Condensation and humidity sensors for thermoelectric devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10228166-B2
Application number	US-201615145445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2016
Priority date	Feb 1, 2008
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

According to certain embodiments disclosed in the present application, a climate controlled seating assembly includes a thermal module. The thermal module comprises at least one inlet channel, at least one outlet channel and a thermoelectric device (e.g., Peltier circuit) positioned upstream of the outlet channel. In one embodiment, the seating assembly includes a sensor positioned within an interior of the thermal module and configured to detect the presence of a liquid, such as water, condensation or other fluids, on or near said sensor. In certain arrangements, the sensor is configured to detect the presence of a liquid by measuring an electrical resistance or capacitance across a portion of the sensor. A climate control system can include a separator gasket located within a housing of a fluid module and at least partially between the cold passage and the hot passage. In some embodiments, the separator gasket comprises one or more wicking materials. The separator gasket can be configured to transport liquids from the cold passage to the hot passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid module for selectively heating or cooling air, the fluid module comprising:
a thermoelectric device having a cold side and a hot side;
a cold side comprising a cold side heat exchanger coupled to the cold side of the thermoelectric device and a cold side outlet in fluid communication with the cold side heat exchanger;
a hot side comprising a hot side heat exchanger coupled to the hot side of the thermoelectric device and a hot side outlet in fluid communication with the hot side heat exchanger; and
a separator gasket separating at least in part the cold side outlet from the hot side outlet, the separator gasket configured to draw condensate along a first surface facing the cold side of the of the fluid module away from at least a portion of the cold side of the fluid module and dissipate the condensate along a second surface opposite the first surface to the hot side of the fluid module, the separator gasket having a first dimension between the first surface and the second surface smaller than a second dimension extending along the first surface or the second surface.

2. The fluid module of claim 1 , wherein the separator gasket comprises one or more wicking materials that separates at least in part the cold side outlet from the hot side outlet.

3. The fluid module of claim 2 , wherein the one or more wicking materials comprise polypropylene or nylon.

4. The fluid module of claim 2 , wherein the separator gasket includes at least one finger that extends into the cold side heat exchanger.

5. The fluid module of claim 4 , wherein the at least one finger extends next to one or more fins that form at least in part the cold side beat exchanger.

6. The fluid module of claim 1 , wherein the separator gasket includes at least one finger that extends into the cold side heat exchanger.

7. The fluid module of claim 6 , wherein the at least one finger extends next to at least one or more fins that form at least part of the cold side heat exchanger.

8. The fluid module of claim 1 , comprising a fluid transfer device positioned upstream of the thermoelectric device, the fluid transfer device in fluid communication with the cold side heat exchanger and the hot side heat exchanger.

9. The fluid module of claim 1 , comprising a fluid transfer device positioned downstream of the thermoelectric device, the fluid transfer device in fluid communication with the cold side outlet and the hot side outlet.

10. The fluid module of claim 1 , wherein the separator gasket comprises a porous structure.

11. A method of selectively heating or cooling air, the method comprising:
transferring air to a cold side of a fluid module, the cold side of the fluid module comprising a cold side heat exchanger coupled to a cold side of a thermoelectric device and a cold side outlet in fluid communication with the cold side heat exchanger;
transferring air to a hot side of the fluid module, the hot side of the fluid module comprising a hot side heat exchanger coupled to a hot side of the thermoelectric device and a hot side outlet in fluid communication with the hot side heat exchanger;
wicking condensate along a first surface on the cold side of the fluid module away from at least a portion of the cold side of the fluid module via a separator gasket; and
dissipating the condensate along a second surface opposite the first surface to the hot side of the fluid module via the separator gasket,
wherein the separator gasket comprises the first surface and the second surface and has a first dimension between the first surface and the second surface smaller than a second dimension extending along the first surface or the second surface.

12. The method of selectively heating or cooling air of claim 11 , further comprising wicking the condensate to the hot side of the fluid module via the separator gasket.

13. The method of selectively heating or cooling air of claim 11 , further comprising evaporating the condensate on the hot side of the fluid module.

14. The method of selectively heating or cooling air of claim 11 , wherein wicking condensate away from at least a portion of the cold side of the fluid module comprises wicking condensate through the separator gasket, wherein the separator gasket separates the cold side outlet from the hot side outlet.

15. The method of selectively heating or cooling air of claim 14 , wherein wicking condensate away from at least a portion of the cold side of the fluid module comprises wicking condensate through at least one finger wick that extends into the cold side beat exchanger.

16. The method of selectively heating or cooling air of claim 15 , wherein wicking condensate away from at least a portion of the cold side of the fluid module wicking condensate through the at least one finger wick comprises wicking condensate away between one or more fins that form at least part of the cold side heat exchanger via the at least one finger wick extending next to the one or more fins.

17. The method of selectively heating or cooling air of claim 11 , wherein wicking condensate away from at least a portion of the cold side of the fluid module comprises wicking condensate through at least one finger wick that extends into the cold side heat exchanger.

18. The method of selectively heating or cooling air of claim 11 , wherein wicking condensate away from at least a portion of the cold side of the fluid module comprises wicking condensate along at least one finger wick that extends next to one or more fins that form at least part of the cold side heat exchanger.

19. The method of selectively heating or cooling air of claim 11 , further comprising transferring air to the cold side heat exchanger and to the hot side heat exchanger through a fluid transfer device positioned upstream of the thermoelectric device.

20. The method of selectively heating or cooling air of claim 11 , further comprising transferring air to the cold side heat exchanger and to the hot side heat exchanger via a fluid transfer device positioned downstream of the thermoelectric device.

21. A fluid module for selectively heating or cooling air, the fluid module comprising:
a thermoelectric device having a cold side and a hot side;
a cold side comprising a cold side heat exchanger coupled to the cold side of the thermoelectric device and a cold side outlet in fluid communication with the cold side heat exchanger;
a hot side comprising a hot side heat exchanger coupled to the hot side of the thermoelectric device and a hot side outlet in fluid communication with the hot side heat exchanger; and
a separator gasket configured to draw condensate along a first surface on the cold side of the fluid module away from at least a portion of the cold side of the fluid module and dissipate the condensate along a second surface opposite the first surface to the hot side of the fluid module, the separator gasket having a first dimension between the first surface and the second surface smaller than a second dimension extending along the first surface or the second surface.

22. The fluid module of claim 21 , wherein a portion of the separator gasket at least partially extends beyond a wall of the fluid module, the wall configured to direct fluid through the cold side outlet.

23. The fluid module of claim 22 , wherein the first surface along the portion of the separator gasket extending beyond the wall of the fluid module is perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the wall of the fluid module.

Assignees

• Gentherm Inc

Inventors

• Lofy John

Classifications

• B60N2/5657 Primary

  blown towards the seat surface · CPC title

• B60N2/5685

  Resistance · CPC title

• B60N2/56 Primary

  Heating or ventilating devices · CPC title

• F25B21/04 Primary

  reversible · CPC title

• B60N2/5692

  Refrigerating means · CPC title