Radiant heater device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10906378-B2
Application number	US-201716083253-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2017
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A radiant heater device according to the present disclosure includes a radiant heater that radiates radiant heat to a passenger of a vehicle and a controller that controls an output of the radiant heater. The controller acquires information related to a thermal sensation of the passenger and controls the output of the radiant heater based on the information related the thermal sensation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radiant heater device, comprising:
a radiant heater that radiates radiant heat to a passenger of a vehicle;
a controller that controls an output of the radiant heater; and
a seat sensor that detects a seating state of the passenger, wherein
the controller acquires information related to a thermal sensation of the passenger and controls the output of the radiant heater based on the information related to the thermal sensation, and
the controller calculates, as the information related to the thermal sensation, an elapsed time after the passenger enters the vehicle based on information of the seating state detected by the seat sensor, and switches a calculation method of a target temperature of the radiant heater based on the elapsed time.

2. A radiant heater device, comprising:
a radiant heater that radiates radiant heat to a passenger of a vehicle;
a controller that controls an output of the radiant heater; and
a seatbelt sensor that detects a seatbelt wearing state of the passenger, wherein
the controller acquires information related to a thermal sensation of the passenger and controls the output of the radiant heater based on the information related to the thermal sensation, and
the controller calculates, as the information related to the thermal sensation, an elapsed time after the passenger enters the vehicle based on information of the seatbelt wearing state detected by the seatbelt sensor, and switches a calculation method of a target temperature of the radiant heater based on the elapsed time.

3. The radiant heater device of claim 1 , wherein
the controller
sets the target temperature based on an inside air temperature, which is a temperature inside a passenger compartment of the vehicle, when the elapsed time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and
performs a correction to raise the target temperature when the elapsed time is less than the predetermined value.

4. The radiant heater device of claim 3 , wherein
the controller performs the correction such that as the elapsed time is shorter, a raise amount of the target temperature is increased.

5. The radiant heater device of claim 4 , wherein
the controller performs the correction such that as an outside air temperature, which is a temperature outside of the vehicle, is lower with respect to the inside air temperature, the raise amount of the target temperature is increased.

6. The radiant heater device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor that detects a surface temperature of the passenger, wherein
the controller uses the surface temperature detected by the temperature sensor as the information related to the thermal sensation, and sets the target temperature of the radiant heater based on the surface temperature.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Bando Shiro

Classifications

• B60H1/2226 Primary

  Electric heaters using radiation · CPC title

• B60H1/22

  the heat source being other than the propulsion plant {(B60H1/00492 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60H1/00849

  for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air (B60H1/00842 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H2001/00228

  Devices in the interior of the passenger compartment · CPC title

• B60H1/2218 Primary

  controlling the operation of electric heaters · CPC title