WO2024088455A1

WO2024088455A1 - Electrical functional component and method for producing an electrical functional component

Info

Publication number: WO2024088455A1
Application number: PCT/DE2023/000133
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dima ARVAJ; Zoltán Horváth
Original assignee: Gentherm Gmbh
Priority date: 2022-10-26
Filing date: 2023-10-24
Publication date: 2024-05-02

Abstract

The invention discloses an electrical functional component. The functional component comprises a substrate (7) and at least one electrically conductive wire (3). The functional component also comprises at least one thermoplastic carrier (9) into which the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) is at least proportionally embedded and via which a connection for the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) to the substrate (7) is provided.

Description

Electrical functional component and method for producing an electrical functional component

The present invention relates to an electrical functional component and a method for producing an electrical functional component.

Vehicle seats or vehicle steering wheels that can be heated are known from the prior art. For this purpose, flat heating elements exist that comprise a substrate and at least one electrical heating resistor applied to the substrate. If the vehicle seat or the vehicle steering wheel is to be heated via the heating element, the electrical heating resistor is subjected to voltage, whereby the vehicle seat or the vehicle steering wheel can be tempered using the heat energy emitted via the electrical heating resistor. In order to attach the electrical heating resistor to the substrate, the electrical heating resistor is sewn onto the substrate in various embodiments. However, such manufacturing processes for the heating element are time-consuming. In addition, only substrates that are suitable for sewing on a respective electrical heating resistor can be used for such heating elements. A connection made by means of a seam can come loose after frequent loading, whereby the electrical heating resistor and the substrate are no longer firmly connected to one another.

Similar problems also exist with capacitive sensors known from the state of the art, which have one or more wires sewn onto a substrate in order to be able to detect, for example, seat occupancy or steering wheel touch. Such problems are also known, for example, with shielding conductors, which in practice are also sewn onto a substrate.

The present description therefore shows that improvements are desirable in functional devices in which electrical wires are connected to a substrate.

An object of the invention is therefore to provide a development with which the above-mentioned disadvantages can be at least partially avoided. The object is achieved with the subject matter comprising the features in the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined by the dependent claims.

The invention relates to an electrical functional component that comprises a substrate and at least one electrically conductive wire. The functional component further comprises at least one thermoplastic carrier, in which the at least one electrically conductive wire is at least partially embedded and via which a connection for the at least one electrically conductive wire to the substrate is provided. Such connections can be produced particularly easily and ensure that the at least one electrically conductive wire is securely fixed to the substrate. In addition, such connections can be used for a variety of different substrate materials.

When the at least one thermoplastic carrier is mentioned in connection with the present invention, this also includes thermoplastic carriers that are only partially made from a thermoplastic material. However, the at least one thermoplastic carrier can also be a carrier that is made entirely from thermoplastic material.

When the at least one electrically conductive wire is mentioned in connection with the present invention, this feature is to be understood in a broad sense. This includes all electrically conductive elements that run in a strand-like manner and have a certain elastic flexibility in order to be able to lay them in a curved shape.

In preferred embodiments, it is provided that the at least one thermoplastic carrier is designed as at least one welded connection or as at least one plastic welded connection for the at least one electrically conductive wire and the substrate. The at least one electrically conductive wire and the substrate can therefore be welded to one another via the at least one thermoplastic carrier, wherein the at least one thermoplastic carrier is at least one plastic welded connection.

With the at least one thermoplastic carrier, which is designed as at least one welded connection or as at least one plastic welded connection for the at least one electrically conductive wire and the substrate, thus the at least one electrically conductive wire and the substrate are each in surface contact, so that the at least one electrically conductive wire and the substrate are held together by the at least one welded connection or by the at least one plastic welded connection. Advantageously, such welded connections or such plastic welded connections provide smooth surfaces, without stress concentrations and with even stress distribution. This also leads to a particularly stable and long-lasting fixation of the at least one electrically conductive wire to the substrate, whereby a favorable optical appearance can also be achieved due to the smooth surface.

It is also possible for several different electrically conductive wires to be arranged on the substrate in such a way that they cross in one area or in several areas. Such embodiments can have advantages from a technical and aesthetic point of view.

