Abstract:
The present invention relates to a multifunction product for providing at least two functions in a functional zone. 
     It is provided that the multifunction product has at least two different types of a functional device from the following group: A temperature control, a cooling device, a heater unit, an air-conditioning unit, a ventilation unit, and an electrical circuit.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of the priority of the filing date of the German application, DE 10 2010 014 084.8 filed 6 Apr. 2010, which is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A subject matter of the present invention is a multifunction product pursuant to the preamble of Claim  1 . 
       PRIOR ART 
       [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,500,536 describes a seat heater that is provided with a pressure sensor to detect an occupant. It is desirable to further optimize such systems with respect to their functionality and the cost of producing them. 
       SUBJECT MATTER OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In view of this background, a technical concept with the features of Claim  1  is proposed. Further advantageous embodiments can be found in the further Claims and the subsequent description. 
         [0005]    Multifunction product  1  for the provision of at least two functions in a functional zone, characterized in that the multifunction product  1  has at least two different types of a functional device from the following group: a temperature control  110 , a cooling device, a heater unit  100 , an air-conditioning unit, a ventilation unit, and an electrical circuit. This permits a combination of functional elements in an assembly that are adapted to each other and which are compact and easily operated. 
         [0006]    Multifunction product  1  according to claim  1 , characterized in that the multifunction product  1  is essentially formed through a combination of two or more functional devices. This permits a simple modular design that does not need any substantial additional costly materials. 
         [0007]    Multifunction product according to Claim  1  or  2 , characterized in that it has a heater unit  100  with at least one support  9  on which at least one electrical heater resistor element  4  is arranged. This facilitates the functional zone to be electrically heated. 
         [0008]    Multifunction product  1  according to one of Claims  1 - 3 , characterized in that it has at least one detector element  30  for detecting at least one measurand, the value of which depends on the presence of a person in the vicinity of the detector element  30 . This makes it possible to determine the presence, posture, position, weight, size and/or identity of a person. 
         [0009]    Multifunction product  1  according to Claim  1 , characterized in that at least one functional device is provided with at least one electrical conductor track that is provided as a coating on a support  9 . This permits a cost effective and uncomplicated electrical power supply. 
         [0010]    Multifunction product  1  according to one of Claims  1 - 5 , characterized in that it has at least one heater unit  100  with at least one electrically conductive filament as heater resistor element  4 , that it has at least one detector element  30  with at least one conductor track, that at least one of the filament and conductor components is arranged along a support  9  and that the support  9  runs between the filament and the conductor. By arranging the filament and conductor on different sides of the support it allows that the electrical conductors of both devices can be safely electrically isolated from each other also without electrical insulation, even if electrical restoring forces should induce the filament to move its position. 
         [0011]    Multifunction product  1  according to one of Claims  1 - 6 , characterized in that at least one detector element  30  uses a conductor track that serves as a heater resistor element  4  as transducer at least intermittently. This permits saving material. 
         [0012]    Multifunction product  1  according to one of Claims  1 - 7 , characterized in that the detector element  30  has at least one first measuring point  31  in a surface  10  subjected to a mechanical load and at least one second measuring point  32  in a second surface  10 ′ that is not subjected to a load. This permits a self-check of the detector element and its self-calibration, even under highly variable conditions of use. 
         [0013]    The invention is particularly suited for heating and detection as well as use for all upholstered items, in particular automobile seats, seat cushions, passenger compartment trims, armchairs or office equipment, for example. 
     
    
     
       FIGURES 
         [0014]    The details of the invention are explained hereinafter. These explanations are intended to make it easier to understand the invention. But they simply serve as examples. Of course, within the scope of the invention defined by the independent Claims, single or multiple features described can also be omitted, modified, or supplemented. The features of different embodiments can naturally also be combined with one another. The decisive factor is that the concept of the invention is essentially implemented. If a feature must be at least partially accomplished, then this includes that this feature is also completely or essentially completely accomplished. In this context, “essentially” means in particular that the implementation permits that the desired benefit is accomplished to the extent that it can be identified. This can mean in particular, that a respective feature is accomplished at least 50%, 90%, 95% or 99%. If a minimum quantity is stated, then also more than this minimum quantity can of course be used. If the quantity of a component is stated to be at least one, then this particularly includes also embodiments with two, three, or any other multiplicity of components. Anything that is described for one object, can also be applied for the predominant part or the entirety of all other similar objects. Unless stated otherwise, intervals include their endpoints. 
           [0015]    In the following, the Figures show: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  Automobile with multifunction product  1  as a partial longitudinal section 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  Multifunction product  1  of  FIG. 1  as an enlarged horizontal projection 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  First embodiment of a detector element of a multifunction product  1  of  FIG. 2  as a cross section 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  Second embodiment of a detector element of a multifunction product  1  of  FIG. 2  as a cross section 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]      FIG. 1  shows a vehicle  150 . This can involve for example an aircraft, a railroad car, a ship, or like in this instance, an automobile. 
