Steering wheel covers

• US 20040144197A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inditherm Plc (Inspiration Healthcare Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: Inditherm Plc (Inspiration Healthcare Group Plc)
• Inventors: OʼGrady, Patrick James
• Application Number:
  US10/477,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20040144197A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/558
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/065 Steering wheels with heating and ventilating means heating and ventilation of steering wheel when connected to vehicle HVAC B60H1/00292
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/005 using multiple resistive elements or resistive zones isolated from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/011 Heaters using laterally extending conductive material as connecting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/013 Heaters using resistive films or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/34 flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/56 Heating cables
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/565 flat cables
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2087 Rim grips and covers

Abstract

The invention relates to steering wheel covers, of themselves known. Even covered steering wheels can be uncomfortable to touch in periods of cold weather and in predominantly cold climates. The invention seeks to remedy this, an objective met by a heatable cover comprising an elongate flexible laminated strip (1) of a length to encircle a steering wheel of a predetermined diameter, the strip having a width to encompass substantially the full periphery of the steering wheel, the laminated strip incorporating a flexible sheet (3) of electrically conductive and heatable material, and a number of spaced substantially parallel electrically conductive strips (4) on one side of the said flexible sheet and extending across the width thereof, said strips being connectable by live and return (8, 9) leads to a source of electrical power.

Claims

1. A heatable cover for a steering wheel of a vehicle characterised by an elongate flexible laminated strip (1) of a length to encircle a steering wheel (10) of a predetermined diameter, the strip having a width to encompass substantially the full periphery of the steering wheel, the laminated strip (1) incorporating a flexible sheet (3) of electrically conductive and heatable material, and a number of spaced substantially parallel electrically conductive strips (4, 14) on one side of the said flexible sheet and extending across the width thereof, said strips being connectable by live and return leads (8, 9, 15, 16) to a source of electrical power.

4. A heatable cover as in claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the said live and return leads are conductive wires (15, 16) embedded in the steering wheel (10) with connecting wires (17, 18) emerging from the steering wheel for connection to the electrically conductive strips (14).

5. A heatable cover as in any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the flexible sheet (1) of electrically conductive material is formed by a fabric (7) coated with carbon particles dispersed in an elastomeric polymer provided with an anti-adsorption compound.

6. A heatable cover as in claim 5, characterised in that carbon is at a level of 20% to 75% by dry weight, to 80% to 25% by dry weight of elastomeric polymer.

7. A heatable cover as in any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the electrically non-conductive but heat conductive elongate strip (7) is of cotton or cotton based material.

10. A heatable cover as in claim 1 and claims 3 to 9 when appended to claim 1, characterised in that the electrically conductive and parallel strips (14) are formed by electrically conductive ink.

11. A heatable cover as in claim 10, characterised in that the ink is a two-component silver filled polyurethane.

12. A heatable cover as in claim 10 or claim 11, characterised in that the ink is applied to the surface of the flexible sheet of electrically conductive material through a screen of silk or nylon on which a stencil is provided.

13. A heatable cover as in claim 0.4 or claim 5 to 12 when appended to claim 4, characterized in that the connecting wires (17, 18) extending from the live and return leads (15, 16) are connected to respective adjacent electrically conductive strips (14).

14. A heatable cover as in any of claims 1 to 13, wherein electrical connections to the rails or the embedded live and return leads extend to a temperature control device (12), in turn connected to a source of electrical supply on the vehicle.

15. A heatable cover as in claim 14, wherein the connection to the electrical supply is via a connector (13) that allows free rotation of the steering wheel whilst maintaining the electrical connection to the temperature control device and the laminated strip.

2. A heatable cover as in claim 2, characterised in that the laminate strip (1) is shaped (2) to accommodate a predetermined steering wheel spoke arrangement.

3. A heatable cover for a steering wheel of a vehicle characterised by an elongate, flexible, laminated strip (1) of a length to encircle a steering wheel (10) of a predetermined diameter, the strip having a width to encompass substantially the full periphery of the steering wheel, and being shaped (2) to accommodate a predetermined steering wheel spoke arrangement, the laminated strip incorporating a flexible sheet (3) of electrically conductive and heatable material, a number of spaced substantially parallel flexible electrically conductive bars (4) attached to one side of the said flexible sheet and extending across the width thereof, live and return electrical rails (8, 9) located to the opposite side of the said flexible sheet (3) than the bars and electrical connections (5, 6) between the bars and the rails, a first electrically non-conductive but heat conductive elongate flexible strip (7) interposed between the electrical rails and the said electrically conductive flexible sheet, and a second electrically non-conductive but heat conductive elongate flexible strip (7A) overlaying the live and return electrical rails.

8. A heatable cover as in claim 3 and any of claims 4 to 8 when appended to claim 3, characterised in that the spaced parallel electrically conductive bars (4) extend beyond one edge of the strip to provide connecting sections adjacent connecting sections being connected to the live and return electrical rails (8, 9) respectively.

9. A heatable cover as in claim 8, characterised in that the live and return rails (8, 9) are lengths of copper braid, the braid and the parallel conductive bars being attached to the laminated strip by an adhesive.