Temperature distribution detection sensor, steering wheel, and steering temperature control system

Abstract

To detect temperature distribution of a thin and curved part and a part which is invisible from outside.SOLUTION: A temperature distribution detection sensor 1 includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements 2 which change their output voltages by power generation due a temperature change and are arranged in a sheet-like shape, and can detect temperature distribution within a range where the plurality of thermoelectric elements 2 are arranged, on the basis of the change of the output voltages from the plurality of thermoelectric elements 2. A steering wheel 10 includes a rim part 11 holdable by a driver, wherein the rim part 11 has a temperature distribution detection sensor 1, temperature distribution in the rim part 11 is detected by the temperature distribution detection sensor 1, which enables the driver to detect a holding position where the rim part 11 is held.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This technique relates to a temperature distribution detection sensor, a steering wheel to which this temperature distribution detection sensor is applied, and a steering temperature control system to which this steering wheel is applied. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, steering wheels for vehicles that incorporate Peltier elements, which are thermoelectric conversion elements arranged in series or parallel, are known for heating or cooling the steering wheel (see Patent Document 1). Peltier elements have the property that the heat absorption surface and the heat dissipation surface are interchanged by reversing the polarity of the applied voltage, making it possible to alternate between heating and cooling one surface and the other surface. In this steering wheel, a temperature sensor measures the temperature of the steering wheel, and if it deviates from a set temperature, a voltage is applied to the Peltier element to heat or cool the steering wheel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-120353 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the steering wheel described in Patent Document 1, all Peltier elements heat or cool simultaneously, so that even the parts not held by the driver are heated or cooled, resulting in poor energy efficiency. Here, it is conceivable to provide a sensor capable of detecting the part of the steering wheel held by the driver, and to heat or cool only the part held by the driver. However, for example, when detecting the temperature distribution on the surface of the steering wheel, it is difficult to apply a device such as a thermograph, because the steering wheel is thin and curved, and the part held by the driver cannot be seen from the outside. For this reason, it has been desired to be able to detect the temperature distribution of, for example, a thin and curved part such as a steering wheel, or a part that cannot be seen from the outside.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a temperature distribution detection sensor capable of detecting the temperature distribution in thin, curved areas or areas that cannot be seen from the outside, and a steering wheel and steering temperature control system that utilize the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a temperature distribution detection sensor that generates electricity in response to temperature changes or temperature differences, thereby changing its output voltage, and is equipped with a number of thermoelectric elements arranged in a sheet-like form, enabling detection of the temperature distribution in the area in which the multiple thermoelectric elements are arranged based on the change in output voltage from the multiple thermoelectric elements.

[0007] A steering wheel according to one aspect of the present invention is a steering wheel equipped with a gripping portion that can be gripped by a driver, the gripping portion having the above-mentioned temperature distribution detection sensor, and by detecting the temperature distribution in the gripping portion using the temperature distribution detection sensor, it is possible to detect the gripping position at which the driver is gripping the gripping portion.

[0008] A steering temperature control system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the above-described steering wheel and a control unit that controls the current flowing to the thermoelectric element from a power source capable of supplying current to the thermoelectric element, and the control unit detects the gripping position based on the temperature distribution detected by the temperature distribution detection sensor, and adjusts the temperature of the gripping position by flowing current from the power source to the thermoelectric element arranged at the gripping position. Effect of the Invention

[0009] It is possible to detect temperature distribution in thin, curved areas or areas that cannot be seen from the outside. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a temperature distribution detection sensor in a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a steering wheel according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a temperature distribution detection sensor according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a control system of a steering temperature adjustment system in a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of a steering temperature adjustment system in a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a time chart showing the operation of the steering temperature adjustment system in the second embodiment, where (a) is during heating and (b) is during cooling. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] <First embodiment> A first embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. As the first embodiment, a temperature distribution detection sensor will be described. The temperature distribution detection sensor 1 has a plurality of thermoelectric elements 2 and a sheet material 3. The plurality of thermoelectric elements 2 are fixed to the sheet material 3 by adhesion or the like using the sheet material 3 as a base material. For example, a flexible resin sheet such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyvinyl chloride can be used as the sheet material 3. The sheet material 3 is a set of two sheets, and the thermoelectric element 2 is sandwiched between the two sheets. However, the sheet material 3 is not limited to two sheets, and the thermoelectric element 2 may be provided on one side or both sides of a single sheet. Alternatively, the sheet material 3 may be configured to connect adjacent thermoelectric elements 2 to each other without using the sheet material 3.

