Electrical heating device

• US 9,420,640 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Li, William (Wei), Chen, Sherry (Li), Liu, Luffy (Fei), Zhang, Jonathan (Yu)
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mathew, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US13/791,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20140061183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 219/528, 219/541, 219/549, 219/553, 219/522, 219/505, 219/548, 219/546, 219/219, 219/217, 219/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 7/027 consisting of conducting or semi-conducting material dispersed in a non-conductive organic material
• 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 3/03 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/146 Conductive polymers, e.g. polyethylene, thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/34 flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs

Abstract

An electrical heating device including a heating resistor including a contacting device connecting the heating resistor to a current source. The contacting device includes a main electrode and a plurality of branch electrodes. The main electrode distributes current from the current source to a plurality of branch electrodes. The heating resistor includes one or more fire retardant recesses. The heating device includes one or more tire propagation blocker strips extending transversely to at least one of the plurality of branch electrodes.

Claims

1. An electrical heating device comprising:

a heating resistor comprising a contacting device connecting the heating resistor to a current source, the contacting device includes a main electrode and a plurality of branch electrodes, the main electrode distributing current from the current source to the plurality of branch electrodes,

wherein the heating resistor comprises one or more fire retardant recesses defining one or more air gaps, and

wherein the heating device comprises one or more fire propagation blocker strips extending transversely to at least one of the plurality of branch electrodes.

2. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the heating resistor is manufactured at least partially from a combustible material.

3. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more fire propagation blocker strips are formed at least partially by a noncombustible or a self-extinguishing material, and

wherein the one or more fire propagation blocker strips are offset generally parallel to the main electrode.

4. The beating device according to claim 1, wherein the contacting device comprises at least two electrically conductive layers that overlap at least partially over one another.

5. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the main electrode is a self-supporting band, which is stuck to the heating resistor.

7. A vehicle, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one heating device according to claim 1.

8. The heating device according to claim 4, wherein the one or more fire propagation blocker strips are formed at least partially by a noncombustible or a self-extinguishing material.

9. The heating device according to claim 3, wherein the contacting device comprises at least two electrically conductive layers that overlap at least partially over one another.

11. The heating device according to claim 9, wherein the contacting device comprises at least one self-supporting band, which is stuck to the heating resistor.

12. The heating device according to claim 11, wherein the main electrode comprises a first conductive material, and the plurality of branch electrodes are formed at least partially by a second conductive material that is chemically different from the first conductive material of the main electrode.

14. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the main electrode comprises an electrode insulation so that current is prevented from directly transferring from the main electrode to the heating resistor, and

wherein the current is transferred to the heating resistor with the plurality of branch electrodes.

15. The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the heating device comprises at least one heating resistor support for stabilizing the heating resistor, and

wherein the at least one heating resistor support comprises a flame retardant or self-extinguishing material.

6. An electrical heating device comprising:

a heating resistor comprising a contacting device connecting the heating resistor to a current source, the contacting device includes a main electrode and a plurality of branch electrodes branching from the main electrode,

wherein the heating resistor comprises one or more fire retardant recesses defining one or more air gaps in the heating resistor,

wherein the heating device comprises one or more fire propagation blocker strips extending transversely to at least one of the plurality of branch electrodes, and

wherein the contacting device comprises at least two electrically conductive layers that overlap at least partially over one another.

10. The heating device according to claim 6, wherein the main electrode comprises at least one self-supporting band, which is stuck to the heating resistor.

18. The heating device according to claim 6, wherein the main electrode comprises a first conductive material, and the plurality of branch electrodes are formed at least partially by a second conductive material that is chemically different from the first conductive material of the main electrode.

13. An electrical heating device comprising:

a. at least one electrical heating resistor including;

i. at least one flame retardant recess,

ii. at least one fire propagation blocker, which is formed at least partially by a noncombustible or a self-extinguishing material, and

b. at least one contacting device including;

i. at least two electrically conductive layers that overlap at least partially over one another,

ii. at least one self-supporting band, which is stuck to the at least one electrical heating resistor,

iii. a main electrode with a first conductive material, and in that the contacting device comprises branch electrodes branching off the main electrode, which are formed at least partially by a second conductive material that is chemically different from the first conductive material of the main electrode

wherein the heating resistor is manufactured at least partially from a combustible material and in that the heating device comprises at least one flame retardant device.

16. The heating device according to claim 13, wherein the at least one fire propagation blocker comprises at least one strip that is offset generally parallel to the main electrode.

17. The heating device according to claim 13, wherein the at least one flame retardant recess comprises at least one air gap in the at least one electrical heating resistor.