Knitted two-dimensional heating element
AssigneeI.G. Bauerhin GmbH
InventorJochen Michelmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A two-dimensional heating element, especially for seat heaters in the motor vehicle sector, having a textile base material and contact conductors and heating conductors which are electrically conductive and touch one another. The contact conductors delimit heating areas. The heating conductors are laid effectively in the direction of stitch wales and orthogonal to the stitch wales in such a way that there are at least two zones functioning at least as a main heating area and at least as a secondary heating area with different heating capacities.
Claims20
A two-dimensional heating element for seat heaters in a motor vehicle, comprising:
- a base material;
- contact conductors being electrically conductive and arranged on said base material such that said contact conductors delimit a heating area on said base material;
- and
- heating conductors being electrically conductive and arranged on said base material for contacting said contact conductors and creating an electric connection therebetween,
- said heating conductors being arranged to form a pattern defining stitch wales, wherein some portions of said heating conductors are laid in the direction of said stitch wales and other portions of said heating conductors are laid orthogonal to said stitch wales in at least two zones of said heating area, said at least two zones comprising a main heating area having a first heating capacity and a secondary heating area having a second heating capacity, said first heating capacity being different than said second heating capacity.
An electrical seat heater, comprising at least one two-dimensional heating element, wherein said at least one two-dimensional heating element comprises:
- a base material;
- contact conductors being electrically conductive and arranged on said base material such that said contact conductors delimit a heating area on said base material;
- and
- heating conductors being electrically conductive and arranged on said base material for contacting said contact conductors and creating an electric connection therebetween,
- said heating conductors being arranged to form a pattern defining stitch wales, wherein some portions of said heating conductors are laid in the direction of said stitch wales and other portions of said heating conductors are laid orthogonal to said stitch wales in at least two zones of said heating area, said at least two zones comprising a main heating area having a first heating capacity and a secondary heating area having a second heating capacity, said first heating capacity being different than said second heating capacity.
A method of producing a two-dimensional heating element having contact conductors defining a heating area on a base material and heating conductors arranged on the base material and contacting the contact conductors, said method comprising the steps of:
- applying the contact conductors to the base material prior to a knitting process;
- and
- performing the knitting process which includes detecting one of the contact conductors and markings on the base material using a sensor system arranged upstream of needles of a knitting machine, controlling a guide rail for the needles of the knitting machine in response to the sensor system, and connecting the heating conductors to the base material and the contact conductors via the needles and guide rail of the knitting machine.
An apparatus for producing a two-dimensional textile heating element via a knitting process, said apparatus comprising:
- at least one guide rail and needles arranged for knitting heating conductors onto a base material, said guide rail arranged for guiding said needles during the knitting;
- and
- at least one sensor system arranged for detecting one of a contact conductor and markings applied to the base material and operatively connected to said guide rail for controlling said at least one guide rail during the knitting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.