KR101503242B1 - Temperature control possible steering wheel for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a steering wheel for a vehicle which can be temperature-controlled, and more particularly, to a steering wheel for a vehicle, which comprises a rim connected spokes to a steering hub, An air passage forming part provided along the inside of the conductor and having an air passage so that air can flow; And a thermoelectric module disposed between the conductor and the air passage forming part and cooling or heating the conductor by an applied power source.
According to the present invention, a cooling function is given to a steering wheel through a thermoelectric module in which one side of both surfaces is cooled and the other side is heated according to an applied current direction in a rim of a steering wheel, thereby providing convenience to the driver , It is possible to economically adjust the temperature according to the low power specification, to discharge the heat generated from one surface of the thermoelectric module through the fan, and to cool the thermoelectric module with the simple structure by introducing the outside air into the air cooling type .

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a temperature controllable steering wheel for a vehicle,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a steering wheel for a vehicle capable of temperature control, and more particularly, to a steering wheel for a vehicle that includes a thermoelectric module inside a steering wheel of an automobile to artificially control the temperature of the steering wheel.

Generally, a steering wheel is a part of a vehicle steering apparatus, called a steering wheel, a handle or a steering handle, a driving wheel, and the like.

As described above, the steering wheel for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle includes a steering hub provided with a horn or an air bag, a spoke connecting the steering hub to the rim, and a rim, .

On the other hand, the rim that the driver grasps by hand gets cold and hot depending on the interior space of the vehicle and the outside temperature during the winter season and summer. Accordingly, a driver's convenience is deteriorated when the steering wheel is operated, and a device for maintaining the rim portion of the steering wheel at an appropriate temperature is developed and used to solve the problem.

Relevant technologies for controlling the temperature of such a steering wheel have been proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1999-025947 and Published Utility Model No. 1999-005681.

Hereinafter, the heat-steering-type automobile steering wheel and the air-warming-capable steering wheel disclosed in the prior art Patent Publication No. 1999-025947 and Published Utility Model No. 1999-005681 will be briefly described.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a steering wheel cover in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 1999-025947 (hereinafter referred to as "Prior Art 1"). As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel of the conventional technology 1 includes a bimetal 32 embedded in the entirety of the heat ray 31 inside the steering wheel for manipulating the traveling direction of the vehicle. A steering wheel cover 3 and an operation switch provided in the instrument panel unit for applying power to the heat ray 31 in the steering wheel cover 3. [

However, according to the conventional technology 1, the steering wheel with a built-in heating wire has difficulties in controlling the temperature through the hot wire and has only a heating function, which limits the use range.

2 is a partial cutaway view of a wheel showing the construction of a steering wheel capable of cooling and heating in the public utility model No. 1999-005681 (hereinafter referred to as "Prior Art 2"). 2, the conventional steering wheel capable of heating and cooling includes a hub 3 for transmitting a steering force to a steering shaft, a ring-shaped rim 5, and a spoke (not shown) for connecting the hub 3 and the rim 5, Wherein a ventilation passage 11 is built in the rim 5 at least in a portion where the hands of the driver mainly come into contact with the ventilation passage 11. The ventilation passage 11 is provided with a plurality of vents And the air passage 11 communicates with an air duct (not shown) for supplying cold air or warm air of the cooling apparatus 31 and the heating apparatus 41 of the vehicle to the inside of the vehicle 51) and the vent pipe (15).

However, the steering wheel capable of heating and cooling according to the prior art 2 is capable of supplying heat to the steering wheel through the heat of the vehicle engine room without any additional energy consumption. However, in order to supply the cold air, So that there is a problem that additional fuel is consumed.

