Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B3/00—Ohmic-resistance heating
  • H05B3/20—Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater
  • H05B3/34—Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs
  • H05B3/36—Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs heating conductor embedded in insulating material
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B3/00—Ohmic-resistance heating
  • H05B3/20—Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater
  • H05B3/34—Heating elements having extended surface area substantially in a two-dimensional plane, e.g. plate-heater flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C7/00—Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools
  • A47C7/62—Accessories for chairs
  • A47C7/72—Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like
  • A47C7/74—Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like for ventilation, heating or cooling
  • A47C7/748—Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like for ventilation, heating or cooling for heating
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
  • B60N2/56—Heating or ventilating devices
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
  • B60N2/56—Heating or ventilating devices
  • B60N2/5678—Heating or ventilating devices characterised by electrical systems
  • B60N2/5685—Resistance
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B2203/00—Aspects relating to Ohmic resistive heating covered by group H05B3/00
  • H05B2203/014—Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B2203/00—Aspects relating to Ohmic resistive heating covered by group H05B3/00
  • H05B2203/029—Heaters specially adapted for seat warmers

Definitions

• the subject invention concerns an electric heater designed to heat foam-moulded cushions, for instance in vehicle seats or mattres- ses.
• the heating effect is generated by electric current which is ' supplied through a conductor having a suitable resistivity that ensu ⁇ res the desired degree of heat in the conductor.
• the resistance wire is positioned be- tween various layers of a textile material or a plastics material, known as carriers, forming a sheet-like heating element. Se ⁇ veral such sheet layers are then to be glued together, sandwiching between them the heating wire proper. This is a comparitively expen ⁇ sive process.
• the finished heating element is then glued to the seat cushion, the latter usually being of foam-moulded construction.
• the seat cover is then placed on top. Usually, lashing trech are used for tightening the seat cover.
• the purpose of the subject invention is to considerably reduce the above outlined problems by creating an electric heater intended to be embedded into foam-moulded cushions or into a part component of the cushion or the mattress during the casting operation.
• the electric heater in accordance with the invention thus es ⁇ sentially is characterised by the fact that it consists of an electric conductor, e.g. an insulated or non-insulated metal wire which is configured into the shape of one or several bands of closely juxta- posed bights each one of which comprises a loop portion and an open portion facing away from the associated loop, substantially all open portions being interconnected by means of local interconnection means, e.g.
• an electric conductor e.g. an insulated or non-insulated metal wire which is configured into the shape of one or several bands of closely juxta- posed bights each one of which comprises a loop portion and an open portion facing away from the associated loop, substantially all open portions being interconnected by means of local interconnection means, e.g.
• the electric heater in accordance with the invention comprises no carrier in the shape of a sheet but consists of one or several bands of interconnected patterns of the conductor. This means that these patterns have a very open or airy configuration fa ⁇ cilitating their embedment in a foam-moulded cushion.
• the heater in accordance with the invention is embedded in a cushion or mattress in one piece dur ⁇ ing casting. It is likewise possible to conceive embedding the heater, in the casting operation in a thinner cushion which is a part of the overall cushion, preferably by the latter being glued on top.
• the local 5 interconnection means preferably are formed by at least one strip ex ⁇ tending in the direction of extension of the pattern and the conductor is secured to the strip by means of glue, tape or by seems.
• Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the electric heater in accordance with the invention, embedded in the cushion of a vehicle seat. Part of the surface layer of the cushion has been cut away to partly expose 5 the heater.
• Fig. 2 is a part of a band consisting of several loops intercon ⁇ nected by local interconnection means.
• Fig. 3 illustrates somewhat differently shaped loops and in this case the local interconnection means consists of two strips.
• Fig. 4 illustrates a pattern according to which each loop is a maximum size whereby the conductor 3 of sequentially arranged loops meet. Two strips serve as the local connection means.
• Fig. 5 illustrates a similar loop-shape variety.
• local interconnection means are used that are not joined to- 5 gether by longitudinally extending strips. They could be glue or seam interconnections.
• dash-and-dot lines is shown an alternative com- prising one single strip extending longitudinally close to the middle of the pattern.
• Fig. 6 illustrates a round casting embedment body intended to facilitate the electrical connection of the heater after embedment 5 thereof.
• Fig. 7 illustrates a somewhat differently shaped embedment body housing a connector intended for both ends of the conductor 3.
• Fig. 1 illustrates in a perspective view a seat cushion 2 for a vehicle seat.
• the seat cushion is provided with an electric heater 1.
• the latter consists of several bands 4 of an electric conductor 3.
• the conductor is shaped into a number of closely juxtaposed bights together forming individual bands 4.
• five such 5 bands are provided and two such bands are placed behind a lashing trench 28 and three in front thereof.
• the lashing trench 28 is used to tighten the seat cover material around the cushion. It consists of trough formed during the casting with a cast-embedded metal profile member at the bottom.
