Patent ID: 6664517
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: B62D,H05B

Abstract:
A steering-heater device for vehicle, comprising:a heater disposed in a steering wheel of vehicle; a calorific switching element connected to the heater electrically and arranged in a steering column to switch the flowing of a drive current for driving the heater, the calorific switching element generating heat by the drive current; a thermo-sensitive element arranged adjacent to the calorific switching element to sense a temperature of the calorific switching element thereby to change characteristics of the thermo-sensitive element; a control unit connected to the thermo-sensitive element to detect an initial temperature of the steering wheel on a basis of a change in the characteristics of the thermo-sensitive element, the control unit further calculating a consumption power necessary to rise a temperature of the steering wheel from the initial temperature to a predetermined temperature and also outputting a control signal for a heating period determined on a basis of the consumption power; and a drive unit connected to the control unit to output a drive signal to drive the calorific switching element on a basis of the control signal outputted from the control unit.