[0012] In this embodiment, the thermoelectric elements 2 are arranged in such a way that a plurality of straight lines are arranged in parallel, with five short sides and eight long sides, for a total of 40 elements. The thermoelectric elements 2 are square-shaped, and adjacent thermoelectric elements 2 are arranged with a slight gap between them. In this embodiment, the thermoelectric elements 2 are arranged in such a way that a plurality of straight lines are arranged in parallel, but this is not limited to this. For example, the thermoelectric elements 2 may be arranged in a single straight line or curved line, or may be arranged in such a way that the thermoelectric elements 2 are located at the vertices of continuous triangles or hexagons. In either case, the thermoelectric elements 2 are arranged in a sheet-like manner by being laid out in a planar manner. Moreover, since the sheet material 3 is flexible, the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 as a whole is flexible, and can be provided in close contact with the installation target or measurement target, thereby enabling more accurate detection. In addition, in this embodiment, the thermoelectric element 2 is described as being square, but this is not limited to this and may be rectangular, quadrilateral, other polygonal, circular including perfect circle and ellipse, or the like, as appropriate.

[0013] In this embodiment, a tertiary battery is used as the thermoelectric element 2. The tertiary battery is an element that generates electricity by temperature change and charges. The tertiary battery is configured to have a positive electrode and a negative electrode made of materials with different temperature characteristics, and an electrolyte filled between them. The positive electrode and the negative electrode are electrically connected to a detection circuit (not shown), and the power of the tertiary battery is supplied to the detection circuit.

[0014] By the way, as an element that generates electricity by heat, for example, a thermoelectric element such as a Peltier element can be considered. However, a thermoelectric element such as a Peltier element utilizes the temperature difference between two electrodes, and it is difficult to generate electricity in a structure in which two electrodes are arranged in the same temperature zone. In contrast, the tertiary battery in this embodiment uses materials with different temperature characteristics for the positive and negative electrodes, and generates electricity by generating an electromotive force difference due to temperature changes in the same part, and has a charging function itself. For such electrodes, for example, a cobalt Prussian blue analogue is used, and the temperature characteristics can be made different by changing the composition. A tertiary battery can generate electricity by generating an electromotive force difference whether the temperature rises or falls, that is, it can be charged regardless of the temperature change. In addition, the electrolyte of the tertiary battery is not limited to a liquid, but can be formed into a powder or paste, so it can be formed into a thin film (sheet).

[0015] In this embodiment, the occurrence of a temperature change in the tertiary battery can be detected by electrically detecting the voltage generated by the tertiary battery. That is, the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 of this embodiment utilizes the property of the tertiary battery generating electricity in response to temperature changes to detect each temperature change in each of the thermoelectric elements 2 arranged in a line, thereby making it possible to detect the temperature distribution in the area where the multiple thermoelectric elements 2 are arranged based on the change in output voltage from the multiple thermoelectric elements 2.

[0016] The function of detecting temperature distribution by the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, it is assumed that an object 4 with a temperature higher than room temperature is placed on the temperature distribution detection sensor 1, which is placed at room temperature. At this time, a large temperature change occurs in the thermoelectric element 2a (shown by cross-hatching) located directly below the center of the object 4, generating a large voltage. Meanwhile, a smaller temperature change occurs in the thermoelectric element 2b (shown by parallel hatching) located directly below the periphery other than the center of the object 4, generating a smaller voltage than the thermoelectric element 2a shown by the cross-hatching.

[0017] More specifically, in the thermoelectric element 2 shown in FIG. 1, the thermoelectric element 2c that is neither hatched nor cross-hatched detects, for example, 0V, which corresponds to a temperature of 20°C. The hatched thermoelectric element 2b detects a voltage of 7V, which corresponds to a temperature of 27°C. The cross-hatched thermoelectric element 2a detects a voltage of 12V, which corresponds to a temperature of 32°C. In this way, the generated voltages of the thermoelectric elements 2a, 2b, and the other thermoelectric elements 2c are detected, and the corresponding distribution is displayed two-dimensionally, so that the temperature distribution in the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 can be visualized on a monitor connected thereto.