         [0021]    The vehicle  150  has at least one object  200  to be temperature controlled. Just to make it clear, this involves all components which can come into contact with a user of the passenger compartment, such as steering gear for vehicles, a dashboard, an armrest, a door trim, a seat cushion, a thermal blanket, an inside roof lining, a padding  8 , a cover  400 , or as in this case, a seat  300 . 
         [0022]    The object  200  to be temperature controlled has preferably at least one padding  8  and/or at least one cover  400 . 
         [0023]    The object  200  to be temperature controlled and/or the vehicle  1000  has at least one multifunction product  1 . That product provides at least two functionalities. In this context, this can particularly involve a combination of a heater unit  100  and a detector element  30 , especially for detection of the presence or position of persons. The product can also have an air duct  120 , a cooling device, a humidity measuring device, a magnetic field therapy device and/or any other additional function. 
         [0024]    The multifunction product  1  preferably is a component that can be inserted, which preferably has an essentially two-dimensional and/or flat design, in the form of a multilayer module. This is preferably arranged on, below, or in a functional zone, i.e. in an area that has to be temperature controlled, to be monitored, or onto which another effect is to be applied. 
         [0025]    This is preferably formed essentially by its functional units, possibly supplemented by a support, a casing device and or a retaining device. 
         [0026]    The object  200  to be temperature controlled and/or a multifunction product  1  preferably has at least one air conditioning unit  140 . This serves for heating, cooling, ventilation and/or dehumidification, for example, of surfaces in the passenger compartment of an automobile that come into contact with the user. 
         [0027]    The air-conditioning unit  140  has at least one temperature control device  110  and/or at least one air duct  120 . The temperature control device  110  is to be understood as any device that can be used for specifically changing the temperature in its environment, e.g. any device, which has at least one electrical heater resistor element  4 , a Peltier element and/or air moving means, such as a fan, or which is essentially created from it. It is to be understood that moving means can refer to any device which can be used for a specific change of the air composition or the airflows in a specific surface area or three-dimensional area for the replacement of air, such as an on-board air-conditioning system, at least partially air-permeable filler media, filler fabrics and/or temperature control inserts. 
         [0028]    Preferably at least one air conditioning device  140  has at least one temperature control  110 , such as is designed pursuant to  FIG. 2  as a flat, flexible heating element that is essentially designed as textile fabric or as a film. A textile fabric is a flat entity made of yarn or fibers. The temperature control  110  can be integrated as an insert, for example, into the padding of an interior trim item of a seat  300 , for example. 
         [0029]    At least one multifunction product  1  has at least one support  9 . In this context, support means any device that serves for the positioning, alignment and/or holding of a functional component at its place of application. A support can be built-up from one but also from multiple components, for example from one or multiple layers which can be connected to each other across the whole surface, linearly, or in spots. For this purpose, the support can be a component of a temperature control  110 , for example, and/or of at least of an object  200  to be temperature-controlled. It is preferably formed flat and at least partially from a textile fabric, knit fabrics, knitwear, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, flexible thermoplastics, air-permeable materials and/or a dense, perforated, or knopped sheeting. But it can also be formed by an object to be temperature-controlled, for example, by the object to be temperature controlled  200 , for example, or at least a part of its surface. The support  9  is preferably air-permeable by means of perforations with apertures for the passage of air, for example. 
         [0030]    Preferably at least one support  9  is manufactured at least partially from polyester, especially from a polyester film. The support  9  and/or the polyester is preferably temperature-stabilized, i.e. that it is resistant against temperatures that occur in heated operation (e.g. by chemical and/or thermal pretreatment). The length of the support  9  especially changes in a temperature range from −20° C. to 100° C. by a maximum of 0.1% of its overall length. 
         [0031]    The temperature control  110  in particular has at least one heater resistor element  4  that is arranged at, on, and/or in the support  9 . Preferably, a plurality of heater resistor elements  4  is provided, which are preferably arranged electrically parallel to each other. At least one heater resistor element  4  is fixed to the support  9  partially or across the entire surface with an adhesive, for example. 
         [0032]    Especially preferred is that at least one heater resistor element  4  is as a conductor track by application of an electrical conductive resistor layer onto a support  9  made of foil. Preferably, at least one heater resistor element  4  has PTC characteristics (positive temperature coefficient) in order to simplify a controller and/or temperature monitoring of heater unit  100  or make it unnecessary. 
         [0033]    But at least one heater resistor element  4  can also be provided without PTC characteristics. At least one heater resistor element  4  was preferably manufactured using a polymer paste containing graphite. 