KR 1999-025947 A KR 1999-005681

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a steering wheel in which a steering wheel, To provide a driver with convenience, and to provide a steering wheel for a vehicle which can be economically adjusted in temperature according to a low power specification.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a vehicle steering system capable of controlling the temperature by cooling the thermoelectric module by a simple structure by discharging heat generated from one surface of the thermoelectric module through a fan and introducing outside air, Wheel.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering apparatus comprising: a rim which is connected to a steering hub by a spoke and has a conductor on an inner circumferential surface thereof; An air passage forming part provided along the inside of the conductor and having an air passage so that air can flow; And a thermoelectric module disposed between the conductor and the air passage formed portion and cooling or heating the conductor by an applied electric power source.

In addition, fans may be provided to allow the outside air to flow into one side spoke connected to the rim of the present invention and to discharge the air in the rim to the other side spoke connected to the rim.

In addition, the present invention may further include a control unit electrically connected to the thermoelectric module to control whether the thermoelectric module is supplied with power, an applied current direction, and operation of the fan.

The thermoelectric module according to the present invention is characterized by being a bulk type, a skeleton type, or a flexible type.

The thermoelectric module according to the present invention includes a P-type and an N-type device which are arranged in a skeletal manner, a coating layer formed on both surfaces of the device, an electrode which is interlockingly attached to both surfaces of the device, And a bonding layer interposed between the coating layer and both surfaces of the electrode to temporarily fix the electrode.

The thermoelectric module according to the present invention is a flexible thermoelectric module in which first and second substrates each having an insulating layer provided on an opposing bonding surface arranged in an up-and-down direction, first and second electrode patterns provided on the insulating layer, And a P-type and an N-type thermoelectric material layer sandwiched between the first and second electrode patterns in a thin film or a thick film form and having the first and second electrodes interposed therebetween on both surfaces thereof.

According to the present invention, a cooling function is given to a steering wheel through a thermoelectric module in which one side of both surfaces is cooled and the other side is heated according to an applied current direction in a rim of a steering wheel, thereby providing convenience to the driver , It is possible to economically adjust the temperature according to the low power specification, to discharge the heat generated from one side of the thermoelectric module through the fan, and to cool the thermoelectric module in a simple structure by introducing the outside air into the air cooling type .

1 is a front view of a steering wheel cover according to prior art 1;
2 is a partial cutaway schematic view of a wheel showing a configuration of a steering wheel capable of heating and cooling according to the prior art 2. Fig.
3 is a plan view of a steering wheel for a vehicle according to the present invention.
4 is an enlarged view showing a rim in a steering wheel for a vehicle in which temperature can be adjusted according to the present invention.
5 and 6 are a side view and a process view of a flexible thermoelectric module in a vehicle steering wheel capable of temperature control according to the present invention.
7 and 8 are a side view and a process view of a skeletal type thermoelectric module in a vehicle steering wheel capable of temperature control according to the present invention.

The terms or words used in the present specification and claims are intended to mean that the inventive concept of the present invention is in accordance with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to explain its invention in the best way Should be interpreted as a concept.

Throughout the specification, when an element is referred to as "comprising ", it means that it can include other elements as well, without excluding other elements unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, the term " part "in the description means a unit for processing at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the configuration of an embodiment of a steering wheel for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a steering wheel for a vehicle according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the rim of the steering wheel for a vehicle according to the present invention. 7 and 8 are side and elevational views, respectively, of a skeletal type thermoelectric module in a vehicle steering wheel capable of temperature control according to the present invention, in which a flexible thermoelectric module is shown in a side view and a process view in a vehicle- Is shown as a process chart.

According to these drawings, the temperature controllable vehicle steering wheel 100 of the present invention includes a steering hub 102, a spoke 104, a rim 106, a shell 108, an inner skin 110, a conductor 112, An air passage forming part 120, a thermoelectric module 130, a fan 140, and a control part.

The steering hub (hub) 102 is connected to the steering shaft (not shown in the figure) at the center of the bottom surface. At least one of the spokes 104 interconnects the rim 106 to the steering hub 102.

