Various embodiments of the present invention are schematically illustrated in the drawing and explained in greater detail for exemplary purposes in the following.
FIG. 1 shows the vehicle interior of a vehicle in a schematic cross-section;
FIG. 2 shows the seat panel of the vehicle seat in the vehicle interior from FIG. 1 in a view from the rear visible side;
FIG. 3 shows the seat panel from FIG. 2 in partial cross-section along section line A-A;
FIG. 4 shows the flat conductor set embedded in foam in the panel part from FIG. 2 in a view from above;
FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of a flat conductor set which may be embedded in foam in a seat panel in a perspective view from above;
FIG. 6
a shows a first embodiment of a component according to the present invention having a lamp in partial cross-section;
FIG. 6
b shows a second embodiment of a component according to the present invention having a lamp in partial cross-section;
FIG. 6
c shows a third embodiment of a component according to the present invention having a lamp in partial cross-section;
FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a component according to the present invention having a lamp embedded in foam in partial cross-section;
FIG. 8 shows the component from FIG. 2 having an attached light guiding element in a perspective view;
FIG. 9 shows a light guiding element to be situated on the component in a perspective view;
FIG. 10 shows a multiply curved component having flat conductor set embedded in foam in cross-section;
FIG. 11 shows a foaming mold for producing a component according to the present invention in cross-section;
FIG. 12 shows the component produced in the foaming mold from FIG. 10 in cross-section;
FIG. 13 shows a seal element to be embedded in foam in a component according to the present invention in a perspective view;
FIG. 14 shows a foaming mold for producing a component according to the present invention using a seal element form FIG. 13 in cross-section;
FIG. 15 shows a half of the seal element from FIG. 13 in a view from above;
FIG. 16 shows the half from FIG. 15 in a lateral view;
FIG. 17 shows a foaming mold for producing a component according to the present invention having a foamed plug in a schematic cross-section;
FIG. 18 shows a first embodiment of a plug for producing a component according to the present invention in a perspective view;
FIG. 19 shows a second embodiment of a plug for producing a component according to the present invention in a perspective view;
FIG. 20 shows a third embodiment of a plug for producing a component according to the present invention in a perspective view;
FIG. 21 shows a fourth embodiment of a plug for producing a component according to the present invention in a perspective view.
FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 01 having a vehicle interior 02 in a schematic cross-section. A driver seat 03 is provided in the vehicle interior 02, on which a driver 04 may be seated. On the side of the driver seat 03 pointing toward the passengers 05 on the rear bench set 06, a component 07 according to the present invention, implemented like a seat panel, is attached to the driver seat 03. The component 07 comprises a hard foam body 11, in which a flat conductor set 08 for contacting various electric and/or electronic functional elements is embedded in foam.
FIG. 2 shows the component 07 in a schematic view from the rear visible side. A luggage net is attached to the visible side of the component 07.
The flat conductor set 08, indicated by dashed lines, is embedded in foam in the interior of the component 07. The flat conductor set 08 has two cable tails 09 projecting out of the hard foam body 11, to each of which a lamp 10, specifically an LED, is attached. The mode of operation and type of attachment of the lamps 10 are explained in greater detail in the following on the basis of the description of FIG. 8 and FIG. 9.
FIG. 3 shows the construction of the component 07 in cross-section. The flat conductor set 08, which is formed by an insulator film 12 and flat printed conductors 13 etched photolithographically thereon, is embedded in foam in the surface of the hard foam body 11 of the component 07. Because of the elastic deformability of the flat conductor set 08, it may be shaped unrestrictedly to the predefined outer contours of the component 07 during foaming of the hard foam body 11, in particular bent, bulged, folded, or twisted.
The insulator film 12 is situated in the hard foam body 11 in such a way that the flat printed conductors 13 point into the interior of the hard foam body 11, which is foamed from an electrically insulating polymer, such as polyurethane. An additional electric insulation of the flat printed conductors 13 may thus be dispensed with, since the insulation of the flat printed conductors is implemented by the hard foam body 11. A cover film 14 is attached to the exterior of the hard foam body 11 during production of the component 07, for example has foam applied from behind, laminated on, or glued on, in order to thus form a visually appealing visible side, for example, having a grain surface.
FIG. 4 shows the construction of the flat conductor set 08 in a view from above. The flat conductor set 08 comprises the two cable tails 09 having the lamps 10 attached thereto. In addition, a heating unit 15 implemented as a film heater is provided on the flat conductor set 08, using which the component 07 acting as a seat panel may be heated in the area of the knee of the passengers 05.
