JP2010040186A - Heater apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heater apparatus heating only a part of the body of a person to be warmed that is in contact with the apparatus, thereby achieving high efficient warming. <P>SOLUTION: A heater apparatus X includes: a heating means 30 for generating heat when energized; a positive electrode 20A and a negative electrode 20B, which are arranged to face each other while at least one of them is separated from the heating means 30 and can be brought in contact with the heating means 30 by a load of a user; and a spacer 40 for separating at least one electrode from the heating means 30. On the basis of change of a contact area R of at least one electrode and the heating means 30 by the load of the user, a heating condition in the heating means 30 is changed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a heater device for heating a vehicle seat or the like.

  For example, on a seat of an automobile or the like, a heating means for heating and heating the person to be heated is arranged on a seat surface part that contacts the buttocks and thighs of the person to be heated, a back surface part on which the back of the person to be heated contacts, It is set up. For example, it has been known that an electric heater, which is a heat generating means, is mounted on substantially the entire surface of a seat surface and a back surface so that the sheet surface temperature is uniform over the entire surface (for example, Patent Document 1). However, there is a problem in terms of cost in the system in which the electric heater is mounted on the entire surface of the seat.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a sheet heating apparatus in which an electric heater is disposed closer to a thigh contact portion than a buttocks contact portion to have a distribution in the sheet surface temperature. The document 2 describes that this can reduce the area of the electric heater attached to the seat to reduce the cost and can maintain the same heating sensation as the conventional one.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No.57-126196 JP-A-10-97889

  In the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the heating means is also disposed in the sheet portion where the body of the person to be heated is not in contact with the sheet. In order to cope with changes in the physique, seating position, seating posture, etc. of the person to be heated, the heating means is mounted over the entire surface of the seat and back.

  However, it is not efficient to heat the sheet part that is not in contact with the body of the person to be heated.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a heater device that can efficiently heat only a portion that is in contact with the body of a person to be heated.

  In order to achieve the above object, the first characteristic configuration of the heater device according to the present invention includes a heating means that generates heat when energized, and at least one electrode spaced apart from the heating means and facing the heating means. A positive electrode and a negative electrode that can be brought into contact with the heat generating means by a load; and a spacer that separates the at least one electrode and the heat generating means; and the at least one electrode and the heat generated according to a load from the person to be heated The heat generation state in the heat generating means is changed based on the change in the contact area with the means.

That is, when the load of the person to be heated does not act, at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is separated from the heat generating means via the spacer. For this reason, energization is not performed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and the heat generating means does not generate heat. On the other hand, when the load is applied, the heat generating means is at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and is bent toward the electrode that is separated from the heat generating means, and the two come into contact with each other. Thereby, the heating means is energized and the heating means generates heat.
As described above, in this configuration, when a load from the heating subject acts on a portion that is in contact with the body of the heating subject, only the heating means of the portion is energized to generate heat, and thus a very efficient heating effect. Can be obtained.

In this configuration, the heat generation state in the heat generating means is changed based on the change in the contact area between at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode and the heat generating means.
The size of the contact area is determined according to the load of the person to be heated. That is, when the load is large, for example, the bending deformation of the heat generating means becomes large, and the contact area becomes large. As a result, the area of the heat generating means that generates heat increases, and the energization amount and heat generation amount of the entire heater device increase.

  A second characteristic configuration of the heater device according to the present invention is that the positive electrode and the negative electrode are arranged in parallel through the heat generating means in a contact state with the heat generating means.

  When a load acts on the heat generating means and the heat generating means bends and deforms, the size of the contact area formed by the contact between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and the heat generating means is substantially proportional to the magnitude of the load acting on the heat generating means. In this configuration, the positive electrode and the negative electrode that are in contact with the heat generating means are configured in parallel. Therefore, when attention is paid to the heat generating means forming the contact region, the energization amount per unit length of the heat generating means is substantially constant. For this reason, the stable heating effect according to the load of the person to be heated is exhibited in each contact area.

