JP5944966B2 - Steering wheel heater and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steering wheel heater and a method for manufacturing the same.

  Heaters that warm the steering wheel have become widespread, especially in cold district-specific cars. This heater is attached to the rim portion of the steering wheel held by the driver's hand so as to cover the entire circumference. The outer periphery of the heater is covered with a skin material such as leather. The driver can drive the automobile comfortably by gripping and driving the rim portion heated by the heater from the skin material.

  As such a steering wheel heater, there is known a structure in which electrodes are provided at both ends in one direction of a mesh heating element in which a plurality of heater wires are knitted in a mesh shape (for example, Patent Document 1). reference.). Since the heater body has a mesh structure, it can be attached to a rim having a complicated curved surface with sufficient adhesion, and there is an advantage that the shape of the heater during use is small.

However, since this heater body part is comprised only by the heater wire, there was a case where this heater was disconnected when an excessively large force was applied instantaneously. In addition, the use of only the heater wire leads to an increase in material cost and, in turn, an increase in product price, and there is a problem in terms of cost. In particular, when an alloy containing soft silver is used for the heater wire material in order to further improve the adhesion to the rim portion, the product price has greatly increased.
To solve these problems, for example, it is conceivable to replace a part of the heater wire with an inexpensive non-conductive thread, but there is a possibility that temperature unevenness may occur in the heater body.

JP 2001-110555 A

  The present invention has been made in response to the above problems of the prior art, and can suppress the occurrence of disconnection even when an excessively large force is momentarily applied, and also suppress the occurrence of temperature unevenness in the heater body. An object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel heater capable of reducing the cost and a method for manufacturing the same.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following embodiments [1] to [4].
[1] A heater attached to a rim portion of a steering wheel, a heater main body, a first electrode connected to one end in the longitudinal direction of the heater main body, and a second electrode connected to the other end The heater body has a structure in which a plurality of non-conductive yarns and a plurality of heater wires that generate heat when energized are knitted in a mesh shape, and the heater wires in the heater body the weaving number ratio of the non-conductive yarn 1: 1 to 1: 2 by weight der is, the ends of the plurality of non-conductive yarns the heater body portion of the first electrode and the second electrode From the side edge, from 1/5 to 4/5 of each width of the first electrode and the second electrode, the ends of the plurality of heater wires are outside the ends of the non-conductive yarn, The first electrode and the solder are covered with the non-conductive yarn and the end of the heater wire. Heater steering wheel characterized that you have been secured to the second electrode.
[2] The steering wheel heater according to [1] , wherein the plurality of non-conductive yarns include at least one selected from polyester yarn, rayon yarn and nylon yarn.

[3] A heater attached to the rim portion of the steering wheel, the heater main body, a first electrode connected to one end in the longitudinal direction of the heater main body, and a second electrode connected to the other end The heater body has a structure in which a plurality of non-conductive yarns and a plurality of heater wires that generate heat when energized are knitted in a mesh shape, and the heater wires in the heater body A method for manufacturing a heater for a steering wheel , wherein a ratio of the number of braids with the non-conductive yarn is in a range of 1: 1 to 1: 2, comprising: (a) a plurality of the non-conductive yarns of the heater main body; Disposing one end of each of the plurality of heater wires on the first electrode and disposing the other end on the second electrode; and (b) the heater of the first electrode and the second electrode. While cooling the part near the body, Soldering the heater wire on the first electrode and the second electrode, and melting and fixing the plurality of nonconductive yarns on the first electrode and the second electrode. A method for manufacturing a steering wheel heater, which is characterized.
[4] In the method for manufacturing a steering wheel heater according to [3] , the cooling of the first electrode and the second electrode in the step (b) is performed on the heater main body of the first electrode and the second electrode. from the side edges, said first electrode and a manufacturing method of the heater characteristics and be away tearing wheel to be performed on the part of 1 / 5-4 / 5 of the width of the second electrode.

  According to the present invention, even when an excessively large force is momentarily applied, the occurrence of disconnection can be suppressed, the occurrence of temperature unevenness in the heater body portion can be suppressed, and the cost can be reduced. A heater for a steering wheel and a method for manufacturing the same are provided.