A contactless, capacitive sensor 16 is provided at the lower end of the flat conductor set 07, using which the contact of body parts or objects on the external surface of the component 07 may be detected to implement a pinch protector. As soon as the sensor 16 communicates the contact of a body part or object with a control unit 17, which is also attached to the flat conductor set 08, the further seat adjustment of the driver seat 03 is automatically blocked, in order to prevent pinching of the legs of passengers 05 and/or of objects located in the foot space behind the driver seat 03 (see FIG. 1). Temperature control electronics 18 are attached to the flat conductor set 08 to activate the heating unit 15. The plug for connecting the flat conductor set to the electric system of the vehicle 01 is not shown in FIG. 4.
An alternative embodiment 08a of a flat conductor set to be embedded in foam in the component 07 is shown in FIG. 5. A plug 19 for connecting the flat conductor set 08a to the electric system of the vehicle 01 may be seen. Furthermore, the flat conductor set 08a has capacitive sensor surfaces 16a and 16b, a heating unit 15a, control and regulatory electronics 20, and a lamp, specifically an LED 21, whose light is deflected by a light guiding element 22. Recesses 23 and slots 24 are provided in the insulator film 12a, in order to anchor the flat conductor set 08a optimally as it is embedded in the foam of the hard foam body 11.
FIG. 6
a shows an embodiment 25a of a component according to the present invention, in whose hard foam body 26a a flat conductor set 27a having a lamp 28a attached thereto is embedded in foam. The lamp 28a is situated on the surface of the hard foam body 26a which does not form the visible side of the component 25a. An adhesive ring 29a, which adheres on both sides, using which the housing ring of the lamp 28a is attached to the interior of a foaming mold, is used for the correct positioning of the lamp 28a.
A cover film 30a is situated on the visible side of the component 25a. A light guiding element 31a implemented as a deflection prism is used to guide the light generated by the lamp 28a through the hard foam body 26a and the cover film 30a. A transparent cover element 32a is placed on the light exit opening in the cover film 30a from the visible side to cover the edge of the recess.
FIG. 6
b shows a second embodiment 25b of a component according to the present invention, whose construction essentially corresponds to the embodiment 25a. However, the lamp 28b projects beyond the surface of the hard foam body, so that the generated light may be coupled better into the light guiding element 31b. A depression for receiving the projecting part of the lamp 28b is provided in the foaming mold provided for this purpose to produce the embodiment 25b. An adhesive ring 29b which adheres on both sides is again used to fix the lamp 28b in the depression of the foaming mold. As an alternative to the adhesive ring 29b, the flat conductor set 27a may also be glued from behind using an adhesive strip in the area of the lamp 28b and may thus be fixed on the inner wall of the foaming mold.
In the embodiment 25c shown in FIG. 6c, the flat conductor set 27c is guided out of the hard foam body using a seal element 56, which is described in greater detail below, while forming a cable tail 62. The lamp 28c is attached to the cable tail 62. The lamp 28c lies opposite the light guiding element 31c plugged through the hard foam element 26c from the visible side, whose front part is simultaneously used as the cover element 32c. The light generated by the lamp 28c may thus be coupled into the light guiding element 31c and guided through the hard foam body 26c and the cover film 30c to the visible side of the component 25.
FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment 33 of a component according to the present invention in cross-section. During the production of the component 33, a flat conductor set 34 having a lamp 35 attached thereto, specifically an LED, is attached to a cover film 37 forming the visible side of the component, for example glued on, and subsequently has the foam of a hard foam body 36 applied behind it. The lamp 35 is situated on the side pointing into the interior of the hard foam body 36. In order to be able to relay the light generated by the lamp 35, which is indicated in FIG. 7 by light beams 38, to a light exit opening 39, a light guiding element 40 is embedded in foam in the hard foam body 36 together with the flat conductor set 34. The light guiding element 40 is implemented as a light guiding prism, so that the light beam 38 may be deflected in the direction of the light exit opening 39 on the prism surfaces of the light guiding element 40.
FIG. 8 shows the component 07 having the cable tails 09 and the lamps 10 attached thereto once again in a perspective view. Two recesses 41 are provided on the lower edge of the component 07, into which two light guiding elements 42 may be plugged. The light guiding elements 42 comprise a transparent plastic body and are plugged onto the cable tails 09 above the lamps 10 using a clamp 43. By plugging the light guiding elements 42 into the recesses 41, the light generated by the lamps 10 may be guided through the component 07 from the cover side to the exterior side.
FIG. 9 shows the light guiding element 42 having the clamp 43 in a perspective view.
FIG. 10 shows a three-dimensionally molded component 50 in cross-section. The flat conductor set 51 embedded in foam in a hard foam body 55 is bent multiple times in accordance with the three-dimensional shape of the component 50. A contactless capacitive sensor 52 and the electronic components 53 of a control and analysis unit are attached to the flat conductor set 51. A plug 54 for connecting the flat conductor set 52 to a vehicle electric system is provided on one end of the flat conductor set 51. The plug 54 is embedded in foam together with the flat conductor set 52 in the hard foam body 55. Two attachment eyes are shaped on laterally in one piece on the hard foam body 55.
FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 represent a first possibility for guiding out a flat conductor set 44 from the hard foam body 45 of a component according to the present invention. For this purpose, the flat conductor set 44 is inserted in a foaming mold 46 and a projecting cable tail 47 is guided out in the partition plane between the two foaming mold parts 48 and 49. Subsequently, the two foaming mold parts 48 and 49 are closed and the mold cavity thus resulting is foamed with the hard foam body 45. After the hard foam body 45 is demolded, the cable tail 47 of the flat conductor set 44 projects beyond the hard foam body 45 (see FIG. 12).
FIG. 13 shows an alternative possibility for guiding out the electric contact of a flat conductor set 57 from a foamed hard foam body. For this purpose, a seal element 56, which is formed in two parts by two disk-shaped seal parts 58 and 59, is embedded in foam together with the flat conductor set 57 in a hard foam body 60 (see FIG. 14). The seal parts 58 and 59 are plugged together while enclosing the flat conductor set 57 and seal off the foaming mold 61 during the foaming of the hard foam body 60 in a recess provided for this purpose.
FIG. 14 schematically illustrates the production of a hard foam body 60 in a foaming mold 61 using a seal element 56. The projecting cable tail 62 of the flat conductor set 57 is guided out to the outside through the seal element 56 from the interior of the foaming mold 61, the seal element 56 sealing the foaming mold 61 like a seal stopper because of its shape, which tapers upward. For better anchoring of the seal element 56 in the hard foam body 60, a flange 63 is molded onto the bottom of the seal element 56.
FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 show the seal part 58 in a view from above and in a lateral view, respectively. As may be seen from FIG. 15, projections 64 are molded onto the seal part 58 and, having a complementary function, on the seal part 59, using which the seal parts 58 and 59 may be plugged together. A flat depression 65 is provided on the inner faces of the seal parts 58 and 59, in which the flat conductor set 57 is received.
The production of a hard foam body 66 having flat conductor set 67 embedded in foam and a plug 68 attached thereto is schematically illustrated in FIG. 17. During foaming of the hard body 66 in the foaming mold 69, the plug 68 is laid in a depression 65, so that the depression 65 is sealed by the plug 68. The foaming over the contact surfaces on the plug 68 is thus prevented.
FIG. 18 shows a first embodiment 70 of a plug, which may be embedded in foam in a hard foam body together with a flat conductor set 71. The flat printed conductors (not shown in FIG. 18) on the flat conductor set 71 are each contacted with plug elements 72. The plug elements 72 are implemented like plug tabs, which are produced as bent sheet metal parts and may be inserted into the plastic body 73 of the plug 70.
In order to prevent foaming over the contact surfaces on the plug elements 72 during the production of the hard foam body, a peripheral sealing surface 74 is provided on the plug 70, which comes to rest on the interior of the foaming mold to form a seal. The sealing surface 74 has no corners or edges, but rather forms a rounded outer contour, to ensure an optimal seal of the sealing line between plug 70 and foaming mold. A sealing ring, such as a rubber sealing ring, may be situated in the sealing surface 74. As an alternative, another sealing element may also be injected on using a two-component material. The plug elements 72 extend perpendicularly to the external surface of the hard foam part, so that the counter plug may be plugged from above onto the plug 70.
FIG. 19 shows a second embodiment 75 of a possible plug for contacting on a flat conductor set 71. The plug elements 76 extend parallel to the external surface of the hard foam part. In order to nonetheless be able to contact them easily on the flat conductor set 71, the plug elements 76 are bent in steps.
FIG. 20 shows a third embodiment 77 of a plug for contacting on a flat conductor set 71 which is embedded in foam. The plug elements 78 of the plug 77 extend diagonally to the external surface of the hard foam body, so that the counter plug may be plugged on diagonally from above.
FIG. 21 shows a fourth embodiment 79 of a plug which may be contacted on a flat conductor set 71 embedded in foam. In the plug 79, the contact surfaces of the plug elements 80 again extend parallel to the external surface of the hard foam body. A sealing surface 81 running diagonally to the external surface of the hard foam body is used to seal the plug 79 in the foaming mold. The sealing surface 81 runs in a sealing plane extending diagonally to the external surface of the hard foam body, so that the part 82 of the plug 79 lying diagonally below the sealing surface 81 is embedded in foam, and the part 83 of the plug 79 lying diagonally above the sealing surface is not embedded in foam. This type of plug construction allows the plug elements 80 to be mounted easily on the plastic body 84 of the plug 79 by insertion.
Patent Application
20080093890
