Temperature control device for a steering device

• US 9,815,488 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2015
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lofy, John David, Wei, Michael, Philipp, Denise, Adldinger, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, Elizabeth
• Application Number:
  US14/707,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20150329136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/065 Steering wheels with heating and ventilating means heating and ventilation of steering wheel when connected to vehicle HVAC B60H1/00292

Abstract

A temperature control device for temperature control of a steering device, characterized in that the temperature control device has at least one heat-conducting device, at least one thermoelectric device, and at least one fluid transport apparatus.

Claims

1. A temperature control device for temperature control of a steering device including:

a) at least one heat-conducting device;

b) at least one thermoelectric device; and

c) at least one fluid transport apparatus;

wherein the temperature control device includes a heating mode and a cooling mode; and

wherein the at least one fluid transport apparatus uses a fluid stream to conduct heat created by the at least one thermoelectric device out of the steering device and away from the steering device and a user;

wherein the at least one heat-conducting device has at least one heat-conducting strand and at least one heat-supporting conductor and the at least one heat-supporting conductor is connected to the at least one heat-conducting strand in a thermally conductive manner;

wherein the at least one heat-supporting conductor and the at least one heat-conducting strand contain aluminum;

wherein the at least one heat-conducting strand is at least one heat-conducting pipe, and the at least one heat-supporting conductor is at least one flat body and the at least one heat-conducting strand is connected with the at least one heat-supporting conductor by a heat-conducting adhesive or solder;

wherein the steering device has at least one covering that covers at least part of a surface of the steering device and has at least one heat transport component;

wherein the at least one heat transport component includes at least one heat exchange surface on the at least one heat-supporting conductor and at least one heat exchange surface on an exterior surface of the at least one covering, transporting thermal energy from the heat-conducting device through the at least one covering to an exterior surface of the steering device;

wherein the at least one heat transport component is at least one bridging component that is disposed along the at least one heat-conducting device and in communication with the at least one heat supporting conducting that passes through the steering device from the at least one heat-supporting conductor to the exterior surface of the steering device.

2. The temperature control device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one bridging component is a seam having one or more metallic threads.

3. The temperature control device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one bridging component is at least one metallic rivet.

4. The temperature control device according to claim 1 wherein the at least one heat-conducting pipe is at least one gas-tight tube and a fluid is enclosed within the at least one gas-tight tube.

5. The temperature control device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one heat-conducting pipe includes at least two functional regions;

wherein the at least two functional regions are a first region and a second region;

wherein the first region exchanges thermal energy between the at least one heat-conducting strand and the steering device;

wherein the second region removes thermal energy from the at least one heat- conducting strand in the first region when the temperature control device is in the cooling mode, and transfers thermal energy into the at least one heat-conducting strand in the first region when the temperature control device is in the heating mode.

6. The temperature control device according to claim 5, wherein the first region and the second region include a transport device within the at least one gas-tight tube so that the fluid can move in a condensed state between the first region and the second region;

wherein the fluid in the condensed state transfers the thermal energy between the first region and the second region.

7. The temperature control device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control device includes a first cushion layer extending between the at least one heat-conducting device and a rigid support of the steering device, and a second cushion layer extending between a covering of the steering device and the at least one heat-conducting device.

8. The temperature control device according to claim 7, wherein the first cushion layer is more thermally insulating than the second cushion layer and the covering to promote thermal communication between a hand grasping the steering device and the temperature control device;

wherein the first cushion layer has a thermal conductivity less than or equal to a thermal conductivity of the second cushion layer, and a thickness greater than or equal to a thickness of the second cushion layer.

9. The temperature control device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one heat conducting device wrap about 90 degrees or more around a cross-section of the steering wheel, and the first cushion later includes a recess extending at least partial along the steering device that receives the at least one thermoelectric device so that the first cushion layer and the at least one thermoelectric device have a constant circumference.

10. A temperature control device for temperature control of a steering device including:

a) at least one thermal conductive element;

b) at least one thermoelectric device; and

c) at least one fluid transport device;

wherein the temperature control device includes a heating mode and a cooling mode;

wherein the at least one thermoelectric device is connected to the at least one thermal conductive element;

wherein the at least one thermoelectric device is fluidly coupled to the at least one fluid transport device;

wherein the at least one thermoelectric device includes at least two thermoelectric devices;

wherein the at least two thermoelectric devices are fluidly connected to the at least one fluid transport device by a forked channel; and

wherein the at least two thermoelectric devices are located within a central hub of the steering device.

11. The temperature control device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one thermal conductive element includes a flexible ribbon formed of braided strands of a ductile metal material.

12. The temperature control device according to claim 11, wherein the at least one fluid transport device moves air through the forked channel and a waste side heat exchanger.

13. The temperature control device according to claim 12, wherein the at least one thermoelectric device is located within a conditioning system that includes a movable component attached for rotation with the steering device and a static component fixed to a steering column.

14. The temperature control device according to claim 12, wherein in the heating mode, the thermoelectric device pumps heat from the waste side heat exchanger to a main side heat exchanger, and in the cooling mode, the thermoelectric device pumps heat from the main side heat exchanger to the waste side heat exchanger.

15. The temperature control device according to claim 11, wherein the temperature control device includes a first cushion layer extending between the at least one heat-conducting device and a rigid support of the steering device, and a second cushion layer extending between a covering of the steering device and the at least one heat-conducting device.

16. The temperature control device according to claim 15, wherein the first cushion layer is more thermally insulating than the second cushion layer and the covering to promote thermal communication between a hand grasping the steering device and the temperature control device;

wherein the first cushion layer has a thermal conductivity less than or equal to a thermal conductivity of the second cushion layer, and a thickness greater than or equal to a thickness of the second cushion layer.

17. A temperature control device for temperature control of a steering device including:

a) at least one heat-conducting device;

b) at least one thermoelectric device; and

c) at least one fluid transport apparatus;

wherein the temperature control device includes a heating mode and a cooling mode; and

wherein the at least one fluid transport apparatus uses a fluid stream to conduct heat created by the at least one thermoelectric device out of the steering device and away from the steering device and a user;

wherein the at least one thermoelectric device is located within a conditioning system that includes a movable component attached for rotation with the steering device and a static component fixed to a steering column.