Seat heaters and seats with built-in seat heaters

Abstract

To provide a seat with a built-in seat heater that can inhibit a substrate from being broken.SOLUTION: A seat 1 with a built-in seat heater includes: a seat 10; and a seat heater 20 built in the seat 10. The seat heater 20 includes: a substrate 40; a heater wire 45 sewn at a surface of the substrate 40; and a control device 52 electrically connected to the heater wire 45. The control device 52 includes: a circuit board 52a; and a circuit component 52b mounted to the circuit board 52a. A projection 42 disposed on an end edge side of the seat 10 is installed in an end of the substrate 40. The circuit board 52a is disposed in the projection 42. The projection 42 is fixed while being inserted into a slot 70 which is provided on the end edge side of the seat 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heating system for heating seats installed in, for example, a vehicle. Seat heaters and This relates to seats with built-in seat heaters. [Background technology]

[0002] A seat heater for warming a seat provided in a vehicle has been proposed as a heating device for the seat. The seat heater has a seat heater control unit disposed in the center of the car seat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2001-524705 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the seat heater of Patent Document 1, the hard board, circuit components, etc. constituting the control device, which is the seat heater control unit, are arranged on a flexible base material, and therefore there is a risk that the base material may be damaged by repeated stress and vibration applied to the base material when the user sits down and leaves the seat.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a seat heater that can suppress damage to the base material. Ta etc. The purpose is to provide. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A seat heater according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a seat heater built into a seat, and includes a base material, a heater wire disposed on the base material, and a control device electrically connected to the heater wire, the control device having a board and circuit components mounted on the board, the base material having a base body and a protruding portion protruding from a central portion of an edge of the base body and disposed on the edge side of the seat, the board being disposed on the protruding portion, a connector insertion hole is formed in a portion facing an insertion portion into which a second connector that fits with the first connector is inserted; The protrusion is accommodated in a receiving portion provided on the edge side of the seat.

[0007] Some of these specific aspects may be realized using a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized using any combination of a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The seat heater of the present disclosure Ta et al. According to this, damage to the base material can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a seat with a built-in seat heater according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the seat with a built-in seat heater taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the seat heater and the flat cable according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control device for a seat with an internal seat heater according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the flat cable taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the seat heater and the flat cable in the second embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing how a control device is wrapped with a protruding portion of a base material used in a seat heater. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a seat with a built-in seat heater in the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a control device is wrapped with a protruding portion of a base material used in a seat heater in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a seat with a built-in seat heater in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a seat with a built-in seat heater according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of the first temperature detector, the second temperature detector, and the control unit mounted on the board when the control unit is wrapped in a protruding portion of a base material used in the seat heater. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A seat with an integrated seat heater according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a seat and a seat heater integrated into the seat, the seat heater having a base material, a heater wire sewn onto the surface of the base material, and a control device electrically connected to the heater wire, the control device having a board and circuit components mounted on the board, a protrusion is provided on an end of the base material and positioned on the edge side of the seat, the board is positioned on the protrusion, and the protrusion is inserted and fixed into a slot provided on the edge side of the seat.

[0011] According to this, the slot is provided on the edge side of the seat, and the protrusion on which the substrate is arranged is housed in the slot. Therefore, even when a person sits in the seat, the protrusion is protected by the slot, so that the control device arranged on the protrusion is less likely to be subjected to stress. In addition, although vibration is transmitted to the control device arranged on the protrusion via the slot, the control device is fixed to the slot, so that the substrate of the control device is less likely to damage the base material.

[0012] Therefore, in the seat with the built-in seat heater, damage to the base material can be suppressed. As a result, in the seat with the built-in seat heater, the base material is less likely to be damaged even if the control device is subjected to repeated stress and vibration.

[0013] In particular, in seats equipped with built-in seat heaters, the slot and the control device are provided on the edge side of the seat, so that a person sitting in the seat is unlikely to feel uncomfortable.

[0014] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the circuit components include at least a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the seat heater, and a first connector that is electrically connected to a flat cable.

[0015] According to this, since the temperature detection unit and the first connector can be mounted as circuit components on the board and integrated, the number of components to be mounted on the base material side of the seat heater is unlikely to increase.

[0016] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the circuit components further include a switch element that turns on and off the power supplied to the seat heater.

[0017] This allows the switch element to be mounted and integrated onto the board as a circuit component, making it possible to create boards with control units mounted according to the vehicle model, and by simply mounting each board according to the vehicle model, it is possible to accommodate a variety of vehicle models.

[0018] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the circuit components further include a control unit that controls the switch element.

[0019] With this, the control unit can also be mounted and integrated onto the board as a circuit component, so that boards with control units mounted thereon can be created according to the vehicle model, and a wide variety of vehicle models can be accommodated simply by installing each board according to the vehicle model.

[0020] In a seat with an integrated seat heater relating to another aspect of the present disclosure, the temperature detection unit is arranged on the edge of the substrate on the seat heater side, and the control unit is arranged on the edge of the substrate opposite the seat heater side.

[0021] According to this, the control unit can be located away from the seat heater, thereby making it possible to prevent malfunctions and breakdowns of the control unit due to unnecessary heating.

[0022] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the protrusion is sized to encase both sides of the substrate, and the substrate is inserted and fixed into the slot while being encased by the protrusion.

[0023] According to this, since the board and the circuit components are enclosed in the protruding portion, foreign matter is less likely to adhere to the board and the circuit components. Therefore, the seat with the built-in seat heater can suppress the occurrence of a short circuit in the control device.

[0024] Furthermore, the protruding portion encases the board and circuit components, and if the protruding portion is made of nonwoven fabric, it has excellent breathability, so that the seat with the built-in seat heater can ensure heat dissipation from the control device.

[0025] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the protruding portion has a connector insertion hole formed in a portion facing an insertion portion into which a second connector that fits with the first connector is inserted.

[0026] With this, the second connector of the flat cable can be inserted into the first connector while the substrate wrapped in the protrusion is inserted and fixed in the slot. This makes it less likely that the second connector and the flat cable in its vicinity will be subjected to vibrations from the vehicle. In addition, because the substrate is inserted and fixed in the slot, foreign matter is less likely to adhere to the substrate and circuit components.

[0027] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the second connector is a flat cable connector.

[0028] According to this, by using the flat cable connector, there is no need to connect a large connector to the control device, so that an increase in size of the seat with the built-in seat heater can be suppressed.

[0029] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the flat cable has a plurality of band-shaped ground wires arranged on both sides of the flat cable, and wiring other than the plurality of ground wires is arranged between two adjacent ones of the plurality of ground wires.

[0030] According to this, since the flat cable has a multi-layer structure sandwiched between ground wires, the flat cable itself has shielding properties and is less susceptible to the effects of external noise, which makes it less likely for a control device electrically connected to the flat cable to malfunction.

[0031] Furthermore, since the ground line can be disposed in close proximity to the control device via the flat cable connector, the control device is less susceptible to the effects of external noise.

[0032] Furthermore, by using a flat cable, the ground wire can be made wider, making the flat cable less susceptible to the effects of external noise, and making it lighter than commonly used coaxial cables.

[0033] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the end of the base material is provided with a plurality of protrusions formed in a rectangular shape and positioned on the edge side of the seat.

[0034] According to this, since the multiple protrusions can be fixed to the edge of the seat, the seat heater can be firmly fixed.

[0035] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a metal foil is provided on a second surface of the protrusion opposite to a first surface on which the substrate is arranged, and the metal foil is electrically connected to the ground of the control device.

[0036] According to this, the control device can be covered with the metal foil that is electrically connected to the ground of the control device. Therefore, even if disturbance noise occurs, the disturbance noise can reach the ground of the control device from the metal foil, so that the influence of the disturbance noise on the control device can be suppressed. Therefore, the noise resistance of the control device can be improved.

[0037] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the metal foil has a conductive portion extending from the second surface of the protrusion to the first surface, and the substrate has a ground pattern electrically connected to the ground, and the conductive portion is electrically connected to the ground pattern by the substrate being enveloped by the protrusion.