  A third characteristic configuration of the heater device according to the present invention is that the positive electrode and the negative electrode are disposed on a base material that is spaced from and opposed to the heat generating means via the spacer.

  Even if the heater device is deformed by the load from the person to be heated by arranging both the positive electrode and the negative electrode on the base material on one side facing the heat generating means as in this configuration, both electrodes The interval between each other is unlikely to change. Therefore, when a load is applied to the heater device and both electrodes are in contact with the heat generating means, an appropriate heat generation effect corresponding to the size of the contact area can be obtained. Thus, by forming both electrodes on a single substrate, a heater device with excellent operational reliability can be obtained.

  According to a fourth characteristic configuration of the heater device according to the present invention, each of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is configured by a comb portion having a trunk portion and a plurality of branch portions protruding from the trunk portion, Both electrodes are arranged on the same plane so that the branches of the negative electrode are alternately juxtaposed.

  Like this configuration, the branches of the positive electrode and the branch of the negative electrode are alternately juxtaposed, and the electrodes are arranged in a comb shape on the same plane, so that the positive electrode and the negative electrode are spread over a wide area of the substrate. Can be laid at even intervals. Since it is a comb-like electrode, each of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is composed of one electrode. Therefore, in a place where a load is applied to the heat generating means and a predetermined bending deformation occurs in the heat generating means, both electrodes and the heat generating means are reliably connected. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a heater device that can accurately heat the region to be heated according to the load acting state.

  A fifth characteristic configuration of the heater device according to the present invention is that a plurality of open windows are provided in the spacer.

  As in this configuration, by forming a plurality of window portions in the spacer, it is possible to limit in advance the energization location for the heating means. In addition, a partition portion by a spacer is formed between the respective window portions. Therefore, even when the load applied by the person to be heated is excessive, the partition portion prevents the heating means and both electrodes from contacting each other without limitation, and the energization amount can be limited. That is, it is possible to prevent excessive heat generation while reliably generating heat at any place where the load is applied, and to obtain an extremely efficient and rational heater device.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The present invention relates to a heater device for heating a vehicle seat or the like. The heater device is not limited to a vehicle seat, and may be provided in a chair, sofa, bed, or the like in which a user can take a sitting posture or a lying posture. This embodiment demonstrates the case where a heater apparatus is mounted in the vehicle seat.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the heater device X of the present invention is provided with a heating means 30 that is disposed on a seat 1 on which a person to be heated sits and generates heat when energized, and at least one electrode is used as the heating means 30. A positive electrode 20 </ b> A and a negative electrode 20 </ b> B that are spaced apart from each other and that can be brought into contact with the heat generating means 30 by a load from a heating subject are provided. Furthermore, a spacer 40 that separates at least one of the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B from the heating unit 30 is provided, and a contact region R between the at least one electrode and the heating unit 30 according to the load from the person to be heated. Based on this change, the heat generation state in the heat generating means 30 is changed.

  The vehicle is equipped with a plurality of vehicle seats 1 on which a person to be heated who is a passenger can sit. In the seat cushion 2 forming the seating portion of the seat 1, a flat heater main body 10 is embedded along the surface direction of the seating portion. A heater body 10 is similarly embedded in the seat back 3 that forms the backrest of the seat 1. In the present embodiment, the heater device X embedded in the seat cushion 2 will be described as an example.

  The heater body 10 is disposed between, for example, a cushion body 5 that is a polyurethane material that forms the shape of the seat cushion 2 and a covering material 6 that is a cloth material or leather material that covers the surface of the seat cushion 2. The heater main body 10 is fixed to the upper surface of the cushion body 5 with an adhesive member such as a double-sided tape or an adhesive so as not to be displaced with respect to the cushion body 5.