A further advantage is that electrically conductive wires or heating conductors or heating wires can also be arranged next to one another at a very small distance if the connection between the electrically conductive wire and the substrate is at least one thermoplastic carrier. In various embodiments of the electrical functional component, it can therefore be the case that several different electrically conductive wires or several different electrical heating wires are arranged next to one another at a distance of less than 1 mm. Alternatively or in addition to this, in various embodiments, a certain electrically conductive wire or a certain electrical heating wire can form several regions that are adjacent to one another at a distance of less than 1 mm. This can be the case in particular if the certain electrically conductive wire or the certain electrical heating wire is arranged in a meandering manner on the substrate.

The at least one electrically conductive wire can have a maximum radius of 1mm. Embodiments in which the at least one electrically conductive wire has a diameter of 20pm-200pm have also proven to be useful. Embodiments in which the at least one electrically conductive wire has a diameter of 0.1mm have also proven to be useful. In such embodiments, the at least one electrically conductive wire can also be designed as a shielding conductor or as a shielding conductor. Embodiments have also proven useful in which the functional component comprises a first electrically conductive wire which is designed as a shielding conductor and is at least partially embedded in a thermoplastic carrier, wherein a connection for the first electrically conductive wire to the substrate is provided via the thermoplastic carrier and the first electrically conductive wire is arranged on a first side of the substrate. In addition, the electrical functional component can comprise a second electrically conductive wire which is designed as a capacitive sensor and is at least partially embedded in a thermoplastic carrier, wherein a connection for the second electrically conductive wire to the substrate is provided via the thermoplastic carrier and the second electrically conductive wire is arranged on a second side of the substrate which is opposite the first side.

The at least one electrically conductive wire can have a radius of 1 mm or at least approximately 1 mm. It is also possible that the previously described specific electrically conductive wire has a radius of 1 mm or at least approximately 1 mm.

If, according to the previous description, several different electrically conductive wires are provided, it may be that the several different electrically conductive wires each have a radius of 1 mm or at least approximately 1 mm or that the several different electrically conductive wires each have a radius of a maximum of 1 mm. However, the invention is not limited to such a radius, so that the several different electrically conductive wires or the at least one electrically conductive wire can also have a radius that is larger than 1 mm.

In various embodiments, no further connections are provided to hold the at least one electrically conductive wire to the substrate. It can thus be the case that the functional component has exactly one connection for fixing the at least one electrically conductive wire to the substrate, in which exactly one connection the at least one thermoplastic carrier is designed as at least one welded connection or as at least one plastic welded connection for the at least one electrically conductive wire and the substrate.

It may thus be the case that the at least one thermoplastic carrier already solidified in the functional component for producing a connection of the at least one electrically conductive wire to the substrate has previously been at least partially converted into a flowable state of aggregation.

Alternatively or in addition to the previously described embodiments, the at least one thermoplastic carrier can be formed by at least one thermoplastic coating that is applied to the at least one electrically conductive wire over the entire circumference and runs at least partially along the at least one electrically conductive wire. In particularly preferred embodiments, the at least one thermoplastic coating can run along the at least one electrically conductive wire over the largest portion or even run completely along the at least one electrically conductive wire.

Alternatively, the at least one thermoplastic carrier may be formed by at least one thermoplastic coating which only partially runs along the circumferential profile of the at least one electrically conductive wire and which also runs at least partially along the at least one electrically conductive wire. In such embodiments, the at least one thermoplastic coating may also run along the at least one electrically conductive wire over the largest portion or even run completely along the at least one electrically conductive wire.

The at least one electrically conductive wire can be at least one electrical heating wire. In further embodiments, the at least one electrically conductive wire can also be formed by at least one film and/or by at least one further electrical heating conductor, which forms an electrical resistance in order to be able to release thermal energy. It is also conceivable that the at least one electrical wire forms a capacitive sensor or is formed as a component of a capacitive sensor. It can also be the case that the at least one electrical wire forms a shielding wire or at least one shielding wire.

It has been shown that, compared to capacitive sensors in which the electrically conductive wire is sewn onto a substrate, a comparatively small amount of electrically conductive wire is required to ensure proper functioning of the capacitive sensor. In various embodiments, the at least one electrically conductive wire can have a diameter of 20μm to 200μm.

