Electric heating – Heating devices – Combined with diverse-type art device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-12
2002-12-03
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
Combined with diverse-type art device
C219S202000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06489595
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to vehicle seats and more particularly concerns an electric heating element for a vehicle seat in which the trim cover is integrally affixed to a foam cushion member.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known to have a built-in heating element for providing heat to the body of the occupant of the driver seat and/or the passenger seat of a motor vehicle. The heat is provided by electric current supplied through a conductor having suitable resistivity that ensures the desired amount of heat from the conductor. The conductor, in the form of a resistance wire, is located on a layer of textile or a plastic material to provide a carrier in the form of a planar or flat sheet. The resistance wire is fixed in position on the carrier by stitching means or by an adhesive and, afterwards, positioned between various layers of material to form the heating element which then can be incorporated into a seat. In this regard, the heating element can be sandwiched between a top cover member of leather, fabric or plastic material and the foam rubber core portion or padding of the seat.
Seats provided for vehicles used for material handling, earthmoving, or lawn cutting are normally fabricated utilizing an in-mold forming process to reduce the cost of the seat. This type of process provides a seat having a core made of a plastic foam, such as polyurethane foam, that is bonded to an outer decorative cover sheet or skin during the molding process. In the practice of such process, a properly shaped mold cavity is lined with a thin plastic or fabric skin after which liquid polyurethane is poured onto the skin to form an integral seat cushion or seat back. Various attempts have been made to provide a relatively inexpensive seat of this type that would have a heating element incorporated between the skin of the article and the foam layer. In most cases, such attempts have resulted in the configuration of the heating element and/or the conductor being outlined in the cover sheet and, therefore, not acceptable from an aesthetic standpoint. Obviously, if the heating element. could be spaced from the skin a certain distance, maintained in such position, and completely encapsulated in the foam during the molding operation, the “reading” of or outline of the heating element would not be visible to the observer.
There has also been the problem in providing a comfortable “feel” to the buttocks of a seat occupant when seated in a seat assembly having a heating element as a part of the seat structure. Inasmuch as the heating element needs to be positioned relatively close to the outer skin of a seat member and becomes an integral part of the foam structure, it stands to reason that the heating element should be designed and constructed so that it does not take away from the softness and comfort of the seat. In other words, not only should the heating element within the seat not be detectable from an appearance standpoint but, in addition, the heating element should not cause the seat to provide any substantially less comfort when occupied than would be attainable if the heating element was not a part of the seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved heating element that can be incorporated into a molded foam article closely adjacent to the outer cover sheet without showing any evidence that a heating element is encapsulated within the foam portion of the article and provides essentially the same relatively softness and “feel” that would be obtained if the heating element was not part of the article.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved heating element which can be positioned relatively close to the outer skin of a seat member and permit the occupant of the seat member to have a comfortable and relatively soft seating area without detecting any hardness or the “feel” of the heating element through his/her buttocks when sitting in the seat member.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved heating element for a seat member formed as a molded foam article that includes a porous carrier member having resistance wires attached to one side thereof and that serves as a spacer for preventing the heating element and/or the resistance wires from being outlined or in the outer skin of the seat member.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved heating element for a seat member formed as a molded foam article that is held to the skin of the seat member in a fixed position during the molding operation so as to insure that the heating element is completely embedded within the foam and is substantially uniformly spaced from the outer skin of the seat member.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method of incorporating a heating element within a molded foam seat member so that it is not evident that a heating element is encapsulated within the article and the heating element is maintained uniformly closely adjacent to the outer skin of the article so as to effectively transfer heat to the occupant of the seat member and provide a relatively soft “feel” to the buttocks of the occupant.
The above and other objects of the present invention are realized in accordance with the present invention by providing a heating element for an in-place foam molded seat assembly having a seat cushion member and a seat back member each of which has the foam core thereof integrally formed with the outer cover sheet. More specifically and in the preferred form, the heating element comprises a generally rectangular carrier member having an open-cell reticulated plastic structure provided with a pair of spaced substantially parallel planar surfaces. An electric conductor in the form of a resistance wire is secured to one of the surfaces of the carrier member in a zig-zag pattern and in a plurality of spaced rows so as to cover substantially the entire area of the carrier member. In addition, in the preferred form, a double-faced adhesive tape incorporating a scrim as a reinforcement member is provided on the other of the pair of surfaces of the carrier member. The tape is adapted to connect the carrier member to the inner surface of the cover sheet so as to maintain the resistance wire spaced from and in a fixed position relative to the inner surface of the cover sheet during the molding of the seat member.
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Check Robert
Parnis William R.
Stuef Thomas A.
Check Corporation
Patel Vinod D.
Reising Ethington, Barnes, Kisselle, Learman & McCulloch, P.C.
Walberg Teresa
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