Heater unit and vehicular seat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heater units for vehicular seats face a trade-off between ventilation characteristics and mechanical strength, with improvements in ventilation leading to a decrease in mechanical strength and stiffness, making them prone to deformation and fracture under load.
Innovation Solution
A heater unit design that combines a cord-shaped heater with a base material made by integrating structural yarns in a planar shape and nonwoven fabric, with thermal fusion bonding to enhance mechanical strength and ventilation, using a serpentine arrangement of the cord-shaped heater and structural yarns at different angles to maintain shape and prevent deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a base material with through-holes or mesh structure is used to improve ventilation characteristics, then ventilation performance is improved, but mechanical strength and stiffness significantly decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The base material is constructed as a composite comprising a nonwoven fabric and a structural yarn arranged in a grid pattern. The nonwoven fabric provides ventilation through its inherent porous structure, while the structural yarn forms a rigid grid framework that maintains mechanical strength and prevents deformation. This composite structure allows both ventilation and strength requirements to be satisfied simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The base material is segmented into two functional components: the nonwoven fabric layer responsible for ventilation and air permeability, and the structural yarn grid providing mechanical support and shape stability. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If density of nonwoven fabric is reduced to improve ventilation characteristics, then ventilation performance is improved, but mechanical strength and stiffness decline making fracture and deformation more likely
Solution Approach 1:
By using a composite base material where the structural yarn grid provides the mechanical framework, the nonwoven fabric can be used at lower density to maximize ventilation without compromising overall structural integrity. The structural yarn compensates for the reduced strength of the lighter nonwoven fabric.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the base material have different functions: the nonwoven fabric regions provide ventilation with optimized porosity, while the structural yarn intersections provide localized reinforcement at critical stress points. This local differentiation allows optimization of ventilation in non-structural areas while maintaining strength where needed.
3Manufacturing precision
If base material deformation is prevented to ensure proper heater unit arrangement, then positioning accuracy is improved, but ventilation characteristics may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The composite base material with structural yarn grid maintains dimensional stability and resists deformation during handling and installation, ensuring accurate positioning of the heater unit. Simultaneously, the nonwoven fabric portions maintain their ventilation properties as they are not constrained by rigid structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural yarn is arranged in a grid pattern that provides reinforcement in both horizontal and vertical dimensions, creating a two-dimensional framework that prevents deformation in multiple directions while leaving the ventilation pathways intact.
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
The design achieves improved ventilation characteristics while maintaining superior mechanical strength, preventing separation of the cord-shaped heater from the nonwoven fabric and reducing deformation, ensuring durability and effective integration with vehicular seats.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal fusion bonding portion is formed on an outermost layer of the cord-shaped heater 10, and the thermal fusion bonding portion is fixed to the nonwoven fabric 11b and the structural yarn 11a by thermal fusion bonding
Data Source
AI summary
Conventional heater units have a problem in that both ventilation characteristics and mechanical strength cannot be satisfied at the same time. A heater unit includes a base material and a cord-shaped heater, the cord-shaped heater being disposed on and fixed to the base material, in which the base material is made by combining a structural yarn that is disposed in an approximately planar shape and a nonwoven fabric with each other, and the cord-shaped heater is fixed in direct contact with the structural yarn.