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US 11,453,430 B2Granted
Heated vehicle steering wheel having thermal conduction
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorNathan Shaeff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle steering wheel is provided that includes a core structure, a heater mat surrounding a portion of the core structure to define a heated portion, a gap in the heater mat defining an unheated portion, a cover wrap surrounding the heater mat and having first and second edges stitched together at a seam, and a thermally conductive polymer thermally coupled to the heater mat and extending across the gap below the first and second edges of the cover wrap for conducting thermal energy.
Claims17
A vehicle steering wheel comprising:
- a core structure;
- a heater surrounding at least a portion of the core structure to define a heated portion;
- a gap in the heater defining an unheated portion;
- a cover wrap surrounding the heater and having first and second edges joined together at a seam above the gap;
- and
- a thermally conductive polymer thermally coupled to the heater and extending across the gap below the first and second edges of the cover wrap for conducting thermal energy across the gap, wherein the gap extends below the first and second edges of the cover wrap and the conductive polymer extends over the gap, and wherein the thermally conductive polymer comprises a thermally conductive polymer tape.
3 more elements
A vehicle steering wheel comprising:
- a core structure;
- an electric heater mat surrounding a portion of the core structure to define a heated portion;
- a gap in the electric heater mat defining an unheated portion;
- a cover wrap surrounding the electric heater mat and having first and second edges stitched together at a seam;
- and
- a thermally conductive polymer thermally coupled to the electric heater mat and extending across the gap below the first and second edges of the cover wrap for conducting thermal energy, wherein the thermally conductive polymer comprises a thermally conductive polymer tape.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.