Vehicle cab component provided with improved heating and cooling means

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle cab component, such as a vehicle seat (100), equipped with a heating and cooling device incorporated in a cushion (20a, 20b) and / or a trim (40a, 40b, 40c) of said component, and the operation of the heating and cooling device is based on the Peltier effect. According to the invention, the cushion and / or trim of the cockpit component comprises a foam element (1) comprising one or more intrinsically conductive polymers, said one or more intrinsically conductive polymers being altered to produce a p-type region and an n-type region. The device according to the invention has several distinct advantages including, in particular, a reduction in the number of components, a reduction in energy consumption, a reduction in pollutant emissions, elimination of moving fluids and more general moving parts, and faster heating / cooling, and thus an increase in comfort for the user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle cabin component provided with an improved heating and cooling arrangement.

[0002] More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to vehicle seats provided with improved heating and cooling arrangements.

[0003] The invention relates to a vehicle cockpit component provided with a heating and cooling device which is intrinsic to the structure of the vehicle cockpit component, for example a vehicle seat. Background Art

[0004] Vehicle seats equipped with heating and / or cooling devices to improve occupant comfort are known in the art and are widely used.

[0005] Typically, such heating and / or cooling devices are made by using components that are separate and independent from the vehicle seat and are incorporated into the vehicle seat during the assembly process of the vehicle seat.

[0006] By way of example, in the case of a device capable of performing only a heating function, known solutions may envisage an electric plate which is arranged between the trim and the padding of the vehicle seat in the area of ​​the seat cushion and / or in the area of ​​the backrest.

[0007] If, on the other hand, it is desired to be able to operate the seat both heated and cooled as required, known solutions envisage systems capable of generating an air flow at a controlled temperature and circulating this air flow inside the seat.

[0008] The known devices mentioned above have several disadvantages.

[0009] Firstly, these known devices require a significant expenditure of energy to reach and maintain a desired temperature sufficient to ensure the comfort of the user.

[0010] Secondly, these known devices have an associated thermal inertia such that a considerable amount of time is required to reach the desired temperature.

[0011] Furthermore, the presence of additional components for such a heating device involves an increase in manufacturing costs and time, as well as an increase in the risk of failure and malfunction due to incorrect assembly of such additional components in the vehicle seat.

[0012] Last but not least, there is a constant demand to reduce the weight of elements of vehicle cockpits, namely vehicle seats, and obviously the presence of components of a heating device involves additional weight which is undesirable since it involves an increase in CO2 emissions.

[0013] As is apparent from the brief description above, the disadvantages listed above are particularly evident in the case of devices capable of both heating and cooling a vehicle seat.

[0014] In practice, the device will necessarily include not only means for generating an air flow through the cushion and / or backrest of the vehicle seat (such as, for example, a fan with a corresponding motor), but also a duct system for circulating the air flow through the cushion and / or backrest of the vehicle seat.

[0015] Document WO 2022 / 029602 in the name of the applicant discloses a vehicle seat component in which the padding and / or trim of the seat is made by using polyurethane foam filled and / or impregnated with conductive fillers. The conductive particles present in the polyurethane foam can be subjected to an electric potential difference in order to generate heat due to the Joule effect.

[0016] Due to the fact that the solution disclosed in WO 2022 / 029602 uses the Joule effect, although this solution can produce effective heating of the seats or other vehicle cockpit components, this solution cannot cool the seats or said components.

[0017] Document US10 759 312 discloses a vehicle trim component having a foam pack, an electrically insulating top final layer above the foam pack, a thermal gradient component below the final decorative layer, and a thermal enhancement layer between the thermal gradient component and the final decorative layer. The thermal gradient component is suitable for generating a thermal gradient according to the Peltier effect when receiving an electric current. The thermal gradient has a conductive top layer, a conductive bottom layer, and a semiconductor layer having a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region between the top layer and the bottom layer. The thermal enhancement layer has a thermal conductivity suitable for guiding the transfer of heat energy between the thermal gradient component and the final decorative layer. At least one of the first semiconductor region or the second semiconductor region can be made of a non-intrinsic foam material containing doped particles. The thermal enhancement layer can include a polyurethane foam layer filled with an additive to guide the transfer of heat energy through the thermal enhancement layer.