The rim 106 has a structure in which the envelope 108, the inner skin 110, and the conductor 112 are wrapped in layers on the inner peripheral surface. The conductor 112 is preferably formed of a material having a high thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper so that the temperature of the thermoelectric module 130 to be described later can be transmitted to a driver's hand holding the rim 106 . The inner film 110 may be formed to have an insulating property.

The air passage forming part 120 is provided in a circumferential direction along the inside of the conductor 112 and a longitudinal air passage 122 is formed on the outer surface so that air can flow. At this time, the air passage 122 serves as a passage for the introduced outside air by operating the fan 140 in order to cool the heat releasing part of the thermoelectric module 130 by the air cooling method. Further, although the contact surface of the air passage forming part 120 with the thermoelectric module 130 is illustrated as a plane shape, the shape of the air passage forming part 120 may be changed to a concave and convex shape in order to improve the cooling area.

When the power is applied, the thermoelectric module 130 absorbs heat at one joint portion and dissipates heat at the other joint portion according to the Peltier effect. Thus, the thermoelectric module 130 radiates heat and absorbs heat according to the applied current direction, and transfers heat or cool air to the conductor 112. Here, the thermoelectric module is an environmentally friendly energy material capable of converting heat energy and electric energy, and has a form in which chip type p-type and n-type thermoelectric semiconductors are electrically connected in series via a ceramic substrate such as alumina have. In particular, when the electric energy is applied to the thermoelectric module, the charge (electrons, holes) inside the thermoelectric module absorbs the heat energy at one end of the thermoelectric module and moves to the opposite side. As a result, Heat is generated.

Since the thermoelectric module 130 is disposed at some intervals on the upper surface of the air passage forming part 120, a guide 111 for supporting the thermoelectric module 130 is formed in the air passage forming part 120, As shown in FIG. At this time, the guide 111 is formed with a plurality of square holes corresponding to the shape of the thermoelectric module 130 so that the thermoelectric module 130 is inserted and supported at intervals of the thermoelectric modules 130. Furthermore, the guide 111 may be formed of a material (aluminum, copper, or the like) having a high thermal conductivity like the conductor 112.

Here, the thermoelectric module 130 may be of a bulk type, a skeleton type, or a flexible type.

5 and 6 show a flexible thermoelectric module in a vehicle steering wheel capable of temperature control according to the present invention in a side view and a process view.

5, the structure of the thermoelectric module 130 is similar to that of the first and second electrode patterns 132 and 134 and the N-type and P-type thermoelectric material layers 130 and 132. In the case where the thermoelectric module 130 is of a flexible type, The first and second electrode patterns 132 and 134 and the thermoelectric material layers 136 and 138 are formed in a thin shape and then joined together to give flexibility to the module itself.

The first and second electrode patterns 132 and 134 may be formed by etching a copper thin plate to which a direct bonding or a glue bonding is applied or may be formed by forming Ag or Au on the insulating layer, Or the like, and then firing. On the other hand, the first and second electrode patterns 132 and 134 have insulating layers formed on both surfaces thereof.

The thermoelectric layers 136 and 138 are N-type and P-type thermoelectric materials interposed between the first electrode pattern 132 and the second electrode pattern 134. The N-type and P- ), And after the dispensing, selectively sintering at a high temperature to consolidate, thereby functioning as N-type and P-type devices.

Particularly, the N-type and P-type thermoelectric layers 136 and 138 are interlinked with each other through the first and second electrode patterns 132 and 134. For example, the upper surfaces of the neighboring N-type and P-type thermoelectric layers 136 and 138 are connected by a first electrode pattern 132, and the bottom surfaces of the N-type and P- Pattern 134 as shown in FIG.

The thermoelectric module 130 is electrically connected to a control unit (not shown in the drawings) to apply power, and alternately connects N-type and P-type thermoelectric materials to provide a control signal. And is electrically connected to the ends of the first and second electrode patterns 132 and 134 through electric wires.

