Air conditioning device for seats

• US 9,241,373 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weiss, Michael, Schaeffer, Jrgen, Philipp, Denise
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONG T
• Application Number:
  US12/738,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20110290785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,699 Days
• Field of Search: 219/538, 219/549, 219/528, 219/505, 219/544, 219/529, 219/212, 219/217, 219/545, 219/553, 219/202, 219/211, 219/552, 338/214, 338/259, 338/243, 338/270, 338/208, 338/210, 338/211, 338/275, 338/262, 338/258, 338/212, 338/332, 392/416, 392/435, 392/436, 392/437, 392/480, 392/481
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5685 Resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/003 using serpentine layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/004 using zigzag layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/009 Heaters using conductive material in contact with opposing surfaces of the resistive element or resistive layer
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/029 Heaters specially adapted for seat warmers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/033 Heater including particular mechanical reinforcing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2214/04 Heating means manufactured by using nanotechnology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/342 heaters used in textiles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/56 Heating cables

Abstract

The present invention concerns a electrical conducting (control) device (5). It is provided that it exhibits at least one conducting-part carrier (5.2) and at least one conducting part (5.1), which is disposed at least partially on and/or for the conducting-part carrier (5.2).

Claims

1. A heating device comprising:

at least one conducting device having;

a conducting-part carrier core comprising a synthetic material, the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core at least partially decomposes at a temperature between about 200°

C. and about 400°

C.;

a conductive part partially or entirely disposed on the conducting-part carrier core and in electrical communication with a current source;

a connector cable connecting the at least one conducting device to the current source;

wherein the conducting-part carrier core comprises a material that exhibits a high resistance to back-and-forth bending and has a tensile strength of more than 2500 N/mm²;

wherein the conductive part exhibits zones of different material gauge including one or more cuts, swellings, and/or recesses;

wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core is comprised of a material in at least 50% crystalline form and a remainder of the material is an amorphous structure;

wherein the synthetic material has a crystallinity of at least 50 J/g;

wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core has a molecular weight of 130,000 g/mol or more; and

wherein an electrical conductivity of the at least one conducting device is permanently shut off when the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core at least partially decomposes.

2. The heating device of claim 1, wherein the conductive part includes a plurality of conducting particles comprising at least partially carbon, steel, intrinsically conductive synthetics, or carbon-black filled Lycocell.

3. The heating device of claim 2, wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core comprises nickeled carbon fibers, nylon, polyethylene, polyamide, polyamide, polypropylene, polyester, or polyurethane.

4. The heating device of claim 1, wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core at least partially melts, softens, or decomposes at a temperature between 150°

C. and 300°

C., the conducting part corrodes, ruptures, or both when the conducting-part carrier core at least partially melts, softens, or decomposes so that the conducting part is unable to conduct electrical energy from the current source.

5. The heating device of claim 1, wherein the conducting-part carrier core is laminar or strand-shaped and the conductive part is a laminar coating, a tubular coating, or both disposed on or around the conducting-part carrier core.

6. The heating device of claim 1, wherein the conducting part is fastened as a strand, strip, network, or layer that is shape-locked or force-locked by weaving in, working in, sewing on, sewing to, or sewing into, the conducting-part carrier core.

7. The heating device of claim 1, wherein the conducting part is a coil-shaped wrapping around the conducting-part carrier core.

8. The heating device of claim 1, wherein the conducting-part carrier core is an inter-strand space that includes an insulating material, and the insulating material is coated with the conductive part that includes conducting particles that are a highly conductive material.

9. The heating device of claim 1, wherein the conductive part comprises a multiplicity of particles which in at least two directions are smaller than 1 mm and are embedded in an adhesive applied to the conducting-part carrier core.

10. The heating device of claim 1, wherein at least one temperature sensor monitors a temperature level of the heating device.

