FIELD

The present teachings relate generally to heaters and more particularly to heaters for use in seats, arm rest, or other locations of automotive vehicles that an occupant contacts, and preferably a heater that is integrated into an article that changes shape and/or size during use and the heater is movable as the article changes shape and/or size.

BACKGROUND

For many years, industry has been concerned with designing improved heaters for articles of manufacture such as seats, mirrors, handles of furniture, automotive vehicles, or other transportation vehicles. Examples of such heaters are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,560,670; 7,285,748; 7,223,948; 6,838,647; 6,710,303; 6,150,642; 5,451,747; 4,931,627; and 4,777,351 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0289303 all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. These heaters extend over a structure that has flexibility, but the structure remains generally a same size. Moreover, these heaters may be connected to the structure (e.g., seat) over a substantial area so that the heater moves with the structure. For example, when an occupant sits on a seat, the seat and heater move in unison.

It would be attractive to have a heater that permits a structure (e.g., seat, arm rest, or other occupant contact region) to change shape. What is needed is a heater that is connected to a structure and permits the structure or a component within the structure to move without damaging the heater. It would be attractive to have a flexible heater that expands and contracts with a change in shape of the structure. What is needed is a heater with a wire that has a pattern which allows the substrate of the heater to move without being restricted by the wire. The substrate and the wires may be configured to move as portions of a structure or a movable members move.

SUMMARY

The present teachings provide: a climate controlled system comprising: a movable member disposed in a recess of a cushion and forming part of an occupant support surface with the cushion; a heater overlaying the cushion and the movable member, the heater including: a flexible substrate, a heating element, and an adhesive layer, wherein the flexible substrate includes adhesive on opposing longitudinal edge regions and the adhesive directly or indirectly connects the heater to the cushion; and wherein the adhesive layer anchors the heater as the flexible substrate stretches or moves with the movable member as the movable member moves.

The present teachings provide: a climate controlled system comprising: a movable member disposed in a recess of a cushion and forming part of an occupant support surface with the cushion; a heater overlaying the cushion and the movable member, the heater including: a flexible substrate, a heating element, and an adhesive layer, wherein the flexible substrate includes adhesive on opposing longitudinal edge regions and the adhesive connects to a sidewall of a trench located on opposing sides of the cushion, the sidewall extending in a direction away from an occupant; and wherein the adhesive layer anchors the heater in the trench and the flexible substrate stretches or moves relative to the movable member during movement of the movable member.

The present teachings provide: a climate controlled system comprising: a movable member disposed in a recess of a cushion and forming part of an occupant support surface with the cushion; a heater overlaying the cushion and the movable member, the heater including: a flexible substrate, an adhesive layer, and a heating element comprising: a first leg extending along a first side of the movable member from a first end to a second end, a second leg extending along a second side of the movable member from the first end to the second end, and a connection leg connecting the first leg and second leg at one of the first and second ends, wherein the first leg and the second leg each extend from an area of the occupant support surface outside the movable member towards a center of the movable member; and wherein the adhesive layer anchors the heater and the flexible substrate stretches or moves relative to the movable member during movement of the movable member.

The present teachings provide: a climate controlled system comprising: a movable member disposed in a recess of a cushion and forming part of an occupant support surface with the cushion; a heater overlaying the cushion and the movable member, the heater including: a flexible substrate, a heating element; and an adhesive layer including a slit, wherein the adhesive layer anchors the flexible substrate stretches and/or the slit in the flexible substrate separates and moves relative to the movable member during movement of the movable member so that the slit accommodates movement of the movable member.

The present teachings provide a heater that permits a structure (e.g., seat, arm rest, or other occupant contact region) to change shape. The present teachings provide a heater that is connected to a structure and permits the structure or a component within the structure to move without damaging the heater. The present teachings provide a flexible heater that expands and contracts with a change in shape of the structure. The present teachings provide a heater with a wire that has a pattern which allows the substrate of the heater to move without being restricted by the wire. The present teachings provide wires that are configured to move as portions of a structure or a movable members move.