[0038] According to this, the electrical connection between the metal foil and the ground of the control device can be made by contact between the conductive portion of the metal foil and the ground pattern of the substrate, which facilitates the electrical connection between the metal foil and the ground of the control device, thereby easily improving the noise resistance of the control device.

[0039] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the protrusion has a metal foil provided on a second surface opposite to a first surface on which the substrate is arranged, and when the protrusion is inserted and fixed into the slot, the metal foil comes into contact with a ground terminal provided in the slot.

[0040] According to this, the metal foil can be easily electrically connected to the ground terminal provided in the slot by simply inserting and fixing the protruding portion into the slot. With a simple configuration in which the protruding portion is inserted and fixed into the slot, the metal foil can be easily electrically connected to, for example, the ground of the vehicle, thereby improving the noise resistance of the control device.

[0041] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the slot is formed of a metal case that houses the entire protrusion, and the metal case is electrically connected to ground.

[0042] According to this, the entire control device is housed in a metal case, so that it is not necessary to provide a conductor such as metal foil on the base material, and the noise resistance of the control device can be improved with a simple structure.

[0043] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the substrate is a multilayer substrate, and each of the conductive layers on the top and bottom surfaces of the multilayer substrate is a solid ground pattern electrically connected to ground, except for the portions connected to the circuit components.

[0044] This allows the solid ground pattern to sandwich the internal conductors, excluding the conductive layers on the top and bottom surfaces of the multilayer board, improving noise resistance for the internal conductors without using conductors such as metal foil and a metal case.

[0045] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, at least one of an inductor and a capacitor is formed by a pattern inside the multilayer substrate.

[0046] According to this, the influence of noise propagating from the wiring of the power supply system and the signal system arranged around the seat with the built-in seat heater can be suppressed by a filter circuit using at least one of an inductor and a capacitor formed by a pattern, so that the noise resistance of the control device can be improved without using large external parts.

[0047] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the multilayer substrate is a flexible substrate.

[0048] According to this, when the flexible substrate (substrate) is placed on the protruding portion and then the protruding portion is inserted into the slot, the substrate is a multi-layer substrate and has a certain rigidity, so that the substrate can be inserted and fixed into the slot without buckling. Furthermore, since the substrate is flexible, unnecessary stress during insertion into the slot is alleviated, and the possibility of cracks occurring in the substrate, particularly inside the substrate, can be reduced. In addition, even after the substrate is inserted and fixed, external stress applied to the substrate due to vibrations of the vehicle and the seat with a built-in seat heater can be alleviated, so that even higher reliability can be obtained.

[0049] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, an inductor is formed by shorting two conductors incorporated in the flat cable at the end opposite the end connected to the first connector.

[0050] According to this, since the inductor can be formed using the flat cable, it is possible to suppress the influence of noise transmitted from the wiring of the power supply system and the signal system arranged around the seat with the built-in seat heater without using a large external part, and it is also possible to miniaturize the control device.

[0051] In a seat with an integrated seat heater according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a capacitor is formed by opening two conductors incorporated in the flat cable at the end opposite the end connected to the first connector.

[0052] This allows the capacitor to be formed using the flat cable, so that the effects of noise transmitted from the power supply and signal wiring located around the seat with the built-in seat heater can be suppressed without using large external parts. Also, the control device can be made smaller.

[0053] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangement and connection forms, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims are described as optional components.

[0054] In addition, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily illustrated precisely. In addition, the same components are given the same reference numerals in each figure. In addition, expressions such as "approximately rectangular" are used in the following embodiments. For example, "approximately rectangular" does not only mean that it is completely rectangular, but also means that it is substantially rectangular, that is, that it includes an error of, for example, about several percent. In addition, "approximately rectangular" means that it is rectangular within the range in which the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved. The same applies to other expressions using "approximately".

[0055] In the following description, the front-rear direction of the seat with the built-in seat heater is referred to as the X-axis direction, and the up-down direction of the seat with the built-in seat heater is referred to as the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, the left-right direction of the seat with the built-in seat heater, i.e., the direction perpendicular to each of the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, is referred to as the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, the front side of the seat with the built-in seat heater in the X-axis direction is referred to as the positive direction side, and the rear side of the seat with the built-in seat heater in the Y-axis direction is referred to as the negative direction side. Furthermore, the left side of the seat with the built-in seat heater (the right front side in FIG. 1) in the Y-axis direction is referred to as the positive direction side, and the opposite side is referred to as the negative direction side. Furthermore, the upper side of the seat with the built-in seat heater in the Z-axis direction is referred to as the positive direction side, and the lower side of the seat with the built-in seat heater in the Z-axis direction is referred to as the negative direction side. The same applies to FIG. 2 and subsequent figures.

[0056] Hereinafter, the embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0057] (Embodiment 1) <Configuration: 1 seat with built-in seat heater> FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a seat 1 equipped with a seat heater 20 according to the first embodiment.

[0058] 1, a seat 1 with a built-in seat heater, which is installed in, for example, a vehicle, includes a seat cushion 11, a seat back 14, a headrest 15, and a seat heater 20. The seat cushion 11, the seat back 14, and the headrest 15 together constitute a seat 10.

[0059] [Seat cushion 11] The seat cushion 11 is a seat portion of the seat with built-in seat heater 1 that supports the buttocks and thighs of a user who sits on the seat with built-in seat heater 1. The seat cushion 11 has a seat pad equivalent to a cushioning material and a seat cover that covers the seat pad.

[0060] The seat pad is made of, for example, urethane foam and is disposed in a position substantially parallel to the XY plane. The seat pad can support the buttocks and thighs of a seated user.

[0061] The seat cover is a cover that covers the seat pad and the seat heater 20 that corresponds to the user's buttocks and thighs. The seat cover is placed at a position that corresponds to the user's buttocks and thighs, and covers the seat pad, etc. The seat cover is, for example, a leather cover, a fabric cover, etc.

[0062] [Seatback 14] The seat back 14 is a backrest portion that supports the back of a user who is seated in the seat with built-in seat heater 1. The seat back 14 is disposed so as to rise up from the seat cushion 11. The seat back 14 is provided with a seat heater 20. The seat back 14 has a seat pad equivalent to a cushioning material and a seat cover that covers the seat pad.

[0063] The seat pad is made of, for example, urethane foam and is disposed in a position inclined with respect to the YZ plane. The seat pad can support the shoulders and back of a seated user.

[0064] The seat cover is a cover that covers the seat pad and the seat heater 20 that corresponds to the user's shoulders and back. The seat cover is placed at a position that corresponds to the user's shoulders and back, and covers the seat pad, etc. The seat cover is, for example, a leather cover, a fabric cover, etc.

[0065] [Headrest 15] The headrest 15 is a headrest that supports the head of a user seated in the seat with built-in seat heater 1. The headrest 15 is fixed to the end of the seat back 14 on the positive side in the Z axis direction.

[0066] [Seat heater 20] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the seat 1 with a built-in seat heater taken along line II-II in FIG.

[0067] 2, the seat heater 20 is built into a seat 10 of a vehicle or the like, and when a user sits in the seat 1 with the built-in seat heater, the seat heater 20 generates heat to warm the seat surface 10a of the seat 1 with the built-in seat heater, thereby warming the user's buttocks, thighs, etc. The seat heater 20 may be built into the seat back 14 of the seat 10 to warm the back surface 14a of the seat back 14 in FIG. 1.

[0068] Although not shown in the drawings, the seat heater 20 is disposed between the seat pad and the seat cover. Specifically, the seat heater 20 is disposed at a position corresponding to the user's buttocks and thighs in the seat with built-in seat heater 1. The seat heater 20 is provided on the seat surface portion 10a of the seat with built-in seat heater 1, and warms the user's buttocks and thighs via the seat pad with power supplied by the control device 52 and the power supply unit 65.