[0018] The trim assembly disclosed in US 10 759 312 does not overcome all the above disadvantages. In particular, it requires the provision of several additional components (thermal gradient component, thermal reinforcement layer) in addition to the foam packing, which does not limit the production costs and time and weight of the final product, nor does it avoid the risk of failure and malfunction caused by incorrect assembly of these additional components.

[0019] The main purpose of the present invention is to overcome the limitations of the above-mentioned prior art.

[0020] In particular, the object of the invention is to provide a vehicle cockpit component, such as for example a vehicle seat, which is equipped with a system that is inherent to the structure of said vehicle cockpit component, does not involve the introduction of additional components, and allows obtaining both heating and cooling of the vehicle cockpit component.

[0021] These and other objects are achieved by a vehicle cockpit component as claimed in the appended claims. Summary of the invention

[0022] According to the invention, a vehicle cockpit component is provided with a heating and cooling device which is integrated in the padding and / or trim of said component and whose operation is based on the Peltier effect.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cockpit component is a vehicle seat. However, any other cockpit component (door inner panel, headliner, dashboard, etc.) equipped with padding and / or trim may be suitable for implementing the invention.

[0024] As is known, the Peltier effect consists in generating a temperature difference by applying a voltage / current. If a voltage is applied to a Peltier element, the current generates a heat flow: one side of the Peltier element becomes colder because energy is extracted from said side by the current, while the opposite side releases the extracted heat to the environment. By reversing the polarity of the supply voltage of the Peltier element, the cold and warm sides of the Peltier element are reversed accordingly.

[0025] According to the prior art, a Peltier element is made by alternately arranging p-type and n-type semiconductor elements connected by metal connectors, and the efficiency of the resulting device can be improved by adding a plurality of pn junctions connected in series.

[0026] The most commonly used semiconductor materials for developing Peltier elements are mainly based on the bismuth telluride / antimony telluride / bismuth selenide pair.

[0027] However, in addition to being toxic, the material is brittle and not flexible in nature; furthermore, the material is very rare and its extraction requires a lot of energy for small amounts of material. Furthermore, the material is heavy and difficult to process.

[0028] For this series of reasons, said material cannot be recommended for the production of cockpit components and in particular for the production of vehicle seats.

[0029] Thus, according to the invention, the padding and / or trim of the cockpit component comprises a foam element containing one or more intrinsically conductive polymers (intrinsically conductive polymer=ICP). More specifically, the inner surface of the open cells of the foam element is coated or impregnated with one or more intrinsically conductive polymers.

[0030] Polymers are usually electrical insulators and are used as such. To make polymers conductive, they can be filled with powders of conductive metals (copper, silver or gold) or graphite powder. The polymers thus obtained are usually defined as extrinsically conductive polymers (extrinsically conductive polymers = ECP).

[0031] In contrast, intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) consist of molecules with conjugated bonds, which are "intrinsically" conductive due to their structure and can be classified as semiconductors.

[0032] The intrinsically conductive polymer is altered to produce regions with p-type electrical behavior and regions with n-type electrical behavior.

[0033] For example, an intrinsically conductive polymer can be chemically altered (e.g., by means of oxidation and / or reduction techniques) to produce p-type regions or n-type regions, respectively; alternatively, the polymer can be doped with electron-donating groups or electron-withdrawing groups to produce p-type regions or n-type regions, respectively.

[0034] By creating p-type and n-type regions and connecting the regions by means of electrical connectors, the foam element can convert electrical energy into thermal energy by means of the Peltier effect for the purpose of performing the function of heating / cooling the surface of the cockpit component.

[0035] In particular, in case the cockpit component is a cockpit seat, the foam element can convert electrical energy into thermal energy by means of the Peltier effect for the purpose of performing the function of heating / cooling the vehicle seat surface facing the user.