Details of the heater body 10 are shown in FIG. The vertical direction in FIG. 2 corresponds to the front-rear direction of the seat 1. The heater body 10 has a symmetrical structure in the width direction (left-right direction). The heater body 10 includes a base material 11 having a heat generating means 30 disposed on the inner surface side, a base material 11 made of a flexible film material in which a plurality of resin films are laminated, and a base material 16 having a positive electrode 20A and a negative electrode 20B.
The heater body 10 further includes a connector 13 and a harness 14 that connect the electrodes to a power source.

  The heater main body 10 includes a pair of frame portions 15 and ladder-shaped extending portions that extend inward in the width direction with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. These seven extending portions form units U1 to U7, respectively. Each unit U1 to U7 includes an electrode 20, a heat generating means 30, and a spacer 40. For example, the adhesive 40 is applied to both surfaces of the spacer 40 to prevent the electrode 20 or the heat generating means 30 from being displaced relative to the spacer.

In the present embodiment, the positive electrode 20 </ b> A and the negative electrode 20 </ b> B are respectively disposed on the base material 16 that is spaced and opposed to the heat generating means 30 via the spacer 40.
The positive electrode 20 </ b> A and the negative electrode 20 </ b> B are arranged in parallel with each other on the substrate 16.
This is to stabilize the amount of heat generated when both the electrodes 20A and the negative electrode 20B are in contact with the heat generating means 30. That is, when a load acts on the heat generating means 30 and the heat generating means 30 bends and deforms, the size of the contact region R formed by the contact between the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B and the heat generating means 30 acts on the heat generating means 30. It is roughly proportional to the magnitude of the load. In the present embodiment, the positive electrode 20 </ b> A and the negative electrode 20 </ b> B are configured in parallel with each other through the heat generating means 30 in a contact state with the heat generating means 30.
When attention is paid to the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B forming the contact region R, the distance between the electrodes is constant. Therefore, a constant current flows through the heat generating means 30 between the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B per unit length at the location where the contact region R is formed. For this reason, the calorific value per unit area of the contact region R becomes substantially constant. Thus, if it is the heater apparatus of this embodiment, the stable heating effect according to the load of the heating subject can be exhibited in each contact area R.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B are arranged on the same plane of the substrate 16. A spacer 40 is inserted between the base material 16 and the other base material 11 provided with the heat generating means 30. Thereby, both electrode 20A, 20B and the heat generating means 30 can be spaced apart when the load of the person to be heated is not acting.

  Furthermore, each of the positive electrode 20 </ b> A and the negative electrode 20 </ b> B is configured by a comb tooth body 21 having a trunk portion 22 and a plurality of branch portions 23 protruding from the trunk portion 22, as shown in FIG. 4. Here, the positive electrode 20A is composed of a comb tooth 21A having a trunk portion 22A and four branch portions 23A1 to 23A4, and the negative electrode 20B is a comb tooth body 21B having a trunk portion 22B and four branch portions 23B1 to 23B4. It consists of With these configurations, the branch portions 23 of the positive electrode 20A and the branch portions 23 of the negative electrode 20B are alternately juxtaposed on the same plane.

By arranging the branch portions 23 of the positive electrode 20A and the branch portions 23 of the negative electrode 20B alternately and arranging the electrodes 20A and 20B on the same plane, the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B are spread over a wide area of the substrate 16. Can be laid at even intervals. Since it is a comb-like electrode, each of the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B is composed of one electrode. Therefore, in a place where a load is applied to the heat generating means 30 and a predetermined bending deformation occurs in the heat generating means 30, both the electrodes 20A and 20B and the heat generating means 30 are reliably conducted. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the heater device X that can accurately heat the region to be heated according to the load acting state.
In the present embodiment, the case where each of the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B is configured by the comb teeth 21 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such a mode.

The heating means 30 is disposed on the seat cushion 2 on which the person to be heated sits and generates heat when energized.
As the heat generating means 30, for example, a heat generating material (so-called PTC heater) having a so-called positive thermal control function that has a low electrical resistance at a low temperature and a high electrical resistance at a high temperature is used. The heat generating means 30 generates heat when a voltage is supplied between the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B.

