Manufacturing a fluid permeable heater assembly with cap

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a fluid permeable heater assembly includes providing a heating element, and over-molding a cap on edge areas of one side of the heating element. The cap includes a hollow body having a first cap opening and a second cap opening. The first cap opening is opposite to the second cap opening, and the heating element is mounted on the cap such that the heating element extends across the first cap opening.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for manufacturing a fluid permeable heater assembly, the heater assembly including a cap and a heating element, the heating element being substantially flat and electrically conductive, the apparatus comprising:
 a heating element manufacturing unit configured to provide the heating element; and   a mesh injection over-molding tool configured to over-mold the cap on edge areas of one side of the heating element, the cap including a hollow body having a first cap opening and a second cap opening, the first cap opening being opposite to the second cap opening, and the heating element being mounted on the cap such that the heating element extends across the first cap opening.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating element manufacturing unit comprises:
 a mesh strip bobbin feeding unit configured to provide a mesh strip, the mesh strip including an alternating sequence of mesh sections having a first mesh density and of a second mesh density; and   a heater assembly cut-off station configured to cut the heater assembly off the mesh strip by die cutting a mesh off the mesh strip, the heating element including the mesh, and the mesh being cut within a mesh section having the second mesh density such that the mesh comprises a first mesh section having the first mesh density that is limited by a second mesh section and a third mesh section having the second mesh density.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an injection molding machine configured to pre-heat plastic granules and inject the same into a mold configured to make the cap, the mesh injection over-molding tool configured to over-mold the cap onto an underside of at least one of the second mesh section or the third mesh section.