JP4524623B2 - Car seat temperature control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention belongs to the technical field of temperature control technology for appropriately controlling the temperature of a car seat attached to a vehicle such as an automobile.

Some recent automobiles are equipped with a car seat temperature adjusting device that appropriately adjusts the temperature of the car seat so that passengers can spend more comfortably. In a normal car seat temperature control device, not only a heating element by Joule heat is built in the seat surface and backrest of the car seat, but also a car seat seat and backrest with a fan provided in each car seat. In many cases, the air is blown and the air temperature is appropriately adjusted by heating and cooling with a Peltier element. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention in which the temperature setting of the car seat temperature adjusting device is linked to the cabin air conditioner, or the temperature setting of the cabin air conditioner is linked to the car seat temperature adjusting device.
JP-A-10-297243

  However, in the above-described background art, no consideration is given to individual differences among occupants, and the temperature control of the car seat is uniformly performed regardless of whether each occupant is hot or cold.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a car seat temperature adjusting device capable of individually adjusting the temperature of each car seat according to the preference of each passenger.

  In order to solve the above problems, the inventors have invented the following means.

(First means)
The first means of the present invention is a seat temperature adjusting device that is provided in a vehicle provided with a cabin air conditioner that adjusts the air temperature in the cabin, and that can adjust at least two temperatures of a plurality of car seats. The feature of this means is that the temperature of these car seats can be adjusted individually.

  In this means, when the temperature of a plurality of car seats is adjusted, it is not performed all at once but individually, so that the temperature of each car seat can be individually adjusted according to the preference of each passenger. As a result, according to this means, for example, even when a hot person and a cold person are riding together, the temperature of the car seat can be set as desired, so both can spend more comfortably. There is an effect that it becomes possible to.

  The temperature adjustment of each car seat is basically performed from an operation switch or the like provided at a position where it can be easily operated by an occupant sitting on each car seat, but it is provided at a position where it can be operated by an operator and an assistant. It may be possible to adjust from the car seat temperature control panel. In addition, the operation means for adjusting the temperature of each car seat may be a form that directly sets the target temperature, but it is also a form that simply adjusts the target temperature by an operation such as "warm more" or "cooler". good.

(Second means)
According to a second means of the present invention, in the first means described above, a manual mode for manually setting the target temperature of the car seat individually and an auto mode for automatically performing the setting in conjunction with the cabin air conditioner are provided. There are a plurality of operation modes including a changeover switch for selecting one of these operation modes.

  This means that you can choose between manual mode in which each person manually sets the temperature of the car seat according to his / her preference, and auto mode in which the temperature is automatically set in conjunction with the temperature setting of the cabin air conditioner, etc. The operation mode can be selected with the changeover switch. The former manual mode is a preference mode, so it can reflect each passenger's preference and physical condition, while the latter auto mode is, in other words, an entrusted mode, which is a function of the cabin air conditioner. It is greatly affected by the target temperature setting. Therefore, when each occupant wants to adjust the car seat temperature according to his / her preference, the optimum car seat temperature can be set for each person by selecting the manual mode. On the contrary, when each person cannot operate or when the operation is troublesome, the temperature of the car seat can be made generally comfortable by selecting the auto mode.

  The changeover switch for selecting the operation mode of the car seat temperature control device may be a centralized control method that can be operated from the driver seat or the passenger seat, or may be an individual control method that is attached in the vicinity of each car seat. Alternatively, the centralized control method and the individual control method may be used in combination such that one operation has priority over the other operation, or one of the most recent operations has priority. Alternatively, the changeover switch is built in the ECU or the like, and automatically switches between the manual mode and the auto mode depending on whether or not the temperature adjustment operation is performed in the manual mode even if it cannot be directly operated by the occupant. Also good.

(Third means)
According to a third means of the present invention, in the second means described above, control parameters including the target temperature setting of the car seat are stored in the manual mode, and these control parameters are stored at the next operation in the auto mode. The car seat has a function of performing individual temperature correction using the above.

  In this means, not only the operation mode of the car seat temperature control device has the manual mode and the auto mode, but the temperature setting in the manual mode is also reflected in the auto mode. In other words, once the appropriate target temperature for the car seat is set in the manual mode, the control parameters set in the manual mode are used according to each passenger's preference even if the operation mode is switched to the auto mode. Therefore, even in the auto mode, the temperature of the car seat is adjusted to reflect the preference of each occupant rather than being uniform for each seat.