As shown in FIG. 6, the method of manufacturing the flexible thermoelectric module 130 includes steps of preparing the first and second substrates, thermoelectric material manufacturing step, thermoelectric material dispensing step, organic solvent removing step, high temperature sintering step, 2 substrate bonding step.

The first and second substrate preparation steps may be implemented through any one of the first and second embodiments as follows. In the present embodiment, the first embodiment will be described by way of example.

At this time, in the first and second substrate preparation steps of the first embodiment, the thin and the upper substrates 131 and 133 such as an aluminum thin plate having an insulating layer formed on its surface or a metal substrate having an insulating layer formed on its surface are anodized, 6 (a) and 6 (d)], and direct bonding or glue bonding of a copper foil on an insulating layer formed on the two substrates (FIG. 6 (see FIGS. 6 (c) and 6 (e)), and etching the copper foil to form the first and second electrode patterns 132 and 134 (see FIGS.

In the first and second substrate preparing steps of the second embodiment, an anodizing process is performed to form an aluminum thin plate having an insulating layer formed on its surface or a metal substrate on which an insulating layer is formed on the upper and lower substrates And forming the first and second electrode patterns by printing a specific metal such as Ag (silver) or Au (gold) on the two substrate insulating layers and then firing it. On the other hand, the first substrate S1 in the first and second substrate preparation steps is the upper substrate and the second substrate S2 is the lower substrate.

Here, the first substrate S1 and the second substrate S2 may be performed in the respective equipments or sequentially in one equipment.

The thermoelectric manufacturing step includes details of a material preparing step, a melting step, a crushing and crushing step of the alloy powder, a reducing step of the alloy powder, and a paste making step.

The material preparation step is a step of preparing an N-type thermoelectric material and a P-type thermoelectric material, respectively. The P-type thermoelectric material is prepared by adding a dopant such as Te, I to a composition such as Sb, Te, And the N-type thermoelectric material is prepared by adding a dopant such as Hg, Br, Cd or CI to a composition such as TE, Bi or Se.

The melting step is a step of melting the alloying elements of the N-type thermoelectric material and the P-type thermoelectric material for a predetermined time (1 to 3 hours).

The crushing and crushing steps of the alloy powder are carried out by furnace cooling or air cooling followed by crushing in an atmosphere of nitrogen in the presence of aluminum and pulverizing in an argon atmosphere using a ball mill, Thereby completing the powder production.

In the paste manufacturing step, the alloy powder that has undergone the hydrogen reduction process is mixed with an organic solvent and pasteted to a viscosity capable of dispensing.

The thermoelectric material dispensing step sequentially dispenses N-type and P-type thermoelectric materials on a second electrode pattern 134 formed on a second substrate S2 through a programmable dispensing printer A step of discharging a predetermined amount of thermoelectric semiconductor paste to the positions of the N-type and P-type thermoelectric semiconductors of the second electrode pattern 224a. (See Figs. 6 (g) and 6 (h)

At this time, the thermoelectric material in the thermoelectric material dispensing step may be provided as a material which absorbs heat in one joint part and dissipates heat in the other joint part according to the Peltier effect when a DC current is applied while being in powder form, A dispenser D accommodated in the thermoelectric material is moved to the element formation position of the second electrode pattern 134 by a moving means (not shown in the figure) to sequentially and simultaneously form the N type thermoelectric material and the P type thermoelectric material Dispensing. Thus, the P-type thermoelectric material and the N-type thermoelectric material are dispensed on the second electrode pattern 134 of the second substrate S2 to form the thermoelectric material layers 136 and 138, which are the N-type device and the P- Thin film or thick film, respectively. On the other hand, the thermoelectric powder can be exemplified by silica, ceramics or the like.

The organic solvent removing step is a step of removing the organic solvent for 1 to 5 hours at a temperature of 500 DEG C or less.

The high-temperature sintering step is performed so that the powder-type thermoelectric material can be sintered and solidified at a set temperature range (for example, 600 ° C or less) after the thermoelectric material dispensing step.

