US 12,296,723 B2
Electric heating and capacitive sensing arrangement and methods for manufacturing the same
Frank Althaus, Saarbrücken (DE)
Assigned to IEE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS & ENGINEERING S.A., Echternach (LU)
Appl. No. 18/576,728
Filed by IEE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS & ENGINEERING S.A., Echternach (LU)
PCT Filed Jun. 30, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/068041
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 4, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/280671, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 12, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. LU500403 (LU), filed on Jul. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0262258 A1, Aug. 8, 2024
Int. Cl. B60N 2/00 (2006.01); B60N 2/56 (2006.01); H05B 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60N 2/0021 (2023.08) [B60N 2/5685 (2013.01); H05B 3/0042 (2013.01); H05B 2203/011 (2013.01); H05B 2203/017 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electric heating and capacitive sensing arrangement comprising:
a planar substrate;
an electrically conductive heating track arranged on a surface of said substrate, said electrically conductive track being connectable to a current source so that during a heating operation a current flows through said electrically conductive track and said electrically conductive track being connectable to a capacitive sensing circuit so that during a sensing operation a capacitive sensing signal is applied to the electrically conductive track, wherein said electrically conductive track comprises at least a first heating track section and a second heating track section extending at a distance along each other on said substrate, whereby a gap is formed between said first heating track section and the second heating track section;
wherein the heating and sensing arrangement further comprises:
a layer of electrically conductive material arranged on said surface of the substrate in said gap between the first heating track section and the second heating section track section; wherein a width of said layer of electrically conductive material is smaller than a width of said gap between said first heating track section and second heating track section; wherein said layer is arranged so as to be separated from said first heating track section and said second heating track section; and
a gate member of electrically conductive material, said gate member being arranged within a portion of said gap and extending between the layer of electrically conductive material and a single one of said first heating track section and second heating track section so as to locally connect said layer of electrically conductive material to said one of said first heating track section and second heating track section.