US 12,016,093 B2
Sheet heater, and windshield device for vehicle
Yasuki Kasetani, Kanagawa-ken (JP); Toshikazu Nagai, Shizuoka-ken (JP); and Tatsunori Suzuki, Shizuoka-ken (JP)
Assigned to NIFCO INC., Kanagawa-ken (JP); and KURABE INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., Shizuoka-ken (JP)
Appl. No. 16/954,703
Filed by NIFCO INC., Kanagawa-ken (JP); and KURABE INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., Shizuoka-ken (JP)
PCT Filed Dec. 20, 2018, PCT No. PCT/JP2018/047005
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 17, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/124498, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 27, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-244586 (JP), filed on Dec. 21, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0092803 A1, Mar. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. H05B 3/84 (2006.01); B60S 1/02 (2006.01); H05B 3/12 (2006.01); H05B 3/34 (2006.01)
CPC H05B 3/84 (2013.01) [B60S 1/02 (2013.01); H05B 3/12 (2013.01); H05B 3/34 (2013.01); H05B 2203/003 (2013.01); H05B 2203/016 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A planar heating element comprising:
a planar heating unit formed by a single strip-like heating element, the heating unit including
a first heating segment located along an edge of a heating target area, and
a second heating segment located in an area entirely surrounded by the first heating segment, wherein
the second heating segment includes a plurality of meandering sections, the meandering sections arranged next to each other being superposed in a meandering direction,
the first heating segment includes an outer portion and an inner portion, the outer portion includes a first end and a second end, and extends along the edge of the heating target area, the first end of the outer portion being connected to one end of the strip-like heating element and the second end of the outer portion being connected to one end of the second heating segment,
the inner portion includes a first end and a second end, and extends along the edge of the heating target area, the first end of the inner portion being connected the other end of the strip-like heating element and the second end of the inner portion being connected to the other end of the second heating segment,
the first end of the outer portion and the first end of the inner portion are arranged next to each other at the edge of the heating target area,
the second end of the outer portion and the second end of the inner portion are arranged next to each other at the edge of the heating target area, and
the strip-like heating element has a width that is greater than a width between parts of the strip-like heating element that are arranged next to each other.