Back to results
US 6,495,799 B1Granted
Steering wheel with self-regulating heating element
AssigneeTRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
InventorsCharles S. Pillsbury, IV, George E. Lancaster, Attila K. Dalkilic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle steering wheel (10) comprises a central hub portion (22), a rim portion (24), and at least one spoke (26) that connects the hub portion (22) to the rim portion (26). The steering wheel (10) further comprises a self-regulating electric heating element (12).
Claims11
A vehicle steering wheel comprising:
- a central hub portion, a rim portion, and at least one spoke portion connecting the hub portion to the rim portion;
- and
- a self-regulating electric heating element mounted on at least one of said portions, said heating element being heated by electric current flowing through material of the element, said material of the heating element increasing its resistance to electric current flow as its temperature increases to terminate heating of the heating element at a predetermined temperature and independent of a separate electrical current controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.