  Therefore, according to this means, even if the passenger's favorite seat temperature is set, there is no inconvenience that the preference is not reflected as soon as the mode is switched from the manual mode to the auto mode, and the preference of each person is reflected even in the auto mode. There is an effect that.

  When the operation mode is switched from the manual mode to the auto mode and then returned to the manual mode, the control parameters of the previous manual mode may be saved and reproduced.

(Fourth means)
According to a fourth means of the present invention, in the first means described above, there is an occupant sensor whose output varies depending on the presence or absence of an occupant in each of the car seats. It is determined whether or not the temperature of the car seat is to be adjusted based on the determination result.

  Here, the occupant sensor for detecting the seating of the occupant includes a contact type sensor or contact type switch for detecting a weight or a pressing force applied to the car seat, a capacitance in a space close to the seat surface or the back surface of the car seat, etc. There can be various types, such as a non-contact sensor that detects a change in the properties of a field, and a remote sensor that detects electromagnetic waves or sound waves.

  In this means, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the car seat is to be adjusted after determining whether or not the passenger is seated in a predetermined car seat based on the output of the passenger sensor. As long as the vehicle seat is not, the car seat without the passenger is not heated or cooled. Therefore, according to this means, when there is a vacant seat in the car seat, there is an effect that power required for adjusting the temperature of the car seat is saved.

(Fifth means)
According to a fifth means of the present invention, in the fourth means described above, the occupant sensor is an infrared sensor provided in the vehicle.

  In this means, since the occupant sensor is an infrared sensor and is not an active sensor but a passive sensor, there is an effect that remote sensing can be performed without any influence on the occupant. In addition, it is possible to prevent malfunctions when the luggage is placed on the seat, and to increase the degree of freedom of the occupant sensor installation position. Further, by measuring the infrared intensity from the range where the occupant's skin would be exposed (for example, the range from the face to the neck), the measurement data relating to the occupant's surface temperature is obtained and the car seat temperature control device And can be used for cabin air conditioners.

(Sixth means)
The sixth means of the present invention is the above-mentioned fifth means, further comprising an outside air temperature sensor, a cabin air temperature sensor and a solar radiation sensor, and measurement data relating to the surface temperature of the occupant by the infrared sensor is output to the outputs of these sensors. In consideration of this, the temperature of the car seat is adjusted. Here, these sensors may be shared by the aforementioned cabin air conditioner and the car seat temperature adjusting device of this means, or the cabin air conditioner and the car seat temperature adjusting device may be integrated in the first place. .

  In this means, the temperature of each car seat is adjusted by taking into account the measurement data relating to the surface temperature of the occupant by the infrared sensor in addition to the outputs of the various sensors. Therefore, according to this means, the temperature of the car seat can be adjusted based on more data related to temperature control, and there is an effect that more appropriate or more comfortable temperature adjustment is performed depending on the software. .

  Embodiments of the present invention are specifically described in the following examples so that those skilled in the art can implement the present invention. The inventor considers that the best mode is one of the following examples.

(Hardware of Example 1)
The “car seat temperature control device” as Example 1 of the present invention is provided in a sedan type passenger car as a vehicle provided with a cabin air conditioner 6 for adjusting the air temperature in the cabin, and the temperature of the five car seats 1 is provided. It is a car seat temperature control device that can be adjusted to each. That is, the feature of the present embodiment is that the temperature adjustment of the car seats of the two front seats of the driver seat and the passenger seat and the left and right ones and the three central rear seats can be individually performed for each seat. It is that. In the description of the present embodiment, for the sake of clarity, only the driver's seat and the passenger seat will be taken as an example, and the configuration and operation and effect of the car seat temperature control device will be described. It should be understood that the same applies to all rear seats.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the car seat temperature control device 2 according to the present embodiment includes an operation panel 5 embedded in a center console between the driver seat and the passenger seat, and under the seat surfaces of the driver seat and the passenger seat. The seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 and the seat air conditioning unit 4 are provided. The car seat temperature control device 2 is provided together with a cabin air conditioning device 6 that performs air conditioning in the cabin, and the operation panel 5 serves as both the operation of the cabin air conditioning device 6 and the car seat temperature control device 2 of the present embodiment. ing.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel 5 includes a set of operation switches (the former) of the cabin air conditioner 6 and a set of operation switches (the latter) of the car seat temperature control device 2. The former is generally the same as the conventional one, but the latter includes, for example, a manual switch 51 for adjusting the driver's seat temperature and a manual switch 52 for adjusting the passenger's seat temperature. The manual switches 51 and 52 are provided at positions that can be operated by an operator and an assistant, and are configured to adjust the target temperature simply by an operation such as “more warm” or “more cool”. The seat temperature control for the rear seats is performed separately from the manual switches 51 and 52 on the operation panel 5 of the center console. )

