Heatable steering wheel, and rim and method thereof

US6441344B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• TAKATA-PETRI AG · DE

Inventors

• Helmut Bonn · Haibach, DE
• Egon Schlett · Aschaffenburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 31, 2001
• Grant date: Aug 27, 2002
• Expiry date: Aug 31, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H05B2203/017
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A steering wheel includes a rim having a structural core, an outer casing, and a heating device for heating the outer casing. The core includes a frame and an insulating layer formed around the frame. The heating device includes a layer of electrically conductive plastic surrounding the core, and a pair of electrodes extending along the length of the conductive layer. The electrodes extend substantially along the entire peripheral length of the conductive layer, and the conductive layer encapsulates the insulating layer and the electrodes. The conductive layer heats the outer casing, which can be a decorative layer comprised of one or more of wood, leather, film, and lacquer, when current flows through the electrodes. The electrodes are positioned along the conductive layer to allow current to uniformly pass along the periphery of the steering wheel rim into the conductive layer.