KR20110002759A

KR20110002759A - Steering wheel having temperature adjuster

Info

Publication number: KR20110002759A
Application number: KR1020090060413A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 오동훈; 이대웅
Original assignee: 한라공조주식회사
Priority date: 2009-07-02
Filing date: 2009-07-02
Publication date: 2011-01-10

Abstract

Steering wheel with a temperature control device of the present invention is provided with a rim portion and a central portion having a space therein, in the central portion of the thermoelectric element, the first heat transfer portion and the thermoelectric element coupled to one side of the thermoelectric element A thermoelectric element portion having a second heat transfer portion coupled to the other side is installed, and a heat pipe is coupled to the first heat transfer portion of the thermoelectric element portion and extends into the rim portion. According to this, since the surface temperature of the steering wheel is controlled by the thermoelectric element and the heat pipe, the structure of the temperature control device is simple, making it easy to manufacture, and there is no need to worry about deterioration of the thermoelectric element by eliminating the conventional heat storage member. There is no advantage.

Description

Steering wheel with thermostat {STEERING WHEEL HAVING TEMPERATURE ADJUSTER}

The present invention relates to a steering wheel equipped with a temperature control device, and more particularly, to a steering wheel for adjusting the temperature of the steering wheel using a thermoelectric element.

The steering wheel for a vehicle is often called a steering wheel, a steering wheel, a driving wheel, etc., and is used to change the driving direction of the vehicle at the discretion of the driver. .

The steering wheel may be excessively hot or cold depending on the change of the outside air.

In particular, since the rim part is a part directly touched by the driver by hand, it is difficult to start the operation of the vehicle until the rim portion becomes excessively hot or cold until a proper temperature is reached.

Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, the technique in which the thermostat was built in the steering wheel was proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-120353).

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a steering wheel in which a conventional temperature control device is incorporated.

Referring to FIG. 1, the steering wheel 10 includes a thermoelectric element 11, a heat storage member 12, and a heat transfer plate 13.

The thermoelectric element 11 has a heat dissipation surface and a heat absorbing surface, and the heat storage member 12 is thermally connected to one side of the heat dissipation surface and the heat absorbing surface, and the heat transfer plate 13 is the heat dissipating surface and the heat absorbing surface. It is thermally connected to the other side of the surface to transfer heat to the surface layer portion of the steering wheel (10).

The steering wheel 10 having the above-described structure has a complicated internal structure and a thermoelectric element 11 capable of exhibiting a certain performance in a limited space should be built, so that a plurality of small thermoelectric elements 11 are used to control temperature. There is a problem that it is difficult to manufacture the steering wheel 10 possible.

In addition, if the temperature of the heat storage member 12 rises or falls over time, there is a problem that the performance of the thermoelectric element is lowered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a steering wheel with an improved temperature control device which is easy to manufacture and does not degrade performance even with time.

The steering wheel having a temperature control device according to the present invention includes a rim portion and a central portion having a space formed therein, and within the central portion, a thermoelectric element, a first heat transfer portion coupled to one side of the thermoelectric element, and the thermoelectric element. A thermoelectric element portion having a second heat transfer portion coupled to the other side is installed, and a heat pipe is coupled to the first heat transfer portion of the thermoelectric element portion and extends into the rim portion.

Ventilation grills are formed at both side surfaces of the central portion.

A third heat transfer part is further coupled to the second heat transfer part.

A heat transfer hole is formed in a central portion corresponding to the third heat transfer portion, and a heat dissipation fan is further installed in the heat transfer hole to discharge heat from the thermoelectric element portion to the outside.

According to the steering wheel equipped with a temperature control device according to the present invention, since the surface temperature of the steering wheel is controlled by the thermoelectric element and the heat pipe, the structure of the temperature control device is simple and easy to manufacture, and the heat storage member as in the prior art There is an advantage that there is no need to worry about deterioration of the performance of the thermoelectric element.

Hereinafter, a steering wheel equipped with a temperature control device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically illustrating a steering wheel having a temperature control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a thermoelectric element portion to which a heat pipe is coupled among the steering wheels of FIG. 2.

2 and 3, the steering wheel 100 of the present invention has a ring shape with a rim portion 110 having a space formed therein and a central portion disposed inside the rim portion 110 and coupled to the rim portion 110 ( 120).

The heat pipe 130 is installed in the steering wheel 100, one side of the heat pipe 130 is disposed inside the rim portion 110, and the other side is disposed inside the central portion 120.

The thermoelectric element unit 140 coupled to the heat pipe 130 is installed in the central portion 120.

The thermoelectric element unit 140 is coupled to a thermoelectric element 141, one side of the thermoelectric element 141, and the first heat transfer unit 142 and the thermoelectric element 141 coupled to the heat pipe 130. It includes a second heat transfer unit 143 coupled to the other side of the.

