Chairs and seats – With heat exchanger or means to provide fluid or vapor... – Electric heating element
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2001-01-30
Barfield, Anthony D. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
With heat exchanger or means to provide fluid or vapor...
Electric heating element
C297S217300, C280S735000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179378
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention lies in the automotive technology field. More specifically, the invention relates to a mat with a heating wire for a motor vehicle seat heater and to a motor vehicle seat having such a mat.
The automotive art has long known heated seats. For heating such motor vehicle seats, it is possible to place mats in the seat which are provided with heating wires for heating the motor vehicle seat when the mat is installed in the seat.
The automotive art has also long known air bags used as passenger protection and restraint systems in motor vehicles.
When a child is present in a child seat placed on the front passenger seat, there exists a danger posed by the possible inflation of the passenger-side air bag. This is particularly prevalent when the child seat faces rearwardly, i.e., when the backrest of the child seat faces the dashboard. Devices for detecting a child seat placed in the passenger seat provide some remedy. Such a child seat can in particular be detected in contactless fashion, as follows: A transmitting antenna provided in the vehicle outputs an electromagnetic signal. A child seat placed on the passenger seat includes a resonator/transponder, which receives the signal output by the transmitting antenna, modifies it in a characteristic way, and outputs the modified signal. A receiving antenna provided in the vehicle receives the signal transmitted by the resonator. If the received signal has a signal structure that indicates the presence of a resonator and thus of a child seat in the area of the passenger seat, then tripping of the associated air bag restraint or restraints is subsequently prevented.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,933 (published German patent application DE 44 09 971 A1) describes a detection system which has a plastic film with incorporated resistor elements for weight detection and an antenna for child seat detection.
A disadvantage of the prior art antenna configuration is that in every case, a complicated film carrier including a weight sensor must be produced for mounting the antennas and has to be incorporated into the motor vehicle seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a novel mat for a passenger seat, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which provides for a different way of mounting the antenna for child seat detection that is advantageous with regard to production cost and effort.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a mat for installation in a motor vehicle seat, comprising:
a mat body adapted to be mounted in or on the motor vehicle seat;
a heating wire for a motor vehicle seat heater integrated in the mat body; and
at least one antenna for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic signals integrated in the mat body.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the antenna is adapted to cooperate with a resonator or transponder of a child seat to be placed on the motor vehicle seat.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, a contact device is formed on the mat body and electrically connected to the antenna, for connecting the antenna to an electric control unit.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the mat is formed of textile fabric.
With the above and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, a motor vehicle seat, comprising a seat part, a backrest connected to the seat part, a mat mounted in or on the seat part and/or the backrest, and at least one antenna in the mat for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic signals.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mat is disposed in the seat part.
In accordance with again an added feature of the invention, the seat is formed with a cushion and a cushion covering, and the mat is disposed between the cushion and the cushion covering of the seat part and/or the backrest.
In accordance with again an additional feature of the invention, the seat is formed with a cushion and a cushion lining, and the mat is disposed between the cushion lining and the cushion.
In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the seat part has a thigh support, and the mat is disposed in the thigh support.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the seat part includes a base part and a thigh support disposed forward of the base part (in the forward-facing drive direction of the motor vehicle), the mat is integrated in the base part and in the thigh support, and wherein the antenna in the base part and the antenna in the thigh support are electrically interconnected and form an effective antenna area for an electromagnetic coupling.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, a contact device interconnects the antenna of the mat and the antenna of the base part.
In summary, the above objects are satisfied with the invention, in which the antenna is integrated with the mat that carries the seat heating wire, and the antenna is embodied separately from the seat heating wire.
Given the increasing number of motor vehicles equipped with seat heaters, it entails no further effort or expense to include the antenna of the child seat detection system in the mat that carries a seat heating wire. No additional mat for the antennas in the motor vehicle seat is needed. The antenna can be incorporated into the mat together with the seat heating wire in a single operation.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a mat with a heating wire for a motor vehicle seat heater, and motor vehicle seat with such a mat, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
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patent: 5002335 (1991-03-01), Bengtsson
patent: 5446391 (1995-08-01), Aoki et al.
patent: 5515933 (1996-05-01), Meyer et al.
patent: 5618056 (1997-04-01), Schoos et al.
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“Combined Tag Antenna For Rearward Facing Infant Seat And Occupant Detection Sensor”, XP 000553623, Research Disclosure, No. 382, dated Feb. 1996, GB.
Baumgartner Joachim
Heitzer G{umlaut over (u)}nter
Popp Peter
Barfield Anthony D.
Greenberg Laurence A.
Lerner Herbert L.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Stemer Werner H.
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