The substrate can be, for example, paper, PU film, polycarbonate film, polymer paper, textile fabric, PVB film or polycarbonate sheet.

It is also possible for the substrate to be designed as a seat cover for a vehicle seat. The at least one electrically conductive wire can be designed as at least one heating wire and/or provide at least one capacitive sensor and/or be formed by at least one shielding wire. It is therefore possible for the substrate to be designed as a seat cover for a vehicle seat and made of leather and/or a textile fabric. In functional components known from the prior art, electrically conductive wires are often attached to a substrate via seam connections. Such seam connections must completely penetrate a seat cover and can therefore lead to an undesirable visual appearance. In contrast, the visual appearance of a seat cover is not influenced by a thermoplastic carrier, since this can only be located on one side of the seat cover, which cannot be seen when the seat cover is on the vehicle seat.

The invention also relates to a use of a functional component according to an embodiment of the preceding description as a heating element, in particular as a heating element for a vehicle seat or as a heating element for a vehicle steering wheel.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a use of a functional component according to an embodiment of the preceding description as a capacitive sensor, in particular as a capacitive sensor for detecting vehicle seat occupancy or as a capacitive sensor for detecting vehicle steering wheel contact by a person.

The invention also relates to a use of a functional component according to an embodiment of the preceding description for shielding against electromagnetic interference, wherein the at least one electrically conductive wire is operated as at least one shielding conductor. In addition, the invention relates to a method for producing an electrical functional component and in particular to a method for producing an electrical functional component according to one of the preceding embodiments.

In the method, a substrate is provided. For example, a horizontal conveyor device can be provided for this purpose, which provides the substrate. A shelf or work surface can also be provided on which the substrate is arranged and thereby provided.

A further step provides for heating at least one thermoplastic carrier, so that the at least one thermoplastic carrier is thereby at least partially converted into a flowable state of aggregation.

In a further step, at least one electrically conductive wire is arranged on the substrate, wherein the at least one electrically conductive wire contacts the substrate via the at least one thermoplastic carrier, which is at least partially in the flowable state of aggregation and subsequently solidifies, as a result of which the at least one electrically conductive wire is connected to the substrate via the solidified thermoplastic carrier.

Practice has shown that such a connection of the electrically conductive wire can be implemented at a higher speed than sewing the electrically conductive wire to the substrate. This allows a larger number of electrical functional components to be produced within a given period of time. The connection of the electrically conductive wire to the substrate via the at least one thermoplastic carrier can thus be the only connection of the electrically conductive wire to the substrate.

However, in various embodiments it is also conceivable that the at least one electrically conductive wire is sewn onto the substrate in addition to the connection via the at least one thermoplastic carrier. Such embodiments in which the at least one electrically conductive wire is connected to the substrate both via the at least one thermoplastic carrier and via a seam connection have proven to be useful in order to be able to provide a particularly secure and stable attachment of the at least one electrically conductive wire to the substrate. The at least one thermoplastic carrier can form at least one welded connection or at least one plastic welded connection, which holds the at least one electrically conductive wire to the substrate. In particular, the at least one thermoplastic carrier can form at least one welded connection or at least one plastic welded connection, in which the at least one electrically conductive wire is at least partially embedded and which holds the at least one electrically conductive wire to the substrate.

It may be that the at least one thermoplastic carrier is at least partially converted into the flowable state of aggregation via at least one sonotrode.

Furthermore, the at least one thermoplastic carrier can be at least one coating or the at least one thermoplastic carrier can comprise at least one coating which is applied at least partially or even completely over the circumference of the at least one electrically conductive wire and runs at least partially along the at least one electrically conductive wire. In this case, the at least one electrically conductive wire can be fed together with the at least one applied coating to the at least one sonotrode, which at least one sonotrode at least partially converts the at least one thermoplastic carrier fed as at least one coating of the at least one electrically conductive wire into the flowable state of aggregation. It can be that the at least one electrically conductive wire can pass through the at least one sonotrode together with the at least one applied coating and is guided via a channel in the at least one sonotrode.