The spacer 40 is inserted between at least one of the positive electrode 20 </ b> A and the negative electrode 20 </ b> B and the heat generating means 30. The spacer 40 is provided with a plurality of open window portions 41.
In the present embodiment, four window portions 41a to 41d formed in a rectangular shape are formed. The shape of the window 41 is not limited to a rectangle, but may be a circle.
Each window part 41a-41d is partitioned off by the partition parts 42a-42c. The heat generating means 30 can be supported by the partition portion 42.
As described above, by forming the plurality of window portions 41 a to 41 d in the spacer 40, it is possible to restrict the energization location for the heat generating means 30 in advance. In addition, the partition portions 42a to 42c formed between the respective window portions 41a to 41d have an unlimited number of heating means 30 and both electrodes 20A and 20B even if the load applied by the person to be heated is excessive. It is possible to effectively prevent contact and limit the energization amount. That is, excessive heat generation can be prevented while reliably generating heat at the heating means 30 at any location where the load is applied, and an extremely efficient and rational heater device X can be obtained.

The change in the amount of heat generated by the heater device X when the seating load of the person to be heated changes will be described in more detail. In the heater device X, the heat generation state in the heat generating means 30 is changed based on the change in the contact region R between both the electrodes 20A, 20B and the heat generating means 30.
That is, when there is no seating load of the person to be heated, the positive electrode 20A, the negative electrode 20B and the heat generating means 30 are separated via the spacer 40, and the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B are not energized (FIG. 3 ( a)).
On the other hand, when there is a seating load, the heating means 30 bends and contacts the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B, and the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B are energized via the heating means 30 (FIG. 3B). ).

In this configuration, the seating load acts only on the sheet portion that is in contact with the body of the person to be heated, and the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B energize the heat generating means 30, and the heat generating means 30 generates heat.
On the other hand, in the sheet portion where the body of the person to be heated is not in contact, at least one of the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B is separated from the heat generating means 30 via the spacer 40, and the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B are heated. Since the power is not supplied to 30, the heat generating means 30 does not generate heat.
In this way, with this configuration, only the portion where the seating load is applied in the heat generating means generates heat, so that an efficient and rational heater device X can be obtained.

  In this configuration, an example in which both electrodes 20A and 20B are formed on one base material 16 is shown. However, one of these electrodes may be disposed on the heat generating means 30 side, and the one electrode may be always short-circuited with the heat generating means 30. Even with such a configuration, when the heat generating means 30 is bent, both the electrodes 20A, 20B and the heat generating means 30 come into contact with each other, and a predetermined amount of heat can be generated at the energized portion of the heat generating means 30.

[Another embodiment 1]
In the above-described embodiment, for example, in the positive electrode 20A, the intervals between the adjacent branch portions 23A1 to 23A4 are equal. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and it is possible to form portions with different intervals between adjacent branch portions 23 in each of the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B (FIG. 5).

For example, if the interval between the adjacent branch portions 23 is set narrow, when a seating load is applied, the energization resistance when the heating means 30 is energized from the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B decreases, A large current flows through the means 30. As a result, the amount of heat generation increases at a portion where the interval between the branch portions 23 is narrow.
Conversely, at locations where the distance between the branch portions 23 is wide, the energization resistance between both electrodes increases, and the amount of heat generated by the heat generating means 30 decreases.

[Another embodiment 2]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the thickness of the spacer 40 is constant has been described. However, it is not restricted to this, You may form the thickness adjustment part 50 which changes the thickness of the spacer 40 (FIG. 6).
The thickness adjusting unit 50 can adjust the separation distance between the positive electrode 20A, the negative electrode 20B, and the heat generating means 30.
When the seating load is applied under the same conditions in a portion where the thickness of the spacer 40 is changed by the thickness adjusting portion 50 and a portion where the thickness of the spacer 40 is not changed because the thickness adjusting portion 50 is not provided. The region and the timing at which the positive electrode 20A, the negative electrode 20B and the heat generating means 30 are in contact with each other can be made different depending on each part.
For example, in the portion where the spacer 40 is thick, it is difficult to energize even when the seating load is large, so that the operating sensitivity of the heater device can be reduced. On the other hand, in the part where the thickness of the spacer 40 is thin, the electrodes 20A and 20B and the heat generating means 30 are easily in contact with each other, and the operation sensitivity can be increased.

