PLANAR HEATING DEVICE AND SEAT WITH SAME

• US 20120049586A1
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshimoto, Koji, Abe, Norio, Hioki, Kazuaki, Ogino, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,752,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/180.12
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/748 for heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5685 Resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/003 using serpentine layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/014 Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/029 Heaters specially adapted for seat warmers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/34 flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs

Abstract

A planar heating device and a seat equipped with the device include: first and second warming heaters (1, 2) connected in parallel with electric power source (4); thermistor (5); thermostat (6) connected in series with second warming heater (2); a heating part, i.e., first warming heater (1), that heats thermistor (5) and thermostat (6); and controller (3) to control temperatures of first and second warming heaters (1, 2) in accordance with temperature information from thermistor (5). For a period until thermostat (6) turns off, quick-heating property is improved by energizing first and second warming heaters (1, 2).

Claims

1. A planar heating device for warming a user sitting on a seat, the device comprising:

a first warming heater and a second warming heater that are disposed under a face over of the seat and connected in parallel with an electric power source;

a thermistor;

a thermostat connected in series with the second warming heater;

a heating part for heating the thermistor and the thermostat; and

a controller for controlling temperatures of the first warming heater and the second warming heater in accordance with temperature information from the thermistor, wherein the thermistor, the heating part, and the thermostat are disposed at areas not in contact with the sitting user.

2. The planar heating device according to claim 1, wherein the first warming heater includes the heating part.

3. The planar heating device according to claim 2, wherein the first warming heater includes a main heater and an auxiliary heater connected in series with the main heater, the auxiliary heater being the heating part.

4. The planar heating device according to claim 1, further comprising:

two auxiliary heaters defining the heating part connected with the first warming heater,

wherein, one of the two auxiliary heaters heats the thermistor and the other heats the thermostat.

5. The planar heating device according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the temperature of the first warming heater in accordance with the temperature information from the thermistor after the thermostat operates to halt heating by the second warming heater.

6. The planar heating device according to claim 5, wherein time to start controlling the temperature of the first warming heater is not more than five minutes after halting the heating by the second warming heater.

7. The planar heating device according to claim 5, wherein the thermostat starts to operate within five minutes after the electric power source is turned on.

8. The planar heating device according to claim 5, wherein the thermostat continuously operates to halt the heating by the second warming heater while the temperature of the first warming heater is controlled in accordance with the temperature information from the thermistor.

9. A seat comprising:

the first and second warming heaters of the planar heating device according to claim 1, the warming heaters disposed between a seat pad and a face cover of the seat; and

a heat-insulating sheet disposed between the planar heating device and the seat pad, the heat-insulating sheet having a higher heat-insulation property than the seat pad, wherein the heat-insulating sheet is disposed in a predetermined area instead of the entire area corresponding to the seat pad.

10. The seat according to claim 9, wherein the heat-insulating sheet includes a contact area where a user sitting on the seat comes in contact therewith, the contact area including at least one of a thigh contact area, a center-of-buttocks contact area, a back contact area, a lumbar contact area, a shoulder contact area, and a center-of-scapulas contact area.

11. The seat according to claim 9, wherein the heat-insulating sheet includes closed-cell foam.

12. The seat according to claim 9, wherein the heat-insulating sheet includes a plurality of through-holes.

13. The seat according to claim 12, wherein the first warming heater and the second warming heater include a heating wire so disposed as not to overlap with at least a part of the plurality of through-holes.

14. A seat comprising:

a seat heater disposed between a seat pad and a face cover, the seat heater providing a user sitting on the seat with warmth when being energized; and

a heat-insulating sheet disposed between the seat heater and the seat pad, the heat-insulating sheet having a higher heat-insulation property than the seat pad,

wherein the heat-insulating sheet is disposed at least in a center-of-scapulas contact area of the seat pad where the user comes in contact therewith upon sitting, instead of the entire area corresponding to the seat pad.

15. The seat according to claim 14, wherein the heat-insulating sheet further includes a contact area where a user sitting on the seat comes in contact therewith, the contact area including at least one of a thigh contact area, a center-of-buttocks contact area, a back contact area, a lumbar contact area, and a shoulder contact area.

16. The seat according to claim 14, wherein the heat-insulating sheet includes closed-cell foam.

17. The seat according to claim 14, wherein the heat-insulating sheet includes a plurality of through-holes.

18. The seat according to claim 17, wherein the seat heater includes a heating wire so disposed as not to overlap with at least a part of the plurality of through-holes.