Patent ID: 8183505

Claim:
A heat-generating element comprising: at least one PTC heating element, strip conductors lying flat on both sides of the at least one PTC heating element, and a frame which forms at least one frame opening for holding the at least one PTC heating element and which surrounds the at least one PTC heating element, wherein the frame is formed as a part of a housing and forms a structural unit with a wedge element, wherein the wedge element comprises 1) a first wedge surface that extends parallel to at least one of the strip conductors and 2) a second wedge surface that is aligned diagonally to the first wedge surface and that is exposed on an exterior side of the housing; and wherein an insertion opening in an upper face side of the housing leads to a guide for the wedge element and has contact stud openings that are penetrated by contact studs leading to the strip conductors, wherein the upper face side of the housing forms spacing elements that extend at right angles to the contact studs, and wherein said spacing elements are formed corresponding to spacing surfaces upstream or downstream of the at least one PTC heating element and extending in the direction of the length of the contact studs.