[0069] As an elastic member for the seat heater 20, a seat pad that covers the seat heater 20 may be provided between the seat heater 20 and the seat cover.

[0070] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the seat heater 20 and the flat cable 62 according to the first embodiment.

[0071] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sheet heater 20 includes a substrate 40, a heater wire 45, a control device 52 electrically connected to the heater wire 45, and a slot 70.

[0072] The base material 40 is a nonwoven fabric formed into a sheet shape from a material having elasticity, flexibility, and ductility, a foamed resin such as cloth-like urethane, etc. The base material 40 is formed into a rectangular shape. The base material 40 is placed in the areas corresponding to the buttocks and thighs of the user.

[0073] The substrate 40 has a substrate body 41 and a protruding portion 42 .

[0074] The base body 41 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and has a size corresponding to the seat surface 10a of the seat with built-in seat heater 1. A heater wire 45 is disposed on the surface of the base body 41 (the surface on the positive side of the Z axis).

[0075] The protruding portion 42 is formed at an end of the base material 40, and is disposed on the edge side of the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater. Specifically, the protruding portion 42 protrudes (overhangs) from the edge of the base material main body 41 on the seat back 14 side, that is, on the negative X-axis direction side. When the protruding portion 42 and the board 52a of the control device 52 are viewed overlapping each other, the protruding portion 42 is large enough to cover the board 52a. Note that the protruding portion 42 does not have to be larger than the board 52a.

[0076] The protruding portion 42 also fixes the board 52a of the control device 52 to be placed on the protruding portion 42. With the board 52a fixed, the protruding portion 42 is inserted and fixed in a slot 70 provided on the edge side of the seat 1 with the built-in seat heater.

[0077] The heater wire 45 is electrically connected to the control device 52 and is a conductive wire capable of generating heat when subjected to a current from a power supply unit 65 .

[0078] The heater wire 45 is sewn with sewing thread onto one surface of the base material 40 so as to pass from a control device 52 for supplying power to the heater wire 45 through each part of the base material 40 and return to the control device 52. The heater wire 45 is a metal wire such as copper, and is sewn onto one surface of the base material 40 using, for example, a polyester fiber thread as the sewing thread. The heater wire 45 is sewn onto one surface of the base material 40 (for example, the surface on the seating surface portion 10a side or the surface on the back surface portion 14a side in FIG. 1) with the sewing thread so as to form a zigzag pattern. Here, the heater wire 45 being sewn onto the surface of the base material 40 with the sewing thread means a state in which the heater wire 45 is held to the base material 40 by the sewing thread sewn onto the base material 40.

[0079] The heater wire 45 may be fixed to the base material 40 by a means other than sewing thread, such as adhesive.

[0080] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control device 52 of the seat 1 with an internal seat heater according to the first embodiment.

[0081] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the control device 52 includes a substrate 52a and circuit components 52b.

[0082] The substrate 52a has a conductive pattern and is mounted with circuit components 52b. The substrate 52a is, for example, a rigid substrate such as a ceramic substrate or a resin substrate. The substrate 52a is disposed on the surface of the protruding portion 42 of the base material 40 and fixed thereto.

[0083] As described above, the substrate 52a is inserted into the slot 70 while being fixed to the protruding portion 42. At this time, the substrate 52a is accommodated in the slot 70 so as not to protrude from the seat surface portion 10a. Furthermore, when a user sits in the seat 1 with an internal seat heater, the substrate 52a is accommodated in the slot 70 so as not to come into contact with the user.

[0084] The circuit component 52b includes a first temperature detector 52b1, a second temperature detector 52b2, a controller 52b3, a switch element 52b4, and a first connector 51.

[0085] The first temperature detection unit 52b1 is mounted on the board 52a as the circuit component 52b. Specifically, the first temperature detection unit 52b1 is disposed on the edge of the board 52a on the seat heater 20 side (the edge on the positive side of the X-axis). The first temperature detection unit 52b1 detects the temperature of the seat heater 20 by a thermistor. The thermistor is disposed on the board 52a in the vicinity of the heater wire 45 of the seat heater 20 or in contact with the heater wire 45.

[0086] The first temperature detection unit 52b1 is electrically connected to the control device 52. The first temperature detection unit 52b1 outputs temperature information indicating the temperature of the heater wire 45, which is the detection result, to the control device 52. Based on the temperature information output by the first temperature detection unit 52b1, the control device 52 controls the on / off of the current flowing to the seat heater 20, thereby adjusting the temperature of the heater device.

[0087] The second temperature detection unit 52b2 is mounted on the substrate 52a as a circuit component 52b. Specifically, the second temperature detection unit 52b2 is disposed on the edge of the substrate 52a on the seat heater 20 side. The second temperature detection unit 52b2 detects that a set temperature has been reached by a thermostat. The thermostat is disposed on the substrate 52a in the vicinity of the heater wire 45 of the seat heater 20 or in contact with the heater wire 45.

[0088] When the heater wire 45 reaches or exceeds the set temperature, the second temperature detection unit 52b2 cuts off the electrical wiring portion where the heater wire 45 is electrically connected to the control device 52, thereby stopping the heater wire 45 from generating heat. When the heater wire 45 falls below the set temperature, the second temperature detection unit 52b2 connects the heater wire 45, thereby starting the heater wire 45 to generate heat. In this way, the second temperature detection unit 52b2 cuts or connects the electrical wiring portion where the heater wire 45 is electrically connected to the control device 52 depending on the temperature of the heater wire 45, thereby adjusting the temperature of the heater wire 45.

[0089] The control unit 52b3 is mounted on the board 52a as the circuit component 52b. The control unit 52b3 is disposed on the board 52a closer to the first connector 51 than the first temperature detection unit 52b1 and the second temperature detection unit 52b2. In other words, the control unit 52b3 is disposed on the edge opposite to the seat heater 20 side, separated from the first temperature detection unit 52b1 and the second temperature detection unit 52b2. The control unit 52b3 is disposed at a position away from the heater wire 45 so as not to overlap with the heater wire 45 when viewed from the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0090] The control unit 52b3 is a microcomputer that controls the on / off of the switch element 52b4. The control unit 52b3 controls the switch element 52b4 according to the temperature of the seat heater 20 detected by the first temperature detection unit 52b1. For example, when the temperature of the seat heater 20 detected by the first temperature detection unit 52b1 becomes equal to or higher than a specified temperature, the control unit 52b3 controls the switch element 52b4 to turn off the current flowing to the seat heater 20. When the temperature of the seat heater 20 detected by the first temperature detection unit 52b1 becomes lower than the specified temperature, the control unit 52b3 controls the switch element 52b4 to turn on the current flowing to the seat heater 20.

[0091] The switch element 52b4 is mounted on the board 52a as a circuit component 52b. The switch element 52b4 is disposed on the board 52a closer to the first connector 51 than the first temperature detection unit 52b1 and the second temperature detection unit 52b2.

[0092] The switch element 52b4 is controlled by the control unit 52b3 to turn on and off the current flowing to the seat heater 20. The switch element 52b4 is, for example, a field effect transistor (FET).

[0093] The first connector 51 is disposed on the edge (the edge on the negative X-axis direction side) of the substrate 52a opposite to the heater wire 45. In this embodiment, the first connector 51 is disposed so as to accept a connection from the negative X-axis direction side of the first connector 51.

[0094] The first connector 51 is a connector mounted on the substrate 52a as a circuit component 52b. A second connector 63 of a flat cable 62 is fitted into the insertion portion 51a of the first connector 51 to be electrically connected thereto, and power is supplied from a power supply unit 65 via the flat cable 62.

[0095] The flat cable 62 has a second connector 63 at one end fitted into the insertion portion 51 a of the first connector 51 for electrical connection, and a connector at the other end electrically connected to a power supply unit 65 .

[0096] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the flat cable 62 taken along line VV in FIG.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 5, the flat cable 62 includes a plurality of ground lines 62a, 62g, a power line 62c, a plurality of insulating layers 62b, 62d, 62f, a signal line 62e, and a skin layer 62h.

