Vehicle seat air-conditioner and vehicle temperature controller

• US 8,944,145 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Esaki, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): CIRIC, LJILJANA V
• Application Number:
  US12/894,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20110017421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 165/41, 165/42, 165/43, 165/44, 165/202, 165/203, 165/204, 622/44, 297/180.1, 297/180.11, 297/180.12, 297/180.13, 297/180.14
• US Class Current: 165/42
• 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 2001/003 Component temperature regulation using an air flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5628 coming from the vehicle ventilation system, e.g. air-conditioning system
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5635 coming from the passenger compartment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like

Abstract

A vehicle seat air-conditioner includes a seat on which an occupant sits, a heat exchanger that adjusts the temperature of a conditioned gas, a blower that supplies the conditioned gas to the seat, a seat covering layer provided on a surface of the seat and facing the seated occupant, and a flow channel provided on an underside of the seat covering layer that pass the conditioned gas that is introduced by the blower. The vehicle seat air-conditioner is adapted to convey heat of the conditioned gas to an occupant side of the seat covering layer by directly blowing out a portion of the introduced conditioned gas to the occupant side of the seat covering layer, and to perform heat exchange with the occupant side of the seat covering layer by circulating a portion of a remainder of the conditioned gas through the flow channel.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat air-conditioner comprising:

a seat adapted to receive an occupant, the seat including a seat back and a seat cushion, the seat cushion including first and second side support portions and a sitting portion, the first and second side support portions each having a cross-section that is bulging in a convex shape, the first and second side support portions being disposed on opposite lateral sides of the sitting portion;

a heat exchanger that adjusts a temperature of a conditioned gas;

a blower that supplies the conditioned gas to the seat;

a seat covering layer defining an outer surface of the seat; and

a cushion body that is covered by the seat covering layer, wherein

the vehicle seat air-conditioner is adapted to convey heat between the conditioned gas and the occupant, and

the blower is disposed within the first side support portion.

2. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising

a flow channel defined by a space between the cushion body and the seat covering layer, and extending along a surface of the seat, the flow channel receiving the conditioned gas from the blower.

3. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 2, wherein

the seat covering layer is adapted to convey heat of the conditioned gas flowing through the flow channel to the occupant.

4. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 2, further comprising

a blow-out hole formed in the seat covering layer and connected to the flow channel, the conditioned gas flowing through the flow channel being blown out through the blow-out hole toward the occupant.

5. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein

at least a portion of the blower is disposed above a bottom surface of the cushion body.

6. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising

a tack groove provided in the cushion body, wherein the seat covering layer is pulled into the tack groove.

7. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 6, wherein

the tack groove extends along a width direction of the seat.

8. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 7,

wherein the blower includes a blow-out portion,

wherein a space between the cushion body and the seat covering layer defines a flow channel, and

wherein the vehicle seat air-conditioner is adapted to introduce the conditioned gas into a flow into the flow channel by connecting the blow-out portion of the blower to the tack groove.

9. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 1, wherein

a lateral distance between the first and second side support portions is greater than a lateral distance between a first boundary between the first support portion and the sitting portion and a second boundary between the second support portion and the sitting portion, and

the seat back includes third and fourth side support portions and a flat portion, the third and fourth side support portions being laterally spaced from one another by the flat portion with a lateral distance therebetween which is greater than a lateral distance between a third boundary between the third support portion and the flat portion and a fourth boundary between the fourth support portion and the flat portion.

10. A vehicle seat air-conditioner comprising:

a seat adapted to receive an occupant, the seat including

a seat back and a seat cushion, the seat cushion including first and second side support portions and a sitting portion, the first and second side support portions being laterally spaced from one another by the sitting portion, wherein the first and second side support portions each include a void that defines an accommodation space;

a heat exchanger that adjusts a temperature of a conditioned gas; and

a blower that supplies the conditioned gas to the seat, wherein the blower is disposed within the accommodation space of the first side support portion.

11. The vehicle seat air-conditioner of claim 10, wherein the first and second side support portions each have a cross-section that is bulging in a convex shape, and wherein the first and second side support portions are disposed on opposite lateral sides of the sitting portion.

12. The vehicle seat air-conditioner of claim 10, further comprising:

a seat covering layer defining an outer surface of the seat; and

a cushion body that is covered by the seat covering layer, wherein the vehicle seat air-conditioner is adapted to convey heat between the conditioned gas and the occupant.

13. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 12, further comprising

a flow channel defined by a space between the cushion body and the seat covering layer, and extending along a surface of the seat, the flow channel receiving the conditioned gas from the blower.

14. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 13, wherein

the seat covering layer is adapted to convey heat of the conditioned gas flowing through the flow channel to the occupant.

15. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 12, wherein

at least a portion of the blower is disposed above a bottom surface of the cushion body.

16. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 12, further comprising

a tack groove provided in the cushion body, wherein the seat covering layer is pulled into the tack groove.

17. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 16, wherein

the tack groove extends along a width direction of the seat.

18. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 17,

wherein the blower includes a blow-out portion,

wherein a space between the cushion body and the seat covering layer defines a flow channel, and

wherein the vehicle seat air-conditioner is adapted to introduce the conditioned gas into the flow channel by connecting the blow-out portion of the blower to the tack groove.

19. The vehicle seat air-conditioner according to claim 10, wherein

a lateral distance between the first and second side support portions is greater than a lateral distance between a first boundary between the first support portion and the sitting portion and a second boundary between the second support portion and the sitting portion, and

the seat back includes third and fourth side support portions and a flat portion, the third and fourth side support portions being laterally spaced from one another by the flat portion with a lateral distance therebetween which is greater than a lateral distance between a third boundary between the third support portion and the flat portion and a fourth boundary between the fourth support portion and the flat portion.