[0018] As described above, according to the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 of this embodiment, since the multiple thermoelectric elements 2 are arranged in a sheet shape, it is possible to detect and visualize the temperature distribution. Since the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 is in a sheet shape, it can be installed even in target areas where thermography cannot be applied, such as thin, curved areas and areas that cannot be seen from the outside, such as enclosed spaces, and it becomes possible to detect the temperature distribution.

[0019] Moreover, according to the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 of this embodiment, the thermoelectric element 2 is a tertiary battery that charges by generating electricity due to temperature changes. Therefore, unlike a Peltier element, there is no need to generate a temperature difference between the two surfaces, and electricity can be generated by the temperature change of the entire element including the two surfaces of the thermoelectric element 2, so that more accurate temperature detection can be realized.

[0020] The temperature distribution detection sensor 1 of this embodiment can be applied to two-dimensional temperature distribution detection in general, but can also be applied to thin, curved, and invisible parts, such as the grip position of a driver on a steering wheel of a vehicle, which will be described later. It can also be applied to detection of a part of a vehicle seat where a driver touches the seat, or detection of the temperature distribution on the surface of a vehicle body or wind distribution on the surface. Furthermore, the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 can be wrapped around a part of the subject's body or the subject can lie on the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 to detect the body temperature distribution of the subject.

[0021] In the above embodiment, a tertiary battery is used as the thermoelectric element 2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Any element that generates power due to a temperature change or a temperature difference and changes its output voltage may be used, for example, a Peltier element. That is, the temperature distribution detection sensor is capable of detecting the temperature distribution in the range where the thermoelectric elements are arranged based on the change in output voltage from the thermoelectric elements. The Peltier element has two surfaces, a first surface and a second surface, and is a device that transfers heat by applying a voltage between the two surfaces, with one surface acting as a heat absorption surface and the other as a heat dissipation surface, and enables heat exchange in a small space without a mechanical mechanism. In addition, the Peltier element has a characteristic that the heat absorption surface and the heat dissipation surface are interchanged by reversing the polarity of the applied voltage, and it is possible to switch between cooling and heating on one side.

[0022] When a temperature difference occurs between the first and second surfaces of the Peltier element due to heat applied from the outside, the Peltier element can generate electricity between the first and second surfaces. By electrically detecting this generated voltage, it is possible to detect the occurrence of a temperature difference between the first and second surfaces of the Peltier element. Based on this temperature difference, it is possible to detect the temperature distribution in the area where the multiple thermoelectric elements are arranged.

[0023] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 to 6. In this embodiment, the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 described as the first embodiment is applied to a steering wheel 10 for a vehicle.

[0024] The steering wheel 10 is a handle equipped on a general vehicle, and has a circular rim portion 11, a hub portion 12, and spoke portions 13. The rim portion 11 is an example of a grip portion that can be gripped by a driver, and is formed with a core metal as a skeleton. The core metal of the steering wheel 10 is made of metal, and is generally provided over almost the entire circumference of the rim portion. The core metal is also embedded inside the spoke portions 13 and in the hub portion 12, and is usually made of iron or aluminum. The core metal of the rim portion 11 is often made of a hollow pipe or a metal body with a horseshoe-shaped cross section. The core metal is provided around the entire core metal in a manner that covers it. This is because the temperature inside a general vehicle varies greatly from cold to hot, and in summer, it is directly exposed to the direct sunlight under the blazing sun, and in winter, the temperature drops, so that by covering the entire vehicle with the insulation material, the influence of this is alleviated as much as possible. Generally, low-foaming urethane or the like is used as the material for the insulation material. The insulation material is covered with a surface layer material. The surface layer is provided for the purpose of wrapping the core metal wrapped in the insulating material, and is made of, for example, resin, synthetic leather, or real leather.

[0025] In this embodiment, the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 is interposed in a layer between the heat insulating material and the surface material. In FIG. 2, the surface material is omitted, and the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 is shown exposed to the outside. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the thermoelectric elements 2 are arranged in a square shape, with 5 short sides and 100 long sides, for a total of 500 elements, and are arranged with a small gap between adjacent thermoelectric elements 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 is attached so that the short side is wrapped around the direction in which the driver grips the rim portion 11 of the steering wheel 10 (wrapping the fingers), and the long side is wrapped around the direction in which the steering wheel 10 is rotated. In this way, the rim portion 11 has the temperature distribution detection sensor 1, and the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 detects the temperature distribution in the rim portion 11, making it possible to detect the gripping position where the driver grips the rim portion 11. In this embodiment, a total of 500 thermoelectric elements 2 are arranged, with 5 on the short sides and 100 on the long sides, but this is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate to suit the installation location.