[0098] Specifically, the flat cable 62 is laminated in the thickness direction in the following order: skin layer 62h, ground line 62a, insulating layer 62b, power line 62c, insulating layer 62d, signal line 62e, insulating layer 62f, ground line 62g, and skin layer 62h. The skin layer 62h is a hollow strip, forms the outer shell of the flat cable 62, and covers a laminate in which the insulating layers 62b, 62d, and 62f, the ground lines 62a, 62g, the signal line 62e, and the power line 62c are laminated. The power line 62c is disposed between two adjacent ground lines 62a and 62g, and is a wiring other than the ground lines 62a and 62g. The power line 62c is a strip-shaped wiring that electrically connects the control unit 52b3 and the power supply unit 65, and supplies power from the power supply unit 65. The signal line 62e is disposed between two adjacent ground lines 62a and 62g, and is a wire other than the ground lines 62a and 62g. The signal line 62e is a strip-shaped wire that connects the control unit 52b3 and the power supply unit 65 to be able to communicate with each other, and transmits, for example, a control instruction input by a user to the input unit. The insulating layer 62b is sandwiched between the ground line 62a and the power supply line 62c, and insulates the ground line 62a and the power supply line 62c along the length direction of the ground line 62a and the power supply line 62c. The insulating layer 62d is sandwiched between the power supply line 62c and the signal line 62e, and insulates the power supply line 62c and the signal line 62e along the length direction of the power supply line 62c and the signal line 62e. The insulating layer 62f is sandwiched between the signal line 62e and the ground line 62g, and insulates the signal line 62e from the ground line 62g along the length direction of the signal line 62e and the ground line 62g. The multiple ground lines 62g are strip-shaped and arranged on both sides (front and back) of the flat cable 62. In this embodiment, two ground lines 62a, 62g are arranged, one on the front side of the skin layer 62h and the other on the back side of the skin layer 62h.

[0099] Here, the skin layer 62h and the insulating layers 62b, 62d, and 62f are made of a flexible resin. Therefore, as described above, the power line 62c, the signal line 62e, and the ground lines 62a and 62g are strip-shaped wiring, and therefore the flat cable 62 is a flexible cable having flexibility as a whole.

[0100] The flat cable 62 may or may not be included in the configuration of the seat heater 20.

[0101] The slot 70 is a housing capable of accommodating the protrusion 42 of the base material 40 and the control device 52. The slot 70 is long in the Y-axis direction along the edge of the seat portion 10a on the negative X-axis direction side. The slot 70 has an accommodating portion into which the protrusion 42 and the control device 52 are inserted.

[0102] The slot 70 is provided on the edge side of the seat 1 with the built-in seat heater, with the housing portion facing the base material 40. Specifically, the slot 70 is provided between the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 14, in the vicinity of the connection portion between the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 14.

[0103] Moreover, the slot 70 is made of a resin material, a metal material, etc. When the slot 70 is made of a metal material, the control device 52 and the slot 70 are insulated from each other, except for the configurations of the fifth and sixth embodiments described later.

[0104] <Action and effect> Next, the effects of the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described.

[0105] The seat 1 with an internal seat heater according to this embodiment includes a seat 10 and a seat heater 20 built into the seat 10. The seat heater 20 includes a base material 40, a heater wire 45 sewn onto the surface of the base material 40, and a control device 52 electrically connected to the heater wire 45. The control device 52 also includes a board 52a and circuit components 52b mounted on the board 52a. A protrusion 42 is provided on an end of the base material 40 and is disposed on the edge side of the seat 10. The board 52a is disposed on the protrusion 42. The protrusion 42 is inserted and fixed into a slot 70 provided on the edge side of the seat 10.

[0106] According to this, the slot 70 is provided on the edge side of the seat 10, and the protrusion 42 on which the substrate 52a is arranged is housed in the slot 70. Therefore, even when a person sits on the seat 10, stress is unlikely to be applied to the control device 52 arranged in the protrusion 42. Also, although vibrations are transmitted to the control device 52 arranged in the protrusion 42 via the slot 70, the control device 52 is fixed to the slot 70, so that the substrate 52a of the control device 52 is unlikely to damage the base material 40.

[0107] Therefore, the seat 1 with the built-in seat heater can suppress damage to the base material 40. As a result, in the seat 1 with the built-in seat heater, even if the control device 52 is repeatedly subjected to stress and vibration, the base material 40 is unlikely to be damaged.

[0108] In particular, in the seat 1 with the built-in seat heater, the slot 70 and the control device 52 are provided on the edge side of the seat 10, so that a person sitting in the seat 10 is unlikely to feel uncomfortable.

[0109] In addition, in the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, the circuit component 52b includes at least a first temperature detection unit 52b1 that detects the temperature of the seat heater 20, and a first connector 51 that is electrically connected to the flat cable 62.

[0110] According to this, since the first temperature detection portion 52b1 and the first connector 51 can be mounted as the circuit component 52b on the board 52a and integrated, the number of components to be mounted on the base material 40 side of the seat heater 20 is unlikely to increase.

[0111] In the heated seat 1 according to this embodiment, the circuit component 52b further includes a switch element 52b4 that switches the power supplied to the seat heater 20 on and off.

[0112] According to this, since the switch element 52b4 can also be mounted and integrated on the board 52a as the circuit component 52b, a board 52a on which a control unit 52b3 is mounted can be created according to the vehicle model, and a variety of vehicle models can be accommodated simply by mounting each board 52a according to the vehicle model.

[0113] In the heated seat 1 according to this embodiment, the circuit component 52b further includes a control unit 52b3 that controls the switch element 52b4.

[0114] According to this, the control unit 52b3 can also be mounted and integrated on the board 52a as the circuit component 52b, so that the board 52a on which the control unit 52b3 is mounted can be created according to the vehicle model, and a variety of vehicle models can be accommodated simply by mounting each board 52a according to the vehicle model.

[0115] In the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the temperature detection unit is disposed on the edge of the substrate 52a on the side of the seat heater 20. The control unit 52b3 is disposed on the edge of the substrate 52a on the opposite side to the seat heater 20.

[0116] According to this, the control unit 52b3 can be located away from the seat heater 20, so that malfunctions and breakdowns caused by unnecessary heating of the control unit 52b3 can be suppressed.

[0117] In the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, the first connector 51 is a flat cable connector.

[0118] According to this, by using the flat cable connector, there is no need to connect a large connector to the control device 52. Therefore, the seat 1 with the built-in seat heater can be prevented from becoming large.

[0119] In the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, the flat cable 62 has a plurality of belt-shaped ground wires arranged on both sides of the flat cable 62. Between two adjacent ground wires 62a, 62g of the plurality of ground wires, wiring other than the plurality of ground wires (a power wire 62c and a signal wire 62e) is arranged.

[0120] According to this, the flat cable 62 has a multi-layer structure sandwiched between the ground lines 62a, 62g, so that the flat cable 62 itself has a shielding property and is less susceptible to the effects of disturbance noise. Therefore, the control device 52 electrically connected to the flat cable 62 can be made less susceptible to malfunction.

[0121] Furthermore, since the ground lines 62a, 62g can be disposed in close proximity to the control device 52 via the flat cable connector, the control device 52 is less susceptible to the effects of external noise.

[0122] Furthermore, by using the flat cable 62, the ground lines 62a, 62g can be made wider, making the flat cable 62 less susceptible to the effects of external noise, and making it lighter than commonly used coaxial cables.

[0123] (Embodiment 2) The seat heater-embedded seat 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs.

[0124] <Configuration> FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the seat heater 20 and the flat cable 62 according to the second embodiment.

[0125] This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the protrusion 42 also covers the positive Z-axis direction side of the control device 52. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description of the configurations is omitted.

[0126] [Base material 40] The protruding portion 42 of the base material 40 covers the surface on the positive Z-axis direction side and the surface on the negative Z-axis direction side of the control device 52. The protruding portion 42 has a size sufficient to enclose both sides of the substrate 52a.