The thermoelectric element 141 uses the principle of exothermic reactions on one side and endothermic reactions on the other side of the thermoelectric element 141. The exothermic or endothermic reactions occurring in the thermoelectric element 141 may include the first heat transfer unit. It is delivered to the heat pipe 130 through 142.

According to the steering wheel 100 having the above structure, when the surface temperature of the steering wheel 100 is low, the direction of the current applied to the thermoelectric element 141 is adjusted to generate heat toward the first heat transfer part 142. Reaction occurs, and endothermic reaction occurs on the second heat transfer part 143 side, thereby transferring the high temperature heat to the rim 110 through the heat pipe 130 coupled to the first heat transfer part 142 to the steering wheel. The surface temperature of 100 can be raised.

On the contrary, when the surface temperature of the steering wheel 100 is too high, the endothermic reaction occurs on the side of the first heat transfer part 142 by adjusting the direction of the current applied to the thermoelectric element 141 and the second heat transfer part ( 143, the exothermic reaction occurs, thereby transferring the high temperature heat of the rim 110 to the thermoelectric element 140 through the heat pipe 130 coupled to the first heat transfer part 142 to the steering wheel 100. Can lower the surface temperature.

Therefore, according to the above structure, since only the heat pipe 130 and the thermoelectric element 140 are used as the temperature regulating device of the steering wheel 100, the structure thereof is simplified.

4 is a perspective view schematically showing a steering wheel with a temperature control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the thermoelectric element coupled to the heat pipe of the steering wheel of FIG.

4 and 5, ventilation grills 121 are formed at both side surfaces of the central portion 120 of the steering wheel 100 of the present invention, so that the second heat transfer part 143 of the thermoelectric element 141 is formed. During the exothermic reaction, heat is transmitted to the outside through the second heat transfer unit 143 to the outside, and during the endothermic reaction through the second heat transfer unit 143, the external heat from the second heat transfer unit 143 Can be easily endothermic.

The third heat transfer part 144 having a large surface area may be further coupled to the second heat transfer part 143 to help generate heat or endotherm of the second heat transfer part 143.

The same configuration and operation and effect as those of the first embodiment of the second embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a steering wheel according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a thermoelectric element unit to which a heat pipe is coupled among the steering wheels of FIG. 6.

6 and 7, a heat transfer hole 122 may be formed in the central portion 120 corresponding to the third heat transfer portion 144 of the steering wheel 100 of the present invention, and the heat transfer hole 122 The heat dissipation fan 123 may be further installed.

Therefore, according to the configuration as described above, it is possible to help the heat dissipation of the heat generated in the thermoelectric element 141 or to the thermoelectric element 141 from the outside.

The same configuration and operation and effect as those of the first and second embodiments of the third embodiment will be omitted.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a steering wheel with a built-in conventional temperature control device.

Figure 2 is a plan view schematically showing a steering wheel with a temperature control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric element coupled to a heat pipe of the steering wheel of FIG. 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a steering wheel equipped with a temperature control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a schematic perspective view of a thermoelectric element coupled to a heat pipe of the steering wheel of FIG. 4;

6 is a perspective view schematically showing a steering wheel according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a thermoelectric element coupled to a heat pipe of the steering wheel of FIG. 6;

100 ... steering wheel 110 ... rim

120 ... center 130 ... heat pipe

140 ... Thermoelectric element 141 ... Thermoelectric element

142 ... First Heat Transfer Unit 143 ... Second Heat Transfer Unit

Claims

In the steering wheel 100 having a rim 110 and a central portion 120 having a space therein,

The thermoelectric element 141 and the first heat transfer part 142 coupled to one side of the thermoelectric element 141 and the second heat transfer part 143 coupled to the other side of the thermoelectric element 141 are formed in the central part 120. The thermoelectric element 140 having a) is installed,

The first heat transfer part 142 of the thermoelectric element part 140 has a heat pipe 130 coupled to the steering wheel 100 is provided with a temperature control device, characterized in that extending into the rim (110).

The method according to claim 1,

Both sides of the central portion 120 is provided with a ventilation grille 121 is provided with a steering wheel, characterized in that the temperature control device.

The method according to claim 1 or 2,

The second heat transfer part 143 is a steering wheel 140 having a temperature control device, characterized in that the third heat transfer part 144 is further coupled.

The method according to claim 3,

A heat transfer hole 122 is formed in the central portion 120 corresponding to the third heat transfer portion 144, and a heat dissipation fan for discharging heat of the thermoelectric element 140 to the outside in the heat transfer hole 122. Steering wheel 100 having a temperature control device, characterized in that the 123 is further installed.