[0026] Next, a steering temperature adjustment system 20 using the steering wheel 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the steering temperature adjustment system 20 has the steering wheel 10, a control unit 21, and a driver circuit 22 interposed between the thermoelectric element 2 and a power source 30 of the vehicle. For example, an auxiliary battery of the vehicle is used as the power source 30. The driver circuit 22 supplies the power supplied from the power source 30 to the thermoelectric element 2 in accordance with an instruction signal from the control unit 21. In this embodiment, the control unit 21 and the driver circuit 22 are mounted on, for example, one board. However, this is not limited to this, and the control unit 21 and the driver circuit 22 may be mounted on separate boards.

[0027] The control unit 21 is an ECU and controls the current flowing from a power source 30 capable of supplying current to the thermoelectric element 2 to the thermoelectric element 2. The control unit 21 detects the gripping position based on the temperature distribution detected by the temperature distribution detection sensor 1, and adjusts the temperature at the gripping position by supplying a current from the power source 30 to the thermoelectric element 2 arranged at the gripping position.

[0028] Here, we will explain the relationship between temperature change and charging for the tertiary battery used as the thermoelectric element 2 of the temperature distribution detection sensor 1. In this embodiment, the tertiary battery can execute a Seebeck mode in which the temperature is detected from the voltage generated by the Seebeck effect during voltage detection, and a Peltier mode in which heating or cooling is performed by applying a current and using the Peltier effect.

[0029] In the Seebeck mode, the energy flows from the driver's hand to the thermoelectric element 2. Regarding the mechanism of the charging phenomenon of the tertiary battery in the Seebeck mode, when the voltage is detected by the Seebeck effect, no current flows between the electrodes, so no discharge from the tertiary battery to the outside occurs. In addition, in the Peltier mode, the energy flows from the power source 30 to the driver's hand via the thermoelectric element 2. Regarding charging and discharging by applying an external voltage to the tertiary battery in the Peltier mode, the application of an external voltage during heating or cooling by the Peltier effect promotes the oxidation-reduction reaction at both electrodes, so the battery is actively charged or discharged.

[0030] The temperature control of the steering wheel 10 by the steering temperature control system 20 will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 5. The control unit 21 judges whether or not the vehicle's power switch is on (step S1). If the control unit 21 judges that the vehicle's power switch is on (step S1: YES), it judges whether or not the temperature control switch of the steering wheel 10 is on (step S2). If the control unit 21 judges that the vehicle's power switch is not on (step S1: NO) or that the temperature control switch of the steering wheel 10 is not on (step S2: NO), it ends the process.

[0031] In this embodiment, the temperature control switch is set to automatically turn off after a predetermined time, for example, 15 minutes or 30 minutes, after it is turned on. This is because the room temperature reaches the set temperature after a predetermined time has elapsed after the start of driving, and the steering wheel 10 also becomes equivalent to the room temperature. This makes it possible to avoid operating the temperature control function more than necessary, and to suppress unnecessary energy consumption. Note that the temperature control switch may be set so that it does not automatically turn off after a predetermined time.

[0032] When the control unit 21 determines that the temperature control switch of the steering wheel 10 is in the on state (YES in step S2), it starts voltage detection by the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 (step S3). That is, the Seebeck mode is started. The control unit 21 determines whether or not there is a change in voltage in any of the thermoelectric elements 2 (step S4). Here, when the driver grips the steering wheel 10 and the temperature changes at the gripping position, power is generated in the thermoelectric element 2 provided at the gripping position, and this is detected by the control unit 21. At this time, in the part not gripped by the driver, there is no temperature change due to the driver's grip, so power is not generated in the thermoelectric element 2. Therefore, the control unit 21 can detect the gripping position of the driver by detecting the voltage change of each thermoelectric element 2.

