Neck fan for a vehicle seat and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10926677-B2
Application number	US-201615735810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 14, 2015
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

The present teachings relate to a neck fan for a vehicle seat for generating a usable air flow that emerges from the neck fan toward a passenger, said neck fan being provided with at least one air conveying device for generating a usable air flow in the region of a headrest or the upper end of a seat back. It is provided that one or more compensating means are provided, by means of which asymmetrical climatic conditions caused by interfering currents in the area surrounding a passenger can be compensated for, and that one or more compensating means act asymmetrically on the usable air flow and/or impart an asymmetry to the cross-section of the usable air flow, at least in the region of an outlet of the neck fan, said asymmetry relating to at least one geometric or thermodynamic parameter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A neck fan for a vehicle seat comprising:
at least one air conveying device for generating a usable air flow in a region of a headrest or an upper end of a seat back of the vehicle seat,
at least one sensor to detect an interfering current acting on the usable air flow,
one or more compensating means, by means of which asymmetrical climatic conditions caused by the interfering current in an area surrounding a passenger can be compensated for,
wherein the one or more compensating means are configured to act asymmetrically on the usable air flow and/or impart an asymmetry to a cross-section of the usable air flow, at least in a region of an outlet of the neck fan, the asymmetry relating to at least one geometric or thermodynamic parameter.

2. The neck fan according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet has a plurality of outlet openings arranged adjacent to one another, or the plurality of outlet openings are spaced from one another for cooperatively expelling the usable air flow from the neck fan toward the passenger from a first outlet opening to a first side of a neck of the passenger and from a second outlet opening to a second side of the neck of the passenger.

3. The neck fan according to claim 1 , wherein in at least one operating mode, the neck fan is controlled in a way in which the asymmetry of the usable air flow relates to at least one parameter selected from:
i) a distribution of a temperature profile over the outlet,
ii) a distribution of a flow velocity over the outlet,
iii) a distribution of pressure over the outlet,
iv) a spread of an outflow angle over the outlet, and
v) a degree of deviation of an outflow direction of a homogeneously directed flow of the usable air from a longitudinal direction of a vehicle.

4. The neck fan according to claim 3 , wherein a magnitude of the at least one parameter increases at least partially along the outlet of the neck fan in a horizontal direction from a vehicle center axis of the vehicle toward a vehicle outer side, or is directed toward the vehicle outer side.

5. The neck fan according to claim 1 , wherein a flow direction, a shape of a dispersion cone, a temperature, a velocity, and/or a pressure of the usable air flow is influenced to compensate for asymmetries in a neck region, and
wherein at least one functional component is provided as the one or more compensating means, the at least one functional component selected from: a temperature control device, a heating device, a cooling device, the at least one air conveying device, and a flow guiding element.

6. The neck fan according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one functional component is in redundant number, in two temperature control devices, two air conveying devices, and/or two flow guiding elements.

7. The neck fan according to claim 1 , wherein the neck fan includes a control device, which in at least one operating mode influences the usable air flow, asymmetrically to a longitudinal axis of the usable air flow and/or a vehicle, based upon data acquired in the vehicle.

8. The neck fan according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one air conveying device comprises:
i) an aperture, the aperture having a cross-section that can be adjusted via a control device, to adjust a volume of a temperature-controlled usable air flow, and/or
ii) a blower, which is mounted pivotably to adjust a direction of the usable airflow, and/or
iii) a flow guiding element, an orientation of which can be adjusted to adjust the direction of the temperature-controlled usable air flow.

9. The neck fan according to claim 1 , wherein the neck fan includes:
i) at least two air conveying devices that can be controlled independently of one another in terms of conveying output, and/or
ii) at least two heating devices that can be controlled independently of one another in terms of heating output;
wherein at least one of the at least two air conveying devices is assigned to a subset of a plurality of heating devices, and/or at least one of the at least two heating devices is assigned to a subset of a plurality of air conveying devices, and
wherein the subset may be a subset of one.

10. The neck fan according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is selected from a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, and/or a temperature sensor.

11. The neck fan according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises two or more NTC sensors.

12. The neck fan according to claim 11 , wherein the two or more NTC sensors detect a surface temperature on a surface of an aperture.

13. The neck fan according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an infrared sensor.

14. The neck fan according to claim 13 , wherein the infrared sensor is enabled to identify or detect skin temperature of the passenger.

15. A control method for controlling at least one usable air flow that emerges in a region of a headrest of a vehicle seat from an outlet of a neck fan, the control method comprising:
detecting an interfering current acting on the at least one usable air flow,
determining a nature and/or intensity of a compensation response for influencing the at least one usable air flow dependent upon nature and/or intensity of the interfering current,
implementing the determined compensation response by generating the at least one usable air flow that emerges from the outlet of the neck fan, asymmetrically with respect to at least one thermodynamic parameter relative to a longitudinal axis of a vehicle and/or of the at least one usable air flow.

16. The control method according to claim 15 , wherein the determined compensation response is selected from: an adjustment of a flow direction, an outflow angle, a velocity, a temperature, a pressure, and/or a distribution of at least one of parameter horizontally within the at least one usable air flow, and
wherein the implementing of the determined compensation response takes place at least approximately in real time.

17. The control method according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one usable air flow passes through an aperture, and a cross-section of the aperture is increased or decreased to adjust a pressure and/or a volume flow rate of the at least one usable air flow, and
wherein at least one blower and at least one temperature control device cooperate to generate the at least one usable air flow,
wherein the at least one temperature control device is or has a cooling device or a heating device,
wherein the at least one blower is pivoted to adjust a flow direction,
wherein an output of the at least one blower is controlled to adjust the at least one usable air flow,
and/or
wherein an output of the at least one temperature control device is controlled via the control device.

18. The control method according to claim 15 , wherein the interfering current acting on the at least one usable air flow is detected by sensors.

19. The control method according to claim 15 , wherein:
at least one first blower and at least one first heating device cooperate to generate a first partial usable air flow,
at least one second blower and at least one second heating device cooperate to generate a second partial usable air flow,
an output of the at least one first blower and an output of the at last one second blower are controlled independently of one another to implement the compensation response, and/or
the output of the at least one first heating device and an output of the at least one second heating device are controlled independently of one another to implement the compensation

Assignees

• Gentherm Gmbh

Inventors

• Rappl Alexander
• Pfaff Jochen
• Würl Johann

Classifications

• B60N2/5642

  with circulation of air through a layer inside the seat · CPC title

• B60N2/879

  with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers · CPC title

• B60N2/5685 Primary

  Resistance · CPC title

• B60N2/5671

  forming a windbreak, e.g. warm air blown on the neck of the passenger of an open vehicle · CPC title

• B60H1/00871

  Air directing means, e.g. blades in an air outlet (construction of nozzles or air diffusers B60H1/34) · CPC title