Planar heating device and seat with same

• US 8,752,891 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US13/318,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20120049586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 297/180.12, 219/217
• 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 connected in parallel with electric power source; thermistor; thermostat connected in series with second warming heater; a heating part, i.e., first warming heater, that heats thermistor and thermostat; and controller to control temperatures of first and second warming heaters in accordance with temperature information from thermistor. For a period until thermostat turns off, quick-heating property is improved by energizing first and second warming heaters.

Claims

1. A planar heating device for use under a face cover of a seat, the seat including non-contact user areas, the planar heating device comprising:

a first warming heater and a second warming heater 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 configured to be disposed in the non-contact user areas of the seat, and

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.

2. The planar heating device according to claim 1, wherein a time to start controlling the temperature of the first warming heater is not more than five minutes after halting heating from the second warming heater.

3. The planar heating device according to claim 1, wherein the thermostat starts to operate within five minutes after the electric power source is turned on.

4. The planar heating device according to claim 1, wherein the thermostat continuously operates to halt heating from the second warming heater while the temperature of the first warming heater is controlled in accordance with the temperature information from the thermistor.

5. 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 the 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 an entire area corresponding to the seat pad.

6. The seat according to claim 5, wherein the heat-insulating sheet includes at least one of a human thigh contact area, a human center-of-buttocks contact area, a human back contact area, a human lumbar contact area, a human shoulder contact area, or a human center-of-scapulas contact area.

7. The seat according to claim 5, wherein the heat-insulating sheet includes closed-cell foam.

8. The seat according to claim 5, wherein the heat-insulating sheet includes a plurality of through-holes.

9. The seat according to claim 8, 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.