Steering wheel

Claim 1

An electrically-heated steering wheel, comprising: a central boss, a steering ring located radially outwardly of said boss, and at least one spoke joining said boss with said steering ring, said steering wheel, and therefore said at least one spoke, having a front side adapted to face a vehicle driver and a rear side adapted to face away from the vehicle driver, said steering ring including a core bar having a covering, said steering ring having at least one grip portion adapted to be gripped by a respective hand of a driver especially while the steering wheel is in a null position corresponding to straight-ahead travel, each said grip portion being located adjacent to a respective said spoke about the circumference of said steering ring; a layer of heat insulating material provided on said covering of said steering wheel so as to cover said at least one grip portion of said steering ring in the circumferential direction of said steering ring, throughout at least a radially outer portion of said steering ring; at least one heating member comprising two superimposed generally L-shaped sheets of combustion-resistant material having a heater wire sandwiched between them so that a heating portion of said heater wire extends between corresponding one legs of said sheets, and leads for said heating portion extend from said heating portion between corresponding other legs of said sheets and terminate in means defining a connector for said heater wire; a temperature sensor associated with at least one said heating member and having a lead juxtaposed with said lead for said heating portion of said heating member; said heating member and said temperature sensor being disposed on said layer of heat insulating material on a respective said at least one grip portion so that said one legs of said sheets extend in the circumferential direction of said steering ring and so that said other legs of said sheets extent radially inwardly of said steering wheel along the side of a respective said at least one spoke; a cover layer covering said at least one heating member, this cover layer extending sufficiently completely peripherally of said steering ring as to hold the respective said heating member in place; and an electrical circuit adapted to obtain electrical power from an automotive electrical system and provide such electrical power to each said heater wire, this electrical circuit including a connector for connecting with the respective said connector of each said heater wire on the rear side of a respective said spoke and a temperature control constructed and arranged to receive indications of temperature from said temperature sensor and for providing electrical power to said heater wire in dependence upon such indications of temperature.