A device, such as a heated seat cushion device, is provided. Circuitry and other components are used to regulate, control and/or switch electrical power to an electrical element, such as a heating element, of the device. The device may regulate the energy delivered to the electrical element by a processor on an intelligent energy management platform. Accordingly, power may be routed to the electrical element of the heated device in a controlled manner. Control may include turning on and off the power, providing pulsed power, and modulating the power and/or pulsed power delivered to the electrical element.

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.

Described herein is a composite panel that includes a first layer made from an electrically non-conductive material. The composite panel also includes a resistance heater printed onto the first layer. Further, the composite panel includes a second layer adjacent the resistance heater, the resistance heater being positioned between the first layer and the second layer. The second layer is made from an electrically non-conductive material.

A method of producing an electric heating device, in particular for automotive application, includes steps of: cutting through a sheet of electrically highly conductive material of appropriate thickness for obtaining a predetermined line pattern having at least one electrically conductive line with electrically conductive bridge members interconnecting portions of the at least one electrically conductive line; depositing a layer of curable adhesive material onto a surface of a dielectric, planar, flexible carrier; placing the obtained line pattern onto the layer of adhesive material; curing the adhesive material below the line pattern with the exception of the adhesive material below the bridge members; cutting through each bridge member at all ends between portions of the at least one electrically conductive line interconnected by the respective bridge member; and removing the cut bridge members.

A combined heating system and occupant sensing system for a vehicle seat includes first and second electrodes connected in series and a controller configured to direct a heating current to the first and second electrodes. The controller is configured to isolate the first and second electrodes from the heating current and, at the same time, provide a sensing current to only one of the first and second electrodes.

A seat heater includes a seating heater, a protection device of a non-resettable type, a base material, and a protecting heater. The protection device has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The base material is a sheet having a first covering portion covering the first surface and a second covering portion covering the second surface, and is folded so that the first covering portion and the second covering portion face each other. The protecting heater heats the protection device. The protecting heater includes a pair of first heating portions and a second heating portion. The pair of first heating portions are formed as a meandered shape only on a surface, which faces the second covering portion, of the first covering portion. The second heating portion is disposed between the pair of first heating portions, and formed as a meandered shape both on the surface, which faces the second covering portion, of the first covering portion, and on a surface, which faces the first covering portion, of the second covering portion.

Provided are: a seat heater including a heater unit and an air blower; and a vehicle seat, whereby the whole seat can be warmed quickly and improved comfort can be provided through adjustments made in temperatures as desirable for comfort at each of the sites. The seat heater includes a heater unit disposed in a seat, a blower disposed at a portion corresponding to the heater unit, and a controller configured to regulate outputs of the heater unit and the blower. The controller is configured to: bring the blower into operation if a predetermined condition is satisfied during an operation of the heater unit; and make an output of the heater unit higher when the blower is in operation than when the blower is not in operation.

A seat heater according to the present invention includes: a heater that is provided between a seat cushioning material and a seat trim cover and includes a heating wire laid on a base material; a temperature detection unit provided in the vicinity of the heating wire of the heater; and a temperature control unit configured to control a temperature of the heater so that it approaches a target temperature, in which the temperature control unit calculates an estimated environment temperature, which is an estimated value of a temperature around the temperature detection unit, based on a rate of increase of a temperature indicating an amount of change of the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit in a period after an elapse of a predetermined time from a start of heating the heater, and corrects the target temperature so that it becomes lower as the estimated environmental temperature becomes lower.

An electric control unit comprising: (a) a plurality of input wires; (b) a connector receiving the plurality of input wires on a first side, the first side of the connector including: (i) a plurality of slots that each receive one of the plurality of wires and (ii) a plurality of prongs having an alternating relationship with the plurality of slots so that the plurality of prongs and the plurality of slots support each of the plurality of input wires; and (c) control circuitry located within the connector and connected to each of the plurality of input wires; and (d) a plurality of output pins located on a second side of the connector that are configured to connect to a thermal element so that the electric control unit assists in powering the thermal element and controlling the thermal element.

A method of controlling a heat wire of a seat includes: a classification operation of determining whether or not a passenger rides on a vehicle; a calculation operation of calculating a difference with a target temperature by measuring a current temperature of the seat; and a heating operation of heating the heat wire of the seat by differently setting a heating rate so that the temperature of the seat reaches the target temperature up to a heating target time set differently depending on whether or not the passenger rides on the vehicle.