• an input end 29 is as- C sociated with the rearmost band 4.
• the input end 29 preferably is cast-embedded so as to extend through the cushion to its bottom face where it is electrically connected but other solutions are possible.
• the electric conductor 3 extends from one band 4 to the neighbouring one 4. Since the cushion surface layer is only partly removed this is ap- 5 parent only as concerns the transition between the two foremost bands 4 and as regards such transition between the second and the third bands as seen from the rear. In this case the transition part passes through the cushion and below the lashing trench 28. In the casting operation the conductor, denominated transition portion 30 in 0 this section, simply has been pulled down with respect to the surface of the cushion.
• the seat cushion 2 consists of one single moulded cushion and the heater thus is cast- embedded inside the cusion.
• the cushion 2 may equally well consist of several layers. For instance, a softer surface layer could be used.
• the dash and dot line 32 indicates an imagined variety accord ⁇ ing to which the seat cushion 2 consists of two parts, line 32 being the demarkation line.
• the heater 1 prefer- ably is cast into the upper part.
• the upper part is a part component of the overall cushion.
• the upper cushion part is glued to the lower part.
• This divided multi-part configuration of the cushion is less rational from an economical point of view but could have other advantages, for instance with respect to comfort.
• Conventional heaters comprise a carrier which is glued on top of the seat cushion and it is also usually led down into the lashing trench. This means that in this case the lashing trench needs to be essentially straight. When a curved lashing trench is used it becomes necessary to use two separate carriers, which increases the costs.
• the heater in accordance with the invention may be made in one single piece irrespective of the complexity of the chair structure with respect to the lashing trenches, i.e. their numbers and shapes. In other words, the more complex the design of the chairs in this respect the greater the difference in costs. As appears from Fig.
• a number of bands of interconnected and coherent patterns are formed, in this case five such bands.
• the pattern within each band 4 may be kept together in various ways. This appears more in detail from Figs 2-5 inclusive, showing various examples of patterns and pattern interconnection means. It is often desirable that the various bands are mutually interconnected or kept together, allowing more convenient handling when they are to be deposited for instance in the mould.
• One way of achieving such a co ⁇ herent structure is to join the outer ends of the strips 17, 18 which keep each individual band together, to a transverse strip. In this way a boarder of strips is formed around the pattern.
• Another way is to provide the pattern with a transport carrier or wrapping which main ⁇ tain the integrity of the bands 4 and which is removed once the pat ⁇ tern is in position inside the mould.
• Fig. 2 illustrates a part of a band 4 of closely juxtaposed bights.
• Each bight consists of a loop part 5, 7, 9, 11 and an open part 6, 8, 10, 12 facing away from the loop part.
• Essentially all open parts are interconnected by means of local interconnection means 13, 14, 15, 16.
• the local interconnections could be produced through glueing, plastic fusion or by means of seems.
• the local interconnection means could also be arranged in longitudinally extending strips 17, 18 as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this manner one or several bands 4 of integral or coherent patterns are formed, intended to be positioned in a mould to be embedded in the cushions in the very casting operation.
• the manufacture of the heater 1 could be effected e.g.
• each band is formed by a group of cores and between them the conductor is carried in the form of a transition part, such as 30 or 31 in accordance to Fig. 1, over to the neighbouring band.
• the local interconnection means 13, 14, 15, 16 could also be in the form of plastic clips. In this case they comprise a lower part which is positioned inside the tool together with the cores and an upper part which is pressed onto the lower one, or else they are hinged allowing them to be opened and closed about the electric conductor 3.
• the strip could be a two-piece construction, comprising a lower piece placed in position before the conductor is deposited thereon, and an upper piece which is glued to the lower piece once the conductor is in position.
• Prefera ⁇ bly one or both strip pieces are self-adhesive, like tape. In this man- ner the loops are immobilized whereby a coherent integral pattern is formed.
• the conductor could also be attached to the strip by means of glue, tape or seams.
• two strips 17, 18 are used, which form the local inter ⁇ connection means and the strips are positioned close to the mouths of their respective ones of the open parts 6, 8, 10, 12.
• the pat- tern is configured in such a manner that two juxtaposed loops 5, 9 that are turned in the same direction essentially meet and that a local interconnection means is formed at each one of these points of con ⁇ tact with the aid of glue, fusion of the insulation or by means of seams.
• a small gap remains between the conductors.
• each local interconnection means 13, 14, 15, 16 is such that it positively prevents the conduc ⁇ tors from coming into contact with one another.
• the in- terconnection means could be in the form of a plastic clip having a conductor- separating partition wall.
• a simple and obvious solution, as shown in Fig. 5, is to glue the conductors together or fuse their insu ⁇ lation at the points of the local interconnections 13, 14, 15, 16.
• one single longitudinally ex- tended strip 17 could be used, if desired. If so, it is placed in the cen ⁇ tre of the pattern, as seen laterally. It is also conceivable to use only the strip 17 without the local interconnection means 13, 14, 15, 16. The result is a fairly losely integrated pattern which, however, func ⁇ tions well.
• Some various examples of loop shapes have been given but ob ⁇ viously other designs could be used.