Alternatively or additionally, the at least one thermoplastic carrier may be at least one coating or the at least one thermoplastic carrier may comprise at least one coating which is applied to the substrate. In this case, the at least one sonotrode may partially convert the at least one thermoplastic carrier applied to the substrate as at least one coating into the flowable aggregate state, with the at least one coating being located on the substrate.

In preferred embodiments, the at least one sonotrode for arranging the at least one electrically conductive wire on the substrate can be moved along the substrate and thereby perform a vibration movement in the vertical Direction, by means of which vibration movement in the vertical direction the at least one thermoplastic carrier supplied as at least one coating of the at least one electrically conductive wire is at least partially converted into the flowable aggregate state.

Embodiments have proven to be useful in which the at least one sonotrode for arranging the at least one electrically conductive wire on the substrate is moved along the substrate and is continuously spaced from the substrate.

The invention also relates to a device for producing an electrical functional component. The device comprises at least one laying device which is designed to arrange at least one electrically conductive wire on a substrate and via which at least one laying device at least one thermoplastic carrier provided for connecting the at least one electrically conductive wire to the substrate can be tempered in such a way that the at least one thermoplastic carrier can be at least partially converted into a flowable aggregate state by means of the tempering.

It may be that the at least one laying device is designed as at least one sonotrode or comprises at least one sonotrode.

In this case, the at least one sonotrode may be designed in such a way that the at least one sonotrode can temper a thermoplastic carrier, which is at least one coating applied at least partially or even completely over the entire circumference to the at least one electrically conductive wire and running at least in sections along the at least one electrically conductive wire, in such a way that the at least one coating can be at least partially converted into the flowable aggregate state by means of the tempering.

Furthermore, the at least one sonotrode may be configured and equipped such that the at least one sonotrode can perform a vibration movement in the vertical direction for tempering the at least one thermoplastic carrier.

It is also conceivable that the at least one sonotrode is configured and equipped in such a way that the at least one sonotrode is used to arrange the at least an electrically conductive wire on the substrate is movable along the substrate, wherein the at least one sonotrode is continuously spaced from the substrate.

The at least one sonotrode can form a channel through which the at least one electrically conductive wire can pass together with the at least one applied thermoplastic coating in such a way that the at least one applied thermoplastic coating is heated via the at least one sonotrode and is thereby at least partially converted into a flowable state of aggregation.

Additionally or alternatively, the channel for guiding the at least one electrically conductive wire may be formed together with the at least one applied thermoplastic coating.

At this point, it should be emphasized that features that were previously mentioned for the embodiment of the method according to the invention equally relate to or can be partial aspects of the device according to the invention. Therefore, if one of the methods according to the invention is mentioned at one point in the description or in the claim definitions, this equally applies to the embodiments of the device according to the invention without being mentioned again. The same applies in reverse, so that all aspects and design variants that were mentioned in connection with embodiments of the device according to the invention equally relate to or can be partial aspects of the method according to the invention. Therefore, if certain aspects and/or relationships and/or effects are mentioned at one point in the description or in the claim definitions for the device according to the invention, this equally applies to the method according to the invention.

In the following, embodiments will explain the invention and its advantages in more detail with reference to the attached figures. The size relationships of the individual elements to one another in the figures do not always correspond to the actual size relationships, since some shapes are simplified and other shapes are shown enlarged in relation to other elements for better illustration.

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of an electrical functional component according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a device according to the invention and illustrates individual steps as they can be provided in various embodiments of a method according to the invention;

Figure 3 shows a flow chart of steps as they can be provided individually or according to the combination and/or sequence shown in Figure 3 in various embodiments of a method according to the invention.

Identical reference numerals are used for identical or equivalent elements of the invention. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference numerals are shown in the individual figures that are necessary for the description of the respective figure. The embodiments shown are merely examples of how the invention can be designed and do not represent an exhaustive limitation.

The electrical functional component 1 shown in Figure 1 is designed as a heating element 2, but in further embodiments it can also be designed as a capacitive sensor or used for shielding.

The functional component 1 or the heating element 2 comprises a substrate 7, which can be formed, for example, by a film or a textile fabric. As a result, the substrate 7 has sufficient flexibility to be able to yield to elastic deformations of a vehicle seat.