In the first and second substrate bonding steps, the organic solvent is removed through the second substrate preparation step, the thermoelectric material manufacturing step, and the thermoelectric material dispensing step to form a first substrate preparation The first substrate S1 is placed and aligned and then pressed at a set pressure through a hot press to heat the first substrate S1 to a predetermined temperature, And the second substrate S2 with heat. (See Fig. 6 (i)).

That is, in the first and second substrate bonding steps, the first electrode pattern 132 and the second electrode pattern 134 formed on the opposing surfaces of the first and second substrates S1 and S2 form N-type and P- Layers 136 and 138 are interconnected. This is because the thermoelectric layers 136 and 138 are continuously arranged in the order of the N-type thermoelectric material layer 136 and the P-type thermoelectric material layer 138, the N-type thermoelectric material layer 136 and the P- Type thermoelectric material layer 136 and the P-type thermoelectric material layer 138 adjacent to each other in the N-type and P-type thermoelectric material layers 138 may be connected by the first electrode pattern 132, The first electrode pattern 134 and the second electrode pattern 134 may be arranged such that the bottom surface of the adjacent N type thermoelectric material layer 136 and the P type thermoelectric material layer 138 may be connected to each other by the second electrode pattern 134. [ (134). The first electrode pattern 132 and the second electrode pattern 134 are interlinked at the upper and lower surfaces of the N-type thermoelectric material layer 136 and the P-type thermoelectric material layer 138, respectively.

The step of bonding the first electrode patterns 132 disposed at both ends of the flexible thermoelectric module 130 to the adjacent thin film electrodes 120 after the first and second substrate bonding steps are performed may be additionally performed have.

7 and 8 show a skeletal type thermoelectric module in a vehicle steering wheel capable of temperature control according to the present invention in a side view and a process view.

That is, if the thermoelectric module 130 'is a skeleton type, the structure of the thermoelectric module 130' may include upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134', upper and lower junctions 130 ' And includes a layer 132a ', 134a', an upper and a lower coating layer 132b ', 134b', an N-type device 136 ', and a P-type device 138'. In order to maximize the amount of current generation, It is preferable to increase the temperature difference on the heat generating surface.

The thermoelectric module 130 'of the present invention has an upper coating layer 132b', an upper bonding layer 132a ', and an upper electrode 132' on the upper surfaces of the N-type device 136 'and the P- And the lower coating layer 134b ', the lower bonding layer 134a' and the lower electrode 134 'are sequentially formed on the bottom surfaces of the N-type device 136' and the P-type device 138 ' Are stacked.

The upper and lower bonding layers 132a 'and 134a' are printed on the opposing surfaces (electrode mounting surfaces) of the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b' And an adhesive layer made of a glue adhesive or the like or an adhesive layer made of a pressure-sensitive adhesive may be formed.

The upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' are formed of a material such as copper (oxygen free copper) or the like and can be changed to materials having excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. The lower electrode 134 ' Lt; / RTI >

A plurality of N-type devices 136 'and P-type devices 138' are sequentially disposed between the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' and are electrically connected to the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' And connected in series so as to be energized.

At this time, the coating layers 132b 'and 134b' are formed on both sides of the N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' to improve adhesion with the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' , The N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' and the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134'.

In this way, the N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' are alternately arranged through the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' in a state where the N-type device 136 ' 138 ', and connection shapes through the upper and lower electrodes 132', 134 'may be arranged in a staggered shape to widen the temperature transfer area.

As shown in FIG. 8, the method of manufacturing a skeletal thermoelectric module according to the present embodiment includes the steps of preparing an element, preparing an electrode, aligning an electrode, forming a bonding layer, fixing an electrode, A soldering step, and a substrate and jig removal step.

The element preparation step may be performed by improving adhesion between the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' on the both surfaces of the N-type element 136 'and the P-type element 138' The coating layers 132b 'and 134b' are formed for the purpose of preventing mutual diffusion between the P-type device 138 'and the upper and lower electrodes 132' and 134 '.

