An infrared (IR) heating module for a vehicle having a passenger cabin including at least one IR panel, a controller coupled to the at least one IR panel for controlling operation of the IR heating module, and a power supply coupled to the controller for supplying power to the IR heating module, where the at least one IR panel is adapted and configured to be installed in a roof within the passenger cabin of the vehicle. The IR heating module operates by detecting a temperature within a cabin of the vehicle based on an output of a thermostat within the vehicle, receiving a signal from the controller relating to the temperature detected, and initiating an operation of the at least one IR panel based on the received signal, where the at least one IR panel is installed within the roof of the vehicle.

A radiant heater apparatus includes an interior panel, a heater main body, and a cover layer. The interior panel includes a deployment portion to be deployed into a cabin space due to a deployment of an airbag apparatus. The deployment portion has a breaking edge where a panel tear portion breaks when the airbag apparatus is deployed. The panel tear portion includes a centerline portion and a pair of sideline portions. The deployment portion includes the breaking edge that is formed along the centerline portion or the sideline portions. The deployment portion has a stress concentration portion that locally applies stress to the cover layer while at least a part of the breaking edge formed along the centerline portion is not in contact with the cover layer, when the deployment portion is deployed and comes into contact with the cover layer.

A radiant heater device includes: a heater main body having a heating portion that generates heat by being supplied with electric power to radiate radiation heat due to the heat supplied from the heating portion; an output control unit that controls an output of the heating portion; and a maximum output determination unit that determines an upper limit of the output of the heating portion depending on a heat load around the heater main body. The output control unit controls the output of the heating portion depending on the heat load not to exceed the upper limit of the output determined by the maximum output determination unit.

Systems are provided for radiant heating by a window shade. A window shade system for a window of an enclosed space includes a window shade configured to cover at least a portion of the window. A radiant heating fabric extends over at least a portion of the window shade. A power supply supplies electric current to the radiant heating fabric.

A radiant heater device has an electrode embedded in a substrate part and a plurality of heating parts. The electrodes are formed by material that has low specific resistance. An area occupied by the electrode is restricted. The heating parts are formed by material having high specific resistance in order to generate heat so that radiation is produced. The electrode and the heating part are electrically connected within the substrate part. The plurality of heating parts are arranged in parallel between a pair of electrodes. The electrodes and the heating parts are formed in a film-like shape, and the thermal capacity is reduced. As a result, a temperature of the heating parts rises promptly in response to a turning on of power. In addition, the temperature of the heating parts promptly decreases when an object comes into contact therewith.

Systems are provided for radiant heating by a window shade. A window shade system for a window of an enclosed space includes a window shade configured to cover at least a portion of the window. A radiant heating fabric extends over at least a portion of the window shade. A power supply supplies electric current to the radiant heating fabric.

An interior lining element, for example for a passenger compartment of a vehicle, including a single-layer or multilayer decorative covering, the front side of which faces the passenger compartment and delimits the latter physically and, via the back side thereof, is in thermally conductive contact with a printed heater, where the heater has a plurality of flat resistance elements and at least two feed lines which are electrically highly conductive as compared with the resistance elements and via which the resistance elements can be looped into an electric circuit, and where in contact-making regions of the resistance elements and of the feed lines, one feed line and one resistance element are each printed overlapping each other.

A control system for a radiant heater device includes a radiant heater device, a heater ECU that controls an energization and a deenergization of a heat generation unit, and an integrated ECU that transmits an operation prohibition command for prohibiting the energization of the heat generation unit and an operation permission command for permitting the energization of the heat generation unit to the heater ECU. The integrated ECU transmits the operation prohibition command when receiving a collision signal indicative of a vehicle collision or a prediction of the vehicle collision, and transmits the operation permission command when not receiving the collision signal. The heater ECU performs the deenergization control when a non-reception state in which the operation permission command is not received from the integrated ECU is continued for a predetermined time or more. As a result, the energization can be interrupted before an occupant is adversely affected.

A radiant heater apparatus includes an interior panel, a heater main body, and a cover layer. The interior panel includes a deployment portion to be deployed into a cabin space due to a deployment of an airbag apparatus. The deployment portion has a breaking edge where a panel tear portion breaks when the airbag apparatus is deployed. The panel tear portion includes a centerline portion and a pair of sideline portions. The deployment portion includes the breaking edge that is formed along the centerline portion or the sideline portions. The deployment portion has a stress concentration portion that locally applies stress to the cover layer while at least a part of the breaking edge formed along the centerline portion is not in contact with the cover layer, when the deployment portion is deployed and comes into contact with the cover layer.

The application relates to a vehicle interior trim part (1) and a method for manufacturing a vehicle interior trim part (1). The proposed vehicle interior trim part (1) comprises a carrier (12) which has polymeric material and an electrical or optical device (2). The vehicle interior trim part (1) also comprises a connection element (3) arranged on a rear side (16) of the carrier (12) for connecting the electrical or optical device (2) and at least one conductor (4) which connects the electrical or optical device (2) to the connection element (3). The connection element (3) has a plug receptacle (6) which is configured to produce an electrically or optically conductive connection of a plug to the conductor (4). In addition, the connection element (3) has a recess (10) within which the conductor (4) is accommodated. The recess (10) is at least partially filled by the polymeric material of the carrier (12) in such a way that the conductor (4) is at least partially surrounded by the polymeric material of the carrier (12).