The functional component 1 further comprises an electrically conductive wire 3, which is designed as a heating wire 5 and was connected to the substrate 7 as part of a manufacturing process. The electrically conductive wire 3 or the electrical heating wire 5 was laid in a meandering manner on the substrate 7. Depending on the respective use for the functional component 1, the electrically conductive wire 3 can also be laid in a different course on the substrate 7, which deviates from the meandering course according to Figure 1. Several such electrically conductive wires 3 can also be provided, which are arranged on a substrate 7 by means of a method described below.

In order to maintain the functional component 1 in a proper condition even after prolonged use, it is necessary that the electrically conductive wire 3 is permanently fixed to the substrate 7. With fastenings known from the prior art, it cannot be ruled out with certainty that the electrically conductive wire 3 will become loose during prolonged use of the Functional component 1 inadvertently detaches from substrate 7. If a vehicle seat is to be heated via functional component 1 or heating element 2, problems can arise with the operation of the seat heating if functional component 1 or heating element 2 is no longer in the correct condition due to inadvertent detachment of the electrically conductive wire 3 from substrate 7. The probability of a long service life of functional component 1 can also be increased if a connection of electrically conductive wire 3 to substrate 7 has a certain elastic flexibility or if electrically conductive wire 3 is not arranged rigidly on substrate 7.

In the illustrated embodiment of a functional component 1 or a heating element 2, such problems are avoided. For this purpose, the electrically conductive wire 3 is attached to the substrate 7 via a thermoplastic carrier 9 (see Figure 2) not shown in Figure 1. As described below for Figure 2, the thermoplastic carrier 9 was converted into a flowable state of aggregation via a sonotrode 8 and the electrically conductive wire 3 was arranged on the substrate 7 in such a way that the electrically conductive wire 3 contacts the substrate 7 via the thermoplastic carrier 9. The thermoplastic carrier 9 is initially still in a flowable state of aggregation when the electrically conductive wire 3 is laid on the substrate 7 together with the thermoplastic carrier 9. After a certain dwell time, the thermoplastic carrier 9 solidifies, whereby the electrically conductive wire 3 is connected to the substrate 7 via the then solidified thermoplastic carrier 9.

Such a manufacturing process creates a particularly stable connection between the electrically conductive wire 3 and the substrate 7 in a simple and quick manner. Due to the elastic design of the thermoplastic carrier 9, the stable connection is maintained even when the substrate 7 and the electrically conductive wire 3 are acted upon by a force or mass, which may be the case when the functional component 1 is inserted into a vehicle seat and a person sits on the vehicle seat. Such arrangements can be provided, for example, when the functional component 1 is a capacitive sensor for seat occupancy detection or when the functional component 1 is designed as a heating element 2 for a vehicle seat. In addition, electrically conductive wires 3 or heating wires 5 can be attached to a large number of different substrate materials using the method described. A connection via a thermoplastic carrier 9, which is first inserted into a is brought into a flowable aggregate state and then solidifies, is sometimes suitable for connecting electrically conductive wires 3 to a substrate 7, which is a textile fabric, a plastic film or an essentially rigid plastic plate. The described connection via such a thermoplastic carrier 9 is therefore also characterized by the fact that there is great flexibility with regard to the substrate materials used.

Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a device 10 according to the invention and illustrates individual steps as they can be provided in various embodiments of a method 100 according to the invention (see Figure 3). The device 10 comprises a provision (not shown in Figure 2) on which the substrate 7 can be arranged in a working area of the laying device 4. The provision can be, for example, a support or a working surface that is located in the working area of the laying device 4. The provision can also be a horizontal conveyor device that transports the substrate 7 into the working area of the laying device 4. The laying device 4 is designed as a sonotrode 8 and can arrange the electrically conductive wire 3 or the electrical heating wire 5 along a predetermined path on the substrate 7. In the embodiment according to Figure 2, the substrate 7 retains its position. The laying device 4 or the sonotrode 8 is moved along the substrate 7 in order to arrange the electrically conductive wire 3 on the substrate 7.