It is a top view which shows one Embodiment of the heater for steering wheels of this invention. It is a top view which shows the principal part structure of the heater for steering wheels of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the II-II line of FIG. It is a top view explaining the connection method of the heater main-body part and 1st electrode (or 2nd electrode) in one Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the connection part of the heater main-body part at the time of connecting by the conventional method, and a 1st electrode (or 2nd electrode). It is a figure explaining the modification of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of application to the steering wheel of the heater for steering wheels of one Embodiment of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Although the description will be made based on the drawings, the drawings are provided for illustration only, and the present invention is not limited to the drawings. Moreover, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the common part.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a heater for a steering wheel of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the main part, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. .

  As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel heater 10 of this embodiment includes a heater body 1, a first electrode 2 </ b> A connected to one end of the heater body 1 in the longitudinal direction, and the other end. A connected second electrode 2B, a lead wire 3 connected to the first electrode 2A and the second electrode 2B, and a connection terminal 4 for connecting the lead wire 3 to a power supply terminal (not shown) are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the heater main body 1 has a structure in which a plurality of heater wires 12 and a plurality of non-conductive yarns 14 that generate heat when energized are knitted in a mesh shape by, for example, knitting. The heater wire 12 and the non-conductive yarn 14 are independently connected to the first electrode 2A and the second electrode 2B one by one. That is, if the mechanical entanglement due to the knitting is solved, the heater wire 12 and the non-conductive yarn 14 are arranged one by one, and the heater wire 12 forms a simple parallel circuit.

  As the heater wire 12, for example, a metal wire (bare wire) made of copper, copper-nickel alloy, copper-silver alloy, nickel-chromium alloy or the like is used. Moreover, the enameled wire which apply | coated and baked the insulating paint to these metal wires can also be used. When a bare wire is used as the heater wire 12, there is a possibility that the resistance fluctuation becomes large depending on the contact state of the heater wires 12 at the intersection. Therefore, it is preferable to use an enameled wire as the heater wire 12 from the viewpoint of obtaining a stable resistance value. Examples of the insulating paint to be applied and baked on the metal wire include those mainly composed of polyvinyl acetal resin, polyurethane resin, polyester resin, polyamideimide resin, polyimide resin and the like. Among these, polyurethane resins and polester resins are preferable in that they can be soldered relatively easily while having sufficient heat resistance. The metal wire is preferably a copper-nickel alloy wire from the viewpoints of cost, ease of knitting, long-term resistance stability, and the like.

  Further, as the non-conductive yarn 14, for example, a yarn made of a fiber such as polyester, rayon, nylon, aramid, cotton, hemp or the like is used. Among these, heat resistance is relatively good, mechanical strength (especially tensile strength) is large, inexpensive, easy to obtain, and familiar with the metal wire or enamel wire used for the heater wire. A yarn made of polyester, rayon, or nylon, which is easy to weave, is preferred.

  In consideration of ease of knitting, adhesion to the rim, mechanical strength, etc., the heater wire 12 has a diameter of 0.02 to 0.12 mm. The range is preferable, the range of 0.04 to 0.10 mm is more preferable, and the range of 0.06 to 0.08 mm is even more preferable. Moreover, it is preferable to use a nonconductive wire 14 having a thickness of 30 to 150 denier, more preferably 50 to 100 denier, and even more preferably 50 to 75 denier. The wire diameter and thickness of the heater wire 12 and the non-conductive yarn 14 are not necessarily the same, but are preferably the same or substantially the same from the viewpoint of reducing surface irregularities.

  In the present invention, the ratio of the heater wire 12 and the non-conductive yarn 14 in the heater main body 1 is within a range of 1 to 2 for the non-conductive yarn 14 with respect to 1 for the heater wire 12 in the ratio of the number of braids. That is, the heater wire 12 and the non-conductive yarn 14 are knitted at equal intervals, and the knitting number ratio at this time is in the range of 1: 1 to 1: 2. If the ratio of the heater wires 12 is less than the above range, non-heated portions increase and temperature unevenness is likely to occur. Further, since heat is generated with a small number of heater wires, the temperature of each heater wire may become too high. On the other hand, when the ratio of the heater wires 12 exceeds the above range, the effect of suppressing the occurrence of disconnection of the heater wires when an excessively large force is instantaneously applied is reduced, and the effect of reducing the cost is also reduced. Here, “knitted at equal intervals” means that the intervals of the knitted materials are equal. For example, in FIG. 2, the distance between the leftmost heater wire (first heater wire) 12 and the non-conductive yarn 14 adjacent thereto, the non-conductive yarn 14 and the heater wire adjacent thereto (second wire). The heater wire 12 and the non-conductive yarn 14 are knitted so that the distance to the heater wire 12 is equal.

