An interior trim of a motor vehicle. The interior trim includes a substrate with an outer side which faces an interior of the motor vehicle, a heating film with an outer surface which faces the interior of the motor vehicle, and a decorative layer. The heating film is attached to the outer surface of the substrate. The decorative layer is attached to the outer surface of the heating film. The heating film has no conducting paths and generates heat through an ohmic resistance of the heating film.

A modular metal heating panel for a railcar includes a metal layer having a first surface for transferring heat into an interior space of the railcar. The metal layer also has a second surface. The heating panel includes a first adhesive layer disposed on the second surface of the metal layer and an electrical insulation layer bonded to the metal layer by the first adhesive layer. The heating panel also includes a heating element embedded within the electrical insulation layer. The heating panel further includes a second adhesive layer disposed on the electrical insulation layer for detachably bonding the heating panel to a structural panel of the railcar.

The present invention relates to a vehicle radiation heater being configured to perform heating by directly emitting radiant heat toward a passenger at an early stage of starting of a vehicle in winter. The vehicle radiation heater according to the present invention can be simple in structure, thereby being easy to manufacture, can quickly emit high-temperature radiant heat over the entire area of the heater, thereby enhancing rapid and comforting heating effects, and can maintain a constant temperature, thereby preventing a risk of overheating.

A heat generating system for a motor vehicle includes a carbon nanotube heating element and a controller. The controller is configured to activate the carbon nanotube heating element in response to a wireless activation signal received from a remote communication device. A related method of heating a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle is also disclosed.

A convertible top includes an outer layer, a liner and a heating element between the outer layer and the liner. The heating element may comprise a carbon nanotube heating element. A controller is configured to activate the heating element in response to a wireless activation signal received from a remote communication device.

The heater device has a sheet shaped main body having a heat generating portion heated by energization and a radiating surface for radiating radiant heat toward a heating object by using heat in the heat generating portion, a plate shaped member arranged on an opposite side with respect to the radiating surface of the main body, and an air layer forming member for forming an air layer between the main body and the plate shaped member arranged on a side opposite to the radiating surface of the main body.

A heater device includes a contact determination unit for determining contact or non-contact of an object based on a change in capacitance between a plurality of electrodes. The contact determination unit is configured to determine (i) the contact of the object in response to a determination that the change in capacitance between the plurality of electrodes per predetermined unit time is a change in one direction and equal to or larger than a first determination threshold value. The contact determination unit is configured to determine (ii) the non-contact of the object in response to a determination that the change in capacitance between the plurality of electrodes per predetermined unit time is a change in a direction opposite to the one direction and equal to or larger than a second determination threshold value.

An in-vehicle radiant heater control apparatus includes: a temperature detection device for a heater in a vehicle compartment; a first switch element connected in series to the radiant heater between a power supply and a ground; a temperature control device controlling the first switch element that the heater temperature approaches a target temperature; a resistive element having one electrode connected to one electrode of the heater; an inter-electrode voltage detection device for the resistive element; and a resistance calculation device repeatedly obtaining a heater resistance of the radiant heater based on a voltage between the other electrode of the resistive element and the other electrode of the heater, a detected resistance voltage, and a resistance of the resistive element. The temperature detection device obtains the heater temperature based on the heater resistance.

A method of heating the interior of a vehicle is provided. The vehicle has a central heating system and several decentralized heating surfaces constructed as infrared radiators. The temperature of the vehicle interior is controllable by the central heating system and/or the decentralized heating surfaces corresponding to a heating demand of at least one vehicle occupant. For controlling the temperature of the vehicle interior corresponding to a heating demand, a power distribution takes place between the central heating system and the decentralized heating surfaces as a function of specified distribution demands.

Described herein is an automotive sheet heater. The automotive sheet heater includes a stacked structure of a far-infrared radiating layer, a metal layer, and a metal wire-containing carbon nanotube heating layer. The carbon nanotube heating layer includes 1 wt % to 50 wt % of metal wires.