Flexible Seat Heating Element With Composite Contact Strip

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing seat heating elements face issues with high mechanical loads causing contact strip breakage and overheating due to high electrical currents, leading to potential fires, especially when the seat cover wrinkles, and the use of low conductivity steel filaments as contact strips is not viable.

Innovation Solution

A contact strip design incorporating a combination of steel conductors and higher conductivity copper or copper alloy conductors, arranged in a wavy or meandering pattern, where the steel conductors ensure power supply continuity even if the higher conductivity conductors break, minimizing power loss and overheating risks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If contact strips are made of copper or copper alloys to reduce overheating, then electrical conductivity is improved, but mechanical strength and resistance to breakage deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower loss at break pointVSAvoidmechanical strength of contact strip

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines copper conductors (high conductivity) and steel conductors (high strength) into a single contact strip structure. The copper conductors run parallel to the steel conductors, with both types electrically connected at their ends, creating a composite conductor that leverages the advantages of both materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The contact strip uses a composite structure with two types of conductors (copper and steel) having different properties. The copper conductors provide high electrical conductivity to minimize power loss, while the steel conductors provide mechanical strength and resistance to breakage under high loads.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If contact strips are made of steel filaments to improve mechanical strength, then resistance to breakage is improved, but electrical conductivity deteriorates leading to overheating

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical strength of contact stripVSAvoidpower loss at break point

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines copper conductors (high conductivity) and steel conductors (high strength) into a single contact strip structure. The copper conductors run parallel to the steel conductors, with both types electrically connected at their ends, creating a composite conductor that leverages the advantages of both materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The contact strip uses a composite structure with two types of conductors (copper and steel) having different properties. The copper conductors provide high electrical conductivity to minimize power loss, while the steel conductors provide mechanical strength and resistance to breakage under high loads.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If contact strips are designed in a wavy manner to reduce breakage risk, then mechanical flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresistance to breakageVSAvoidcontact strip structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the contact strips with a wavy or meandering course instead of a straight configuration. This curved geometry allows the contact strip to accommodate mechanical loads and wrinkles in the seat cover without breaking, while the wave pattern is integrated into the knitted textile base material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

4Power

If heating element is placed close to seat surface for effective heating, then heating efficiency is improved, but risk of creases and breakage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheating efficiencyVSAvoidresistance to breakage

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a flexible knitted textile base material as the carrier for the heating element, allowing it to conform to the seat surface without creating creases. The wavy design of the contact strips and heating conductors integrated into the knitted fabric enables the element to flex and move with the seat cover, preventing breakage while maintaining close proximity to the seat surface for effective heating.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 design reduces the risk of breakage and overheating, allowing safe operation under high mechanical loads and preventing fires by maintaining power supply through steel conductors at interruption points, ensuring efficient and flexible heating performance.

Implementation Method 1

The flow of current heats up an electrical conductor and transfers heat to the surface of the seat

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

conductors of higher conductivity than the steel conductors, in particular made of copper or copper alloys

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentEP1777992B1Flexible flat heating element, particularly for seats heating, and the manufacturing method of a flexible heating elements

Publication Date: 2013.05.29 I G BAUERHIN GMBH

Figure 1~2
Figure 3

AI summary

A flexible surface heating element, particularly for seat heating, is described, comprising a heating field made of conductive fibers electrically connected to at least one contact strip, wherein the at least one contact strip contains a proportion of conductors in the form of steel filaments and a proportion of conductors in the form of filaments with a higher conductivity than that of the steel filaments, wherein the two conductor types are electrically connected to each other and are held on a textile band by means of textile and/or metallic threads, characterized in that the conductors with higher conductivity run in a wave-like or meandering pattern, crossing the respective steel conductors and in contact with them, wherein the conductors with higher conductivity lie above or below the steel filaments.