Connector assembly, and/or motor-vehicle connector assembly, with at least one connector and at least one media line connected to the connector. The media line is electrically heated, a heat-conducting element being arranged in the transition region between connector and media line. The heat-conducting element extends with a first heat-conducting section into the media line and with a second heat-conducting section into the connector. By means of the electric heating of the media line, the heat-conducting element is heated, and/or indirectly heated, and in particular is heated and/or indirectly heated as far as the region of the connector.

An apparatus and method for melting snow and/or ice on a vehicle comprises a precipitation sensor, a surface temperature sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, a heater, and a programmable controller. The programmable controller comprises a memory unit to store a cut off surface temperature Tc, and a set of program modules. The programmable controller further comprises a processor to execute the set of program modules. A heater control module, executed by the processor, is configured to deactivate a heater based on a surface temperature being greater than the cut off surface temperature. Further, heater control module is configured to activate the heater based on an ambient temperature being lower than freezing point of water and precipitation being present outside the vehicle, thereby melting snow and/or ice on the vehicle. The snow melts off because of heat generated by the heater upon activation.

Described herein are molecular inks, methods for printing the molecular inks on flexible substrates, and methods for forming printed electronic elements, such as resistive heaters, force sensors, motion sensors, and devices that include these elements, such as force responsive conductive heaters. The methods include printing a molecular ink on a flexible substrate that is heated to 30° C. to 90° C. before and/or during the printing process and curing the substrate to produce a conductive pattern thereon. The molecular inks generally include a particle-fee metal-complex composition formulated from at least one metal complex and a solvent, and optionally, a conductive filler material, and/or surfactant.

Various implementations include a self-heating device. The device includes an electrically insulative layer, an electrically conductive layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The electrically insulative layer has a first surface and a second surface spaced apart from the first surface. The electrically conductive layer has a first surface and a second surface spaced apart from the first surface. The second surface of the conductive layer is coupled to the first surface of the insulative layer. The conductive layer includes a polymer. Conductive nanoparticles are embedded in the polymer. The first electrode and a second electrode are coupled to the conductive layer. The first electrode and the second electrode are spaced apart from each other and in electrical communication with each other through the conductive layer. The conductive layer produces heat through Joule heating when electrical current is passed through the conductive layer.

A heatable device for use with a vehicle-mounted image acquisition unit is disclosed. The heatable device includes a main body including a first end, a second end, an interior cavity, and a receiving portion. A transparent glass substrate fixed to the main body includes a transparent electrically-conductive coating on an inner surface thereof. At least one electrically-conductive unit contacts the transparent electrically-conductive coating on the inner surface of the transparent glass substrate, and may receive electric current selectively provided by a vehicle-mounted power supply and conduct the electric current to the transparent glass substrate, thereby selectively heating the transparent glass substrate. A sealing member may couple an opening in the receiving portion with at least a portion of a vehicle-mounted image acquisition unit such that the vehicle-mounted image acquisition unit has a field of view extending through the main body to an outside environment surrounding a vehicle.

Electric, self-heating concrete systems that uses embedded carbon macrofiber or nanofibers paper as electric resistance heating elements are disclose. The self-heating concrete systems may utilize the conductive properties of carbon macrofiber or nanofiber materials to heat a surface overlay of concrete with various admixtures to improve the concrete's thermal conductivity. The self-heating concrete systems allow concrete roadways or the like to be heated to above freezing temperatures in a freezing environment in a reasonable amount of time.

A method, system and controller for controlling power supplied to a heating device of a window on a vehicle, comprising receiving information indicative of at least one parameter associated with operation of the vehicle, generating a power signal at least in part on a basis of the information indicative of the at least one parameter and stored control logic, the power signal being indicative of a power modulation level for power to be supplied to the heating device and transmitting the power signal to a power regulator for causing power to be supplied to the heating device in accordance with the power modulation level.

The invention proposes a heating element (30) incorporating an electric heating circuit for a windscreen wiper blade on a motor vehicle, comprising at least one resistive heating element (36) which is connected to the electric power supply terminals (40) of said heating element, characterized in that at least one resistive heating element is a PTC resistive heating element (36), formed by the application of a resistive ink with a positive temperature coefficient.

Screen wiper blade of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising a heating electrical circuit, characterized in that said circuit comprises at least one bimetal strip thermostat configured to provide a thermal fuse function.

Windscreen wiper heating element for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, including an electrical heating conductor circuit (120) and a support (118) of that circuit, the circuit including at least one loop (122) the ends of which are connected to electrical power supply terminals (126, 128) characterized in that said at least one loop includes at least one fusible portion (F1, F2) in which the section and/or the material of the conductor of that loop is different from that or those of the conductor of the rest of the loop.