Heater for an automotive vehicle and method of forming same

A heater comprising:

• i. a carrier including:
• 1. a periphery including a first side edge, and a second side edge;
• 2. one or more internal slits;
• 3. one or more cutouts,
• wherein first side edge and the second side edge each include a cutout, and the cutouts are symmetrically located to form a neck portion therebetween;
• and
• 4. one or more internal cutouts;
• ii. a first electrically functional layer that is made of a conductive material comprising:
• 1. a first electrode that substantially circumscribes at least a portion of the carrier in a generally continuous manner without any discretely defined ends;
• and
• 2. a second electrode, wherein the second electrode substantially circumscribes at least a portion of the one or more internal slits;
• iii. a second electrically functional layer that is made of a resistive material;
• iv. one or more electrical conductors attached to the first electrically functional layer;
• wherein the neck portion includes an internal cutout that separates the neck portion into two sections;
• wherein the neck portion is free of the second electrically functional layer;
• wherein one or more internal slits are located above the internal cutout and one or more internal slits are located below the internal cutout;
• and
• wherein the internal cutout and the one or more internal slits located above and below the internal cutout divide the heater into four quadrants, and each of the four quadrants include one or more features.