Here, the device preparation step is divided into a first coating layer forming step and a second coating layer forming step in forming the upper and lower coating layers 132b 'and 134b'.

The primary coating layer formed by the primary coating layer forming step is a layer coated with Ni (nickel), W (tungsten) and Mo (molybdenum). The secondary coating layer formed by the secondary coating layer forming step is a layer coated with Au (gold) and Sn (tin).

On the other hand, when forming the upper and lower coating layers 132b 'and 134b', the primary coating layer may be omitted and only the secondary coating layer may be formed. Further, the upper and lower coating layers 132b 'and 134b' may be formed by a plating method or a deposition method, and the plating method may be implemented by electric or electroless plating, Sputtering, ion plating, spray coating, or the like.

The electrode preparation step is a step of preparing upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' formed of a material such as copper (oxygen free copper). At this time, the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' can be changed to materials having excellent electrical properties and thermal conductivity.

Meanwhile, in the electrode preparation step, a step of forming a coating layer on the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' may be further included, and the coating layer may be formed on the N-type device 136 'and the P- The upper and lower coating layers 132b 'and 134b' formed on both sides of the first and second coating layers 138 'and 138'.

Here, the electrode preparation step may be realized by a plating method such as electric or electroless plating. The upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' may be used without a coating layer.

The electrode alignment step is a step of arranging the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' using an aligning jig (not shown) according to the electrode pattern of each model of the thermoelectric module 130 '. At this time, although not shown in the drawing, the electrode aligning step is performed by attaching and fixing an electrode fixing film (adhesive tape) to the electrode aligning jig into which the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' are inserted, And aligning them in place through an electrode aligner (automatic / vibrating). In other words, the electrode aligning step aligns the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' through the electrode alignment jig inserted therein.

In the bonding layer forming step, the upper and lower bonding layers 132a 'and 134a' are formed on the opposite faces (electrode mounting face) of the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b' And the upper and lower bonding layers 132a 'and 134a' may be formed through an adhesive layer of a glue adhesive or the like, or an adhesive layer of a pressure sensitive adhesive. (See Figs. 8 (a), (b), (e), and (f)

Here, the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b' are not limited thereto, and can be changed to substrates of various materials used for temporarily adhering the electrodes.

Further, in the bonding layer forming step, the upper and lower bonding layers 132a 'and 134a' are alternately arranged on the opposing faces of the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b'. This is because the devices are arranged in the order of the N-type device 136 ', the P-type device 138', the N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' The upper bonding layer 132a 'is arranged so as to connect the upper surface of the P-type element 138' and the upper surface of the P-type element 138 'to the upper electrode 132' through the upper bonding layer 132a ' The lower bonding layer 134a 'is arranged so as to connect the bottom surfaces of the P-type device 138' and the N-type device 136 'to the lower electrode 134' through the lower bonding layer 134a ' . The upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' connect the N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' on the upper and lower surfaces in an interlocking manner.

The electrode fixing step is performed by forming the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134', which are arranged on the upper and lower bonding layers 132a 'and 134a' of the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b' It is a step to join and fix. (See Figs. 8 (c) and 8 (g)

The solder printing step prints the upper and lower solder layers 133a 'and 133b' in a set pattern on the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' mounted on the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b' . (See Figs. 8 (d) and 8 (h)

Here, the solder printing step may include printing the upper and lower solder layers 133a 'and 133b' using solder on the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' mounted on the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b' 'May be printed in accordance with the electrode pattern of each model, or alternatively, the upper and lower electrodes 132' and 134 'may be aligned through the electrode alignment step without the bonding layer forming step and the electrode fixing step, A step of printing the upper and lower solder layers 133a 'and 133b' on the exposed surfaces of the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' using the solder in accordance with the electrode pattern of each model, Can be implemented.