  The arrangement method of the heater wire 12 and the non-conductive yarn 14 is not particularly limited. However, in order to suppress the occurrence of temperature unevenness, the heater wire 12 when an excessively large force is applied instantaneously is used. In order to suppress the occurrence of disconnection, it is preferable to arrange them as evenly as possible. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a method in which one heater wire 12 and one or two non-conductive yarns 14 are alternately arranged in the width direction of the heater body 1. For example, a method of alternately arranging the heater wires 12 and 2 to 4 non-conductive yarns 14 may be used. In the example of FIG. 2, one heater wire 12 and one nonconductive yarn 14 are alternately arranged.

  Further, examples of the method of knitting the heater wire 12 and the non-conductive yarn 14 include knitting, tricot knitting, and the like. Knitted knitting refers to a knitting method in which loops are continuously and planarly bound in the warp direction. Tricot knitting refers to warp knitting. Among these, tricot knitting is preferable because it is flexible and excellent in stretchability and can be sufficiently adhered to a rim portion having a complicated curved surface.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, both ends of the heater wire 12 and the nonconductive thread 14 are fixed to the first electrode 2A and the second electrode 2B by solder 16, respectively.
The first electrode 2A and the second electrode 2B are previously cut into a rectangular shape having a predetermined width and length, and the thickness is, for example, 0.01 to 0.5 mm, preferably 0.05 to 0.2 mm. Consists of The metal foil preferably has excellent conductivity and corrosion resistance, such as copper foil plated with tin, solder, gold, etc., or gold, silver, nickel, etc. having conductivity and corrosion resistance itself. The non-ferrous metal foil is preferably used. Further, as the solder, one having a high flux content, good high temperature characteristics and excellent wettability is preferable, and lead-free solder is preferable from the viewpoint of environmental protection. Specifically, a tin-silver-copper system, a tin-silver-bismuth system, a tin-silver-copper-bismuth system, and the like are preferable.

  Note that the solder generally has a melting temperature of 200 ° C. or more. At this temperature, the non-conductive yarn 14 usually melts and disappears, or carbonizes and loses the wettability of the solder, and soldering becomes impossible. . In the present embodiment, by using the following method, the non-conductive yarn 14 as well as the heater wire 12 is securely fixed to the electrodes 2A and 2B.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the ends of the heater wire 12 and the non-conductive yarn 14 are placed on the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B), and the solder 16 is overlaid thereon. Then, the solder 16 is melted by the soldering iron and spreads thinly (for example, 5 to 30 μm thick) and uniformly over substantially the entire surface of the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B). At that time, a portion of the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B) near the heater main body 42 is blown over a width A over which cold air is blown, a pipe through which cold water passes is brought into contact with the portion, or thermal conductivity. This is performed while cooling by a method such as bringing a metal jig that is high and advantageous for radiation into contact with the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B).

  In this way, by melting and soldering the portion 42 of the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B) near the heater body, the non-conductive yarn 14 located in the cooled portion 42 is melted or lost or carbonized. Is prevented and melted and fixed on the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B) (that is, melted and fixed). Specifically, the end portion of the non-conductive yarn 14 is melted, and the melted portion is cooled and solidified to be fixed to the first electrode 2A. Since the temperature of the solder 16 of the cooled portion 42 is lower than that of the portion that has not been cooled, the nonconductive yarn 14 is fixed without melting and disappearing, and a sufficient mechanical connection strength is ensured. The Further, the heater wire 12 is securely fixed by the complete solder 16 in a portion where the cooling is not performed. For this reason, the connection strength between the heater body 1 and the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B) can be greatly improved as compared to the case where cooling is not performed as shown in FIG.

  That is, FIG. 5 shows an example of soldering without performing any cooling. In this case, the heater wire 12 is fixed to the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B) with solder, but the non-conductive yarn 14 melts and disappears, and the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B). Not fixed to.

  In contrast, in the example of FIG. 4 in which the portion 42 near the heater main body of the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B) is soldered while being cooled, the non-conductive yarn 14 in the portion that has not been cooled is Although melted and disappeared, the non-conductive yarn 14 is fixed to the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B) in the cooled portion 42. Furthermore, the heater wire 12 is fixed to the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B) by soldering as in the example of FIG. Therefore, the heater body 1 and the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B) are connected with higher strength than in the example of FIG.

