Seat heater and process for heating of a seat

• US 6,150,642 A
• Filed: 07/13/1999
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wet Automotive Systems AG (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Carle, Ralf, Weiss, Michael, Hugenschmidt, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAHBOUR, HENRY
• Application Number:
  US09/352,208
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 219/211, 219/212, 219/217, 219/527, 219/528, 219/529, 219/545, 219/549, 338/208
• US Class Current: 219/528
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/005 using multiple resistive elements or resistive zones isolated from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/007 using multiple electrically connected resistive elements or resistive zones
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/011 Heaters using laterally extending conductive material as connecting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/014 Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/029 Heaters specially adapted for seat warmers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/037 Heaters with zones of different power density
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/34 flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs

Abstract

The seat heater includes at least one electric sheet-type heating element (10) made of flexible high-resistivity material to which the main electrodes (13A, 13B) are connected. In order to minimize the time during which the seat is perceived as being cold without any notable increase in overall power requirements, the seat heater is equipped with an additional feature (18A, 18B) for heating basically at least a partial area (SH) of the sheet-type heating element (10) with increased heating density, and a switch device for changing from heating the partial area (SH) with the additional feature (18A, 18B) to overall homogeneous heating of the sheet-type heating element (10) with regular heating density through the main electrodes (13A, 13) or the main electrodes (13A, 13B) and the additional feature (18A, 18B).

Claims

1. Seat heater with at least one electric sheet-type heating element (10) made of flexible high-resistivity material, the heating element having opposite sides to which main electrodes (13A, 13B) are directly connected for the purpose of heating the sheet-type heating element (10), characterized by

an additional feature (18A, 18B) for heating basically at least a partial area (SH) o f the sheet-type heating element (10) with increased heating density, and

a switching device for changing from heating the partial area (SH) with the additional feature (18A, 18B) to a basically all-over homogeneous heating process of the sheet-type heating element (10) with regular heating density through the main electrodes (13A, 13B), or through the main electrodes (13A, 13B) and the additional feature (18A, 18B).

2. Seat heater according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the additional feature for heating the partial area (SH) of the sheet-type heating element (10) with increased heating density comprises at least one additional electrode (18A, 18B), which is connected to the sheet-type heating element (10) in the partial area (SH).

3. Seat heater according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the partial area (SH) is electrically separated in part from the remaining area (RH) of the sheet-type heating element (10).

4. Seat heater according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the sheet-type heating element (50) is a textile and that the main electrodes (64A, 64B, 64D, 64F, 64G) and the additional electrodes (64C, 64E) are integrated into the textile.

5. Seat heater according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the additional feature for heating the partial area of the sheet-type heating element (72) with increased thermal density comprises at least one quick-heating element (74) that is produced with strand technology and is connected to the partial area.

6. Seat heater according to claims 1, characterized by the fact that the high-resistivity material is made of carbon.