Seat air-conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021261025-A1
Application number	US-202117318569-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 12, 2021
Priority date	Nov 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 26, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A seat air-conditioner includes an inlet portion, a blower, and a door device. The inlet portion is disposed inside a seat and defines a first inlet and a second inlet. The blower is disposed inside the seat. The door device is configured to be moved to open the first inlet while closing the second inlet and to close the first inlet while opening the second inlet. The first inlet is arranged such that an air drawn into the seat through a passenger supporting portion of the seat is drawn into the blower through the first inlet. The second inlet is arranged such that an air drawn into the seat through a portion of the seat other than the passenger supporting portion is more likely to be drawn into the second inlet than into the first inlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A seat air-conditioner disposed in a seat for a passenger in a vehicle cabin, the seat air-conditioner comprising:
an inlet portion disposed inside the seat and defining a first inlet and a second inlet; a blower disposed inside the seat and configured to draw air through at least one of the first inlet and the second inlet and blow out the air in a rearward direction of the seat; and a door device configured to be moved:
to open the first inlet while closing the second inlet; and
to close the first inlet while opening the second inlet, wherein
the seat has a seat surface including a passenger supporting portion configured to support a body of the passenger, the first inlet is arranged such that an air drawn into the seat through the passenger supporting portion is drawn into the blower through the first inlet, and the second inlet is arranged such that an air drawn into the seat through a portion of the seat surface other than the passenger supporting portion is more likely to be drawn into the second inlet than into the first inlet.

2 . The seat air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the door device is further configured to be moved to increase an opening degree of the first inlet as decreasing an opening degree of the second inlet.

3 . The seat air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the inlet portion includes a first inlet portion defining the first inlet and a second inlet portion defining the second inlet, the second inlet portion has a tubular shape extending toward the passenger supporting portion, the first inlet portion extends from a position of the second inlet portion near the passenger supporting portion into a radially inner space of the second inlet portion, and the door device is configured to open and close the first inlet and the second inlet by rotating about an axis of the second inlet portion.

4 . The seat air-conditioner according to claim 3 , wherein
the door device includes:
a drive door having a shape corresponding to the inlet portion and configured to rotate about the axis; and
a driven door disposed between the drive door and the inlet portion and configured to be rotated about the axis by the drive door.

5 . The seat air-conditioner according to claim 4 , wherein
the drive door includes a drive door front portion having a shape corresponding to the first inlet portion, the drive door front portion includes:
a plurality of drive door front walls arranged in a circumferential direction about the axis at specified intervals; and
a plurality of drive door front openings defined between the plurality of drive door front walls,
the driven door includes a driven door front portion disposed between the drive door front portion and the first inlet portion, the driven door front portion includes:
a plurality of driven door front walls arranged in the circumferential direction at specified intervals; and
a plurality of driven door front openings defined between the plurality of driven door front walls, and
the door device is configured to:
open the first inlet by having the plurality of drive door front openings, the plurality of driven door front openings, and the first inlet be aligned with each other to fluidly communicate between the first inlet, the plurality of drive door front openings, and the plurality of driven door front openings; and
close the first inlet by moving the plurality of drive door front walls and the plurality of driven door front walls so that the plurality of drive door front walls and the plurality of driven door front walls are offset from each other in the circumferential direction, the plurality of drive door front walls are aligned with the first inlet, and the plurality of driven door front walls are aligned with the first inlet.

6 . The seat air-conditioner according to claim 5 , wherein
the first inlet portion includes a plurality of first inlet walls for the first inlet that are arranged in the circumferential direction, and the door device is configured to increase an opening degree of the first inlet by increasing an overlapping area between the plurality of the drive door front walls and the plurality of first inlet walls.

7 . The seat air-conditioner according to claim 4 , wherein
the drive door includes a drive door side portion having a shape corresponding to the second inlet portion, the drive door side portion includes:
a plurality of drive door side walls arranged in a circumferential direction about the axis at specified intervals; and
a plurality of drive door side openings defined between the plurality of drive door side walls,
the driven door includes a driven door side portion disposed between the drive door side portion and the second inlet portion, the driven door side portion includes:
a plurality of driven door side walls arranged in the circumferential direction at specified intervals; and
a plurality of driven door side openings defined between the plurality of driven door side walls,
the door device is configured to:
open the second inlet by having the plurality of drive door side openings, the plurality of driven door side openings, and the second inlet be aligned with each other to fluidly communicate between the second inlet, the plurality of drive door side openings, and the plurality of driven door side openings; and
close the second inlet by moving the plurality of drive door side walls and the plurality of driven door side walls to be offset from each other in the circumferential direction so that the plurality of drive door side walls are aligned with the second inlet and the plurality of driven door side walls are aligned with the second inlet.

8 . The seat air-conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein
the second inlet portion includes a plurality of second inlet walls for the second inlet that are arranged in the circumferential direction, and the door device is configured to increase an opening degree of the second inlet by increasing an overlapping area between the plurality of drive door side walls and the plurality of second inlet walls.

9 . The seat air-conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein
the drive door is configured to cover the inlet portion, the drive door is configured to decrease an opening degree of the second inlet by rotating in a first direction of the circumferential direction, each of the plurality of drive door side walls includes:
one end portion and the other end portion in the circumferential direction;
a first drive protrusion protruding radially inward from the one end portion; and
a second drive protrusion protruding radially inward from the other end portion, and
the drive door is configured to:
rotate the driven door in a second direction of the circumferential direction opposite to the first direction by the first drive protrusion pushing the driven door when the drive door rotates in the second direction; and
rotate the driven door in the first direction of the circumferential direction by the second drive protrusion pushing the driven door when the drive door rotates in the first direction.

10 . The seat air-conditioner according to claim 9 , wherein
the one end portion of the each of the plurality of drive door side walls includes a radially outer portion having a curved shape, and the other end portion of the each of the plurality of drive door side walls includes a radially outer portion having a curved shape.

11 . The seat air-conditioner according to claim 9 , wherein
each of the plurality of driven door side walls includes:
one end portion in the circumferential direction; and
a first driven protrusion protruding rad

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Seki Hideki
• Kawashima Masafumi
• Ito Shuji
• Murakami Hironobu
• Fujii Takahisa

Classifications

• B60N2/565 Primary

  sucked from the seat surface · CPC title

• B60N2/5685

  Resistance · CPC title

• A47C7/74

  for ventilation, heating or cooling · CPC title

• B60H1/34

  Nozzles; Air-diffusers · CPC title

• B60H1/00

  Heating, cooling or ventilating devices · CPC title