  The width A of the portion 42 to be cooled can be 1/5 to 4/5 of the width W of the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B). When the width is less than 1/5 of the width W of the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B), the connection strength of the non-conductive yarn 14 becomes insufficient. On the other hand, if the ratio exceeds 4/5, the soldering portion performed under normal conditions decreases, the connection strength of the heater wire 12 decreases, and the heater body 1 and the first electrode 2A (or second electrode 2B) 2 In order to avoid this, a large electrode having a larger width than necessary is required. In addition, from the viewpoint of suppressing the width of the electrode, the width A is more preferably in a range of ¼ to ３ of the width W of the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B).

  In the present invention, in order to make the connection strength between the heater body 1 and the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B) more reliable, as shown in FIG. The tape 5 may protect both the front and back surfaces of the first electrode 2A and the second electrode 2B to which the heater body 1 is connected. FIG. 6B shows the first electrode 2 </ b> A (or the second electrode 2 </ b> B) after being sandwiched between the insulating protective tapes 5.

  For the protective tape 5, it is preferable to use a nonwoven fabric made of, for example, polyester fiber, aramid fiber, etc., which is flexible, excellent in stretchability, and heat resistant. A tape made of a nonwoven fabric that has been subjected to a flame retardant treatment is more preferred. Examples of the material for the protective tape other than the nonwoven fabric include a polyimide tape, a fluororesin tape, and a vinyl chloride tape. As an adhesive for adhering the protective tape 5 to the first electrode 2A (or the second electrode 2B), a silicone type, an acrylic type, a thermosetting rubber type, or the like is preferable from the viewpoints of flame retardancy and heat resistance.

FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of a steering wheel 70 equipped with the steering wheel heater 10 of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, the steering wheel 70 is arranged at a substantially central position of a rim portion 71 formed by covering the outer periphery of a reinforcing core member formed in an annular shape with a synthetic resin, and the annular rim portion 71. The boss part 74 connected to the steering shaft 73 and the spoke part 75 that extends from the inner diameter side of the rim part 71 toward the boss part 74 and connects the rim part 71 and the boss part 74 are mainly configured. Yes.

  The steering wheel heater 10 of the present embodiment covers the entire circumference of the annular rim portion 71, and the first electrode 2A and the second electrode 2B have a low probability that the driver of the rim portion 1 touches the hand, for example, When the traveling direction of the automobile is straight, the rim portion 1 is positioned so as to face each other at the lower position. The steering wheel heater 10 is fixed to the rim 71 with a double-sided adhesive tape or an adhesive. The lead wire 3 connected to the first electrode 2 </ b> A and the second electrode 2 </ b> B is connected along the inner diameter side surface of the rim portion 71 and then inserted into the spoke portion 75 and connected to the lead wire 3. A terminal (not shown) is connected to a power supply terminal (not shown). The steering wheel heater 10 fixed to the rim portion 71 is further covered with a skin material 76 such as leather.

  In the steering wheel 70 configured as described above, for example, when power is supplied from the power supply terminal to the first electrode 2A via the lead wire 3, the current is supplied from the plurality of heater wires of the heater body to the first electrode 2A. The heater wire generates heat by this energization, and the steering wheel 70 is warmed. As a result, the driver can comfortably operate the steering wheel 70.

In the steering wheel heater of the present embodiment, the heater main body has a structure in which a plurality of non-conductive yarns and a plurality of heater wires that generate heat when energized are knitted in a mesh shape, and the heater main body Since the ratio of the number of braids between the heater wire and the non-conductive yarn is in a range of 1: 1 to 1: 2, it is instantaneously excessive when the heater is attached to the steering wheel. Even when a large force is applied, the occurrence of disconnection of the heater wire can be suppressed, and the occurrence of temperature unevenness in the heater body can also be suppressed.
Further, since the heater wire is fixed to the first electrode and the second electrode by solder and the non-conductive yarn is melted and fixed to the first electrode and the second electrode, the heater main body and the electrode are connected with high strength. be able to.
Moreover, since it is easy to obtain and an inexpensive nonelectroconductive thread | yarn can be used, cost reduction can be aimed at.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Needless to say.

  EXAMPLES Next, although an Example demonstrates this invention further in detail, this invention is not limited to these Examples at all.