11. A heating device comprising:

at least one conducting device having;

a conducting-part carrier core comprising a synthetic material;

a conductive part partially or essentially entirely disposed on the conducting-part carrier core and in electrical communication with a current source; and

,

a connector cable connecting the at least one conducting device to the current source;

wherein the conductive part is a layer of silver that exhibits zones of different material gauge including, one or more cuts, swellings, and/or recesses;

wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core includes a material that is comprised of at least 50% crystalline form and a remainder of the material is an amorphous structure,

wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core is made of nickeled carbon fibers, nylon, polyethylene, polyamide, polyamide, polypropylene, polyester, or polyurethane,

wherein the conducting-part carrier core disintegrates at a temperature between 150°

C. and 300°

C., and

wherein the conductive part ruptures when the conducting-part carrier core disintegrates so that conductivity of the at least one conducting device is permanently shut off so that the conducting part is unable to convert an electrical energy communicated from the current source into thermal energy.

12. The heating device of claim 11, wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core at least partially melts, softens, or decomposes at a temperature between 220°

C. and 280°

C., and

wherein the conductive part includes a plurality of conducting particles comprising at least partially carbon, intrinsically conductive synthetics, or carbon-black filled Lycocell.

13. The heating device of claim 11, wherein the heating device includes two or more contact devices that are disposed, at least partially separated from one another, near an edge of the heating device, the two or more contact devices being somewhat parallel to one another and being connected at one end by the connector cable so that the two or more contact devices are connected to the current source;

wherein the at least one conducting device is connected to and extends between the two or more contact devices;

wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core at least partially melts, softens, or decomposes at a temperature between 220°

C. and 280°

C.;

wherein the conductive part is formed at least partially from carbon, intrinsically conductive synthetics, or carbon-black filled Lycocell; and

wherein the conducting part corrodes, ruptures, or both when the conducting-part carrier core at least partially melts, softens, or decomposes so that the conducting part is unable to convert an electrical energy communicated from the current source into thermal energy.

14. The heating device of claim 11, wherein a specific energy of at least 70 J/g is required to melt the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core, and the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core has a molecular weight of 200,000 g/mol or more.

15. A vehicle seat comprising:

the heating device of claim 11, wherein the vehicle seat includes at least one air conditioning system having a heat pump and a fan.

16. The heating device of claim 11, wherein the conductive part is at least partially made of powder that is embedded in an adhesive applied to the conducting-part carrier core.

17. A heating device comprising:

at least one conducting device having;

a conducting-part carrier core comprising a synthetic material, the synthetic material at least partially decomposes at a temperature between about 200°

C. and about 400°

C.;

a conductive part partially or essentially entirely disposed on the conducting-part carrier core and in electrical communication with a current source, the conductive part being at least partially made of a multitude of conductive particles which in at least two directions are smaller than 1 mm; and

a connector cable connecting the at least one conducting device to the current source;

wherein an electrical conductivity of the at least one conducting device is permanently shut off when the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core at least partially decomposes;

wherein the conductive part exhibits zones of different material gauge including one or more cuts, swellings, and/or recesses;

wherein the carbon particles are a powder embedded in an adhesive that is applied to the conducting-part carrier core;

wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core is comprised of a material in at least 50% crystalline form and a remainder of the material is an amorphous structure;

wherein a crystallinity of the synthetic material is at least 50 J/g; and

wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core has a molecular weight of 130,000 g/mol or more.

18. The heating device of claim 17, wherein an electrical conductivity of the at least one conducting device is at least locally permanently interrupted at temperatures between 200 and 400 degrees Celsius.

19. The heating device of claim 18, wherein the synthetic material of the conducting-part carrier core at least partially melts, softens, or decomposes at a temperature between 220°

C. and 280°

C. so that the conducting-part carrier core volatizes so that the conducting part ruptures so that the electrical conductivity of the conducting part is disrupted.

20. The heating device of claim 17, wherein the conducting-part carrier core comprises a material that exhibits a high resistance to back-and-forth bending and has a tensile strength of more than 2500 N/mm.