WO2007049907A1

WO2007049907A1 - Heating mat using the plane heater

Info

Publication number: WO2007049907A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/004358
Authority: WO
Inventors: Young Cheol Seo
Original assignee: Pacific Medical Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2005-10-27
Filing date: 2006-10-24
Publication date: 2007-05-03
Also published as: KR100689101B1

Abstract

A plane heater built in a vehicle seat, a sheet bed, or a household electric mat or mattress and receiving a power to generate heat is disclosed. The plane heater includes rows of heat coils spaced apart from one another and woven with a fiber, feed metal filaments arranged across both ends of the heat coils, an isolator dividing and isolating any one of the feed metal filaments. When a power is applied to both ends of the feed metal filament having the isolator, each of the heat coils is supplied in parallel with the power.

Description

Description HEATING MAT USING THE PLANE HEATER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a plane heater, and more particularly, to a plane heater built in a vehicle seat, a sheet bed, or a household electric mat or mattress and receiving a power to generate heat. Background Art

[2] A plane heater having heat coils is generally used to raise a temperature of a seat or mat for a vehicle by using a heat generating function caused by electric resistance. Such a plane heater is classified into one with heat coils inserted in a side of a fiber woven by a weft and a warp and the other one with heat coils interposed between upper and lower insulators.

[3] FIG. 1 shows a conventional heating mat having heat coils. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a conventional heating mat composed of heat coils and a power supply line, and FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of FIG. 2.

[4] A conventional plane heater is composed of heat coils 8 arranged at regular intervals, and power lines 6 connected to both ends of the heat coils 8, as shown in the conventional plane heater 1 having heat coils 8. The conventional plane heater is supplied with the power through a plug 2 and a temperature controller 4 to raise the temperature of the plane heater 1.

[5] In the conventional heat coil structure shown in FIG. 1, if the position where the heat coils 8 are installed is continuously pressed or is repeatedly bent, a part of the heat coils 8 is stretched or broken. As a result, the overall resistance value of the heat wires 8 is lowered to cause its heating performance to deteriorate.

[6] As shown in FIGs. 2 and 3, since the heat coils 8 of the conventional plane heater 1 are connected in parallel to one another, the overall resistance value of the heat coils 8 is lowered by a quarter of overall resistance value of the heat coils which are connected in series to one another. In order to maintain the temperature constantly when the power P is supplied to the plane heater, therefore, a lot of power is needed. Also, there is a problem in that when the temperature of the heat coil is raised, the resistance of the heat coil 8 is lowered to cause the power consumption to increase.

[7] Meanwhile, according to another conventional plane heater 1 having different temperature distribution for each position to differently heat a sheet or bed, the heat coils 8 are arranged at a relatively long interval in the position of low heat, while the heat coils 8 are arranged at a relatively short interval in the position of high heat.

[8] The conventional plane heater 1 has drawbacks in that it is difficult to arrange the heat coils at different intervals and thus manufacturing costs are increased. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[9] The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a plane heater including rows of heat coils, feed metal filaments arranged across both ends of the heat coils, and an isolator dividing any one of the feed metal filaments. Technical Solution

[10] In order to achieve the above objects, in one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plane heater, which includes rows of heat coils spaced apart from one another and woven with a fiber, feed metal filaments arranged across both ends of the heat coils, an isolator dividing and isolating any one of the feed metal filaments, wherein when a power is applied to both ends of the feed metal filament having the isolator, each of the heat coils is supplied in parallel with the power.

[11] The plane heater further comprises a power terminal supplying the power to both ends of the feed metal filament.

[12] The isolator is provided on a center portion of the feed metal filament, and is formed in a polygonal shape.

[13] Resistance values of the heat coils are varied depending upon an interval between the isolator and both power terminals.

[14] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating mat employing the plane heater of the present invention, which includes a fiber sheet covering upper and lower portions of the plane heater, and a power supply unit turning on/off a power according to a set temperature when the power is supplied to the plane heater.

[15] The heat coils have an insulator wound around an outer periphery of the heat coil.

Advantageous Effects

[16] With the above construction, since an electric circuit is configured by dividing a center portion of any one of feed metal filaments, which are woven across both ends of rows of heat coils, with an insulator, the plane heater of the present invention consumes a power smaller than that of a conventional plane heater. Also, the heat is evenly generated by the entire heat coils.

[17] It is possible to differentially generate the heat for each position of the plane heater by varying the position of an isolator which divides a center portion of a feed metal filament woven to connect the plurality of heat coils and supply the power to the heat coils. In addition, the feed metal filament is easily connected to the heat coils. Since the short-circuit of some heat coils is excluded, the reliability of the product is secured. Also, since the process of forming and connecting the heat coils is simplified, and the management of the plane heater is easy, a manufacturing cost of heating tools employing the plane heater is reduced, and the quality thereof is improved. Brief Description of the Drawings

[18] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[19] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a conventional heating mat having heat coils;

[20] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a conventional heating mat composed of heat coils and a power supply line;

[21] FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of FIG. 2;

[22] FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a plane heater according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[23] FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a plane heater composed of heat coils and feed metal filaments according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[24] FIG. 6 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the parallel connection of FIG. 5;

[25] FIG. 7 is an equivalent circuit diagram of FIG. 6; and

[26] FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a heating mat employing a plane heater according to the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[27] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[28] FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a plane heater according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a plane heater composed of heat coils and feed metal filaments according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the parallel connection of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is an equivalent circuit diagram of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a heating mat employing a plane heater according to the present invention.

[29] As shown in FIG. 4, the plane heater having heat coils includes a plurality of heat coils 20 woven by a fiber as a warp and arranged at regular intervals, the heat coils made of the same material having constant resistance, feed metal filaments 30 woven by a conductor wire, such as copper wire, copper wire coated with tin, silver wire, or aluminum wire, as a weft to feed a power cross both ends of the heat coils, and an isolator 50 dividing and isolating any one of the feed metal filaments 30.

