Heater device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12328800-B2
Application number	US-202117481614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2021
Priority date	Mar 26, 2019
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

A heater device for heating an user's body seated on a seat includes a heat generating portion that is arranged in a recess recessed from a surface of the seat, and generates heat by energization, a distance detection unit that detects a distance between an object around the heat generating portion and the heat generating portion, and a control unit that controls energization of the heat generating portion. A first control portion controls energization amount of the heat generating portion so that the output of the heat generating portion becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined output, when the distance is longer than an offset distance between the heat generating portion and the surface of the seat. A second control portion controls the energization amount so that the output becomes less than the predetermined output, when the distance is equal to or less than the offset distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heater device for heating a user's body seated on a seat, comprising:
a heat generating portion that is arranged in a recess recessed from a surface of the seat and generates heat when energized, heating a portion of the user's body that is not in contact with the seat;
a distance detection unit that detects a distance between the portion of the user's body around the heat generating portion and the heat generating portion; and
a control unit that controls energization of the heat generating portion, wherein
the control unit includes
a first control portion that controls an energization amount of the heat generating portion so that an output of the heat generating portion becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined output, when the distance detected by the distance detection unit is longer than an offset distance between the heat generating portion and the surface of the seat, and
a second control portion that controls the energization amount of the heat generating portion so that the output of the heat generating portion becomes less than the predetermined output, when the distance detected by the distance detection unit is equal to or less than the offset distance.

2. The heater device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first control portion controls the energization amount of the heat generating portion so that the output of the heat generating portion increases as the distance between the portion of the user's body and the heat generating portion increases.

3. The heater device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first control portion controls the energization amount of the heat generating portion so that the output of the heat generating portion decreases at a first ratio with respect to the decrease in the distance between the portion of the user's body and the heat generating portion, and
the second control portion controls the energization amount of the heat generating portion so that the output of the heat generating portion decreases at a second ratio larger than the first ratio with respect to the decrease in the distance between the portion of the user's body and the heat generating portion.

4. The heater device according to claim 1 , further comprising,
a plurality of electrodes configured to detect a change in capacitance due to the portion of the user's body around the heat generating portion, wherein
the distance detection unit detects the distance based on a change in capacitance between the plurality of electrodes.

5. The heater device according to claim 1 , further comprising,
a plurality of planar heaters having the heat generating portion.

6. The heater device according to claim 5 , wherein
the seat has a seat back that supports an entire back of the user, and
the plurality of planar heaters are arranged on an upper side of center of the seat back in an upper-lower direction.

7. The heater device according to claim 6 , wherein
the plurality of planar heaters include an upper side planar heater arranged on the seat back and a lower side planar heater arranged on a lower side in the upper-lower direction with respect to the upper side planar heater.

8. The heater device according to claim 7 , wherein
the control unit controls the energization of the heat generating portion so that a heat generation amount of the upper side planar heater is larger than a heat generation amount of the lower side planar heater.

9. The heater device according to claim 5 , further comprising,
a substrate on which the heat generating portion is formed, wherein
the plurality of planar heaters are dispersedly arranged on the substrate.

10. The heater device according to claim 9 , further comprising,
a low thermal conductive portion arranged on one surface of the substrate so as to cover the heat generating portion and having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat generating portion.

11. A heater device for heating a user's body seated on a seat, comprising:
a heat generating portion that is arranged in a recess recessed from a surface of the seat and generates heat when energized, heating a portion of the user's body that is not in contact with the seat;
a distance detector that detects a distance between the portion of the user's body around the heat generating portion and the heat generating portion; and
a computer including a processor and a memory that stores instructions configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to
control an energization amount of the heat generating portion so that an output of the heat generating portion becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined output, when the distance detected by the distance detector is longer than an offset distance between the heat generating portion and the surface of the seat, and
control the energization amount of the heat generating portion so that the output of the heat generating portion becomes less than the predetermined output, when the distance detected by the distance detector is equal to or less than the offset distance.

12. The heater device according to claim 11 , wherein
the computer causes the processor to control the energization amount of the heat generating portion so that the output of the heat generating portion increases as the distance between the portion of the user's body and the heat generating portion increases.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Yusuke
• Seki Hideki
• Ishikawa Kimitake

Classifications

• H05B2203/029

  Heaters specially adapted for seat warmers · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G01D5/2405

  by varying dielectric · CPC title

• H05B1/0238 Primary

  For seats · CPC title

• H05B2203/013

  Heaters using resistive films or coatings · CPC title