[Another embodiment 3]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the single heat generating means 30 is used has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the heating means 30 can include a plurality of different types of heating elements (not shown). The plurality of heating elements have different amounts of heat generation.

If the seating load acts on different types of heating elements under the same conditions, the heating values can be made different in each heating element.
Therefore, with this configuration, the amount of heat generated by the heater device X can be changed depending on the part.

[Another embodiment 4]
In the embodiment described above, the arrangement of the electrode 20 (the positive electrodes 20A and 20B), the heat generating means 30 and the spacer 40 is such that the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B are arranged in the same plane, and one spacer 40 is disposed on both the electrodes 20A and 20B. The case where it inserted between the heat generating means 30 was demonstrated. However, it is not limited to such an embodiment.

For example, the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B are not arranged on the same plane, the heating means 30 is inserted between the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B, and each of the two spacers 40 is connected between the positive electrode 20A and the heating means 30 and the negative electrode. You may insert between 20B and the heat generating means 30. FIG.
In this case, the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B may be arranged on different base materials, and the heat generating means 30 may not be arranged on the base material. When the seating load of the person to be heated acts on the heater device X, the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B located on both sides of the heat generating means 30 bend and come into contact with the heat generating means 30, and the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B are energized via the heat generating means 30. To do. If the heat generating means 30 is configured to bend to some extent by the seating load, the entire heater device X is easily deformed into a shape corresponding to the seating load of the person to be heated, and the positive electrode 20A and the negative electrode 20B come into contact with the heat generating means 30. It becomes easy.

[Another embodiment 5]
In the said embodiment, the example which provided the multiple window part 41 opened as the form of the spacer 40 was shown. However, in addition to this, dot-like spacers may be arranged in the form of dots between the base material 11 and the base material 16. With this configuration, when the load of the person to be heated does not act, the two base materials 11 and 16 can be reliably separated from each other, and when the load acts, 20A, 20B and the heat generating means 30 can be contacted more reliably.
In this case, the contact sensitivity between the electrodes 20A and 20B and the heat generating means 30 can be appropriately adjusted by appropriately setting the thickness or diameter of the spacer 40.

Schematic showing a sheet provided with the heater device of the present invention Schematic of the heater device of the present invention Cross-sectional view of the main part of the heater device (III-III cross-sectional view of FIG. 2) Perspective exploded view of unit in heater device Schematic diagram of electrodes in which parts with different intervals between adjacent branches are formed Schematic of spacer with thickness adjustment part formed

Explanation of symbols

X heater device R contact area 1 sheet 11 base material 16 base material 20A positive electrode 20B negative electrode 21 comb tooth 22 trunk portion 23 branch portion 30 heating means 40 spacer 41 window portion

Claims (5)

Heating means that generates heat when energized;
A positive electrode and a negative electrode that are at least one electrode spaced apart from and disposed opposite to the heat generating means, and are freely contactable with the heat generating means by a load from a heating target;
A spacer for separating the at least one electrode and the heat generating means,
A heater device in which a heat generation state in the heat generating unit is changed based on a change in a contact area between the at least one electrode and the heat generating unit in accordance with a load from the person to be heated.   2. The heater device according to claim 1, wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode are arranged in parallel through the heat generating means in a contact state with the heat generating means.   3. The heater device according to claim 1, wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode are disposed on a base member that is disposed opposite to the heat generating unit with the spacer interposed therebetween. Each of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is composed of a comb portion having a trunk portion and a plurality of branch portions protruding from the trunk portion,
The heater device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electrodes are arranged on the same plane so that the branches of the positive electrode and the branches of the negative electrode are alternately juxtaposed.   The heater device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the spacer is provided with a plurality of open windows.

Images