[30] In this instance, the heat coil 20 has a desired diameter according to characteristics and design requirements of a product. Preferably, the heat coil 20 has a diameter of about 0.08 mm, in view of the convenience of weaving.

[31] Ends of the plane heater 10 are woven by only a fiber and are woven by a general end weaving method to prevent unweaving of the woven product.

[32] An external power line 42 is connected to a power terminal 40 formed at one end of the feed metal filament 30 for supplying the power P. A power controller 60 may be installed on the end of the external power line 42 to connect the external power line with a plug 70 or an external power P and also control the power P supplied to the power terminal 40.

[33] Preferably, the outer periphery of the heat coil 20 is uniformly wound with a yarn, such as polyester yarn or cotton yarn, so as to improve the convenience of working and mechanical performances of tensile strength. The yarn to be wound around the heat coil may have a different diameter according to the diameter of the conductor. Preferably, the yarn has a diameter smaller than that of the conductor. The end of the heat coil 20 which is connected to the feed metal filament 30 is not wound with the yarn.

[34] The isolator 50 is provided on a center portion of the feed metal filament 30 on which the power terminal supplied with the power is installed, and is formed in a polygonal shape so as to easily install the isolator.

[35] In this instance, after the plane heater 10 is manufactured, the isolator 50 may be provided on a portion punched at an approximate center portion of the feed metal filament 30. When the feed metal filament 30 of the plane heater 10 is woven with the fiber, the position on which the isolator 50 is provided is woven with only fiber to electrically short the circuit.

[36] As shown in FIGs. 5, 6, and 7, when the plane heater 10 according an embodiment of the present invention is applied with the external power through the power terminal 40 provided on both ends of the feed metal filament 30, the power is separately fed to both ends of the feed metal filament on the isolator 50. The first and second heat coils 20a and 20b each connected to both ends of the isolator 50 are respectively connected in parallel to each heat coil. The first heat coil 20a is connected in series to the second heat coil 20b.

[37] In this instance, if the resistance value of the respective heat coils 20 is 1 R(Ω), a partial resistance value of the first heat coil 20a is 1/2 R(Ω), while a partial resistance value of the second heat coil 20b is 1 R(Ω).

[38] As a result, a heating value generated when the power is supplied to the heat coils

20 is uniform on the whole. In this instant, the power to be consumed by the plane heater 10 is smaller than that of the conventional plane heater 10 shown in FIG. 2.

[39] Since the plurality of heat coils are connected in parallel to one another, the failure in which the operation itself is failed due to a few short-circuit strands is prevented. Also, it does not affect on the heating. Although the heat coils are mostly broken, the resistance value is increased, and thus it is operated in safety.

[40] Since the feed metal filament 30 of the plane heater according to the present invention is woven with the heat coils 20 along a predetermined part, the feed metal filament itself is used as a lead wire for the power connection. It is not necessary to connect the heat coil 20 with separate lead wire through welding or soldering.

[41] The plane heater 10 of the present invention may be applied to vehicles as a heater for a seat, and also may be applied to thermos goods using a low voltage.

[42] According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, if the position of the isolator 50 is adjacent to the power terminal 40, the resistance values of both heat coils 20 are varied depending upon the interval between the power terminal 40 and the isolator 50.

[43] In this instance, the sum of the partial resistance values is increased in the portion where the interval between the isolator 50 and the power terminal 40 is narrow, while the sum of the partial resistance values is decreased in the portion where the interval between the isolator 50 and the power terminal 40 is wide. Therefore, it is possible to differentially apply the temperature to the position of the plane heater 10.

[44] The temperature differential structure of the plane heater 10 according to the present invention is easily constructed, and has an effect of reducing a cost, in relation to the conventional plane heater 1 in which the interval of the heat coils 8 is adjusted to differ the temperature on each position.

[45] As shown in FIG. 8, the heating mat 80 employing the plane heater 10 according to the present invention includes a fiber sheet 85 covering upper and lower portions of the plane heater 10, and a power supply unit 60 turning on/off the power supply according to a set temperature when the power is supplied to the plane heater 10.

[46] The fiber sheet 85 may made of a multi-layered sheet of synthetic resin, non- woven fabric, or functional sheet. Preferably, the power supply unit 60 includes a temperature adjusting bimetal or a temperature adjusting device to maintain a proper temperature.

[47] The plane heater 10 may be coated with a synthetic resin through heat compression coating generally used in the art so as to use as a heater of an electric product, such as an electric floor paper or electric mattress. Industrial Applicability

[48] As can be seen from the foregoing, the plane heater of the present invention can be used in a vehicle seat, a sheet bed, or a household electric mat or mattress.

[49] While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment and the drawings. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and variations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

[ 1 ] A plane heater comprising: rows of heat coils spaced apart from one another and woven with a fiber; feed metal filaments arranged across both ends of the heat coils; an isolator dividing and isolating any one of the feed metal filaments; in which when a power is applied to both ends of the feed metal filament having the isolator, each of the heat coils is supplied in parallel with the power.

[2] The plane heater as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a power terminal supplying the power to both ends of the feed metal filament, in which the isolator is provided on a center portion of the feed metal filament, and is formed in a polygonal shape, and resistance values of the heat coils are varied depending upon an interval between the isolator and both power terminals.

[3] A heating mat employing the plane heater as claimed in claim 1 or 2, the heating mat comprising: a fiber sheet covering upper and lower portions of the plane heater; and a power supply unit turning on/off power supply according to a set temperature when a power is supplied to the plane heater.

[4] The plane heater as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat coils have an insulator wound around an outer periphery of the heat coil.