[0127] In addition, the protrusion 42 (second part 42b described later) arranged on the surface of the control device 52 on the positive side of the Z axis and the protrusion 42 (first part 42a described later) arranged on the surface of the control device 52 on the negative side of the Z axis may be separate and distinct components.

[0128] The protrusion 42 has a first portion 42a connected to the base body 41 and a second portion 42b connected to the first portion 42a on the side opposite to the base body 41. In a plan view, the first portion 42a and the second portion 42b are equal to or larger than the size of the substrate 52a.

[0129] The second portion 42b covers the control device 52 by folding the second portion 42b so as to overlap the first portion 42a in which the control device 52 is disposed.

[0130] Further, the protruding portion 42 has a connector insertion hole 43 formed in a portion facing an insertion portion 51a into which a second connector 63 that fits with the first connector 51 is inserted.

[0131] The connector insertion hole 43 is a through hole for inserting the flat cable 62. The connector insertion hole 43 is formed between the first portion 42a and the second portion 42b, but may be formed in the first portion 42a or the second portion 42b.

[0132] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing how the control device 52 is wrapped in the protruding portion 42 of the base material 40 used in the seat heater 20. As shown in FIG.

[0133] 7, in this embodiment, protrusion 42 is wrapped around control device 52 so as to sandwich the surface of control device 52 on the positive side of the Z axis and the surface of control device 52 on the negative side of the Z axis. Specifically, control device 52 is disposed on the base side (substrate body 41 side) of protrusion 42, and a part of protrusion 42 protruding from control device 52 in the negative direction of the X axis is folded back in the positive direction of the X axis. At this time, connector insertion hole 43 of protrusion 42 is disposed in a position facing first connector 51 of control device 52.

[0134] In FIG. 7, the second portion 42b extends further in the negative X-axis direction than the substrate 52a, but may extend further in the Y-axis direction than the substrate 52a.

[0135] [Substrate 52a] 2 and 6, the substrate 52a is inserted and fixed in the slot 70 while being surrounded by the protruding portion 42. In the present embodiment, the substrate 52a is inserted and fixed in the slot 70 while being surrounded by the protruding portion 42, except for the insertion portion 51a of the first connector 51 located in the connector insertion hole 43.

[0136] In this embodiment, the first connector 51 mounted on the substrate 52a is exposed from the connector insertion hole 43. Note that the first connector 51 does not have to be exposed from the connector insertion hole 43 as long as the flat cable 62 can be electrically connected thereto.

[0137] <Action and effect> Next, the effects of the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described.

[0138] In the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, the protrusion 42 is large enough to enclose both sides of the substrate 52a. The substrate 52a is inserted and fixed in the slot 70 while being enclosed by the protrusion 42, except for the insertion portion 51a of the first connector 51 located in the connector insertion hole 43.

[0139] According to this, since the board 52a and the circuit components 52b are enclosed in the protruding portion 42, foreign matter and the like are less likely to adhere to the board 52a and the circuit components 52b. Therefore, according to the seat 1 with the built-in seat heater, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a short circuit in the control device 52.

[0140] In addition, the protrusion 42 encases the substrate 52a and the circuit components 52b, and if the protrusion 42 is made of nonwoven fabric, it has excellent breathability, so that the heat dissipation properties of the control device 52 can be ensured in this seat 1 with built-in seat heater.

[0141] In addition, in the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, the protrusion 42 has a connector insertion hole 43 formed in a portion opposite the insertion portion 51a into which the second connector 63 that fits with the first connector 51 is inserted.

[0142] With this, the second connector 63 of the flat cable 62 can be inserted into the first connector 51 with the substrate 52a wrapped in the protrusion 42 inserted and fixed in the slot 70. This makes it less likely that the second connector 63 and the flat cable 62 in its vicinity will be subjected to vibrations of the vehicle. In addition, because the substrate 52a is inserted and fixed in the slot 70, foreign matter and the like are less likely to adhere to the substrate 52a and the circuit components 52b.

[0143] This embodiment also provides the same effects as those described above.

[0144] (Embodiment 3) The seat heater-integrated seat 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0145] <Configuration> FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a seat 1 with a built-in seat heater according to the third embodiment.

[0146] This embodiment differs from embodiment 1 etc. in that the base material 240 has a plurality of protrusions 42. Unless otherwise specified, other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in embodiment 1, and the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description of the configurations is omitted.

[0147] [Base material 240] As shown in FIG. 8, the end of the base material 240 has a plurality of protrusions formed in a strip shape and arranged on the edge side of the seat 10. In this embodiment, the base material 240 has, among the plurality of protrusions, a first protrusion 242a (an example of a protrusion) on which the control device 52 is arranged, and a second protrusion 242b (an example of a protrusion) and a third protrusion 242c (an example of a protrusion) arranged on both sides of the first protrusion 242a. In this embodiment, three protrusions, the first protrusion 242a, the second protrusion 242b, and the third protrusion 242c, are illustrated, but the number is not limited thereto, and may be two protrusions or four or more protrusions.

[0148] The first protrusion 242a is provided at the center of the edge on the negative X-axis direction side of the base body 41. The second protrusion 242b is provided on the positive Y-axis direction side of the first protrusion 242a. The third protrusion 242c is provided on the negative Y-axis direction side of the first protrusion 242a. The first protrusion 242a, the second protrusion 242b and the third protrusion 242c are inserted and fixed in slots 70 indicated by dashed double-dashed lines.

[0149] The control device 52 may be enclosed by the first protruding portion 242a as in the second embodiment.

[0150] <Action and effect> Next, the effects of the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described.

[0151] In the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater of this embodiment, the end of the base material 240 is provided with a plurality of protrusions (first protrusion 242a, second protrusion 242b and third protrusion 242c) formed in a strip shape and arranged on the edge side of the seat 10.

[0152] According to this, since the multiple protrusions can be fixed to the edge of the seat 10, the seat heater 20 can be firmly fixed.

[0153] This embodiment also provides the same effects as those described above.

[0154] (Embodiment 4) A seat 1 with a built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0155] <Configuration> FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing how a control device 52 is wrapped in a protruding portion 42 of a base material 40 used in a seat heater in the fourth embodiment.

[0156] The present embodiment differs from embodiment 1 etc. in that a metal foil 80 is provided on a second surface 52d2 (rear surface) of the protrusion 42 opposite to a first surface 52d1 (front surface) on which the substrate 52a is arranged. Unless otherwise specified, other configurations in the present embodiment are the same as those in embodiment 1, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description of the configurations will be omitted.

[0157] [Metal foil 80] 9, the metal foil 80 is provided on the seat with a built-in seat heater 1. The metal foil 80 is, for example, a film-like or sheet-like metal film.

[0158] The metal foil 80 is provided on a second surface 52d2 of the protruding portion 42 of the base material 40, opposite to the first surface 52d1 on which the substrate 52a is disposed. The metal foil 80 is provided on the entire second surface 52d2 of the protruding portion 42 except for the connector insertion hole 43. In other words, when viewed along the Z-axis direction, the metal foil 80 covers the entire substrate 52a except for the connector insertion hole 43. An adhesive layer (not shown) is provided on the surface of the metal foil 80 on the protruding portion 42 side, and the metal foil 80 is adhered and fixed to the protruding portion 42 by being attached to the second surface 52d2 by the adhesive layer.

[0159] This metal foil 80 is electrically connected to the ground of the substrate 52a. Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 9, the metal foil 80 has a folded portion 81, a part of which reaches from the second surface 52d2 of the protruding portion 42 to the first surface 52d1. That is, the folded portion 81 extends from the metal foil 80 arranged on the second surface 52d2 to the first surface 52d1 so as to bypass the edge of the protruding portion 42. The folded portion 81 is an example of a conductive portion. In this embodiment, the folded portion 81 is a film-like or sheet-like metal film, but is not limited to this, and may be thread-like, linear, or the like. In addition, as an example of the conductive portion, it may be a linear or foil-like body extending from the metal foil 80, and it is not essential that it is folded. For example, the conductive portion may be arranged so as to penetrate the protruding portion 42, or may be merely arranged on the side surface of the protruding portion 42.

