GB2257608A

GB2257608A - Resistance heating mesh bondable to car seat cover.

Info

Publication number: GB2257608A
Application number: GB9213389A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ferdinand Schuller
Original assignee: Ruthenberg Waermetechnik GmbH
Current assignee: Ruthenberg Waermetechnik GmbH
Priority date: 1991-07-05
Filing date: 1992-06-24
Publication date: 1993-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-24
Also published as: GB9213389D0; ATA137092A; AT400993B; FR2678563B1; CA2072542A1; GB2257608B; DE4122363C1; KR930002164A; FR2678563A1; GB9211792D0; JPH05184435A

Description

1 A car seat heating device, in particular a car seat heating device which

can be fitted subsequently.

The invention relates to a car seat heating device, and in particular to a car seat heating device which can be fitted subsequently.

223 'io).j As is known. the seats of an increasing number of cars and commercial vehicles are being equipped with car electric seat heating devices, either as a production line fitting or as a special accessory ex works. Subsequent installation of such seat heating in the original design is only possible at great expense, or not at all. For this reason a series of car seat heating devices has been developed which can be fitted subseauently and which act as superimposed seat heaters similar to electric heated cushions, attached by means of tapes to the surface of the seat, or as loose seat covers with integrated seat heating, produced to fit the individual seats of the various vehicles, and fitted over the seat and back.

These known forms of car seat heaters fitted subsequently use relatively thick insulated stranded heating conductors made of copper, the mechanical strength of which is relatively low. Since car 2 seat heaters develop folds if they are not expertly fitted or if the heating elements used do not fit perfectly, kinks form in the stranded copper conductors. Vehicle and seat vibrations give rise to high flexural stresses, which in the kink area. lead.to breakage of the individual strands of the conductor after only a short time. This results in local overheating, described as a hot spot, which can cause fires. In order to counteract this danger, the heating mats have a very thick structure, in order to prevent the formation of folds. In addition stretching frames made of spring steel wires are used. Although in- thick heating mats fold formation no longer occurs, the heating up times are very long. They also alter and impair the seating comfort and seating climate.

Contrary to the market requirements for very varied forms, colours and materials, for economic reasons only a few variants of seat covers with integrated seat heating are available.

The object on which the invention is based therefore consists in providing a car seat heating device, in particular a car seat heating device which can be fitted subsequently, which can be manufactured as a mass-produced article and is 2 1 3 suitable for all known car seats, without any safety risks or disadvantages concerning comfort.

According to the invention this object is achieved by means of a car seat heating device, and in particular by a car seat heating device which can be fitted subsequently, having a thin, electrically insulated, threedimensionally resilient carrier material permeable to air and humidity, a flat resilient heating element applied to the carrier material, with a latticed structure comprising free spaces, having a parallel conductor arrangement with threedimensional deformability, a resilient adhesive film permeable to air and humidity, which is applied to the heating element and bonds the latter by adhesion to the carrier material through the free spaces in the latticed structure, and having a protective foil applied to, and separable from the adhesive film, wherein the adhesive strength of the adhesive film is designed for attachment to the back of a car seat cover.

The car seat heater according to the invention can be produced such that it is very thin, since the formation of folds does not constitute any safety risk, owing to the flat heating element used, which is the subject matter of patent applications 4 P 40 20 580.0 and P 41 01 290.9. owing to the thin structure, the effect of.heating can be felt very quickly. The seating comfort and seating climate are only slightly impaired.

Advantageously the adhesive film is a double-sided adhesive foil. Permanent adhesives of this type, having a high level of contact adhesion, are available commercially.

The carrier material is preferab-ly a thin upholstery material (eg foam material) backed by a textile flat shapE>d article.

The car seat heater is particularly suitable for adhesive attachment to the back of a loose seat cover, which is produced according to the required form, colour and size, and to which the car seat heater can be simply and firmly attached, after the protective foil has been removed.

The car seat heater which can be fitted subsequently can comprise a carrier material which is continuous for the seat and back, wherein flat heating elements are provided in the seat and back areas, whereas the area therebetween is an unheated surface, suitable for accommodation of 1 2 the electrical connections and directinq them laterally to the outside.

The invention is explained in greater detail by means of a drawing, showing a cross-section of an embodiment of the car seat heater.

The car seat heater shown in the drawing which can be fitted subsequently comprises a thin strip-like carrier material 4 made of textile-reinforced foam material. To this carrier material there is applied a flat heating element 2 with a latticed structure comprising free spaces 5 and which can be deformed three-dimensional ly. A resilient synthetic resin adhesive film 3 which is vermeablf? to air and humidity, and is covered on one side with the protective foil, is pressed onto the flat heating element 2. The synthetic resin adhesive film 3 Passes through the free spaces 5 in the mesh-type structure of the flat heating element 2 and bonds the flat heating element 2 to the carrier material 4. The protective foil 1 applied to this structure for the purpose of storage and dispatch, and which adheres to the adhesive fillm 3, can easily be removed therefrom.

For installation of the car seat heater, the protective foil 1 is removed. The car seat heater is 6 then bonded by means of the adhesive film 3 to the inner side of a car seat cover or to the back of a loose seat cover, Wherein the adhesive strength is sufficient for non-slip attachment.

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Claims

1. Car seat heater, in Particular a car seat heater which can be fitted subsequently, comprising: a thin, electrically insulating, threedimensionally resilient carrier material (4) permeable to air and humidity; a resilient flat heating element (2) which is applied to the carrier material (4) and has a latticed structure comprising free spaces (5) and a parallel heating conductor arrangement with threedimensional deformability; a resilient adhesive film (3) permeable to air and humidity, which is applied to the flat heating element (2) and bonds the latter to the carrier material through the free spaces (5) in the latticed structure; and a protective foil (1) applied to, and removable from the adhesive film (3), wherein the adhesive strength of the adhesive film (3) is suitable for bonding to the back of a car seat cover.

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2. Car seat heater according to claim 1 characterised in that th! adhesive film (3) is a foil which is adhesive on both sides.

3. Car seat heater according to claim 1 or 2, cbaracterised in that the carrier material (4) is a text 1 le-reinf orced thin foam material.

4. Car seat heater according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the car seat cover is a loose cover or an original cover.

5. Car seat heater according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by an integral structure comprising a heated back part, an unheated middl.e part and a heated seat part.

6. Car seat heater according to claim 5, characterised in that in the middle part, electrical connections and switches for the flat heating element (2) are disposed.

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