         [0034]    The temperature control  110  preferably has at least one electrode  5  to provide electrical power into at least one heater resistor element  4 . Here, two electrodes  5 ,  5 ′ are provided which are running close to the edge along the support  9  spaced apart from one another. Here they have prongs  50 ,  50 ′, so that the two electrodes  5 ,  5 ′ are in the shape of a comb and are positioned meshing into each other and are positioned on the support  9  without electrical contact to each other. At least one of the electrodes  5 ,  5 ′ has at least one electrical conductor which is preferably at least partially formed from copper or another metal, from a metallic or metal-coated film, metal fibers or synthetic fibers with metal coating. The electrode  5 ,  5 ′ can be formed from one or several at least partially electrically conductive contact strands and/or an electrically conductive textile fabric, such as from knitwear, woven fabric, knitted fabric and/or nonwoven fabric. Preferably it is designed as a conductor track on a support  9  from film and by imprinting of an electrically conductive paste (e.g. with silver particles or other metal particles), for example. 
         [0035]    In some embodiments, only a part of a surface to be heated is covered by heater resistor elements  4 . Gaps in the heated surface are also caused by the electrodes  5 ,  5 ′. For this reason it can be useful if the heater unit  100  has at least one heat dissipation layer, which is arranged above the temperature control  110  for example and is arranged parallel in relation to it, in order to distribute the heat generated by the heater resistor elements  4  quickly and evenly. Such layer can at least partially consist of aluminum, for example. 
         [0036]    The object  200  to be temperature controlled and/or the multifunction product  1  has at least one detector element  30  used to identify persons on the seat. In this context, this can involve simply the detection of the presence of a user or also for assigning same to a specific category of persons (baby seat, child, adult, . . . ) and/or to determine its characteristics such as position or mass. 
         [0037]    The detector element  30  has at least one sensor  35  in order to detect the presence of a person, its position, size, weight, posture as well as possibly any further parameters that are associated with it. 
         [0038]    The sensor  35  can detect an electrical capacity, a change in capacitance, an electrical resistor one  4  and/or a change in electrical resistance which occurs or is affected as a result of the presence and the type of a person; for example in that the body of the person acts as the non-conductor between two capacitor foils that are provided on a seat  300  and thus changes the electrical capacity of a capacitor formed by the capacitor foils. Or by the fact that the weight of the person results in a mechanical elongation of a strain gauge arranged in support  9  and therefore results in an increase in electrical resistance. Or by the fact that the mass of the person results in a temperature change or in thermal insulation and therefore a changed thermal convection. 
         [0039]    But also other principles of detection are conceivable, such as optical recognition, for example by obscuration of optical fibers in the seat surface. 
         [0040]    The measuring results of the occupant sensor are preferably used for the identification or a classification of the user, and to determine a specific operating mode or specific operating parameters depending on those measuring results. This can be the selection of a personalized climatic profile, the automatic operation of a system (e.g. the seat heater) or to deactivate an airbag when a child seat is identified, for example. The identification can be performed using specified values for thel weight of persons, weight distribution across the seat surface, thermal conductivity values, temperature distribution across the seat surface or similar, for example. 
         [0041]    Using these measuring results, at least one heater unit  100 , at least one air conditioning unit, at least one fan and/or at least one massage device can be switched on or off, for example. The measuring result can also be used to activate a headrest and/or adapt its position, and/or to prepare it for an adjustment to the front in the event of a rear-end collision. Also an adaptation of fan speed, massage pressure, type of massage, foam hardness and seat contour would be possible, for example. 
         [0042]    For contating at least one sensor  35 , preferably at least one electrode  5  or conductive track is provided, the type of which can correspond to the electrodes  5  of the heater unit  100 . 
         [0043]    At least one sensor  33  is assigned to a surface  10  to be monitored. This can be done, for example, in that the sensor  33  is arranged in the form of a foil that scans the entire surface of the surface  10  to be monitored, for example. It is preferably essentially the same size as the surface to be temperature controlled. It can be arranged in a seat or armrest surface or in a lumbar support, for example. 
         [0044]    The detector element  30  preferably has at least one support  9 ′. This is preferably designed similar to the support  9  of at least one heater unit  100 . Preferably, the support  9 ′ of at least one detector element  30  is identical with at least one support  9  of at least one heater unit  100 . This can additionally be part of the wall of an air duct device or be connected with same. 
         [0045]    For that purpose, at least one heater resistor element  4  and at least one sensor  35  can be arranged in the same plane, preferably on the side of the support  9  that is facing the user. In this case, both at least one heater resistor element  4  and at least one sensor  35  are imprinted at least partially onto a support  9  made of film and are preferably in contact by means of electrodes  5  that are also printed. 
