A positive temperature coefficient electric heater for a vehicle includes a support part, a control circuitry, and a first and a second radiating layers overlapping one another, each radiating layer having a plurality of heating rods extending from the support part and connected in parallel to the control circuitry. Each radiating layer has a first layer sector and a second layer sector controlled independently of one another. The radiating layers may be controlled independently of one another. In the first radiating layer, the second section of the heating rods is capable of generating greater thermal power than the first section of the heating rods and, in the second radiating layer, the first section of the heating rods is capable of generating greater thermal power than the second section of the heating rods.

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus is provided which is capable of expanding an effective range of a dehumidifying and heating mode to achieve comfortable vehicle interior air conditioning. A control device (controller) executes a dehumidifying and heating mode to let a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 2 radiate heat in a radiator 4, let a part of the refrigerant flow from a bypass circuit (refrigerant pipe 13F) to an indoor expansion valve 8, and let the residual refrigerant flow through an outdoor expansion valve 6. In the dehumidifying and heating mode, the control device has a state of controlling the operation of the compressor 2, based on a heat absorber temperature Te and executes a radiator temperature priority mode which enlarges a capability of the compressor when heat radiation in the radiator is insufficient.

An air conditioning device for an electric vehicle includes: a housing having an air conditioning passage connecting an air inlet port to an air discharge port; an evaporator, an air heater, and an electric heater, which are positioned in series in the air conditioning passage in the housing; and a bypass door positioned after the evaporator in the air conditioning passage in the housing and configured to selectively allow some of air passing through the evaporator to bypass the air heater and the electric heater to the air discharge port.

An air conditioning unit for a recreational vehicle including a first heater and a second heater, and configured to initiate a heating operation including analyzing an interior temperature and an exterior temperature, determine an operating mode of the air conditioning unit, and controlling the first heater and the second heater according to the determined operation mode.

A vehicle includes an engine, a generator driven by the engine to generate an electric power, and a high-voltage battery charged with the electric power. An air heating in a vehicle interior is implemented by waste heat of the engine through which a heat medium is circulated and heated, and an air heating in the vehicle interior is implemented by a heat pump device consuming the electric power of the electric storage device. A hybrid ECU performs air conditioning control, and includes a determination device that determines whether to implement the air heating by the waste heat or the air heating by the heat pump device based on an engine body temperature, and a heating control device that selectively implements the air heating by the waste heat and the air heating by the heat pump device based on a determination result of the determination device.

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus includes: a hot water heater core provided in a hot water circuit in which cooling water circulates in a heat source to recover waste heat of the heat source, and configured to exchange heat between the cooling water heated by the waste heat of the heat source and air to heat the air, thereby heating an inside of a vehicle by using the heated air; a heat pump configured to exchange heat between a refrigerant discharged from a refrigerant compressor and air by using an indoor heat exchanger to heat the air, thereby heating the inside of the vehicle by using the heated air; an electric heater configured to heat air to heat the inside of the vehicle; and a controller configured to select at least one of the hot water heater core, the heat pump and the electric heater to perform a heating operation.

A heating apparatus has a heater body and a heater case. The heater body has a heat generator and emits heat supplied from the heat generator: The heat generator generates the heat when being energized. The heater case houses the heater body and is arranged on a side of an air-bag device for a vehicle adjacent to a vehicle compartment. The heater case is attached to an interior member located in the vehicle compartment or is a part of the interior member. The heater case has an expansion permissive portion that permits the air-bag device to expand into the vehicle compartment. The heat generator includes a portion located at a position corresponding to the expansion permissive portion. The heater body has a low strength portion that has a low strength as compared to the portion of the heat generator and that is located outside the expansion permissive portion.

A radiation heating device includes: a planar heat generation layer; a heat generation portion that is provided in the heat generation layer and that generates heat by energization; a plurality of heat radiation portions that are disposed in the heat generation layer and that radiate heat transferred from the heat generation portion; a low heat conduction portion that is provided around each of the heat radiation portions and that has a lower heat conductivity than the heat radiation portions; and a contact detection unit that detects contact of an object with the heat generation layer. The radiation heating device further includes an energization amount decrease unit that decreases an energization amount of the heat generation portion when the contact detection unit detects the contact of the object with the heat generation layer.

A heater is installed indoors and heated to a target temperature. The heater is controlled by a controller. The controller has a regular control module which heats the heater to reach the target temperature. In addition, the controller has a suppressive control module which heats the heater to a suppressed temperature lower than the target temperature by electric power suppressed so that surface moisture adhering on the surface of the heater is decreased. When an activation of the heater is ordered, the heater is heated by the suppressive control module, after that, the heater is heated by the regular control module. The surface moisture is decreased by the suppressed temperature. Therefore, generating rapid boiling and/or rapid evaporation of the surface moisture by the target temperature may be suppressed.

A vehicle air conditioner capable of making a determination that the dehumidification is unnecessary in a vehicle interior early to make a prompt transition from a dehumidifying mode to a heating mode and reduce power consumption is provided. A control device executes a heating mode to let a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 2 radiate heat in a radiator, decompress the refrigerant, and then let the refrigerant absorb heat in an outdoor heat exchanger 7, and a dehumidifying mode to let the refrigerant flow into the outdoor heat exchanger without flowing to the radiator to radiate heat therein, decompress the refrigerant, and then let the refrigerant absorb heat in a heat absorber 9 and let an auxiliary heater 23 generate heat. The control device shifts from the dehumidifying mode to the heating mode on the basis of the heat absorber suction air temperature Tevain being lowered more than a target heat absorber temperature TEO.