Provided is a vehicle heater that is capable of being easily manufactured and being miniaturized due to a decrease in a thickness by forming a heat generating part using a first support part (and a second support part) positioned perpendicularly to an air flow direction and having a plate form and is capable of improving heating performance by improving heat exchange performance.
1. A vehicle heater comprising:
a first support part positioned substantially perpendicular to a direction of a flow of air through the vehicle heater, the first support part having a plate form and including a first heat generation region and a first air flowing region, the first air flowing region having a plurality of first holes;
a heat generating part fixed to the first heat generation region of the first support part and configured to generate heat, the heat generating part including:
a plurality of positive temperature coefficient elements;
an insulation support body formed to correspond to the first heat generation region and a second heat generation region, the insulation support body having space parts for receiving the positive temperature coefficient elements; and
a 2-1-th electrode supplying power to the positive temperature coefficient elements;
a second support part including the second heat generation region corresponding to the first heat generation region of the first support part and a second air flowing region corresponding to the first air flowing region of the first support part and adjacent the second heat generation region, the second air flowing region having a plurality of second holes, the second support part cooperating with the first support part to support opposing sides of the heat generating part;
a housing supporting and fixed to one end portion of the first support part and one end portion of the heat generating part;
a 2-1-th insulating layer formed on one surface of the heat generating part and contacting the first support part; and
a 2-2-th insulating layer formed on an other surface of the heat generating part and contacting the second support part.
2. The vehicle heater of claim 1 , wherein the first support part includes a plurality of first support parts and the heat generating part includes a plurality of heat generating parts, the plurality of first support parts and the plurality of heat generating parts formed in a module form.
3. The vehicle heater of claim 1 , wherein the first support part is provided with a plurality of first heat generation regions and a plurality of first air flowing regions, the first heat generation regions and the first air flowing regions formed in a longitudinal direction.
4. The vehicle heater of claim 1 , wherein predetermined regions of the first holes overlap predetermined regions of the second holes.
5. The vehicle heater of claim 1 , wherein the first support part includes a plurality of first louver fins and the second support part includes a plurality of second louver fins, wherein the first louver fins have a shape corresponding to the first holes and the second louver fins have a shape corresponding to the second holes, the first louver fins formed from cut and bent portions of the first support part, the second louver fins formed from cut and bent portions of the second support part, and the first louver fins extending outwardly from the first support part adjacent the first holes and the second louver fins extending outwardly from the second support part adjacent the second holes.
6. The vehicle heater of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the insulation support body corresponding to the first heat generation region includes a first seating part, and the 2-1-th electrode is seated in the first seating part.
7. The vehicle heater of claim 6 , wherein a surface of the insulation support body corresponding to the second heat generation region includes a second seating part, and a 2-2-th electrode is seated in the second seating part.