[0036] Compared to the conventional heating / cooling devices described above, the device according to the present invention has several significant advantages.

[0037] In fact, compared with heating / cooling devices of known type applied to vehicle seats, the device according to the invention offers the following advantages:

[0038] - Reduction in the number of components, which leads to a simplified assembly process of the cockpit components (and thus shortened production time);

[0039] - Reduce the weight of cockpit components;

[0040] - Reduce energy consumption, save fuel and reduce carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions;

[0041] - Improved sustainability without negatively impacting performance and safety;

[0042] Furthermore, compared to conventional heating / cooling techniques used in vehicle seats and based on the use of fans / blowers, the device according to the invention offers the following advantages:

[0043] - Elimination of moving fluids and, more generally, of moving parts, which leads to increased reliability;

[0044] - Noise cancellation;

[0045] - Reduced inertia and faster cooling / heating, which results in increased user comfort. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of some preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0047] Figure 1a Schematically shows a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 1b Schematically shows a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 The cross-sectional view and enlarged scale schematically show the Figure 1a or Figure 1b Part of a foam element of a vehicle seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The present invention will be described below by way of example with reference to embodiments in which the heating / cooling device is applied to a seat cushion and a backrest of a vehicle seat.

[0051] However, such application should not be construed as limiting. Rather, the invention may be advantageously implemented to manufacture any other vehicle cockpit component including padding and / or trim.

[0052] For example, the invention may be implemented to produce an inner panel of a vehicle door, or a headliner of an automobile cockpit, or an instrument panel covering panel.

[0053] Reference Figure 1a , which shows a vehicle seat 100 including a seat cushion 100a and a backrest 100b.

[0054] The vehicle seat includes a first heating / cooling device 10 a located at a seat cushion 100 a of the vehicle seat 100 , and a second heating / cooling device 10 b located at a backrest 100 b of the vehicle seat 100 .

[0055] The two heating / cooling devices 10 a , 10 b are made by using corresponding pads 20 a of the seat cushion 100 a and corresponding pads 20 b of the backrest 100 b of the vehicle seat 100 .

[0056] The heating / cooling device 10 a , 10 b is therefore integrated into the structure of the vehicle seat 100 and does not involve the integration of any additional elements.

[0057] According to the present invention, the pads 20a, 20b of the seat cushion 100a and the backrest 100b of the vehicle seat 100 include, at least in one or more regions thereof: a foam element containing an intrinsically conductive polymer (ICP), which is processed to form a p-type region and an n-type region; the foam element also includes an electrical connector for connecting the p-type region and the n-type region, whereby the surface of the pads 20a, 20b facing the user (i.e., facing the interior of the cockpit) can be heated or cooled by applying appropriate electricity via the electrical connector with the help of the Peltier effect.

[0058] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that by incorporating heating / cooling devices into the padding 20a of the seat cushion 100a and the padding 20b of the backrest 100b of the vehicle seat 100, the heating / cooling function is added to other functions that the padding must perform anyway in a conventional vehicle seat.

[0059] In particular, the pad will have to be able to support the user and ensure the comfort of the user.

[0060] In this respect, it can be noted that the solution of the present invention is significantly different from the solution disclosed in US 10759 312: in said document, the functions of supporting the user and ensuring the comfort of said user are separated from the heating / cooling functions and are performed by different components, namely the foam pack and the thermal gradient assembly; on the other hand, in the present invention, both functions are combined in and performed by the same component.

[0061] Furthermore, in US 10759 312 the thermal gradient assembly of the vehicle trim assembly essentially has the function of enhancing an additional thermal device such as a heat source or heat sink, or in any case improving the performance of the additional thermal device; in the present invention, on the other hand, the heating / cooling device is independent.

[0062] The Applicant therefore had to develop a solution that allowed the incorporation of a heating / cooling function in the foam element of the cushion without deteriorating the mechanical strength and the cushioning properties of the foam element, such a deterioration leading to, for example, the exclusion of known materials for the manufacture of Peltier elements.

