Liquid heating device with two flow paths for an automobile

#This application is a national stage application under 35 USC 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2009/006486, filed Sep. 7, 2009, which claims the priority of French Application No. 08/04902, filed Sep. 5, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

#The present invention relates to a heating device for a quantity of liquid for an automobile and the various possible utilisations thereof.

#The object of interest in the following is mainly but not exclusively the heating of a liquid for washing a glass surface in an automobile such as the windscreen, the back window or the external parts of the headlamps or headlights.

#The advantages as well as other properties of the invention will be examined in detail in the following description of an exemplary possible embodiment of the liquid heating device, according to the present invention, while referring to the figures, wherein:

#FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of the main elements composing a heating device according to one preferred embodiment of the invention;

#FIGS. 2a and 2b are respectively assembled and exploded perspective views of the various elements of the device in FIG. 1;

#As mentioned above, the present invention consists in providing a liquid heating device for an automobile which includes two independent liquid flow paths, each liquid flow path being capable of enabling the flow of liquid between a connection terminal forming the inlet and the connection terminal forming the outlet, each one of the connection terminals being capable of sealingly receiving a liquid flow duct or tube, and in composing, depending on the utilisation cases of the inlets and/or outlets which are independent of the device. This arrangement gives very good flexibility to the use of the heating device as will be explained hereinunder in the present description, while referring to FIGS. 3 to 8 which schematically illustrate various utilisations of the device according to the invention.

#As the heating principle implemented in the present invention further is indirect heating, the flow paths are provided to be integrally formed in one or several parts made of a heat-conducting material which are themselves capable of being heated by electric heating means, the liquid heating in each flow path being carried out by absorption of heat in these parts.

#In one exemplary embodiment not shown in the appended figures, only one part can be used, of the same type as the one described in document U.S. Pat. No. 7,190,893 wherein long resistances are overmolded, however providing for, unlike what is described in this document, two flow paths integrally made in this part, which are independent and which have their own connection terminals forming an inlet and an outlet.