distance from one another in said heating-element longitudinal direction (H) for electrically conductively connecting each one of said heating elements to at least one of the following:
i) a connection region of a further heating element; and,
ii) to a voltage source;
for each of said heating elements, a heating-conductor length between the connection regions thereof is greater than an extent length of the heating element between the connection regions thereof in said heating-element longitudinal direction (H);
at least two of said heating elements having the same heating-conductor length;
contact elements, said heating elements being electrically conductively connected in the connection regions corresponding thereto to said contact elements, at least two of said heating elements being electrically conductively connected in one of the connection regions corresponding thereto to one of said contact elements and being electrically conductively connected in the other connection region corresponding thereto to another one of said contact elements; and
wherein:
a first group (G1) has at least two of said heating elements electrically conductively connected in one connection region thereof to a first one of said contact elements and are electrically conductively connected in the other connection region thereof to a second one of said contact elements; and,
a second group (G2) has at least two of further ones of said heating elements electrically conductively connected in one connection region thereof to a third one of said contact elements and are electrically conductively connected in the other connection region thereof to the second one of said contact elements.