[0160] Furthermore, the folded portion 81 is integrated with the metal foil 80 arranged on the second surface 52d2. An adhesive layer (not shown) is also provided on the surface of the folded portion 81 facing the protruding portion 42. Therefore, the folded portion 81 is adhesively fixed to the edge of the protruding portion 42 in a C-shape as shown in Fig. 9. Note that, as shown in Fig. 9, in this embodiment, the folded portion 81 is provided in two places, but this is not limiting, and the folded portion 81 may be provided in one place, or in three or more places.

[0161] In the present embodiment, the folded-back portion 81 is integrated with the metal foil 80 arranged on the second surface 52d2, but is not limited thereto, and may be a separate body that can be separated from the metal foil 80. In this case, for example, by using an end piece of the metal foil 80 after the connector insertion hole 43 is removed as the folded-back portion 81, it is possible to prevent waste of the metal foil 80.

[0162] In the present embodiment, the metal foil 80 and the ground pattern 52c are electrically connected by the folded portion 81, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the metal foil 80 and the ground pattern 52c may be electrically connected by a lead wire or the like. In this case, although the number of parts increases, the electrical connection can be strengthened by soldering the lead wire. In other words, the folded portion 81 is not limited to a sheet-like or film-like metal film.

[0163] Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the substrate 52a has ground patterns 52c formed at two corners located on the folded portion 81 side. The ground pattern 52c is electrically connected to the ground of the control device 52 on the substrate 52a. The folded portion 81 and the ground pattern 52c are arranged relative to each other such that the substrate 52a is wrapped by the protruding portion 42, so that the folded portion 81 comes into contact with the ground pattern 52c. That is, after the control device 52 is arranged on the first surface 52d1 of the protruding portion 42, a part of the protruding portion 42 is folded back together with the control device 52, so that the ground pattern 52c provided on the substrate 52a comes into contact with the folded portion 81 provided on the remaining part of the protruding portion 42 that is not folded back, and the ground pattern 52c and the folded portion 81 are electrically connected. In this embodiment, a plurality of ground patterns 52c and a plurality of folded portions 81 are provided so as to correspond one-to-one.

[0164] <Action and effect> Next, the effects of the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described.

[0165] The seat 1 with an internal seat heater according to this embodiment includes a metal foil 80 provided on a second surface 52d2 opposite to a first surface 52d1 on which the substrate 52a is arranged in the protruding portion 42. The metal foil 80 is electrically connected to the ground of the control device 52.

[0166] According to this, the control device 52 can be covered with the metal foil 80 electrically connected to the ground of the control device 52. Therefore, even if disturbance noise occurs, the disturbance noise can reach the ground of the control device 52 from the metal foil 80, so that the effect of the disturbance noise on the control device 52 can be suppressed. Therefore, the noise resistance of the control device 52 can be improved.

[0167] In the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, the metal foil 80 has a folded portion 81 that extends from the second surface 52d2 to the first surface 52d1 of the protruding portion 42. The substrate 52a has a ground pattern 52c that is electrically connected to ground. As the substrate 52a is wrapped in the protruding portion 42, the folded portion 81 is electrically connected to the ground pattern 52c.

[0168] According to this, the electrical connection between the metal foil 80 and the ground of the control device 52 can be made by contact between the folded-back portion 81 of the metal foil 80 and the ground pattern 52c of the substrate 52a, which facilitates the electrical connection between the metal foil 80 and the ground of the control device 52. Therefore, the noise resistance of the control device 52 can be easily improved.

[0169] This embodiment also provides the same effects as those described above.

[0170] (Embodiment 5) The seat 1 with a built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0171] <Configuration> FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a seat 1 with a built-in seat heater according to the fifth embodiment.

[0172] The present embodiment differs from the fourth embodiment in that a metal foil 80 is provided on a second surface 52d2 of the protrusion 42 opposite to a first surface 52d1 on which the substrate 52a is arranged, and when the protrusion 42 is inserted and fixed in the slot 70, the metal foil 80 is electrically connected to a ground terminal 71 provided in the slot 70. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations of the present embodiment are the same as those of the fourth embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description of the configurations will be omitted.

[0173] [Ground terminal 71] The ground terminal 71 is provided in the slot 70. In the example of Fig. 10, the ground terminal 71 is provided at the back of the slot 70. The ground terminal 71 is electrically connected to the vehicle ground by a ground line 72. The vehicle ground is the vehicle body earth.

[0174] In the present embodiment, the metal foil 80 is adhesively fixed to the second surface 52d2 of the protruding portion 42 as in the fourth embodiment. However, in the present embodiment, a folded portion and a ground pattern 52c on the board as in the fourth embodiment are not provided. Therefore, by inserting and fixing the protruding portion 42 into the slot 70, the metal foil 80 can come into contact with the ground terminal 71 arranged at the back of the slot 70. As a result, the metal foil 80 is electrically connected to the ground of the vehicle via the slot 70.

[0175] In addition, the ground terminal 71 and the ground lines 62a, 62g are electrically connected to the ground of the vehicle, so that the ground of the control device 52 and the ground terminal 71 of the slot 70 are configured to be conductive.

[0176] <Action and effect> Next, the effects of the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described.

[0177] The seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment includes a metal foil 80 provided on a second surface 52d2 opposite to a first surface 52d1 on the side where the substrate 52a is arranged in the protruding portion 42. When the protruding portion 42 is inserted and fixed in the slot 70, the metal foil 80 comes into contact with a ground terminal 71 provided in the slot 70.

[0178] According to this, by simply inserting and fixing the protrusion 42 into the slot 70, the metal foil 80 can be easily electrically connected to the ground terminal 71 provided in the slot 70. With a simple configuration in which the protrusion 42 is inserted and fixed into the slot 70, the metal foil 80 can be easily electrically connected to, for example, the ground of the vehicle, and therefore the noise resistance of the control device 52 can be improved.

[0179] (Embodiment 6) The seat 1 with a built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0180] <Configuration> FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a seat 1 with a built-in seat heater according to the sixth embodiment.

[0181] In the present embodiment, slot 70 is configured with a metal case 73 that houses the entire protrusion 42, and metal case 73 is electrically connected to the ground of the vehicle, which is a difference from embodiment 1 etc. Unless otherwise specified, other configurations in the present embodiment are the same as those in embodiment 1, and the same configurations are denoted with the same reference numerals and detailed description of the configurations will be omitted.

[0182] [Metal case 73] Metal case 73 is large enough to contain the entire slot 70 and the entire protrusion 42. In other words, the slot 70 that receives the protrusion 42 is disposed inside metal case 73. In this embodiment, the metal case 73 is integrally configured so that the slot 70 is formed inside metal case 73 by metal processing.

[0183] Therefore, the protrusion 42 is inserted and fixed inside the metal case 73 using the slot 70 machined inside the metal case 73 as a guide. At this time, the flat cable 62 is led from a hole (not shown) previously provided in the metal case 73 to the lower part of the seating surface as shown in FIG.

[0184] Moreover, the metal case 73 is electrically connected to the ground of the vehicle via the ground line 72. Therefore, by inserting and fixing the protrusion 42 into the slot 70, the control device 52 is enclosed in the metal case 73 connected to the ground.

[0185] In addition, the ground line 72 and the ground lines 62a and 62g are electrically connected to the ground of the vehicle, so that the ground of the control device 52 and the ground line 72 of the metal case 73 are configured to be conductive.

[0186] In this embodiment, the metal foil 80 is not provided on the base material 40, but it may be combined with the configurations of the fourth and fifth embodiments, for example, to provide the metal foil 80 on the protruding portion 42 of the base material 40 and to configure the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater to have a metal case 73. In this case, the control device 52 is configured to be doubly shielded, thereby further improving noise resistance.