[0063] Now go to Figure 1b, which shows a vehicle seat 100 including a seat cushion 100a, a backrest 100b, and a headrest 100c.

[0064] The vehicle seat includes a first heating / cooling device 30 a at a seat cushion 100 a of the vehicle seat 100 , a second heating / cooling device 30 b at a backrest 100 b of the vehicle seat 100 , and a third heating / cooling device 30 c at a headrest 100 c of the vehicle seat 100 .

[0065] The heating / cooling devices 30 a , 30 b , 30 c are made by using corresponding trims 40 a , 40 b , 40 c of the seat cushion 100 a , the backrest 100 b , and the headrest of the vehicle seat 100 .

[0066] In this case too, therefore, the heating / cooling device 30 a , 30 b , 30 c is integrated in the structure of the vehicle seat 100 and does not involve the integration of any additional elements.

[0067] According to the present invention, the trims 40a, 40b, 40c of the seat cushion 100a, the backrest 100b, and the headrest 100c of the vehicle seat 100 include, at least at one or more regions thereof, a foam element containing an intrinsically conductive polymer (ICP).

[0068] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the decorative articles 40a, 40b, 40c of the seat cushion 100a, the backrest 100b and the headrest 100c of the vehicle seat 100 are made into a multi-layer structure, which in particular includes the following layers 42a, 42b, 42c: the layers 42a, 42b, 42c are formed by foam elements and are connected to layers 44a, 44b, 44c of external aesthetic material (for example, made of polyester, polyamide, leather, etc.) by lamination.

[0069] The foam element layers 42a, 42b, 42c form a foam element containing an intrinsically conductive polymer, which is processed to form a p-type region and an n-type region; the foam element layer also includes an electrical connector for connecting the p-type region and the n-type region, whereby the surface of the decoration 40a, 40b, 40c facing the user (i.e., facing the interior of the cockpit) can be heated or cooled by applying appropriate electricity through the electrical connector with the help of the Peltier effect.

[0070] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that by incorporating heating / cooling devices into the trim 40a, 40b, 40c of the seat cushion 100a, backrest 100b and headrest 100c of the vehicle seat 100, the heating / cooling function is added to the other functions that the trim must perform anyway in a conventional vehicle seat.

[0071] In particular, the upholstery will have to be able to support the user and ensure the comfort of the user while being resistant to wear and abrasion.

[0072] In other words, unlike solutions of the type described in US Pat. No. 10,759,312, the foam element layers 42a, 42b, 42c comprising an intrinsically conductive polymer are directly coupled to the layers 44a, 44b, 44c of external aesthetic material without the interposition of any additional components.

[0073] Also for this second embodiment, the Applicant therefore had to develop a solution that allowed the incorporation of a heating / cooling function in the layer of the trim comprising the foam element without deteriorating the mechanical strength and cushioning properties of the trim, a deterioration that would again lead to the exclusion of known materials for the manufacture of Peltier elements.

[0074] Figure 2 A part of a foam element 1 is shown very schematically, which foam element 1 can be used to produce Figure 1a A pad 20a, 20b of the type shown or Figure 1b Layers 42a, 42b, 42c of a decoration 40a, 40b, 40c of the type shown.

[0075] The foam element 1 will in any case comprise a first face 1 a facing the user (ie facing the cockpit interior) and an opposite second face 1 b facing away from the user.

[0076] The foam element 1 is divided into a plurality of first blocks 3a and a plurality of second blocks 3b, wherein the plurality of first blocks 3a extend from the first side 1a of the foam element 1 to the second side 1b of the foam element 1, and the plurality of second blocks 3b also extend from the first side 1a of the foam element 1 to the second side 1b of the foam element 1, and the first blocks 3a and the second blocks 3b are alternately arranged in a "chessboard" structure and are separated from each other by gaps 5.

[0077] According to the invention, the foam element 1 comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer (ICP) and in the first block 3a said ICP is processed to obtain a p-type region and in the second block 3b said ICP is processed to obtain an n-type region.

