Fabric-contact device, system, in particular heating system for a motor vehicle, and method for producing such a system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12244111-B2
Application number	US-202117181516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2021
Priority date	Aug 22, 2018
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

A fabric-contact device includes a first contact section having a first contact face on a first upper side, a second contact section having a second contact face on an underside facing the first contact section, and a retaining device. The first contact face faces the second contact section and the first contact section is connected to the second contact section on a first side of the first contact section. The retaining device has a first retaining element connected to a second side of the first contact section at a first fixed end. The first retaining element is guided laterally past the second contact section by a first section of the first retaining element bordering the first fixed end. A second section of the first retaining element bordering the first section on a side opposite the first fixed end engages behind the second contact section and affixes the second contact section to the first contact section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric-contact device, comprising:
a first contact section having a first contact face on a first upper side;
a second contact section having a second contact face on an underside facing the first contact section, the first contact face faces the second contact section and the first contact section is connected to the second contact section on a first side of the first contact section, the second contact section has a first indentation on a second upper side facing away from the first contact section; and
a retaining device having a first retaining element connected to a second side of the first contact section at a first fixed end, the first retaining element is guided laterally past the second contact section by a first section of the first retaining element bordering the first fixed end, a second section of the first retaining element bordering the first section of the first retaining element on a side opposite the first fixed end engages behind the second contact section in the first indentation and affixes the second contact section to the first contact section.

2. The fabric-contact device of claim 1 , wherein a fabric with an electrically conductive yarn is arranged between the first contact face and the second contact face, the first contact face and/or the second contact face contact the electrically conductive yarn.

3. The fabric-contact device of claim 1 , wherein a hinge is disposed between and connects the first contact section and the second contact section, the second contact section can be pivoted between a first position folded against the first contact section and a second position away from the first contact section.

4. The fabric-contact device of claim 1 , wherein the first retaining element tapers from the first fixed end to a tip of the first retaining element.

5. The fabric-contact device of claim 1 , wherein the second contact face has a wave profile, the first contact section is formed in a plate-shaped manner, and/or the first contact face is formed in a substantially planar manner.

6. The fabric-contact device of claim 1 , wherein the retaining device has a second retaining element connected to a third side of the first contact section by a second fixed end, the second retaining element is guided laterally past the second contact section by a third section of the second retaining element bordering the second fixed end.

7. The fabric-contact device of claim 6 , wherein a fourth section of the second retaining element bordering the third section of the second retaining element on a side opposite the second fixed end engages behind the second contact section and affixes the second contact section to the first contact section.

8. The fabric-contact device of claim 7 , wherein the second side of the first contact section is arranged opposite the third side of the first contact section and the first side of the first contact section is arranged between the second side of the first contact section and the third side of the first contact section.

9. The fabric-contact device of claim 8 , wherein the second section of the first retaining element extends in a direction of the second retaining element and the fourth section of the second retaining element extends in a direction of the first retaining element.

10. The fabric-contact device of claim 7 , wherein the second contact section has a second indentation arranged offset in relation to the first indentation on the second upper side of the second contact section.

11. The fabric-contact device of claim 10 , wherein the first indentation and the second indentation extend between a fourth side of the second contact section facing the second side of the first contact section and a fifth side of the second contact section facing the third side of the first contact section, the first indentation and the second indentation are formed in an elongate manner.

12. The fabric-contact device of claim 11 , wherein the second indentation is parallel to the first indentation, the fourth section of the second retaining element engages with the second indentation.

13. The fabric-contact device of claim 2 , wherein the second contact section has a pair of bulges arranged parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another on the underside.

14. The fabric-contact device of claim 13 , wherein a further indentation arranged between the bulges receives a substance of a second yarn of the fabric.

15. The fabric-contact device of claim 1 , further comprising an adjoining section connected to the first side of the first contact section, the adjoining section can be electrically connected to an electrical conductor of an electrical cable.

16. The fabric-contact device of claim 15 , wherein the adjoining section circumferentially delimits a recess, a frame width of the adjoining section is smaller than a maximum extent of the recess in at least one spatial direction.

17. A system, comprising:
a fabric having a first electrode with an electrically conductive contact region; and
a fabric-contact device including:
a first contact section having a first contact face on a first upper side;
a second contact section having a second contact face on an underside facing the first contact section, the first contact face faces the second contact section and the first contact section is connected to the second contact section on a first side of the first contact section, the second contact section has a first indentation on a second upper side facing away from the first contact section; and
a retaining device having a first retaining element connected to a second side of the first contact section at a first fixed end, the first retaining element is guided laterally past the second contact section by a first section of the first retaining element bordering the first fixed end, a second section of the first retaining element bordering the first section on a side opposite the first fixed end engages behind the second contact section in the first indentation and affixes the second contact section to the first contact section, the electrically conductive contact region of the first electrode is arranged between the first contact section and the second contact section, the first section of the first retaining element of the first retaining element engages through the fabric and mechanically connects the fabric to the fabric-contact device.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the fabric has a first yarn and a second yarn, the first yarn has an electrically conductive substance and the second yarn has an electrically insulating substance.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the fabric has a first fabric section, a second fabric section, and a third fabric section and, to form the first electrode, the first yarn and the second yarn are interwoven with one another in the first fabric section.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein, to form a second electrode, the first yarn and the second yarn are interwoven with one another in the third fabric section arranged spaced apart from the first fabric section, only the second yarn is interwoven in the second fabric section arranged between the first fabric section and the third fabric section.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the second fabric section electrically insulates the first fabric section from the third fabric section, the fabric-contact device is arranged spaced apart from the second electrode, a notch is introduced in the second fabric section, and the first section of the first retaining eleme

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh

Inventors

• Muth Christopher
• Bluemmel Uwe
• Baltes Marcel

Classifications

• H05B2203/029

  Heaters specially adapted for seat warmers · CPC title

• H05B2203/017

  Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters · CPC title

• H05B2203/016

  Heaters using particular connecting means · CPC title

• H05B3/347

  woven fabrics · CPC title

• H05B3/06

  Heater elements structurally combined with coupling elements or holders · CPC title