  As described above, the car seat temperature adjustment device 2 of the present embodiment includes the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 and the seat air conditioning unit 4 housed in the lower part of each seat 1. The seat air conditioning unit 4 introduces heat generated or absorbed into the Peltier element 42, a fan 41 that blows air in the cabin to the Peltier element 42, and air heated or cooled by the Peltier element 42 to the seating surface and the backrest surface. A duct 40; The Peltier element 42 is driven by the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3, and a temperature sensor 43 that feeds back the temperature to the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 is attached to the Peltier element 42. In addition, the heating elements 44 and 45 are embedded in the seating surface and the backrest surface of each seat 1, respectively, so that the seat surface can be immediately warmed when electric power is supplied by the seat temperature control ECU 3. Yes.

  On the other hand, the cabin air conditioner 6 has an operation panel 5 of the center console, an air conditioner ECU 7 and an HVAC 8 that is an air conditioner unit on the back side of the dashboard, and the HVAC 8 includes a blower 81, an evaporator 82, a heater core 83, and the like. The operation panel 5 combines the operation function of the cabin air conditioner 6 and the operation function of the car seat temperature adjustment device 2 of the present embodiment.

  The air conditioner ECU 7 of the cabin air conditioner 6 installed in the vehicle and the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 of the present embodiment installed in each seat 1 are in communication with each other via a signal cable 10. Therefore, the operation signals of the manual switches 51 and 52 on the operation panel 5 are provided to the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 via the air conditioner ECU 7 of the cabin air conditioner 6 and the signal cable 10. Further, the cabin air conditioner 6 is provided with a cabin air temperature sensor 91, an outside air temperature sensor 92, and a solar radiation sensor 93. Signals detected by these sensors are also passed through the air conditioner ECU 7 and the signal cable 10. To the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3.

  Since the car seat temperature adjustment device 2 of the present embodiment is configured as described above, the temperature adjustment of each car seat 1 is individually performed by each seat temperature adjustment ECU 3. That is, when adjusting the temperature of the seating surface and the backrest surface of each car seat 1, it is not performed all at once, but individually, so the temperature adjustment of each car seat is individually adjusted according to each passenger's preference. Can be done. As a result, according to the car seat temperature control device 2 of this embodiment, for example, even when a hot person and a cold person are riding together, the temperature of each car seat 1 can be set as desired. Because it can, both have the effect of being able to spend more comfortably.

(Control Logic of Example 1)
Now, each seat temperature control ECU 3 of the car seat temperature control device 2 of the present embodiment has a built-in control logic for controlling the seat air conditioning unit 4 installed in the seat 1.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the operation mode of the car seat temperature control device 2 of this embodiment includes a manual mode in which the target temperature of each car seat 1 is manually set individually, and the same setting as the cabin air conditioner. There is an auto mode that is automatically linked to 6. Each time the engine is started, temperature measurement data Ta or the like from the temperature sensor 43 of the Peltier element 42 is read in step S1, and then it is determined whether or not the manual switch 51 (or 52) is operated in determination step S2. Is done. Based on the determination result, either the manual mode (steps S5 to S6) or the auto mode (S2 to S3) is selected. Therefore, the manual switches 51 and 52 of the operation panel 5 also serve as changeover switches for selecting the operation mode.

  First, as long as the manual switches 51 and 52 are not operated and the operation mode is the auto mode, the measurement data from the various sensors is taken into the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 in step S2. That is, the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 captures measurement data related to the vehicle state from the cabin air temperature sensor 91, the outside air temperature sensor 92, the solar radiation sensor 93, and the like, and also captures measurement data from sensors attached to the seat 1. That is, measurement data for determining the presence / absence of an occupant seated on the seat 1 is taken in from a seating sensor (not shown), and the temperature sensor (not shown) embedded in the seating surface and backrest surface of the seat respectively Import temperature measurement data.

