Vehicle cabin airflow forming device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11780288-B2
Application number	US-201916700564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2019
Priority date	Dec 4, 2018
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle cabin airflow forming device includes an airflow forming unit. The airflow forming unit is configured to form airflows circulating around seating space of a seat and form, as part of the airflows, an ascending airflow on one lateral side of the seating space, and a descending airflow on the other lateral side of the seating space. The seat is provided inside a vehicle cabin, and the airflows circulate around the seating space as viewed from a front side of the seat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle cabin comprising:
a vehicle cabin airflow forming device configured to, when the vehicle cabin airflow forming device is operated:
form airflows circulating around a seating space of one of a plurality of seats provided in the vehicle cabin and aligned in the vehicle lateral direction, the plurality of seats being provided inside the vehicle cabin, the airflows circulating around the seating space as viewed from a front side of the one seat, and
form, as part of the airflows, an ascending airflow on one lateral side of the seating space, and a descending airflow on the other lateral side of the seating space,

wherein the vehicle cabin airflow forming device includes an airflow generating unit in a flow path of the airflows, the airflow generating unit being configured to generate airflows by sucking air in the flow path and blowing the air into the flow path,
wherein the airflow generating unit includes a first airflow generating unit and a second airflow generating unit,
wherein the first airflow generating unit includes:
an upper suction port that is provided on a vehicle ceiling side and into which air forming the ascending airflow is sucked;
an upper blowing port that is provided on the vehicle ceiling side and from which air forming the descending airflow is blown out; and
an upper blower configured to suck air from the vehicle cabin into the upper suction port and blow out the air from the upper blowing port into the vehicle cabin, and

wherein the second airflow generating unit includes:
a lower suction port mounted to a first lateral side of the one seat and into which air forming the descending airflow is sucked;
a lower blowing port mounted to a second lateral side of the one seat opposite the first lateral side of the one seat and from which air forming the ascending airflow is blown out, the lower blowing port is positioned within a gap between two seats of the plurality of seats in the vehicle cabin in the lateral direction; and
a lower blower configured to suck air from the vehicle cabin into the lower suction port and blow out the air from the lower blowing port into the vehicle cabin.

2. The vehicle cabin according to claim 1 , wherein the other lateral side is located on a side of a closing position of a door configured to open and close a door opening for occupant ingress-egress.

3. The vehicle cabin according to claim 2 , further comprising a detecting unit configured to detect boarding information when an occupant is about to get in the vehicle, wherein
the vehicle cabin airflow forming device includes:
a wind direction changing unit provided on the upper blowing port and configured to be switched between a first mode of directing the airflow to a direction of the descending airflow and a second mode of directing at least part of the airflow toward a get-out direction side from the direction of the descending airflow, the upper blowing port being provided on a vehicle ceiling side, and air forming the descending airflow being blown out from the upper blowing port; and
a control unit configured to
control the upper blower to be operated based on the boarding information detected by the detecting unit, the upper blower being configured to suck air in the vehicle cabin from an upper suction port and blow out the air from the upper blowing port into the vehicle cabin, the upper suction port being provided on the vehicle ceiling side, and air forming the ascending airflow being sucked into the upper suction port, and
control the wind direction changing unit to be switched from the first mode to the second mode.

4. The vehicle cabin according to claim 3 , wherein:
the detecting unit is configured to detect a distance between an upper part of the door opening and a head of the occupant, as the boarding information; and
the control unit is configured to control the upper blower such that air power becomes larger than air power during a normal operation of the upper blower when the control unit determines that the distance detected by the detecting unit is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

5. The vehicle cabin according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine that there is a possibility that a head of the occupant hits the upper part of the door opening when the control unit determines that the distance detected by the detecting unit is equal to or less than the predetermined value.

6. The vehicle cabin according to claim 3 , wherein
the control unit is configured to control the upper blower to be operated when the control unit determines a possibility that a head of the occupant hits an upper part of the door opening based on the boarding information detected by the detecting unit.

7. The vehicle cabin according to claim 1 , wherein the upper suction port extends in a vehicle front-rear direction.

8. The vehicle cabin according to claim 1 , wherein:
the upper blower is configured to suck air from the vehicle cabin into the upper suction port and blow out the air from the upper blowing port toward the lower suction port in the vehicle cabin; and
the lower blower is configured to suck air from the vehicle cabin into the lower suction port and blow out the air from the lower blowing port toward the upper suction port in the vehicle cabin.

9. The vehicle cabin according to claim 1 , wherein the gap is provided between a seat cushion of the two seats.

10. The vehicle cabin according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lower partitioning member extending along a seat front-rear direction between the two seats of the plurality of seats at a level of an upper part of a seat cushion of the two seats, the lower blowing port formed in the lower partitioning member;
a lateral partitioning member extending along the seat front-rear direction between the two seats of the plurality of seats above the lower partitioning member; and
a second lower blowing port formed in the lateral partitioning member above the lower blowing port.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakurai Hideyuki
• Mori Masashi
• Shimazu Katsuya

Classifications

• B60H1/00742 Primary

  by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors · CPC title

• B60H1/00564

  of air ducts · CPC title

• B60H1/00864

  Ventilators and damper doors · CPC title

• B60H1/00871

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

• B60H1/245

  located in the roof · CPC title