Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Mitsuru Yoneyama

Kazumi Nagayama

Naohito Asami

Akira Shiratake

Norio Abe

Takahito Ishii

Seishi Terakado

Keiko Yasui

Kazuyuki Kohara

Keizo Nakajima

Takehiko Shigeoka

Hiroshi Uno

Yoshifumi Moriya

Satoshi Arima

Koichi Nakano

Noriyuki Yoneno

Hiroshi Mitsunaga

Fumitaka Kikutani

Shintaro Nozawa

Osamu Yoshida

A sheet heater structured so that heating wire is fixed to air-passing base material by sewing. This structure can provide a sheet heater that has improved durability of heating wireagainst the load imposed on the seat during sitting, comfortable feeling of sitting in the seat, and high air-passing capability.

Sheet heater

The flexible PTC heating element according to the invention has one of the following constitutions. A portion of an electrodes and a PTC resistor is impregnated into a flexible substrate. A flexible substrate is made of resin foam or rubber material having a concave/convex shape formed on the surface. The flexible PTC heating element has an elongation deformation portion disposed to at least one of an electrode and a PTC resistor. A flexible substrate has adhesiveness and either a flexible substrate or a flexible cover material has an elongation control portion. Therefore, the flexible PTC heating element is highly flexible and excellent in vibration durability.

Flexible PTC heating element and method of manufacturing the heating element

A heating element includes a base material and a heater disposed on the base material, which can be deformed to accommodate a part of the heater. A steering wheel equipped with the heating element is free from surface protrusions caused by the heater. Employment of a linear heater reduces connections between the heater and power supply lines, and a high connecting reliability is obtained. The steering wheel includes the heating element and the power lines, and connections between the heating element and the power lines are disposed in the boss portion of the steering wheel. The steering wheel is further provided with a temperature detector, a temperature detector heater and a temperature controller, and the detector and the detector heater are disposed in the boss portion. Thus, a steering wheel with a good grip and a good appearance can be provided at a low cost.

Heating element for steering wheel

A heating element includes a base substrate, a pair of electrodes, a resistor capable of generating heat, a conductive resin, a terminal member, a hot melt adhesion metal, a hot melt cohesion metal, and a lead wire. The pair of electrodes is provided on the base substrate, and the resistor is formed between the pair of electrodes. The conductive resin is provided on each of the electrodes, and the terminal member is provided on the conductive resin. The adhesion metal is provided on the terminal member, and the cohesion metal forms a molten phase along with the adhesion metal. An end of the lead wire is welded to the cohesion metal. The conductive resin is provided in the vicinity of the adhesion metal so as to be affected by heat of the adhesion metal.

Heating element and production method thereof

An air conditioning seat device includes an air blower, and a dehumidifier for dehumidifying the air sent from the air blower owing to adsorption, and blows out the dehumidified air to holes provided on a skin of a seat through an air duct. In this makeup, the sweat on the body surface and in the clothes is rapidly vaporized, causing a large amount of vaporization heat loss. Accordingly, the human body feels coolness, and steaminess on the skin is suppressed owing to the sweat vaporization.

Air conditioning seat device

A heating element used for a heated seat assembly of the present invention comprises a base material made of hotmelt material, and a linear heater disposed at a predetermined pattern on the base material. The linear heater is fixed by adhesion or sewing onto the base material. In one example of the present invention, the linear heater is characterized in that a plurality of conductors and threads are braided into the linear heater. In another example, a number of threads comprising the linear heater is at least the same with a number of conductors. According to the heating element of the present invention and the method of manufacturing the heated seat assembly according to the present invention, a heated seat assembly with excellent seating comfort and even seat temperature can be obtained, and the heating element is durable.

Heated seat assembly and method of manufacturing the same

A surface heating device comprises a heating element fabricated by braiding plural conductors on a flexible supporter. The surface heating device employs a heating element member which is reduced in thickness or diameter, and thus can be inhibited from providing an uncomfortable touch when sat upon or appearing as a relief on a surface cover of a seat. Also, because a pad is reduced in thickness, the surface cover of the seat can be heated up rapidly. The heating element is fabricated by braiding the conductors, and thus, when loaded with a weight when sat upon, the heating element allows a resultant stress exerted thereon to be dispersed through the conductors, hence being stronger against bending. Moreover, the conductors are inhibited from separating from each other and need no insulating coat.

Planar heating element

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Mitsuru Yoneyama