[0078] The gap 5 may be empty or alternatively filled with a "neutral" foam, ie a foam containing no conductive polymer.

[0079] According to a preferred embodiment, the foam element 1 is made of polyurethane foam. The foam element, for example of polyurethane foam, is itself electrically insulating.

[0080] According to a preferred embodiment, the intrinsically conductive polymer is selected from the group comprising:

[0081] - Polythiophene and polythiophene derivatives;

[0082] - Polyacetylene and polyacetylene derivatives;

[0083] - Polyaniline and its derivatives;

[0084] - Polypyrrole and polypyrrole derivatives;

[0085] - Poly(p-phenylene vinylene) and its derivatives;

[0086] - Polyphenylene sulfide and its derivatives;

[0087] - Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and derivatives of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene);

[0088] - poly(metal-ethylene disulfate) and poly(metal-ethylene tetrasulfate), and in particular poly(nickel-ethylene disulfate) poly(nickel-ethylene tetrasulfate), and derivatives thereof;

[0089] - polypyrrolopyrrole diketoside and derivatives of polypyrrolopyrrole diketoside;

[0090] - Polyisoindigo and its derivatives;

[0091] - Polyperylene imide and its derivatives.

[0092] Intrinsically conductive polymers can be combined with one another as polymer mixtures or blends.

[0093] Intrinsically conductive polymers may be filled with organic and / or inorganic particles, such as carbon-based particles, that enhance thermoelectric properties or inorganic semiconductors with high Seebeck coefficient values.

[0094] The intrinsically conductive polymer introduced into the first block 3a (p-type region) and the second block 3b (n-type region) may be the same or different.

[0095] The intrinsically conductive polymer may be chemically altered (eg by means of oxidation techniques and / or reduction techniques) to produce p-type and n-type regions in the first and second blocks 3a, 3b, respectively.

[0096] Alternatively, the intrinsically conductive polymer may be doped with electron donating groups or electron withdrawing groups to produce p-type and n-type regions in the first and second blocks 3a, 3b, respectively.

[0097] The intrinsically conductive polymer is introduced into the foam element 1 by coating or impregnating cells of said foam element 1 with the intrinsically conductive polymer.

[0098] In particular, the cells of the foam element 1 may be partially coated / impregnated with the conductive polymer or also completely coated / impregnated with the conductive polymer.

[0099] Alternatively, the intrinsically conductive polymer is introduced into the compositional formulation of the foam, thereby obtaining a foam element filled with the intrinsically conductive polymer in a single step without the need for additional coating or impregnation steps and with a corresponding reduction in production time.

[0100] The foam element 1 further comprises: a plurality of first electrodes 7a, wherein the plurality of first electrodes 7a are connected at the end of the block member facing the first surface 1a of the foam element. Figure 2 The adjacent blocks 3a, 3b of the unit shown in FIG. 1 are connected to each other; and a plurality of second electrodes 7b, the plurality of second electrodes 7b at the end of the block facing the second surface 1b of the foam element ( Figure 2 Adjacent blocks 3a, 3b of adjacent units (not shown) are connected to each other.

[0101] According to the usual mode of the Peltier element, and as Figure 2 It can be seen that a pair of adjacent blocks 3a, 3b connected to an electrode at one of the ends are not connected to each other at their opposite ends (at Figure 2 In the embodiment, adjacent blocks 3a, 3b are connected to each other at their ends facing the first face 1a of the foam element by a first electrode 7a, and adjacent blocks 3a, 3b are not connected at their opposite ends facing the second face 1b of the foam element).

[0102] The first electrode 7a and the second electrode 7b can be made according to any technique known to those skilled in the art. For example, the first electrode 7a and the second electrode 7b can be made as metal elements, or by using conductive ink.

[0103] The heating / cooling device further comprises means for applying a voltage difference between the first electrode 7a and the second electrode 7b. Said means may also be incorporated in the foam element 1 or said means may be arranged outside said element and electrically connected to the first electrode 7a and the second electrode 7b.