Example 1
10 2UEW enameled wires (type 2 polyurethane copper wire) with a wire diameter of 0.075 mm, 20 75 denier polyester yarns, 1 enameled wire (type 2 polyurethane copper wire), and 2 polyester yarns alternately Then, a net-like heating element having a length of about 1100 mm and a width of about 80 mm was produced by knitting with knitting. Next, an electrode having a length of 81 mm, a width of 7 mm, and a thickness of 0.1 mm made from a tin-plated copper foil was described with reference to FIG. 4 using solder (lead-free) at both ends in the length direction of the heating element. The steering wheel heater was manufactured according to the method, and the ratio of the number of braided enamel wires and polyester yarns in the heater main body was 1: 2. During soldering, the heating element side of the electrode was cooled over a width of 1/3. The cooling was performed using a special cooling jig. Moreover, the lead wire was also fixed to the electrode.

  When the obtained heater for the steering wheel was observed, the polyester yarn was not melted by soldering, and all of the 2UEW enamel wire was fixed to the electrode, and all the polyester yarn was melt-fixed to the electrode. In addition, when the heater for the steering wheel was energized, no temperature unevenness that was a practical problem was found.

(Example 2)
The same as in Example 1, except that the number of 2UEW enameled wires and the number of polyester yarns were 15 respectively, and the enameled wires and the polyester yarns were alternately knitted with knitting to produce a mesh-like heating element. Thus, a heater for a steering wheel in which the volume ratio of the enameled wire and the polyester yarn in the heater body was 1: 1 was manufactured.

  When the obtained heater for the steering wheel was observed, the polyester yarn was not melted by soldering as in Example 1, and no temperature unevenness due to energization was found.

(Comparative example)
The number of 2UEW enameled wires and polyester yarns is 8 and 22, respectively, and these are knit so that one enameled wire, two polyester yarns, one enameled wire and three polyester yarns are repeated in the width direction. A steering wheel heater was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a net-like heating element was produced and a volume ratio of the enamel wire of the heater body to the polyester yarn was 2: 5.

  When the obtained heater for the steering wheel was observed, as in Example 1, the polyester yarn was not melted by soldering. However, when energized, more temperature unevenness was observed than in Example 1 and Example 2. It was.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Heater main-body part, 2A ... 1st electrode, 2B ... 2nd electrode, 3 ... Lead wire, 4 ... Connection terminal, 5 ... Insulating protective tape, 10 ... Steering wheel heater, 12 ... Heater wire, 14 ... Non Conductive thread, 16 ... solder, 70 ... steering wheel, 71 ... rim part.

Claims (4)

A heater attached to the rim of the steering wheel,
A heater main body, and a first electrode connected to one end in the longitudinal direction of the heater main body and a second electrode connected to the other end,
The heater body portion has a structure in which a plurality of non-conductive yarns and a plurality of heater wires that generate heat when energized are knitted in a mesh shape, and the heater wires and the non-conductive yarns in the heater body portion 2 ranges der is, the ends of the plurality of non-conductive yarns the heater main body side end edge of the first electrode and the second electrode, - the weaving number ratio of 1 with: 1 to 1 The end portions of the plurality of heater wires are outside the end portions of the non-conductive yarns at portions of 1/5 to 4/5 of the widths of the first electrode and the second electrode. heater steering wheel, characterized in Rukoto by solder covering the end portion of the yarn and the heating wire is fixed to the first electrode and the second electrode.   3. The heater for a steering wheel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of non-conductive yarns include at least one selected from a polyester yarn, a rayon yarn, and a nylon yarn. A heater attached to a rim portion of a steering wheel, comprising: a heater main body portion; a first electrode connected to one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the heater main body portion; and a second electrode connected to the other end portion. The heater main body has a structure in which a plurality of non-conductive yarns and a plurality of heater wires that generate heat when energized are knitted in a mesh shape, and the heater wires in the heater main body and the non-conductive A method for producing a heater for a steering wheel in which the ratio of the number of braids to the natural yarn is in the range of 1: 1 to 1: 2 .
(A) placing one end of each of the plurality of non-conductive yarns and the plurality of heater wires of the heater body on the first electrode, and placing the other end on the second electrode; ,
(B) While cooling a portion of the first electrode and the second electrode near the heater main body, soldering the plurality of heater wires onto the first electrode and the second electrode, A method for manufacturing a steering wheel heater, comprising: fusing and fixing a non-conductive yarn on the first electrode and the second electrode. In the step (b), the first electrode and the second electrode are cooled from the heater body side edge of the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively, with the widths of the first electrode and the second electrode. The method for manufacturing a steering wheel heater according to claim 3 , wherein the method is performed on a portion of 1/5 to 4/5.

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