A thermoplastic carrier 9, which is a thermoplastic coating 12, is applied to the electrically conductive wire 3 along its entire circumference. The thermoplastic carrier 9 or the thermoplastic coating 12 extends longitudinally along the entire electrically conductive wire 3. The electrically conductive wire 3 is thus completely embedded in the thermoplastic carrier 9, which is a thermoplastic coating 12.

Together with the thermoplastic carrier 9 or together with the thermoplastic coating 12, the electrically conductive wire 3 is fed to the laying device 4 or the sonotrode 8. The sonotrode 8 continuously carries out a vibration movement in the vertical direction, whereby the thermoplastic carrier 9 or the thermoplastic coating 12 is heated and is thereby converted into a flowable aggregate state. While the sonotrode 8 When this vibration movement is carried out in a vertical direction, the sonotrode 8 moves along a defined path over the substrate 7, whereby the electrically conductive wire 3 is arranged on the substrate 7 together with the thermoplastic carrier 9 or together with the thermoplastic coating 12. The thermoplastic carrier 9 or the thermoplastic substrate 12 is still partially in the flowable state.

After the electrically conductive wire 3 has been arranged together with the thermoplastic carrier 9 on the substrate 7 in this way, the thermoplastic carrier 9 solidifies after a certain dwell time, whereby the electrically conductive wire 3 is connected to the substrate 7 via the thermoplastic carrier 9 and the thermoplastic carrier 9 forms a plastic welded connection which holds the electrically conductive wire 3 to the substrate 7.

During the entire movement of the sonotrode 8 along the substrate 7, the sonotrode 8 is spaced apart from the substrate 7 and has no surface contact with the substrate 7. The sonotrode 8 can at least approximately maintain its relative distance from the substrate 7 until the entire electrically conductive wire 3 has been laid on the substrate 7 together with the applied coating 12.

Figure 3 shows a flow chart of steps as they can be provided individually or according to the combination and/or sequence shown in Figure 3 in various embodiments of a method 100 according to the invention. In step 110, a substrate 7 is provided. The substrate 7 can be, for example, a plastic film or a textile fabric.

Step 110 is followed by step 120, in which an electrically conductive wire 3 and a thermoplastic carrier 9 are fed together to a sonotrode 8. The thermoplastic carrier 9 is a thermoplastic coating 12 which is applied to the electrically conductive wire 3 over the entire circumference and runs along the electrically conductive wire 3.

In step 130, the thermoplastic coating 12 is heated via the sonotrode 8, so that the thermoplastic coating 12 is converted into a flowable aggregate state. The thermoplastic coating 12 is still absorbed by the sonotrode 8. To heat the thermoplastic coating, the sonotrode 8 carries out a vibration movement in the vertical direction. In step 140, the electrically conductive wire is laid on the substrate 7 together with the thermoplastic coating 12 by the sonotrode 8 in defined paths that are tailored to heating a vehicle seat. The thermoplastic coating 12 is still in the flowable state.

Step 140 is followed by step 150. In step 150, the laying of the electrically conductive wire 3 and the thermoplastic coating 12 on the substrate 7 is completed. The thermoplastic coating 12 solidifies in step 150 after a certain dwell time, whereby the electrically conductive wire 3 is connected to the substrate 7 via the then solidified thermoplastic coating 12. The thermoplastic coating 12 forms a plastic welded connection via which the electrically conductive wire 3 is held to the substrate 7.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that modifications or variations of the invention can be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

List of reference symbols

Electrical functional component

Heating element

Electrical heating conductor

Laying facility

Heating wire

Substrat

Sonotrode

Thermoplastic carrier

Contraption

Coating

Procedure

First procedural step

Second procedural step

Third procedural step

Fourth procedural step

Fifth procedural step

Claims

Expectations

1. Electrical functional component (1 ), comprising

- a substrate (7), at least one electrically conductive wire (3) and

- at least one thermoplastic carrier (9) into which the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) is at least partially embedded and via which a connection for the at least one electrically conductive wire to the substrate (7) is provided.

2. Functional component (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one thermoplastic carrier (9) is designed as at least one welded connection or as at least one plastic welded connection for the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) and the substrate (7).

