Heater Sensor Contact Stability via Cover Recess

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heater apparatuses for vehicle batteries face issues with maintaining temperature detection accuracy due to separation of heater wires and temperature control members caused by aged deterioration of adhesives, leading to potential battery performance degradation or malfunction.

Innovation Solution

A heater apparatus design featuring a base member, a cover member with a recessed portion, and a cloth member holding the heater wire, where the heater temperature sensor is sandwiched between the base and cover members to prevent separation and ensure accurate temperature detection, using a nonwoven fabric with a folding portion to increase contact area with the sensor.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If adhesive is used to fix the temperature control member to the heater wire, then the heater apparatus can be assembled easily, but the temperature detection accuracy deteriorates due to separation caused by aged deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly easeVSAvoidtemperature detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the adhesive from the system entirely. Instead of using adhesive to fix the temperature control member to the heater wire, it uses a mechanical structure where the cover member's recessed portion receives and secures the temperature control member in direct contact with the heater wire, eliminating the adhesive layer that causes aging and separation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover member acts as an intermediary structure that mechanically secures the temperature control member to the heater wire assembly. The recessed portion of the cover member provides a physical constraint that maintains contact between the temperature control member and heater wire without requiring adhesive bonding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If adhesive is used to maintain contact between temperature control member and heater wire, then initial contact is ensured, but reliability deteriorates over time due to aged deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact stabilityVSAvoidservice life

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the adhesive component from the assembly, eliminating the source of aged deterioration. The mechanical structure provided by the cover member's recessed portion ensures long-term contact stability without the degradation issues associated with adhesive aging.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The recessed portion of the cover member is pre-designed to receive and secure the temperature control member in the correct position, establishing reliable contact from the beginning and maintaining it throughout the service life without relying on adhesive that degrades over time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If the heater wire and temperature control member are separated due to adhesive deterioration, then device complexity is reduced, but temperature detection accuracy is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidtemperature detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

By removing the adhesive and replacing it with a simple mechanical structure (the recessed portion of the cover member), the invention maintains structural simplicity while ensuring the temperature control member remains in contact with the heater wire, preserving temperature detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using adhesive to create contact (chemical bonding approach), the invention uses a mechanical constraint structure where the cover member physically receives and holds the temperature control member against the heater wire (mechanical bonding approach), inverting the conventional approach to achieving contact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 configuration maintains the accuracy of temperature detection for the heater wire, preventing malfunctions and ensuring reliable battery performance by suppressing separation of the sensor from the heater wire due to aged deterioration.

Implementation Method 1

a heater wire (220c)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Implementation Method 2

a heater temperature sensor (220b) brought into contact with the cloth member (220), covered on a base member side facing the base member (210) and a cover member side facing the cover member (230) with the cloth member (220)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS11565569B2Heater apparatus

Publication Date: 2023.01.31 SUBARU CORP

AI summary

A heater apparatus includes a base member, a cover member supported by the base member, a cloth member provided between the base member and the cover member to hold a heater wire, and a heater temperature sensor brought into contact with the cloth member, covered on a base member side facing the base member and a cover member side facing the cover member with the cloth member, and configured to detect a temperature of the heater wire. The cover member has a cover recessed portion recessed towards the base member in an overlapping region where the cloth member on the base member side and the cloth member on the cover member side of the heater temperature sensor overlap.