At this time, the upper and lower solder layers 133a 'and 133b' are formed on the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' mounted on the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b' , And 133b 'may be printed by a solder printer or the like. In addition, the upper and lower electrodes 132 'and 134' are inserted into the alignment jig through the electrode aligning step without performing the bonding layer forming step and the electrode fixing step, which are the other of the solder printing steps, The step of printing the upper and lower solder layers 133a 'and 133b' on the exposed surfaces of the exposed portions 132 'and 134' in accordance with the electrode pattern of each model may also be performed using a solder printer or the like.

The device mounting step is a step of sequentially mounting an N-type device 136 'and a P-type device 138' on a lower solder layer 133b 'printed on the lower ceramic substrate 130b' A first detailed step of sequentially aligning the element 136 'and the P-type element 138' and then mounting the lower solder layer 133b 'on the printed lower ceramic substrate 130b' A second detailed step of aligning and mounting the N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' on the lower ceramic substrate 130b 'printed with the lower solder layer 133b' And a third detailed step of aligning the lower electrode 134 'and then mounting the N-type device 136' and the P-type device 138 'on the aligned device alignment jig . (See Figs. 8 (i) and (j)).

That is, the first sub-step of the device mounting step is to connect the N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' in the jig for aligning the N-type device 136 'and the P- ) Is adsorbed by a device adsorption mounting mounter or the like, and then the lower solder layer 226 is mounted on the printed lower electrode 224.

And the second detailed step of the device mounting step is to mount the element alignment jig on the lower electrode 134 'on which the lower solder layer 133b' is printed, and the N-type device 136 'and the P- (138 ') are aligned and mounted.

Finally, in the third detailed step of the element mounting step, the lower electrode 134 'is sucked to the element aligning jig in which the lower electrode 134' is aligned by a device-mounting mounting mounter or the like, Type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' are mounted on the aligned alignment jig.

Particularly, in the first, second, and third detailed steps, the N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' are inserted into the holes (processed in a pattern of the device) in the device alignment jig The element alignment jig is vibrated and agitated to align the N-type element 136 'and the P-type element 138'.

The soldering step includes sequentially mounting the N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' on the first substrate S2 as a lower substrate and then soldering the first substrate S1 as the upper substrate to be. (See Fig. 8 (k)).

Here, the soldering step may be divided into a first sub-step and a second sub-step, and any one of the steps may be selected.

At this time, the first sub-step of the soldering step may be performed by mounting the first substrate S1 to the N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 136' after mounting the N-type device 136 'and the P- (138 ') to perform soldering.

Next, the second sub-step of the soldering step is performed by successively performing the second and third sub-steps of the device mounting step so as to align the device after the mounting of the N-type device 136 'and the P- And soldering is performed while the jig is coupled.

Moreover, the soldering step may be implemented through a reflow furnace or a hot plate process.

The step of removing the substrate and the jig is a step of removing the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b' and the alignment jig from the manufactured thermoelectric module 130 '. (See Figs. 8 (1) and (m))

More specifically, the substrate and jig stripping step is performed by continuously performing the first sub-steps of the soldering step to remove the soldered N-type device 136 'and the P-type device 138' through a cleaning liquid and ultrasonic cleaning, A first sub-step of separating the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b' from the upper and lower ceramic substrates 130a 'and 130b' And a second detailed step of separating the alignment jig from the thermoelectric module 130 'through a cleaning liquid and ultrasonic cleaning.

Further, a temperature sensor (not shown) for sensing the temperature of the thermoelectric modules 130 and 130 'and a temperature controller (not shown) for controlling the temperatures of the thermoelectric modules 130 and 130' And the temperature of the rim 106 can be controlled while the temperature of the rim 106 can be set.

The bulk thermoelectric module includes a P-type and an N-type device electrically connected to upper and lower substrates on which electrode patterns are formed, and electrode patterns of the upper and lower substrates through soldering, not shown in the figure. At this time, an insulating layer may be formed on the surfaces of the upper and lower substrates, and terminal wires are soldered and attached to both ends of the electrode patterns so as to apply power.

