Conductive Polyurethane Foam Heating in Vehicle Seats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat heating devices require significant energy consumption, have high thermal inertia, increase manufacturing costs and time, and add weight due to separate components, with reliability issues from incorrect assembly.
Innovation Solution
Integrating electrically conductive polyurethane foam with fillers into the seat's padding and upholstery, which generates heat through Joule effect when subjected to a voltage difference, eliminating the need for separate heating devices and reducing component count.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If separate heating components (electric plates, thermoelectric components) are incorporated into the vehicle seat, then heating function is achieved, but device complexity increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heating function with the existing seat padding material by incorporating electrically conductive particles into the foam structure. This merges two previously separate functions (heating and cushioning) into a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate heating plates or thermoelectric modules while maintaining both heating capability and structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat padding material is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support as a cushioning element and generates heat through its electrically conductive properties when voltage is applied. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for dedicated heating components while achieving the heating objective.
2Temperature
If separate heating components are incorporated into the vehicle seat, then heating function is achieved, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating functionality is merged into the seat padding manufacturing process itself. By incorporating electrically conductive particles during foam production, the heating element is created in the same manufacturing step as the cushioning material, eliminating separate assembly operations and reducing overall manufacturing time.
3Temperature
If separate heating components are incorporated into the vehicle seat, then heating function is achieved, but reliability decreases due to assembly errors
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is merged into the seat padding material structure during manufacturing. This integration eliminates multiple assembly steps involving separate heating components, thereby removing the sources of assembly errors and connection failures that would otherwise compromise reliability.
4Temperature
If separate heating components are incorporated into the vehicle seat, then heating function is achieved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is merged into the existing seat padding material rather than adding separate heating components. This integration utilizes the existing material structure and mass, avoiding the additional weight that would result from incorporating discrete heating elements, wiring harnesses, and mounting hardware.
5Temperature
If separate heating components are incorporated into the vehicle seat, then heating function is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the electrical properties of the seat padding material by incorporating conductive particles, changing its resistance characteristics to enable efficient heating. This parameter change allows the material to generate heat directly through resistive heating when voltage is applied, potentially reducing energy consumption compared to traditional heating element systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces energy consumption, thermal inertia, manufacturing costs, and weight, while enhancing reliability and comfort by using the foam as both a heating and support element, with self-regulating temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
a heating device including a polyurethane-based foam charged with electrically conductive fillers, wherein said concentration is higher than a percolation threshold... which generates heat through Joule effect when subjected to a voltage difference
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle cockpit component (10, 12, 14, 16, 18) provided with a heating device. According to the invention, said heating device comprises a polyurethane-based foam charged and/or impregnated with an electrically conductive filler (1) which is directly connected to means for generating a potential difference (7a, 7b; 11a, 11b; 13a, 13b) for generating heat by Joule effect. Said polyurethane-based foam charged and/or impregnated with an electrically conductive filler (1) is used for manufacturing the padding or the upholstery of the vehicle cockpit component (10, 12, 14, 16, 18) or one or more portions of said padding or upholstery. The invention allows to obtain a heating device which is intrinsic to the vehicle cockpit component and does not require the provision of additional, separate components.