Gentherm Gmbh

Gentherm Canada Ltd.

Jack Barfuss

Syed Rafat Iqbal

Grzegorz Kawa

Ricardo Edmundo Flores Gonzalez

Tim Normand

Michael Maass

Bruno Antonio Orlando

Gerardo Edel De La Garza Fernandez

Peter Marton

Daniel Wei Li Cheah

Robert Lakatos

Vincent Libbrecht

Zoran Panic

Wayne Swoyer Kauffman, Iii

Pedro Antunez

Matt Zuzga

A system including an assembly arranged in at least one of a seat and a steering wheel of a vehicle and a measurement circuit. The assembly includes a sensor and a heater arranged adjacent to the sensor. The measurement circuit is configured to output an excitation signal to the measurement circuit and the assembly and measure a resonant frequency of the measurement circuit and the assembly in response to the excitation signal. The measurement circuit is configured to determine a capacitance value based on the resonant frequency and determine whether a body part is in proximity to the sensor based on the capacitance value.

Capacitive sensing and heating system for steering wheels or seats to sense presence of hand of occupant on steering wheel or occupant in seat

A capacitance measuring system detecting an occupant of a vehicle. A sensor/heater assembly is arranged in at least one of a seat or a steering wheel of a vehicle and includes a sensor and a heater arranged adjacent to the sensor. A measurement circuit is configured to output an excitation signal to the measurement circuit and the sensor/heater assembly, measure a resonant frequency of the measurement circuit and the sensor/heater assembly in response to the excitation signal; determine at least one capacitance value based on the resonant frequency; and determine whether a body part is in proximity to the sensor based on the at least one capacitance value.

An improved heating element, comprising: (a) an electrically insulated resistive heating wire; (b) a flexible substrate that supports the electrically insulated resistive wire: (c) one or more electrical connection for an operational component of the heating element, the electrical connection including at least two wires that are joined together; (d) a spacer controlling spacing between the at least two wires approaching the electrical connection; wherein at least a portion of the electrical connection including the spacer is encapsulated in a shrunken heat shrinkable sheath that includes at least one mass of hot melt adhesive within the sheath so that the electrical connection is insulated from fluid penetration.

Liquid resistant heating element

A heater comprising: (a) a non-woven heating layer having: a forward surface, a rearward surface, and a plurality of edges around a periphery of the heating layer; (b) two or more connections to a power source; wherein the heating layer is made up of a plurality of individual fibers that are randomly oriented; and wherein substantially all of the non-woven heating layer produces heat when power is to the non-woven heating layer.

Felt heater and method of making

A system comprising: a heater located within a steering wheel and a heater located within a vehicle seat; wherein the steering wheel is a first plate and the vehicle seat is a second plate and a shift in a signal is monitored from the first plate, the second plate, or both so that a presence and absence of an occupant is detected, and wherein the heater in the steering wheel and the heater in the vehicle seat are a sensor.

Occupancy sensing with heating devices

A combination heater and sensor comprising: (a) a heating layer, a sensing layer, or both; (b) one or more power application portions, one or more sensing application portions, or both; wherein the heating layer and the sensing layer are located within the same plane; and wherein the heating layer is a nonwoven layer that is comprised of a plurality of metallized fibers that are randomly oriented forming the heating layer so that upon application of power the heating layer provides heat.

Growing community of inventors

Windsor, CA, United States of America

Jack Barfuss