  Subsequently, in step S3, the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 determines the environmental conditions, and corrects the air volume of the fan 41 (referred to as the seat air volume) installed in the seat air conditioning unit 4 and the temperature of the Peltier element 42 (referred to as the Peltier temperature). Correct the amount appropriately. This correction amount correction calculation is referred to as correction control (step S7). When this correction calculation is performed, it is stored in the memory (not shown) in step S6 in the previous manual mode operation (described later). This is done by calling the correction amount of the seat air volume and Peltier temperature and the environmental conditions at that time.

  In step S4, the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 determines the seat air volume and the Peltier temperature according to the above settings, and actually drives the seat air conditioning unit 4.

  Next, in a state where the manual switches 51 and 52 are operated and the operation mode is switched to the manual mode, the processes of steps S5 to S7 are performed. That is, in step S5, the manual switch 51 (or 52) corresponding to the seat 1 is manually operated in accordance with the number of operations of the manual switch 51 (or 52) up or down (that is, the number of intentions of the occupant indicating “more warm” or “more cool”). The correction amount of the sheet air volume and the Peltier temperature is calculated in advance. Thereafter, in the subsequent step S6, the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 stores the correction amount of the seat air volume and the Peltier temperature and the environmental condition (Tao) at that time in the memory.

  When performing the correction control in step S7 described above, as shown in FIG. 4, there is a quantitative relationship between the cooling output of the Peltier element 42, the voltage applied to the Peltier element 42, and the seat air volume. Therefore, the correction amount is appropriately corrected based on this relationship. For example, when the occupant wants to cool down and cools the seat 1, the temperature of the seat 1 is lowered by giving a positive correction amount to the heat absorption amount and the seat air volume of the Peltier element 42. By recording these correction amounts in the memory, the correction control as described above can be performed.

  To summarize the above, in this embodiment, each person manually sets the car seat temperature according to his / her preference, and the auto setting that automatically sets the temperature in conjunction with the temperature setting of the cabin air conditioner. Among the modes, the preferred operation mode can be selected with the changeover switch. The former manual mode is, in other words, a preference mode, which can reflect each passenger's preference and physical condition, while the latter auto mode is, in other words, an entrusted mode, which is a cabin air conditioner. Is greatly affected by the target temperature setting. Therefore, when each passenger wants to adjust the temperature of the car seat according to his / her preference, the operation mode is automatically switched from the auto mode to the manual mode by operating the manual switches 51 and 52, which is optimal for each person. Car seat temperature can be set. On the contrary, when each person does not operate the manual switches 51 and 52 of the seat 1, the operation mode remains in the auto mode, and the temperature of the seat 1 is generally kept comfortable.

  In addition, in the manual mode, each seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 stores control parameters including the target temperature setting of the car seat 1 in step S6, and uses these control parameters at the next operation in the auto mode. The car seat has a correction control function for performing individual temperature correction. When the operation mode is switched from the manual mode to the auto mode and then returned to the manual mode, the control parameters of the previous manual mode are saved and reproduced.

  As a result, the operation mode is not simply the manual mode and the auto mode, but the temperature setting in the manual mode is also reflected in the auto mode by the correction control function in step S7. In other words, once the appropriate target temperature for the car seat is set in the manual mode, even if the operation mode is switched to the auto mode, the control parameters set in the manual mode according to each passenger's preference are output. Because it is used for the setting, the temperature of the car seat is adjusted to reflect the preference of each occupant rather than being uniform in each seat even in the auto mode.

  Therefore, according to the car seat temperature control device 2 of the present embodiment, even if the passenger's favorite seat temperature is set, there is no inconvenience that the preference is not reflected as soon as the manual mode is switched to the auto mode. Even in auto mode, there is an effect that each person's preference is reflected.

