Sheet heater

• US 8,450,662 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoneyama, Mitsuru, Asami, Naohito, Shiratake, Akira, Abe, Norio, Nagayama, Kazumi
• Primary Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US11/819,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20070246456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• Field of Search: 219/202, 219/211, 219/217, 219/527, 219/528, 219/529, 219/538, 219/545, 219/548, 219/552, 297/180.12, 87/10
• US Class Current: 219/545
• 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 2203/017 Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters
• 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 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 wire 2 against the load imposed on the seat during sitting, comfortable feeling of sitting in the seat, and high air-passing capability.

Claims

1. A sheet heater comprising:

a base material having a mesh structure, said mesh structure is made up of small openings of densely braided threads and large openings formed among the small openings, said small openings being made of a plurality of the threads adjacent to said large openings, and said small openings surround each of the large openings; and

a heating wire, said heating wire being fixed to said base material by sewing with an upper thread and a lower thread,

wherein the base material has a first side and a second side, said heating wire arranged on the first side and one of said upper thread and lower thread arranged on the second side, and

wherein the other one of said upper thread and lower thread extends from the first side to said second side.

2. The sheet heater of claim 1, wherein a diameter of each of the large openings is shorter than a sewing pitch for fixation of said heating wire.

3. The sheet heater of claim 1, wherein the large openings of the mesh structure have one of substantially rhombic, elliptical, and hexagonal shapes.

4. A sheet heater comprising:

a base material having a mesh structure, said mesh structure is made up of small openings of densely braided threads and large openings formed among the small openings, said small openings being made of a plurality of the threads adjacent to said large openings, and said small openings surround each of the large openings; and

a heating wire, said heating wire being fixed to said base material by sewing with an upper thread and a lower thread.

5. The sheet heater of claim 4, wherein a diameter of each of the large openings is shorter than a sewing pitch for fixation of said heating wire.

6. The sheet heater of claim 4, wherein the large openings of the mesh structure have one of substantially rhombic, elliptical, and hexagonal shapes.