[0187] In addition, in this embodiment, the slot 70 is configured to be formed integrally as a part of the metal case 73, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the guide portion of the slot 70 may be made of resin, which is easy to process.

[0188] <Action and effect> Next, the effects of the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described.

[0189] In the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, the slot 70 is formed of a metal case 73 that houses the entire protrusion 42, and the metal case 73 is electrically connected to ground.

[0190] According to this, the entire control device 52 is housed in the metal case 73, so that it is not necessary to provide a conductor such as metal foil 80 on the base material 40, and the noise resistance of the control device 52 can be improved with a simple configuration.

[0191] (Embodiment 7) The seat 1 with a built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0192] <Configuration> In this embodiment, substrate 52a is a multilayer substrate, and each conductive layer on the top and bottom surfaces of this multilayer substrate is a solid ground pattern electrically connected to ground, except for the portion connected to circuit component 52b, which is different from embodiment 1 etc. The other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in embodiment 1 unless otherwise specified, and the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description of the configurations is omitted.

[0193] First, in this embodiment, the substrate 52a is a multilayer substrate. Here, for example, a multilayer substrate having four conductive layers is used. The multilayer substrate may be a glass epoxy type, but here, a polyimide type resin multilayer substrate is used. Therefore, since the multilayer substrate is a flexible substrate, it has rigidity due to the multilayer structure, and also has flexibility due to the polyimide material.

[0194] Next, the configuration of the conductive layers of the multilayer board will be described. Here, since there are four conductive layers, the two outermost conductive layers, i.e., the conductive layers on the top and bottom surfaces of the multilayer board, are configured with solid ground patterns electrically connected to ground, except for the portions connected to the circuit components 52b. Power supply wiring and signal wiring are arranged in no particular order on the two conductive layers between the top and bottom conductive layers. In addition, inner vias and through holes are formed to connect between layers as necessary.

[0195] It should be noted that this embodiment may be combined with the metal foil 80 and the metal case 73 described in any of the fourth to sixth embodiments. In this case, noise resistance can be further improved.

[0196] <Action and effect> Next, the effects of the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described.

[0197] In the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, the substrate 52a is a multilayer substrate, and each of the conductive layers on the top and bottom surfaces of this multilayer substrate is a solid ground pattern electrically connected to ground, except for the portion connected to the circuit component 52b.

[0198] This allows the solid ground pattern to sandwich the internal conductors, excluding the conductive layers on the top and bottom surfaces of the multilayer board, and therefore improves noise resistance for the internal conductors without using conductors such as metal foil 80 and metal case 73.

[0199] In addition, in the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to this embodiment, the multi-layer board is a flexible board.

[0200] According to this, when the flexible substrate (substrate 52a) is placed on the protruding portion 42 and then the protruding portion 42 is inserted into the slot 70, the substrate 52a is a multilayer substrate and has a predetermined rigidity, so that the substrate 52a can be inserted and fixed into the slot 70 without buckling. Furthermore, since the substrate 52a is also flexible, unnecessary stress during insertion into the slot 70 is alleviated, and the possibility of cracks occurring in the substrate 52a, particularly inside the substrate 52a, can be suppressed. In addition, even after the substrate 52a is inserted and fixed, stress applied from the outside to the substrate 52a due to vibrations of the vehicle and the seat 1 with built-in seat heater can be alleviated, so that even higher reliability can be obtained.

[0201] (Embodiment 8) The seat 1 with a built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0202] <Configuration> This embodiment differs from embodiment 7 in that inductors and capacitors are formed by patterns inside the multilayer board. Unless otherwise specified, other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in embodiment 7, and the same configurations are given the same reference numerals and detailed description of the configurations is omitted.

[0203] The multilayer board of this embodiment has, for example, ten conductor layers. An inductor and a capacitor are formed by the internal conductor patterns excluding the conductive layers on the top and bottom surfaces of the multilayer board. Specifically, a zigzag pattern is formed to form the inductor. Alternatively, an inner via is used to form a coil pattern spanning between layers. Also, to form a capacitor, a solid pattern is formed so that adjacent internal conductor patterns face each other. In this way, ten conductor layers are used in this embodiment to form an inductor and a capacitor inside the multilayer board.

[0204] The inductor and capacitor thus formed are configured as a filter circuit and are electrically connected to wiring of a power supply system (e.g., power line 62c) and a signal system (e.g., signal line 62e) arranged around the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater.

[0205] In the above description, the multilayer substrate has both an inductor and a capacitor formed therein. However, only one of them may be formed as necessary.

[0206] The inductors and capacitors provided inside the multilayer substrate described in this embodiment may be used in circuit configurations other than the filter circuit.

[0207] <Action and effect> Next, the effects of the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described.

[0208] In the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, at least one of an inductor and a capacitor is formed by a pattern inside the multilayer board.

[0209] According to this, the influence of noise propagating from the wiring of the power supply system and the signal system arranged around the seat with built-in seat heater 1 can be suppressed by a filter circuit using at least one of an inductor and a capacitor formed by a pattern. Therefore, the noise resistance of the control device can be improved without using large external parts.

[0210] (Embodiment 9) The seat 1 with a built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0211] <Configuration> This embodiment differs from embodiment 1 etc. in that an inductor is formed by shorting two conductors built into flat cable 62 at the end opposite the side connected to first connector 51, and a capacitor is formed by opening two conductors built into flat cable 62 at the end opposite the side connected to first connector 51. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations of this embodiment are the same as those of embodiment 1 etc., and the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description of the configurations will be omitted.

[0212] The flat cable 62 in this embodiment has a plurality of conductors in addition to the power supply system, the signal system, and the ground lines 62a and 62g. The number of conductors is an even number of 2 or more, and may be stacked with respect to the power supply line 62c and the signal line 62e shown in Fig. 5 with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, or the plurality of conductors may be arranged in parallel on the same layer. However, when forming a capacitor, at least one set of stacked conductors with an insulating layer interposed therebetween is required.

[0213] Next, an example of forming an inductor using a flat cable 62 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, at the end of the flat cable 62 opposite to the end connected to the first connector 51, two of the multiple conductors are short-circuited. Specifically, at the opposite end, two of the multiple conductors may be directly electrically connected, or terminals may be short-circuited inside a connector at the opposite end that is different from the first connector 51. By configuring in this way, at the first connector 51 side of the flat cable 62, the two short-circuited conductors become one conductor that travels back and forth in the flat cable 62. Therefore, this conductor forms an inductor consisting of a one-turn planar coil.

[0214] Note that, while an example has been shown here in which the inductor is a one-turn planar coil made of two conductors, it is also possible to form multiple inductors by providing multiple sets of two such conductors, or to combine them to form an inductor with a large inductance value.

[0215] The inductor thus formed is electrically connected to the wiring of the power supply system and the signal system.

[0216] Next, an example of forming a capacitor by the flat cable 62 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, at the end of the flat cable 62 opposite to the end connected to the first connector 51, two of the multiple conductors are open. Specifically, at the opposite end, two of the multiple conductors are configured so that no electrical connection is made. This may be configured so that no terminals are connected inside a connector at the opposite end different from the first connector 51, for example. With this configuration, the two conductors open at the first connector 51 side of the flat cable 62 become a pair of conductors facing each other through an insulating layer within the flat cable 62. Therefore, these conductors form one capacitor.

[0217] In this example, the capacitor is formed by two conductors facing each other via an insulating layer. However, by providing multiple pairs of such two conductors, multiple capacitors can be formed, or they can be combined to form a capacitor with a larger capacity.

[0218] The capacitor thus formed is electrically connected to the wiring of the power supply system and the signal system.

[0219] In this embodiment, since it has both the inductor and capacitor formed as described above, by wiring these to form, for example, an LC filter circuit within the control circuit 52, it is possible to configure a noise filter for the power supply system and the signal system.

