An air intake assembly includes heating elements. The heating elements include windings arranged in a serpentine configuration and having crest portions and trough portions. At least one crest portion of a first heating element is fastened to a corresponding trough portion of a second heating element. The heating elements are arranged in a honeycomb configuration.

Provided is an electrically heated catalytic converter including at least a conductive substrate and an electrode member that is fixed to the substrate, in which a protective film is formed on a surface of at least a portion of the electrode member. In the electrically heated catalytic converter, at least a portion of the protective film is formed of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, a composite material of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2, or a composite oxide including Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, or a composite material of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2 as a major component, the protective film has an amorphous structure or a partially crystalline glass structure having a crystallization rate of 30 vol % or lower with respect to the entire portion of the protective film, and a thickness of the protective film is in a range of 100 nm to 2 m.

An electric air heating device for a vehicle, specifically a motor vehicle, preferably a private car or a heavy goods vehicle, including at least a first heating element around which the air to be heated flows, wherein the first heating element comprises a preferably electrically-insulating substrate and at least one electrically-conductive carbon-based coating, specifically a polymer coating.

An electrical liquid heating device, in particular water heating device, preferably for a motor vehicle, including at least a first conductive layer, in particular a first metal layer, a second conductive layer, in particular a second metal layer, and a polymer layer which contains a polymer component and a conductive carbon component and is arranged between the first and the second conductive layer, wherein liquid channels for conducting the liquid, in particular water, being heated are provided which extend from a first side of the polymer layer facing the first conductive layer to a second side of the polymer layer facing the second conductive layer.

A method for producing an electric heating device, preferably fluid- or air-heating device, in particular for a motor vehicle, wherein at least one conductive polymer structure is produced by primary forming, said polymer structure containing a polymer component and a conductive component, in particular carbon component, wherein fluid channels for conducting the fluid to be heated are introduced into the polymer structure during the primary-forming manufacturing.

A conductive honeycomb structure includes: a pillar honeycomb structure portion including an outer peripheral side wall and partition walls, each of the partition walls extending through the pillar honeycomb structure from a first end face to a second end face to define a plurality of cells forming a through channel of a first fluid; a pair of electrode portions disposed in contact with an outer surface of the outer peripheral side wall across a central axis of the honeycomb structure portion; and a pair of terminal connecting portions formed on the outer peripheral side wall, each of the terminal connecting portions being at least partially covered with each of the electrode portions. Each of the electrode portions includes band-shape first, second and third electrode layers each having a predetermined electrical resistance.

An electric heating appliance, particularly a liquid or air heating appliance, particularly for a motor vehicle, comprising a first heating element with a corresponding main body and at least one second heating element with a corresponding main body. A clearance is formed between the heating elements through which fluid can flow for its heating. The heating elements are joined together by at least one spacer arranged between them, particularly a conductive spacer. The spacer is a fixed component of the first heating element.

A method for producing an electric heating device, preferably liquid or air heating device, in particular for a motor vehicle, wherein at least one first conductive polymer layer which contains a first polymer component and a first conductive component, in particular carbon component, is applied to an, in particular, insulating, first substrate in order to form a first heating element and is crosslinked there by means of radiation.

An electrical resistor comprises a matrix composed of borosilicate containing at least one kind of alkali group atoms selected from the group consisting of Na, Mg, K, Ca, Li, Be, Rb, Sr, Cs, Ba, Fr, and Ra. The electrical resistor preferably has an electroconductive filler. A honeycomb structure comprises the electrical resistor. An electrically heated catalyst device comprises the honeycomb structure. The electrical resistor preferably has an electrical resistivity in a range from 0.0001 to 1 .Math.m and an electrical resistance increase rate in a range from 0.0110.sup.6 to 5.010.sup.4/K in a temperature range from 25 C. to 500 C.

An electric heating apparatus, in particular a liquid or air heating apparatus, in particular for a motor vehicle, including a first heating element and at least one second heating element. The heating elements comprise in each case one, in particular insulating, substrate and one polymer layer which contains a polymer component and a conductive component, in particular a carbon component. An intermediate space through which the fluid is capable of passing for heating said fluid is configured between the heating elements. The heating elements are connected to one another by one or a plurality of, in particular conductive, spacer(s) disposed therebetween, and/or one or more, in particular conductive, positioning element(s) that penetrate (a) respective clearance(s) and/or openings of the heating elements.