[0033] The control unit 21 judges whether or not there is a change in voltage in any of the thermoelectric elements 2 (step S4). When the control unit 21 judges that there is no change in voltage in any of the thermoelectric elements 2 (step S4: NO), it executes the judgment again. When the control unit 21 judges that there is a change in voltage in any of the thermoelectric elements 2 (step S4: YES), it starts applying a voltage from the power source 30 to the thermoelectric element 2 (step S5). When the driver grips the steering wheel 10 and the temperature of the steering wheel 10 changes, it is judged that there is a change in voltage in one or more thermoelectric elements 2 at the gripping position. In the thermoelectric element 2, the Peltier mode is started. As a result, the thermoelectric element 2 is heated or cooled, and the temperature of the gripping position of the rim portion 11 is adjusted to a preset temperature, improving the discomfort of the driver feeling hot or cold when gripping the steering wheel 10.

[0034] The control unit 21 judges whether or not there is a voltage change in the thermoelectric element 2 other than the thermoelectric element 2 whose temperature is being adjusted (step S6). When the control unit 21 judges that there is no voltage change in the thermoelectric element 2 other than the thermoelectric element 2 whose temperature is being adjusted (step S6: NO), it executes the judgment again. When the control unit 21 judges that there is a voltage change in the thermoelectric element 2 other than the thermoelectric element 2 whose temperature is being adjusted (step S6: YES), it stops the voltage application from the power source 30 to the thermoelectric element 2 whose temperature is being adjusted (step S7). That is, the Peltier mode is stopped in the thermoelectric element 2. This stops the heating or cooling of the thermoelectric element 2 whose temperature is judged to have been released by the driver, and it is possible to avoid unnecessary voltage application. After that, it is judged again whether or not there is a voltage change in the thermoelectric element 2 (step S4).

[0035] In the above-mentioned flowchart, the temperature control continues unless the gripping stops, but this is not limited to this. The temperature control may be automatically stopped after a predetermined time (e.g., one minute) has elapsed, and the temperature control may be restarted if the gripping is detected again.

[0036] Here, the voltage transition when the steering wheel 10 is heated or cooled by the thermoelectric element 2 will be described using the time charts in Figures 6(a) and (b). Here, it is assumed that the output is 0 V when the thermoelectric element 2 is at 20°C. Also, when the steering wheel 10 is heated or cooled, the thermoelectric element 2 is in Peltier mode, and considering energy conservation, in the Peltier mode, energy is obtained from the power source 30, so heat is input to the tertiary battery (energy is received).

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6(a), for example, in winter, when the temperature of the steering wheel 10 before driving is lower than 20° C., the voltage is V1, which is lower than 0V. Then, when the driver grips the steering wheel 10 and the thermoelectric element 2 is heated, the voltage exceeds 0V and reaches a preset voltage V2, so that the part where the thermoelectric element 2 is placed is determined to be the gripping position, and a current is applied to the thermoelectric element 2 to start temperature control (here, heating) as preset (t1). Note that the preset voltage V2 is not limited to a voltage corresponding to an absolute temperature, and may be a voltage corresponding to a relative temperature, such as a temperature 10° C. higher than the temperature corresponding to V1. Then, when it is determined that the driver has released his / her hand, the heating is stopped (t2). That is, a current is applied during the period from t1 to t2, and heating is performed. After the driver releases his / her hand, the temperature of the thermoelectric element 2 drops according to the room temperature, so the voltage also drops.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 6(b), for example, in the summer, when the temperature of the steering wheel 10 before driving is higher than 20° C. and lower than the temperature of the hand, the voltage becomes V3, which is higher than 0 V. Then, when the driver grips the steering wheel 10 and the thermoelectric element 2 is heated, the voltage rises, and when it reaches a preset voltage V4, the part where the thermoelectric element 2 is arranged is determined to be the gripping position, and a current is applied to the thermoelectric element 2, and temperature control (cooling here) is started as preset (t3). Note that the preset voltage V4 is not limited to a voltage corresponding to an absolute temperature, and may be a voltage corresponding to a relative temperature, such as a temperature 10° C. higher than the temperature corresponding to V3. Then, when it is determined that the driver has released his / her hand, the cooling is stopped (t4). That is, a current is applied during the period from t3 to t4, and cooling is performed. After the driver releases his / her hand, the temperature of the thermoelectric element 2 rises according to the room temperature, and the voltage also rises.

[0039] Also, for example, when the driver is holding the steering wheel 10 with both hands, if a temperature change in another part of the thermoelectric element 2 is detected in step S4, it is necessary to determine whether the driver has switched hands. In this case, for example, if the other part of the thermoelectric element 2 is located on the right half of the steering wheel 10, it can be determined that the right hand has been switched, and if it is located on the left half of the steering wheel 10, it can be determined that the left hand has been switched.

