Heatable interior lining element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10442273-B2
Application number	US-201414900137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

An interior lining element, for example for a passenger compartment of a vehicle, including a single-layer or multilayer decorative covering, the front side of which faces the passenger compartment and delimits the latter physically and, via the back side thereof, is in thermally conductive contact with a printed heater, where the heater has a plurality of flat resistance elements and at least two feed lines which are electrically highly conductive as compared with the resistance elements and via which the resistance elements can be looped into an electric circuit, and where in contact-making regions of the resistance elements and of the feed lines, one feed line and one resistance element are each printed overlapping each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An interior lining element for a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising:
a single-layer or multilayer decorative cover, a front side of which faces a passenger compartment and delimits the passenger compartment physically and, wherein a back side of the single-layer or multilayer decorative cover is in thermally conductive contact with a printed heater,
wherein the printed heater is printed using a resistive ink and has a plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements that form rectangular areas and at least two feed lines which are electrically highly conductive as compared with the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements and via which the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements can be looped into an electric circuit,
wherein at least two of the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements are of different sizes or of different proportions and have different mean sheet resistances enabling a substantially homogeneous temperature distribution over the lining element, wherein the different mean sheet resistances are achieved using different printing patterns,
wherein at least a portion of the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements are arranged and wired between two connection points of the printed heater in such a way:
that the at least two of the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements having different mean sheet resistances are wired one behind the other via the at least two feed lines starting from the two connection points, and
that mean sheet resistances of the at least two of the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements having different mean sheet resistances decrease starting from the two connection points of the printed heater.

2. The interior lining element according to claim 1 , wherein in contact-making regions of the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements and the at least two feed lines, respectively, one feed line and one single-layer flat resistance element are printed overlapping each other.

3. The interior lining element according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements are arranged electrically in parallel to each other, individually or in groups, via the at least two feed lines.

4. The interior lining element according to claim 1 , comprising contact-making regions that extend along opposite sides of the rectangular areas.

5. The interior lining element according to claim 4 , wherein at least two of the rectangular areas form different resistances between the respective contact-making regions.

6. The interior lining element according to claim 4 , wherein heating power per unit area of each of the rectangular areas is in a range between 85% and 115% of a mean heating power per unit area of all the rectangular areas.

7. The interior lining element according to claim 4 , wherein heating power per unit area averaged over an area bordered by a boundary line formed by outer edges of the rectangular areas and straight lines which connect the outer edges, or heating power per unit area averaged over the area, minus an area of any openings in the interior lining element which are enclosed by the boundary line, is not less than 65% of an average heating power per unit area of all rectangular areas.

8. The interior lining element according to claim 4 , wherein at least two of the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements are arranged electrically in series via a connecting line which is electrically highly conductive compared to the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements.

9. The interior lining element according to claim 8 , wherein the at least two of the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements electrically arranged in series are electrically arranged in parallel via the at least two feed lines with either at least one other single-layer flat resistance element or at least two further single-layer flat resistance elements which are electrically arranged in series.

10. The interior lining element according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements are made of a same printing material.

11. The interior lining element according to claim 10 , wherein the printing material has a same thickness for all of the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements.

12. The interior lining element according to claim 1 , comprising a shaping support, including a support board or a molded component, onto which the single-layer or multilayer decorative covering is laminated, with or without an intermediate cushioning layer, respectively which is molded by back-injection to the single-layer or multilayer decorative covering, with or without the intermediate cushioning layer.

13. The interior lining element according to claim 12 , wherein the shaping support has a spatial curvature, wherein the single-layer or multilayer decorative covering, taking on the spatial curvature, is fixed on the support, and wherein the plurality of single-layer resistance elements are printed as areas of the single-layer or multilayer decorative covering with recess curvature radii of less than 1 cm.

14. The interior lining element according to claim 12 , wherein relative to the shaping support the single-layer or multilayer decorative covering has a lateral overhang which envelopes one edge of the shaping support.

15. The interior lining element according to claim 14 , wherein the lateral overhang enveloping the edge of the shaping support is stuck to the shaping support.

16. The interior lining element according to claim 14 , wherein the at least two feed lines extend to the lateral overhang and form electrical connections there.

17. The interior lining element according to claim 16 wherein the one edge of the shaping support, at least where the at least two feed lines extend to the lateral overhang, has a radius of curvature of not less than 0.5 mm.

18. The interior lining element according to claim 16 wherein the lateral overhang has a prolongation to which the at least two feed lines extend and there form the electrical connections, and in which the prolongation is not stuck to the shaping support, so that access to the electrical connections is possible.

19. The interior lining element according to claim 16 , wherein the at least two feed lines, in an area in which the at least two extend to the lateral overhang, are printed thicker and/or wider compared to other areas.

20. The interior lining element according to claim 19 , wherein the shaping support includes the support board or the molded component, with an edge around which the at least two feed lines are guided in at least two different positions for contact-making.

21. The interior lining element according to claim 1 , wherein the printed heater has at least three feed lines via which the plurality of single-layer flat resistance elements, individually or in groups, can be looped in to a power supply in different electric circuits.

22. The interior lining element according to claim 1 , wherein the printed heater is printed directly on a back side of the decorative covering.

23. The interior lining element according to claim 1 , wherein the printed heater is printed directly on a cushioning layer which is fastened to a back side of the single-layer or multilayer decorative covering.

24. The interior lining element according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of single-layer flat resistan

Assignees

• Iee Sa

Inventors

• Wittkowski Thomas
• Olk Michael

Classifications

• H05B2203/02

  Heaters using heating elements having a positive temperature coefficient · CPC title

• H05B2203/005

  using multiple resistive elements or resistive zones isolated from each other · CPC title

• H05B3/342

  heaters used in textiles · CPC title

• B60H2001/00221

  Devices in the floor or side wall area of the passenger compartment · CPC title

• B60H1/2227

  Electric heaters incorporated in vehicle trim components, e.g. panels or linings · CPC title