Layered Heated Seat Belt Webbing for Reduced Cabin Heating Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face a reduction in cruising range due to the electrical power required for heating, as conventional heating systems do not efficiently warm occupants without compromising comfort.
Innovation Solution
A seat belt with integrated electric heating elements, where the heating layer is strategically placed close to the occupant, allowing for direct warming and reducing the need to heat the entire passenger compartment, utilizing conductive yarns or wires for efficient heat transfer and protection against external influences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional heating systems are used to warm the passenger compartment, then the occupants can be warmed, but the electrical power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is localized from the entire passenger compartment to specific areas where occupants contact the seat belt (shoulder and waist regions). The seat belt webbing incorporates heating elements only in the zones that directly touch the occupant's body, providing targeted warmth where needed most while avoiding energy waste in unoccupied spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system is segmented into multiple independent heating zones within the seat belt webbing, with separate heating elements for different body contact areas. This allows selective activation of heating zones based on occupancy detection, further reducing overall power consumption while maintaining effective warmth for occupied positions.
2Temperature
If the entire passenger compartment is heated, then all areas are warmed uniformly, but the heating capacity required increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform heating throughout the passenger compartment, the system applies localized heating only to the seat belt webbing areas that contact the occupant's body. This creates concentrated heat zones at critical contact points (shoulder, waist) while leaving the rest of the compartment unheated, dramatically reducing total heating capacity requirements.
3Temperature
If heating elements are integrated into the seat belt webbing, then direct warming of the occupant is achieved, but the webbing structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The heating elements are merged directly into the seat belt webbing structure itself, combining the fastening function and heating function into a single integrated component. The heating elements are woven or embedded within the webbing layers, eliminating the need for separate heating apparatus and reducing overall system complexity despite adding thermal functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat belt webbing is constructed as a composite material system, combining traditional webbing materials (nylon, polyester) with conductive heating materials (carbon fiber, metallic yarns). This composite structure allows the webbing to simultaneously provide mechanical strength, flexibility, and electrical heating capability without requiring additional structural components.
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 efficiently warms vehicle occupants while minimizing electrical power consumption, maintaining comfort and extending the vehicle's cruising range by localizing heating to the seat belt, thus reducing the overall heating capacity required.
Implementation Method 1
a seat belt for a vehicle (10) comprising a webbing (12) that includes plural layers at least one layer of which comprises an electric heating element (24)
Implementation Method 2
the vehicle occupant is warmed directly through the seat belt, especially through the electric heating element provided in the heating layer
Data Source
AI summary
The invention describes a seat belt (10) for a motor vehicle comprising a webbing (12) that includes plural layers (26, 28, 30) at least one layer (26) of which comprises an electric heating element (26). The invention further describes a method for manufacturing such seat belt (10).