Vehicle seat ventilation system

• US 6,619,736 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wet Automotive Systems AG (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pietsch, Matthias, Michniacki, Matthias, Stöwe, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US09/791,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20010028185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 297/180.12, 297/180.13, 297/180.14, 62/36.1, 622/61, 542/3, 572/6, 565/22, 454/120, 454/907
• US Class Current: 297/180.14
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5635 coming from the passenger compartment

Abstract

A vehicle seat ventilating system comprising at least one fan (4) arranged in the seat (7) and controlled by a central control unit (1) and an electric control unit (3) associated with each fan (4) for actuating the respective fan in response to control signals from the central control unit (1), wherein each electronic control (3) is arranged at the respective fan (4) Thus, each of the fans (4) arranged in the vehicle seat (7) has its own electronic control unit (3) that is located at the fan (4) and is connected to the central seat control unit (1) by a data line (2) that transmits control signals. The power supply currents required to drive the fan (4) are regulated directly in the electronic control unit (3) located at the respective fan (4). Thus, each of the fans (4) arranged in the vehicle seat (7) has its own electronic control unit (3) located at the fan (4) and is connected to the central seat control unit (1) by a data line (2) that transmits control signals. In this way, the number of fan units controlled by the central control unit (1) can be readily changed according to design criteria as a result of the standard data bus interface.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat ventilating system comprising:

at least one fan arranged in a seat; and

a corresponding electronic control unit electronically connected to each fan and including independent drive electronics for actuating the respective fan in response to a control signal from a central control unit, wherein each electronic control unit is arranged at the respective fan and is electrically communicating with the central control unit by way of a low power data line for transmitting said control signal such that each electronic control unit can be electrically isolated from the operating environment of the central control unit.

2. The vehicle seat ventilating system of claim 1 wherein each electronic control unit forms a serial interface between each respective fan and the central control unit.

3. The vehicle seat ventilating system of claim 1 wherein said data line is a bidirectional data line adapted to transmit said control signal to said respective electronic control unit and transmit fan operating data to said central control unit.

4. The vehicle seat ventilating system of claim 1 wherein said data line is a bidirectional data line adapted to transmit said control signal to said respective electronic control unit and transmit operator environment data to said central control unit.

5. The vehicle seat ventilating system of claim 1 wherein each electronic control unit is arranged within a fan housing of its respective fan.

6. The vehicle seat ventilating system of claim 5 wherein said fan housing is electromagnetically shielded.

7. A vehicle seat ventilating system comprising:

at least on fan arranged in a seat;

a corresponding electronic control unit electrically connected to each fan for actuating the respective fan in response to a control signal from a central control unit, wherein each electronic control unit is arranged at the respective fan and is electrically communicating with the central control unit by way of a low power data line for transmitting said control signal such that each electronic control unit can e electrically isolated from the operating environment of the central control unit; and

a climate sensor in operative communication with at least one of the electronic control units for communicating operator climate data to the central control unit.

8. A system comprising:

a vehicle seat having a seat portion and a back rest portion;

a central control unit proximate the vehicle seat;

at least open fan arranged in the seat portion of the vehicle seat; and

a corresponding electronic control unit connected to each fan and electrically communicating with said central control unit for actuating the respective fan in response to a low power control signal from the central control unit, wherein each electronic control unit is arranged at the respective fan and includes independent drive electronics for the respective fan such that each electronic control unit can be electrically isolated from the operating environment of the central control unit.

9. The system of claim 8 comprising at least one fan arranged in the back rest portion of the vehicle seat and controlled by said central control unit.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein each electronic control unit is in operative communication with the central control unit by way of a bidirectional data line for transmitting said control signal to said respective electronic control unit and transmit fan operating data to said central control unit.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein each electronic control unit is arranged within an electromagnetically shielded fan housing of its respective fan.

12. A system comprising:

a vehicle seat having a seat portion and a back rest portion;

a central control unit proximate the vehicle seat;

at least one fan arrange in the seat portion of the vehicle seat;

a corresponding electronic control unit connected to each fan and electrically communicating with said central control unit for actuating the respective fan in response to a low power control signal from the central control unit, wherein each electronic control unit is arranged at the respective fan and includes independent drive electronics for the respective fan such that each electronic control unit can be electrically isolated from the operating environment of the central control unit; and

a climate sensor in operative communication with at least one of the electronic control units for communicating operator climate data to the central control unit.

13. A system comprising:

a vehicle rat having a seat portion and a back rest portion;

a central control unit proximate the vehicle seat;

at least one fan arrange in the seat portion of the vehicle seat;

a corresponding electronic control unit connected to each fan and electrically communicating with said central control unit for actuating the respective fan in response to a low power control signal from the central control unit, wherein each electronic control unit is arranged at the respective fan and includes independent drive electronics for the respective fan such that each electronic control unit can be electrically isolated from the operating environment of the central control unit; and

a climate sensor in operative communication with each electronic control unit for communicating operator climate data to the central control unit.

14. A system comprising:

a vehicle seat having a seat portion and a back rest portion;

a central control unit proximate the vehicle seat;

a first fan arranged in the seat portion of the vehicle seat;

a second fan arranged in the back rest portion of the vehicle seat;

first and second electronic control units each in electrical communication with said central control unit and electrically connected to the respective first and second fans for actuating each respective fan in response to a low power control signal from the central control unit, wherein each electronic control unit is arranged proximate its respective fan within a fan, housing and includes independent drive electronics for the respective fan such that each electronic control unit can be electrically isolated front the operating environment of the central control unit; and

first and second climate sensors electrically communicating with each respective first and second electronic control units for communicating operator climate data to the central control unit.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each electronic control unit is arranged within an electromagnetically shielded fan housing of its respective fan.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein each electronic control unit forms a serial interface between its respective fan and the central control unit.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein each electronic control unit is in operative communication with the central control unit by way of a data line for transmitting said control signal.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said data line is a bidirectional data line.