[0104] By applying a voltage difference between the first electrode 7a and the second electrode 7b, a temperature increase can be obtained at one of the faces 1a, 1b of the foam element 1 (the warm side of the Peltier element) and a corresponding temperature decrease can be obtained at the opposite side 1b, 1a (the cold side of the Peltier element) of the foam element 1. By reversing the polarity of the applied voltage, the warm and cold sides of the Peltier element can be reversed accordingly.

[0105] With particular reference to the first face 1a of the foam element 1 facing the user, by applying a voltage with an appropriate polarity it will be possible to heat said first face when required, while by applying a voltage with an opposite polarity it will be possible to cool said first face when required.

[0106] The foam element 1 comprises, at its first face 1 a facing the user and outside the first electrode 7 a , a flat element 9 made of a thermally conductive material and allowing the temperature of the foam element at said first face to be made uniform and even.

[0107] In contrast, the foam element 1 comprises a heat sink 11 on its second face 1 b facing away from the user and outside the second electrode 7 b.

[0108] The heating / cooling device further comprises a control unit 13 configured to control the operation of the device, in particular the supply voltage supplied to the first electrode 7a and the second electrode 7b (including of course the polarity of said supply voltage).

[0109] The control unit 13 may also be integrated in the foam element 1 or the control unit 13 may be arranged outside the foam element and connected (by means of a wired connection or in a wireless manner) to other components of the heating / cooling device.

[0110] Preferably, the heating / cooling device is equipped with a network of temperature sensors capable of providing the control unit 13 with the information required for controlling the supply voltage supplied to the first and second electrodes such that a desired temperature is obtained at the first face 1 a of the foam element 1 .

[0111] The sensor network ( Figure 2 ) may include:

[0112] - the network of sensors ( Figure 2 ) may include:

[0113] - a temperature sensor arranged at the first face 1 a of the foam element;

[0114] - a temperature sensor arranged at the second face 1 b of the foam element;

[0115] - a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the vehicle's cockpit;

[0116] - A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature outside the vehicle.

[0117] Thanks to the information from said sensors, the control unit will not only be able to supply appropriate voltages to the electrodes 7a, 7b, but it will also be able to control the temperature values ​​at opposite sides of the foam element and the difference between these temperature values, so that correct operation of the heating / cooling device and in particular correct utilization of the Peltier effect is ensured.

[0118] It is obvious that the detailed description provided above has been given by way of example and that several changes and variations may be made without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0119] In detail, the materials used to make the foam element, the nature and concentration of the intrinsically conductive polymer and the specific structural features of the electrodes and the circuits connected thereto can be selected by those skilled in the art based on their knowledge, depending on the specific application and the desired performance.

[0120] Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to various components of a vehicle cockpit, including not only vehicle seats but also inner panels of vehicle doors, ceilings of vehicle cockpits, cover panels of vehicle instrument panels, and the like.

Claims

1. A vehicle cockpit component (100) of the type comprising at least a cushion (20a, 20b) and / or a decoration (40a, 40b, 40c), wherein: At least one of the padding (20a, 20b) and the trim (40a, 40b, 40c) comprises at least a foam element (1), which at least at one or more regions of the padding or the trim respectively constitutes the padding or the trim of the vehicle cockpit component, wherein the foam element comprises a first face (1a) facing the space inside the cockpit and a second face (1b) opposite to the first face, wherein the vehicle cockpit component comprises a heating and cooling device, characterized in that the foam element (1) comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer (ICP), which is treated so as to form alternating p-type regions and n-type regions in the foam element, and the heating and cooling device comprises: a first electrode (7a) arranged at the first face (1a) of the foam element and a second electrode (7b) arranged at the second face (1b) of the foam element, and a device for supplying a supply voltage to the first electrode (1a) and the second electrode (7b), the polarity of which is reversible.

2. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The foam element (1) is divided into a plurality of first blocks (3a) and a plurality of second blocks (3b), wherein the plurality of first blocks (3a) extend from the first face of the foam element to the second face of the foam element, and the plurality of second blocks (3b) also extend from the first face of the foam element to the second face of the foam element, wherein the first blocks (3a) and the second blocks (3b) alternate with each other according to a "chessboard" arrangement and are separated from each other by gaps (5), and wherein, in the first blocks (3a), the intrinsically conductive polymer is processed to obtain a p-type region, and in the second blocks (3b), the intrinsically conductive polymer is processed to obtain an n-type region.

3. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The gap (5) is empty, or the gap (5) is filled with a foam that does not contain an intrinsically conductive polymer.

4. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The first electrode (7a) connects adjacent blocks (3a, 3b) to each other at the end of the block facing the first surface (1a) of the foam element, and the second electrode (7b) connects adjacent blocks (3a, 3b) to each other at the end of the block facing the second surface (1b) of the foam element, each pair of blocks formed by a first block and an adjacent second block being connected only by means of the first electrode or only by means of the second electrode.

5. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The foam element (1) comprises a flat element (9) made of a thermally conductive material at a first face (1a) of the foam element (1) and outside the first electrode (7a), the flat element (9) being arranged to make the temperature of the foam element at the first face uniform and even.

6. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The foam element (1) comprises a heat sink (11) at a second face (1b) of the foam element (1) and outside the second electrode (7b).

7. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The heating and cooling device further comprises a control unit (13) configured to control the operation of the device, ie the supply voltage supplied to the first electrode (7a) and the second electrode (7b).

8. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to claim 7, wherein: The heating and cooling device further comprises a network of temperature sensors arranged to provide the control unit (13) with temperature measurements performed by the network of temperature sensors, and the network of temperature sensors comprises a temperature sensor arranged at the first face of the foam element, a temperature sensor arranged at the second face of the foam element, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the vehicle's cabin and / or a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature outside the vehicle's cabin.

9. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The foam element comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer selected from the group comprising: - Polythiophene and polythiophene derivatives; - Polyacetylene and polyacetylene derivatives; - Polyaniline and its derivatives; - Polypyrrole and polypyrrole derivatives; - Poly(p-phenylene vinylene) and its derivatives; - Polyphenylene sulfide and its derivatives; - Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and derivatives of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene); - poly(metal-ethylene disulfate) and poly(metal-ethylene tetrasulfate), and in particular poly(nickel-ethylene disulfate) poly(nickel-ethylene tetrasulfate), and derivatives thereof; - polypyrrolopyrrole diketoside and derivatives of polypyrrolopyrrole diketoside; - Polyisoindigo and its derivatives; - Polyperylene imide and its derivatives; or a combination of these polymers.

10. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The foam element comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer filled with organic and / or inorganic particles.

11. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The intrinsically conductive polymer treated so as to form alternating p-type and n-type regions within the foam element is chemically altered by means of oxidation techniques and / or reduction techniques in order to obtain the p-type regions and the n-type regions.

12. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The intrinsically conductive polymer treated to form alternating p-type and n-type regions within the foam element is doped with electron donating groups or electron withdrawing groups to obtain the p-type regions and the n-type regions.

13. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The cells of the foam element (1) are partially coated and / or impregnated with the intrinsically conductive polymer or are fully coated and / or impregnated with the intrinsically conductive polymer.

14. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The intrinsically conductive polymer is introduced as a component into the composition formulation of the foam element (1).

15. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The foam element (1) constitutes the trim (40a, 40b, 40c) of the vehicle cockpit component at least in one or more regions of the trim, wherein the trim (40a, 40b, 40c) is provided with a layer (44a, 44b, 44c) of an outer aesthetic material and wherein the foam element is directly coupled to the layer (44a, 44b, 44c) of the outer aesthetic material.

16. The vehicle cockpit component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The vehicle cockpit component is a vehicle seat, a portion of a vehicle seat, a vehicle door inner panel, a roof or an instrument panel covering panel.

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