Planar Flexible Carrier for Steering Wheel Heating
Solution Overview
Problem
Current steering wheel heaters fail to provide uniform and efficient heating across the entire surface while maintaining tactile smoothness and ease of installation, as they often result in uneven heat distribution and are not adaptable to complex rim shapes.
Innovation Solution
A planar flexible carrier with cut-outs is designed to fit the rim shape closely, featuring a rectangular shape with longitudinal and lateral sides, where the width of cut-outs varies based on the arc length of the rim, allowing for increased surface and cross-sectional area, and can be stretchable to accommodate complex shapes, using materials like metal foils or polymer sheets for effective heat distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a foil carrier is used to avoid wrinkles and ensure tactile smoothness, then the heating area can be reduced to fit the carrier, but the heat distribution becomes uneven across the steering wheel surface
Solution Approach 1:
The foil carrier is segmented with periodic cut-outs along its length, transforming it from a continuous sheet into a structured component. This segmentation allows the carrier to conform to the rim's curvature while maintaining sufficient heating area through the staggered arrangement of cut-outs on opposite sides
Solution Approach 2:
The cut-outs are positioned with different widths and spacing patterns at different locations along the carrier's length. This local variation in geometry optimizes both the tactile smoothness (by eliminating wrinkles) and the heating area (by maintaining sufficient continuous surface between cut-outs)
2Shape
If the carrier is made to fit complex rim shapes closely, then the conformance and smoothness improve, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier incorporates periodic cut-outs that enable it to conform to the curved and complex geometry of the rim. The staggered arrangement of cut-outs on opposite sides allows the flat carrier to wrap around the rim's cross-sectional shape, achieving good conformance without requiring complex 3D forming
Solution Approach 2:
The cut-outs on opposite sides of the carrier are arranged in a staggered, asymmetric pattern rather than being symmetrically aligned. This asymmetric arrangement optimizes the carrier's ability to conform to the rim's specific geometry while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
3Area of stationary object
If the carrier width is increased to cover more surface area, then the heating coverage improves, but the carrier cannot be attached without wrinkles
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing periodic cut-outs, the carrier can span larger distances between attachment points without developing wrinkles. The segmentation creates multiple smaller effective segments that can conform to the rim's curvature, enabling broader surface coverage while maintaining wrinkle-free attachment
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier utilizes the flexibility of thin foil material combined with the geometric design of staggered cut-outs. This combination allows the carrier to be stretched and conform to the rim's shape over large areas while the cut-outs prevent the development of wrinkles during attachment
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 solution enables nearly complete surface coverage of the steering wheel with uniform heat distribution, accommodating various rim shapes, including asymmetrical ones, and provides a high power heating solution without compromising tactile smoothness or ease of installation.
Implementation Method 1
the carrier presents both an increased continuous surface area and an increased cross-sectional area of the carrier, which makes it particularly suitable as a heat conducting carrier
Data Source
AI summary
A planar carrier for mounting on a rim of a steering wheel without wrinkles, the planar carrier including a portion of planar flexible foil of roughly rectangular shape having two longitudinal sides and two lateral sides, wherein the length B of the lateral sides is 0.96 to 1.00 times the perimeter of the rim, and wherein N cut-outs per unit length are provided on each of the longitudinal sides. The cut-outs of one side are located in a staggered fashion relative to opposing cut-out portions on the opposite side. The optimum shape and size of the cut-outs may be determined as described. The planar carrier may be implemented as a heat carrier, a heating device and/or a sensing device.