[0040] Also, if the driver changes his / her grip and then returns to the original position, it is not possible to determine whether or not the thermoelectric element 2 is being held by simply detecting the voltage change, unlike the thermoelectric element 2 that was not held from the beginning. In this case, as shown in Figure 6(a), if the driver releases his / her hand at t2 and does not hold the thermoelectric element, the voltage will drop (shown by the solid line in the figure), but if the driver holds the thermoelectric element again, the behavior will change, such as the temperature rising again halfway through, and the voltage transition will also change (shown by the dashed line in the figure). In this way, by detecting the difference in the voltage slope, it is possible to detect that the thermoelectric element has been held again.

[0041] As described above, according to the steering wheel 10 of this embodiment, the rim portion 11 has the temperature distribution detection sensor 1, so it is possible to detect the gripping position where the driver grips the rim portion 11. Therefore, by using the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 and another heater, it is possible to detect the gripping position and regulate the temperature of only the gripping position. Also, because the temperature distribution detection sensor 1 is sheet-shaped, it is possible to provide a gripping position detection means without making the steering wheel 10 thicker.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the steering temperature adjustment system 20 of this embodiment, the control unit 21 detects the gripping position based on the temperature distribution detected by the temperature distribution detection sensor 1, and adjusts the temperature at the gripping position by supplying a current from the power source 30 to the thermoelectric element 2 arranged at the gripping position. Therefore, since a current can be applied to the thermoelectric element 2 only at the gripping position, it is possible to suppress the wasteful consumption of energy caused by applying a current to the thermoelectric element 2 at positions other than the gripping position.

[0043] Furthermore, by using the thermoelectric element 2, it is possible to realize both temperature detection and temperature control functions with a single sheet, which reduces the increase in the number of parts compared to when temperature detection and temperature control are realized using separate components.

[0044] In addition, since the temperature can be controlled only at the gripping position, wasteful energy consumption can be reduced even if the temperature control means are provided on the entire circumference of the steering wheel 10. Therefore, in a case where all temperature control means are operated simultaneously and the temperature control means are provided only on a part of the steering wheel to save power, according to this embodiment, the thermoelectric elements 2 can be provided on the entire circumference of the steering wheel 10, so that the driver can get a comfortable temperature-controlled feeling no matter where he grips the steering wheel 10.

[0045] In the above embodiment, a tertiary battery is used as the thermoelectric element 2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Any element that generates power due to a temperature change or a temperature difference and changes the output voltage may be used, for example, a Peltier element may be used. That is, the temperature distribution detection sensor is capable of detecting the temperature distribution in the range where the multiple thermoelectric elements are arranged based on the change in the output voltage from the multiple thermoelectric elements. When the Peltier element is used, the gripping position can be heated by passing a current in the same direction in the Peltier mode as the direction of the current flowing between the first surface and the second surface when the steering wheel 10 is heated by the driver's grip in the Basec mode, and the gripping position can be cooled by passing a current in the opposite direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1... temperature distribution detection sensor, 2... thermoelectric element, 10... steering wheel, 11... rim portion (grip portion), 20... steering temperature control system, 21... control unit, 30... power supply

Claims

1. A temperature sensor that generates power in response to a temperature change or a temperature difference, thereby changing an output voltage, and includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements arranged in a sheet shape, and enables detection of a temperature distribution in an area in which the plurality of thermoelectric elements are arranged based on a change in output voltage from the plurality of thermoelectric elements. Temperature distribution detection sensor.

2. A steering wheel having a gripping portion that can be gripped by a driver, The gripping portion has the temperature distribution detection sensor according to claim 1, The temperature distribution detection sensor detects the temperature distribution in the grip portion, thereby enabling the driver to detect the grip position of the grip portion. Steering wheel.

3. A steering wheel according to claim 2; A control unit that controls a current flowing to the thermoelectric element from a power source capable of supplying a current to the thermoelectric element, The control unit detects the gripping position based on the temperature distribution detected by the temperature distribution detection sensor, and adjusts the temperature of the gripping position by supplying a current from the power source to the thermoelectric element disposed at the gripping position. Steering temperature control system.

4. The thermoelectric element is a tertiary battery that charges by generating electricity due to temperature changes. The temperature distribution detection sensor according to claim 1 .

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