         [0046]    But depending on the components used, also an arrangement (not shown) of sensor and heater resistor elements on planes that are different from each other can be useful. This is the case when using heater resistor elements made from a stranded flexible conductor (especially steel), since such heater resistor elements have the tendency to divert from their specified routing as a result of the spring forces in the stranded flexible conductor. Here it is recommended, for example, to affix at least one heater resistor element to a top side of a support that is facing towards a user. At least one sensor is preferably arranged, preferably imprinted, on a rear side of the support that is facing away from the user. Such sensor is preferably designed as a capacitative sensor, because its conductor can be positioned more permanently and more accurately. 
         [0047]    It can also be provided to use different supports  9 ,  9 ′ and arrange them spaced at intervals to each other, for example, in order to heat a seat surface and monitor the surface of a rest, for example. 
         [0048]    At least one heater unit  100  and at least one detector element  30  can be arranged in a common switching circuit. They can also be, arranged into separate switching circuits, however, and be mutually switchable, if required. 
         [0049]    It can be provided that on at least one support  9 ,  9 ′, on at least one heater unit  100  and/or on at least one detector element  30 , at least one transponder for signal transmission or for signal reception, at least one integrated circuit or chip and/or at least one electrical storage device, e.g. a capacitor or accumulator, is arranged. 
         [0050]    It can be provided that like in  FIG. 2  multiple sensors  35  are arranged on a flat heater unit  100 . These sensors  35  can be arranged on measuring points  31 ,  32  that are of special interest within heated surfaces  10 ′, or like shown in  FIG. 2 , outside of heated surfaces  10 ″. 
         [0051]    Preferably a sensor  35 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , can have at least two electrodes  5  between which an electrical resistor in the form of a printed circuit heater resistor element  4  is arranged. Electrodes  5  and heater resistor element  4  are at the same time part of the heater unit  100  in this context. If the system is now loaded by the weight of a user, then the heat distribution and/or the heat flow through a padding  8  changes. This results in changes in the local temperature and/or the flow of current through the heater resistor element  4 . Both can be detected by sensor  35 . 
         [0052]    In order to amplify the effect described, a cover layer  22  as part of a multifunction product  1 , for example, can be provided, which in the normal state is spaced apart from the heater resistor element  4  and the electrodes  5  by one or multiple spacers  7 . If the sensor  35  is subjected to a load, the spacers  7  are compressed and the cover layer  22  makes contact with the heater resistor element  4  and/or the electrodes  5 . The changing heat distribution generated thereby can likewise be detected. 
         [0053]    If the cover layer  22  is at least partially made of electrically conductive material, then it can also serve as a switch to bridge the heater resistor element  4  between the two electrodes  5 . This current flow can likewise be detected and used as a measurand. 
         [0054]    In an embodiment pursuant to  FIG. 4 , a sensor  35 ′ can also have two electrodes  5 ″ of its own, which are arranged above a heater resistor element  4 . In the normal state they are spaced apart from the heater resistor element  4  by spacer  7  so that no current flows through. During mechanical loading, the electrodes  5 ″ of the sensor  35  are pressing against the heater resistor element  4 . As a result, the sensor  35 ′ detects a changed voltage and/or current flow. Depending on the configuration, a temperature change and/or a changed current flow will occur in the heater resistor element  4 . All of these changes can be utilized as a measurand for the identification of persons. 
         [0055]    In one embodiment pursuant to  FIG. 2 , measuring points  31  can also be imprinted on a support  9 , on which a heat measurement current and/or the temperature occurring on these measuring points are monitored. A comparison of measuring values of measuring points  31  within a surface  10  to be monitored, with measuring values of measuring points  32  outside of the zone subjected to the weight of a user will then provide information as to the degree of the coverage or loading of the surface to be monitored. Heat radiation in areas subjected to load is significantly higher than in areas that are not subjected to load, because of foam compression, for example. 
       LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
       [0056]      1  Multifunction product 
         [0057]      4  Heater resistor element 
         [0058]      5 ,  5 ′,  5 ″ Electrode 
         [0059]      7  Spacer 
         [0060]      8  Padding 
         [0061]      9 ,  9 ′ Support 
         [0062]      10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″ Surface 
         [0063]      22  Cover layer 
         [0064]      30  Detector element 
         [0065]      31 ,  32  Measuring points 
         [0066]      33  Sensor of the surface to be monitored 
         [0067]      35 ,  35 ′ Sensor 
         [0068]      50 ,  50 ′ Prongs 
         [0069]      100  Heater unit 
         [0070]      110  Temperature control 
         [0071]      120  Air duct 
         [0072]      140  Air-conditioning device 
         [0073]      150  Vehicle 
         [0074]      200  Object to be temperature-controlled 
         [0075]      300  Seat 
         [0076]      400  Cover