Further, the P-type and N-type elements are alternately arranged on the electrode patterns of the upper and lower substrates. That is, the upper surfaces of the one side P type and the N type device are electrically connected through the electrode pattern formed on the bottom surface of the upper substrate, and the bottom side of the other side N type and the P type device are electrically connected through the electrode pattern formed on the upper surface of the lower substrate And are alternately connected.

The fan 140 is installed in a space in which the steering hub 102 and the two side spokes 104 communicate with each other so as to introduce outside air into one side spoke 104 connected to the rim 106 And the air in the rim 106 can be discharged to the other spoke 104 connected to the rim 106. At this time, the fan 140 is formed with holes on both side walls of the rear cover of the steering hub 102, and is connected to the holes to introduce external air through the one hole, And discharged to the outside.

That is, when the one-side fan 140 is operated, external air is introduced into the one side spoke 104 through one side hole formed in the rear cover of the steering hub 102, and then the rim 106, which communicates with the one side spoke 104, So that the heat generating surface of the thermoelectric module 130 or 130 'is cooled through the introduced air. Thereafter, the air cooled on the heating surface of the thermoelectric module 130 or 130 'flows through the other hole formed in the rear cover of the steering hub 102 through the other spoke 104 while the other fan 140 is operated, .

When the thermoelectric modules 130 and 130 'installed in series in the rim 106 are operated, the heat of the heat generating surface is cooled by flowing air from one side of the rim 106 by the fan 140, And the air is discharged from the other side of the rim 106 by the fan 140.

The control unit (not shown in the figure) is electrically connected to the thermoelectric modules 130 and 130 'to detect an operation state such as whether power is supplied to the thermoelectric modules 130 and 130' Can be controlled. In addition, the control unit may include a switch (not shown) installed in the steering hub 102 so that the user can operate the thermoelectric module 130 or 130 'inside the vehicle, such as power supply, Not shown).

Therefore, when the temperature of the steering wheel 100 is required to be adjusted, the driver operates the switch provided on the steering hub 102 to apply power to the thermoelectric module 130 under the control of the controller, One side is cooled and the other side is heated, and then the temperature of the conductor 112 can be adjusted while changing the heating side or the cooling side depending on the current direction.

If the temperature of the steering wheel 100 needs to be lowered as in the summer, cooling of the heating surface of the thermoelectric module 130 is required. Therefore, when a switch or the like provided on the steering hub 102 is operated, ) To drive the heated air to the outside while introducing the outside air to apply the air-cooling type.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. This is possible.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited by the described embodiments, but should be determined by the equivalents of the appended claims, as well as the appended claims.

100: Vehicle steering wheel 102: Steering hub
104: spoke 106: rim
112: conductor 120: air passage forming part
130: thermoelectric module 140: fan

Claims (6)

A rim connected to a steering hub by spokes and having a conductor on an inner circumferential surface thereof;
An air passage forming part provided along the inside of the conductor and having an air passage so that air can flow; And
And a thermoelectric module disposed between the conductor and the air passage formed portion and cooling or heating the conductor by an applied power source,
The thermoelectric module includes a P-type and an N-type device sequentially arranged in a skeleton, upper and lower coating layers formed on both sides of the device, upper and lower electrodes alternately attached to both sides of the device, And an upper and a lower bonding layer interposed between the both-side coating layer of the device and both surfaces of the upper and lower electrodes to temporarily fix the electrode,
Wherein the upper and lower coating layers are provided to improve adhesion to the upper and lower electrodes and to prevent mutual diffusion between the N-type device and the P-type device and the upper and lower electrodes.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a fan is provided to allow outside air to flow into one side spoke connected to the rim and to discharge air in the rim to the other side spoke connected to the rim.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a control unit electrically connected to the thermoelectric module to control power supply to the thermoelectric module, an applied current direction, and operation of the fan.
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