Vehicle air-conditioning system with seat heating and cooling device

• US 6,079,485 A
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fujita, Akihiro, Hotta, Yoshihiko, Esaki, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): ATKINSON, CHRISTOPHER MARK
• Application Number:
  US09/067,724
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 165/42, 165/43, 297/180.1, 454/120, 454/907, 62/261, 62/244, 219/202
• US Class Current: 165/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00285 for vehicle seats vehicle seats with heating or ventilation means independent from the HVAC system of the vehicle B60N2/56
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00735 Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/003 Component temperature regulation using an air flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 454/907 Seat

Abstract

A vehicle air-conditioning system includes a controller for controlling operation of an air-conditioner unit and operation of a seat heating and cooling device in interlocked relation such that operating conditions of the air-conditioner unit are automatically changed on the basis of the temperature of a vehicle seat, operating conditions of the seat heating and cooling device, or setting information of the seat heating and cooling device, or alternatively operating conditions of the seat heating and cooling device are automatically changed on the basis of the operating conditions of the air-conditioner unit or setting information of the air-conditioner unit.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning system for a vehicle, comprising:

an air-conditioner unit adapted for air-conditioning the vehicle;

a seat adapted for the vehicles;

a seat heating and cooling device for heating and cooling the seat; and

a controller for controlling operation of said air-conditioner unit and operation of said seat heating and cooling device in interlocked relation such that one of operating conditions of said air-conditioner unit is automatically changed based on one of a temperature of the seat, operating conditions of said seat heating and cooling device, and setting information of said seat heating and cooling device, and operating conditions of said seat heating and cooling device are automatically changed based on one of operating conditions of said air-conditioner unit and setting information of said air-conditioner unit.

2. An air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein said controller sets a setting temperature of said seat heating and cooling device to be equal to a setting temperature of said air-conditioner unit to thereby change the operating conditions of said seat heating and cooling device.

3. An air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein said controller sets a setting temperature of said air-conditioner unit to be equal to a setting temperature of said seat heating and cooling device to thereby change the operating conditions of said air-conditioner unit.

4. An air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein said controller includes a first control unit for controlling operation of said air-conditioner unit, a second control unit for controlling operation of said seat heating and cooling device, said first and second control units being electrically connected together to perform data communication therebetween, and means for operationally interlocking said first and second control units.

5. An air-conditioning system according to claim 4, wherein said first control unit sets a setting temperature of said air-conditioner unit to be equal to a setting temperature of said seat heating and cooling device to thereby change the operating conditions of said air-conditioner unit.

6. An air-conditioning system according to claim 4, wherein said second control unit sets a setting temperature of said seat heating and cooling device to be equal to a setting temperature of said air-conditioner unit to thereby change the operating conditions of said seat heating and cooling device.

7. An air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein said controller includes a single control unit for controlling operation of said air-conditioner unit and operation of said seat heating and cooling device, and an interlock switch for interlocking operation of said air-conditioner unit and operation of said seat heating and cooling device.