(Configuration of Example 2)
As shown in FIG. 5, the “car seat temperature control device” according to the second embodiment of the present invention is based on the presence or absence of a passenger seated in the driver seat 11 and the passenger seat 12 in addition to the hardware configuration and control logic described above. An infrared sensor 94 is installed in the vehicle as an occupant sensor with different outputs. The infrared sensor 94 is disposed at a position overlooking the driver's seat 11 and the passenger's seat 12 as the car seat 1 from the front, overlooking the upper body of the occupant seated on the seat, particularly the chest and head. Here, the infrared sensor 94 is an optical sensor that detects the amount of infrared radiation within a predetermined solid angle range. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to install a sensor or a switch that operates according to the body weight in the seating surfaces of the car seats 11 and 12.

  Each infrared sensor 94 is considered to be provided alongside the cabin air temperature sensor 91, the outside air temperature sensor 92, and the solar radiation sensor 93 in FIG. I want. The output signals of the infrared sensors 94 are once taken into the air conditioner ECU 7 and then delivered to the corresponding seat temperature control ECUs 3 through the signal cables 10 together with the output signals of the various sensors 91, 92, 93. Each seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 includes control logic for adjusting the temperature of the seat 1 by adding measurement data relating to the surface temperature of the occupant by the infrared sensor 94 to the output signals of the various sensors 91, 92, 93.

(Effect of Example 2)
In this embodiment, the seat temperature adjustment ECU 3 determines whether or not an occupant is seated on a predetermined car seat 1 based on the output of the infrared sensor 94 as an occupant sensor, and then adjusts the temperature of the seat 1 ( That is, it is determined whether or not heating, cooling, or blowing is performed. Therefore, as long as the determination is appropriate, the occupant-free car seat 1 is not heated or cooled unnecessarily. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, a power saving effect can be obtained when there is an empty seat in the car seat 1.

  In this embodiment, since the occupant sensor is the infrared sensor 94 and is not an active sensor but a passive sensor, there is an effect that remote sensing can be performed without any influence on the occupant. In addition, it is possible to prevent malfunction when a luggage is placed on the seat, and to increase the degree of freedom of the installation position of the occupant sensor. Further, the infrared intensity from the range where the occupant's skin is likely to be exposed (for example, the range from the face to the neck) is measured to obtain measurement data relating to the occupant's surface temperature and provided to the cabin air conditioner 6 as well. There is also an effect that can be done.

  In addition, the temperature of each car seat 1 is adjusted by taking into account the measurement data related to the surface temperature of the occupant by the infrared sensor 84 in addition to the outputs of the various sensors 91, 92, 93. As a result, the temperature adjustment of the car seat 1 can be performed based on more data related to the temperature control, so that the temperature adjustment is more appropriate and comfortable.

Vehicle side sectional view which shows arrangement | positioning of the car seat temperature control apparatus as Example 1 The block diagram which shows the car seat temperature control apparatus and car air conditioner of Example 1 The flowchart which shows the control logic in Example 1. Cooling output diagram of the Peltier element that is the basis of the correction processing in the first embodiment Cabin perspective view showing arrangement of typical sensor in embodiment 2

Explanation of symbols

1: Car seat 11: Driver seat 12: Passenger seat 2: Car seat temperature control device 3: Seat temperature control ECU
4: Seat air conditioning unit 40: Duct 41: Fan 42: Peltier element 43: Temperature sensor 44: Heating element (for seating surface) 45: Heating element (for backrest)
5: Operation panel 51: Manual switch (for driver's seat)
52: Manual switch (for passenger seat)
6: Cabin air conditioner 7: Air conditioner ECU
8: Air conditioner unit (HVAC)
81: Blower 82: Evaporator 83: Heater core 91: Cabin air temperature sensor 92: Outside air temperature sensor 93: Sunlight sensor 94: Infrared sensor (as occupant sensor)
10: Signal cable

Claims (1)

In a car seat temperature control device that is provided in a vehicle provided with a cabin air conditioner that adjusts the air temperature in the cabin, and that can adjust the temperature of at least two of the car seats .
There are a plurality of operation modes including a manual mode for manually setting the target temperature of the car seat individually and an auto mode for automatically performing the same setting in conjunction with the cabin air conditioner. Has a selector switch to select one,
In the manual mode, control parameters including the target temperature setting of the car seat are stored, and the temperature is individually corrected for each car seat using these control parameters at the next operation in the auto mode. The temperature of these car seats can be adjusted individually,
Car seat temperature control device.

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