Blowing control apparatus for seat and vehicle seat provided therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701172-B2
Application number	US-201213681870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2012
Priority date	Nov 24, 2011
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A blowing control apparatus for a seat, that includes a blower, and an air hole that is provided in a seating surface and through which air blown from the blower passes, also includes a measuring portion that measures a rotation speed or a current value of the blower as a blower measurement value, and a control portion that determines a degree to which the air hole is obstructed according to the blower measurement value measured by the measuring portion, and controls rotation of the blower by a driving voltage of the blower based on the degree.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blowing control apparatus for a seat, that includes a blower, and an air hole that is provided in a seating surface and through which air blown from the blower passes, the blowing control apparatus comprising:
a measuring circuit that measures a blower measurement value, the blower measurement value being at least one of a rotation speed of the blower and a current value of the blower; and
a controller that determines a degree of obstruction of the air hole at the seating surface according to the blower measurement value measured by the measuring circuit, and controls rotation of the blower based on the determined degree of obstruction of the air hole at the seating surface by control of a driving voltage of the blower.

2. The blowing control apparatus for the seat according to claim 1 , wherein
when the blower measurement value corresponds to a first threshold value, the controller determines that there is no obstruction to the air hole at the seating surface,
when the blower measurement value corresponds to a second threshold value, the controller determines that there is obstruction to the air hole at the seating surface, and
the controller one of decreases the rotation speed of the blower and stops rotation of the blower when the controller determines that there is no obstruction to the air hole at the seating surface, and increases the rotation speed of the blower when the controller determines that there is an obstruction to the air hole at the seating surface.

3. The blowing control apparatus for the seat according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller one of increases and decreases the rotation speed of the blower according to the blower measurement value when the blower measurement value is a value between the first threshold value and the second threshold value.

4. The blowing control apparatus for the seat according to claim 3 , wherein the controller changes a driving power of the blower in a stepped manner according to the blower measurement value when the blower measurement value is a value between the first threshold value and the second threshold value.

5. The blowing control apparatus for the seat according to claim 3 , wherein the controller changes a driving power of the blower linearly according to the blower measurement value when the blower measurement value is a value between the first threshold value and the second threshold value.

6. The blowing control apparatus for the seat according to claim 2 , further comprising an operating switch that at least one of turns the blowing of air on, turns the blowing of air off, and sets a force of the blowing air, wherein
the controller one of increases and decreases the rotation speed of the blower based on the force of the blowing air set by the operating switch.

7. A vehicle seat provided with the blowing control apparatus according to claim 1 .

8. The blowing control apparatus for the seat according to claim 1 , wherein
the blower includes a motor, and the blower measurement value is at least one of a rotation speed of the motor and a current of the motor.

Assignees

• Toyota Boshoku Kk

Inventors

• Tsuzaki Atsushi
• Hayakawa Tomoko
• Onuma Masahiko

Classifications

• B60H1/00457 Primary

  Ventilation unit, e.g. combined with a radiator (control systems for ventilators B60H1/00828) · CPC title

• B60N2/5657

  blown towards the seat surface · CPC title

• B60H1/00285

  for vehicle seats · CPC title

• B60N2/5635 Primary

  coming from the passenger compartment · CPC title