3. Functional component (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one thermoplastic carrier (9) is formed by at least one thermoplastic coating (12) which is applied over the entire circumferential course to the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) and runs at least in sections along the at least one electrically conductive wire (3).

4. Functional component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) has a diameter of 20pm to 200pm.

5. Functional component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substrate (7) is designed as paper, as PU film, as polycarbonate film, as polymer paper, as textile fabric, as PVB film or as polycarbonate plate.

6. Heating element (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the substrate (7) is designed as a seat cover for a vehicle seat.

7. Use of a functional component (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6 as a heating element (2), in particular as a heating element (2) for a vehicle seat or as a heating element (2) for a vehicle steering wheel.

8. Use of a functional component according to one of claims 1 to 6 as a capacitive sensor, in particular as a capacitive sensor for vehicle seat occupancy detection or as a capacitive sensor for detecting vehicle steering wheel contact by a person.

9. Use of a functional component according to one of claims 1 to 6 for shielding against electromagnetic interference, wherein the electrically conductive wire (3) is operated as at least one shielding conductor.

10. Method (100) for producing an electrical functional component (1), comprising the following steps:

- providing a substrate (7);

- heating at least one thermoplastic carrier (9) so that the at least one thermoplastic carrier (9) is thereby at least partially converted into a flowable state of aggregation;

- Arranging at least one electrically conductive wire (3) on the substrate (7), wherein the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) contacts the substrate (7) via the at least one thermoplastic carrier (9), which is at least partially in the flowable state of aggregation and subsequently solidifies, as a result of which the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) is connected to the substrate (7) via the solidified at least one thermoplastic carrier (9).

11. The method (100) according to claim 10, wherein the at least one thermoplastic carrier (9) is at least partially converted into the flowable state of aggregation via at least one sonotrode (8).

12. Method according to claim 11, in which the at least one thermoplastic carrier (7) is a coating (12) which is applied at least partially or even completely over the entire circumference to the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) and runs at least in sections along the at least one electrically conductive wire (3), and in which method (100) the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) is fed together with the applied coating (12) to the at least one sonotrode (8), which at least one sonotrode (8) applies the coating (12) of the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) supplied at least one thermoplastic carrier (7) is at least partially converted into the flowable aggregate state.

13. Method according to claim 12, in which the at least one sonotrode (8) for arranging the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) on the substrate (7) is moved along the substrate (7) and in doing so carries out a vibration movement in the vertical direction, by which vibration movement in the vertical direction the at least one thermoplastic carrier (9) supplied as a coating (12) of the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) is at least partially converted into the flowable aggregate state.

14. Method according to one of claims 10 to 13, in which the at least one sonotrode (8) for arranging the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) on the substrate (7) is moved along the substrate (7) and is thereby continuously spaced from the substrate (7).

15. Device (10) for producing an electrical functional component (1), comprising at least one laying device (4) which is designed to arrange at least one electrically conductive wire (3) on a substrate (7) and via which at least one laying device (4) at least one thermoplastic carrier (9) provided for connecting the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) to the substrate (7) can be tempered in such a way that the at least one thermoplastic carrier (9) can be at least partially converted into a flowable state of aggregation by means of the tempering.

16. Device (10) according to claim 15, wherein the at least one laying device (4) is designed as at least one sonotrode (8) or comprises at least one sonotrode (8).

17. Device (10) according to claim 16, in which the at least one sonotrode (8) is designed such that the at least one sonotrode (8) can temper at least one thermoplastic carrier (9), which is at least one coating (12) applied over the entire circumference to the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) and running at least in sections along the at least one electrically conductive wire (3), such that the at least one coating (12) by means of the Tempering can be at least partially converted into a flowable aggregate state. Device (10) according to claim 16 or claim 17, in which the at least one sonotrode (8) is configured and equipped such that the at least one sonotrode (8) can carry out a vibration movement in the vertical direction for tempering the at least one thermoplastic carrier (9). Device (10) according to one of claims 16 to 18, in which the at least one sonotrode (8) is configured and equipped such that the at least one sonotrode (8) can be moved along the substrate (7) for arranging the at least one electrically conductive wire (3) on the substrate (7), the at least one sonotrode (8) being continuously spaced from the substrate (7).