• Figs. 4 and 5 are advantageous in as much as they both allow simple local interconnections 13, 14, 15, 16 to be formed between neighbouring conductor sections, and, on account of the large-size loops possess flexibility in the transverse direction. The latter is important since seat cushions in vehicle seats are exposed to tensile stress when the per ⁇ son occupying the seat changes position, and so on.
• the solution in accordance with Fig. 3 is not on par with the other solutions but could function well when the height of the pattern is limited.
• the pattern pre ⁇ ferably is seamed between a number of pins in the mould, for instance four such pins.
• Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate castin embedment bodies 19, 20, i.e. bodies that are embedded in the cushion during the casting opera ⁇ tion, said bodies encompassing one or both ends of the conductor and any connectors 21, 22 with which the conductor is provided.
• Each embedment body 19, 20 has an attachment surface 23 which usually is flat and which is secured to the mould by means of glue or the like or by means of doubleface adhesive tape. In this manner the conduc ⁇ tor ends or a connector coupled thereto are guaranteed to be available for electrical connection of the electric heater after cast-in of the cushion.
• Fig. 6 illustrates a casting embedment body having a cylin ⁇ drical external shape and an internal space 24 which open towards the attachment surface 23.
• the space 24 is oblong but could also have another shape, for instance round, and the wire is folded or rolled up inside the space so that in use it becomes possible to pull out the wire from the space, for electrical connection.
• the embedment body 19 could be punched from e.g. foamed plastics.
• On its upper face a piece of tape or the like is positioned to serve on the one hand to retain the conductor 3 and on the other to close the internal space 24 at the top thereof.
• the attachment face 24 preferably is provided with a tape comprising a protected layer which is torn off before the glueing to the mould. But obviously it could also be glued by means of some rapid-setting glue.
• the conductor 3 is mounted with a connector 21.
• the embedment body 19 encloses only one of the ends of the conductor 3. In other words, an embedment body is required also for the opposite end of the conduc ⁇ tor 3.
• the embedment body could be made in an identical manner but house both ends of the conductor 3 and each one obviously could have its individual connector 21.
• Fig. 7 illustrates a cast-in embedment body 20 housing a con- nector 22 configured to be used for both ends of the conductor 3.
• the embedment body is configured to maintain the connector 22 in posi ⁇ tion and is provided with enough space to allow the cooperating con- nector to be threaded thereon upon electrical connection.
• the em ⁇ bedment body proper for this reason is made from a sturdier material than required from the embedment body 19 in accordance with Fig. 6. For instance it could be made from a foam-moulded material having a somewhat higher density.
• the embedment body 20 is provided with two slits 26, 27. This allows the connector 22 to be first mounted on the two conductor 3 ends and then to be positioned inside the em ⁇ bedment body 20.
• slits 26 and 27 preferably end in a round opening to accommodate the conductors 3.
• the purpose of slit 27 is to contribute to relieve the conductor from wire loads.
• the conductor between the slits 26 and 27 will be securely anchored inside the cushion 2.
• other embedment bodies designed for other electrical functions than to serve the heater 1 could be cast into the cushion.
• the embodiment as described concerns a seat cushion 2 for a vehicle seat.
• the same technique could be used also in the back pad of a car seat. Since the pressure strain on back rest pads is smaller, the strain on the heater inside that pad normally will be smaller.
• also supporting pads in the back rest as well as head rests and arm rests could be provided with electrically heated means.
• the electrical heater in accordance with the invention could also be used in mattresses for beds and the like. In the case of large scale manufacturing of for instance vehicle seats or mattresses it is obviously natural that specially design heaters are deviced.
• the heater in accordance with the invention is cast into a foam material having a similar structure to that of the fundamental cushion or mattress proper. This makes it possible to obtain a safer glue bond between the upper, thinner cushion to the cushion or mattress underneath.
• the require ⁇ ments as regards strength are most strict in the case of vehicle cush ⁇ ions and it is natural that the upper thinner cushion covers the entire or major part of the car seat proper.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chair Legs, Seat Parts, And Backrests (AREA)
• Surface Heating Bodies (AREA)
• Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
• Air-Conditioning For Vehicles (AREA)
• Resistance Heating (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20394751

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (11)

Cited By (5)

Families Citing this family (20)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1994
  • 1994-07-18 SE SE9402508A patent/SE9402508L/sv not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1995
  • 1995-06-20 DE DE69533482T patent/DE69533482T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1995-06-20 US US08/776,719 patent/US5928548A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1995-06-20 WO PCT/SE1995/000751 patent/WO1996003014A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1995-06-20 EP EP95926059A patent/EP0771517B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1995-06-20 PL PL95318324A patent/PL178869B1/pl not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1995-06-20 AU AU29941/95A patent/AU2994195A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1995-06-20 KR KR1019970700284A patent/KR970705328A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1995-06-20 CN CN95194662A patent/CN1157688A/zh active Pending
  • 1995-06-20 RU RU97102365/09A patent/RU2180471C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1998
  • 1998-03-20 JP JP10072662A patent/JPH10304949A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (5)

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