The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 29, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 06, 2007
Naohito Asami, Nara, JP;
Yoshitaka Morikawa, Mie, JP;
Takehiko Shigeoka, Nara, JP;
Panasonic Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
The invention relates to a planar heat generating element for use on steering wheels of automotive vehicles and motorboats, and a problem of the invention is to adjust a temperature portion of a planar heat generating element which is attached to a steering wheel, so as to enhance the sensation of using the steering wheel by the user when he or she grips thereon. In the invention, since linear heaters () of a planar heat generating element () are provided so as to be turned repeatedly along a circumferential direction and such that the density of turns of the liner heaters () at an outermost circumferential portion of a ring portion () becomes sparse, the temperature of the outermost circumferential portion of the ring portion () with which the palms of the user are brought into contact when he or she grips the ring portion () can be made to be adjusted, and the heat generation of the planar heat generating element () can be adjusted so as to match the user's way of gripping, thereby the sensation of using the steering wheel felt by the user when he or she grips thereon being able to be enhanced.