[0220] In the above description, the flat cable 62 is configured to have both an inductor and a capacitor, but it may have only one of them, if necessary.

[0221] <Action and effect> Next, the effects of the seat 1 with built-in seat heater according to this embodiment will be described.

[0222] In the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, an inductor is formed by shorting two conductors incorporated in the flat cable 62 at the end opposite to the end connected to the first connector 51.

[0223] According to this, an inductor can be formed using the flat cable 62, so that even without using large external parts, it is possible to suppress the effects of noise propagating from the wiring of the power supply system and the signal system arranged around the seat with built-in seat heater 1. Also, the control device 52 can be made smaller.

[0224] In the seat 1 with an integrated seat heater according to this embodiment, a capacitor is formed by opening two conductors incorporated in the flat cable 62 at the end opposite the end connected to the first connector 51.

[0225] According to this, a capacitor can be formed using the flat cable 62, so that it is possible to suppress the influence of noise propagating from the wiring of the power supply system and the signal system arranged around the seat with built-in seat heater 1 without using large external parts. Also, the control device 52 can be made smaller.

[0226] (Other variations) As above, the seats with built-in seat heaters according to the present embodiments 1 to 9 have been described based on the above-mentioned respective embodiments 1 to 9, but the present embodiments 1 to 9 are not limited to these embodiments 1 to 9. As long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present embodiments 1 to 9, various modifications conceivable by those skilled in the art may also be included within the scope of the present embodiments 1 to 9.

[0227] For example, in the seats with built-in seat heaters in each of the first to ninth embodiments, the flat cable has a signal line, but a flat cable without a signal line may be used.

[0228] In addition, in the seat with a built-in seat heater in each of the above embodiments 1 to 9, the control device may not have a second temperature detection unit, and may not have a control unit. If the control device does not have a control unit, the switch element may be a selector that passes a current, and a resistor may be placed between the switch element and the heater wire to make the magnitude of the current passed through the seat heater variable. In this case, the flat cable has a signal line for controlling the switch element.

[0229] In addition, in the seat with a built-in seat heater in each of the above embodiments 1 to 9, the control device may not have a switch element in addition to the control unit. When the control device does not have a control unit, the control device becomes a temperature detection device. Also, the temperature detection device may be provided with only two second temperature detection units. When the control device does not have a switch element and a control unit, the flat cable may be a flat cable without a signal line.

[0230] In addition, in the seats with built-in seat heaters in each of the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 9, the control device may preheat (warm) the first temperature detection unit having a thermistor in accordance with the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. Due to the characteristics of the first temperature detection unit, in cold regions, the control device may control the first temperature detection unit to preheat in order to make temperature detection smoother.

[0231] In addition, in the seat with the built-in seat heater in each of the above-mentioned first to ninth embodiments, as shown in FIG. 12, before the second part is overlapped with the first part, the control device is disposed in the second part of the protruding part. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of the first temperature detection part, the second temperature detection part, and the control part mounted on the board when the control device is wrapped in the protruding part of the base material used for the seat heater. In this state, the control part is disposed on the edge of the board of the control device on the seat heater side. Also, the first temperature detection part and the second temperature detection part are disposed on the edge of the board opposite to the control part. As shown by the two-dot chain line, by folding the second part on which the control device is disposed so as to overlap with the first part, the first temperature detection part and the second temperature detection part are disposed on the seat heater side, and the control part is disposed on the opposite side to the seat heater side. When the second part and the first part are folded so as to overlap, the first temperature detection part and the second temperature detection part are disposed so as to contact the heater wire. By separating the control part as far as possible from the seat heater side which is the heat source, a malfunction by the control part is suppressed.

[0232] In addition, the present embodiments 1 to 9 also include forms obtained by applying various modifications that a person skilled in the art may conceive of to each of the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 9, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions in each of the embodiments 1 to 9 within the scope of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0233] The present disclosure can be used, for example, in a seat equipped with a seat heater that warms the seat installed in a vehicle or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0234] 1 Seat with built-in seat heater 10 seats 20 Seat heater 40, 240 base material 42 Protrusion 43 Connector insertion hole 45 Heater wire 51 First Connector 51a Insertion part 52 Control device 52a Board 52b Circuit parts 52b1 First temperature detection unit (temperature detection unit) 52b2 Second temperature detection unit (temperature detection unit) 52b3 Control section 52b4 Switch element 52c ground pattern 52d1 1st side 52d2 2nd side 62 Flat Cable 62a, 62g, 72 ground wire 62c Power line (wiring) 62e Signal line (wiring) 63 Second Connector 70 Slots 71 Ground terminal 73 Metal Case 80 Metal Foil 81 Folded part (conductive part) 242a 1st protrusion (protrusion) 242b Second protrusion (protrusion) 242c Third protrusion (protrusion)

Claims

1. A seat heater built into a seat, A substrate; A heater wire disposed on the substrate; a control device electrically connected to the heater wire, the control device includes a substrate and a circuit component mounted on the substrate and including a first connector; The base material has a base material body and a protruding portion protruding from a central portion of an edge of the base material body and disposed on an edge side of the seat, The protruding portion has The substrate is disposed; a connector insertion hole is formed in a portion facing an insertion portion into which a second connector that fits with the first connector is inserted; The protrusion is accommodated in a storage portion provided on the edge side of the seat. Seat heaters.

2. The circuit component includes a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the seat heater and the first connector that is electrically connected to the flat cable. The seat heater according to claim 1 .

3. The circuit component further includes a switch element for turning on and off the power supplied to the seat heater. The seat heater according to claim 2.

4. The circuit component further includes a control unit that controls the switch element. The seat heater according to claim 3.

5. The temperature detection unit is disposed on an edge of the substrate on the base body side, The control unit is disposed on an edge of the substrate opposite to the base body side.

5. The seat heater according to claim 4.

6. the protrusion has a size that encloses both sides of the substrate, The substrate is accommodated in the accommodation portion while being surrounded by the protrusion. The seat heater according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The second connector is a flat cable connector. The seat heater according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the flat cable has a plurality of belt-shaped ground wires arranged on both sides of the flat cable, Between two adjacent ground lines among the plurality of ground lines, wiring other than the plurality of ground lines is disposed. The seat heater according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

9. The end of the base material is provided with a plurality of protruding portions formed in a rectangular shape and arranged on the edge side of the seat. The seat heater according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. a metal foil provided on a second surface of the protruding portion opposite to a first surface on which the substrate is disposed, The metal foil is electrically connected to the ground of the control device. The seat heater according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

11. the metal foil has a conductive portion extending from the second surface to the first surface of the protruding portion, the substrate has a ground pattern electrically connected to the ground, When the substrate is enclosed by the protruding portion, the conductive portion is electrically connected to the ground pattern. The seat heater according to claim 10.

12. a metal foil provided on a second surface of the protruding portion opposite to a first surface on which the substrate is disposed, When the protruding portion is received in the receiving portion, the metal foil comes into contact with a ground terminal provided in the receiving portion. The seat heater according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

13. the housing portion is formed of a metal case that houses the entire protrusion, The metal case is electrically connected to ground. The seat heater according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. the substrate is a multilayer substrate, The conductive layers on the top and bottom surfaces of the multilayer board are solid ground patterns that are electrically connected to ground, except for the portions that are connected to the circuit components. The seat heater according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. At least one of an inductor and a capacitor is formed by a pattern inside the multilayer substrate. The seat heater of claim 14.

16. The multilayer substrate is a flexible substrate.

16. A seat heater according to claim 14 or 15.

17. An inductor is formed by shorting two conductors built into the flat cable at an end opposite to the end connected to the first connector. The seat heater according to any one of claims 2 to 5 and 8.

18. A capacitor is formed by opening two conductors built into the flat cable at an end opposite to the end connected to the first connector. The seat heater according to any one of claims 2 to 5 and 8.

19. A seat heater according to any one of claims 1 to 18; The seat. Seats with built-in seat heaters.

Images