JP7069841B2 - Vehicle seat air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The disclosure in this specification relates to a vehicle seat air conditioner.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for controlling a vehicle seat air conditioner that blows air conditioning air from a vehicle seat. In this technique, when the automatic temperature control of the vehicle interior is performed by the air conditioner that air-conditions the vehicle interior, the seat temperature control strength of the vehicle seat air conditioner is lowered with the passage of time.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-169819

The technique of Patent Document 1 does not disclose the control of the vehicle seat air conditioner based on the information of the solar radiation entering the vehicle interior. When the elevation angle of the sunlight changes, the way the sunlight hits the body part of the seated person who is seated on the seat changes. The vehicle seat air conditioner of Patent Document 1 cannot perform control corresponding to a change in the elevation angle of solar radiation.

An object of the disclosure is to provide a vehicle seat air conditioner capable of blowing air control in response to changes in the elevation angle of solar radiation.

The plurality of embodiments disclosed herein employ different technical means to achieve their respective objectives. Further, the scope of claims and the reference numerals in parentheses described in this section are examples showing the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiment described later as one embodiment, and limit the technical scope. is not.

A seat (10R, 10L) mounted on the vehicle and having a backrest portion (10a) for supporting the upper body of the seated person and a seating portion (10b) on which the lower body of the seated person is seated, and a seat (10R, 10L) from the surface of the backrest portion to the passenger compartment. The backrest side air flow forming part (50a) that forms an air flow that blows out air or sucks air from the inside of the vehicle, and the air flow that blows air from the surface of the seating part to the inside of the vehicle or sucks air from the inside of the vehicle. The seating side air flow forming portion (50b), the backrest side air volume which is the air volume of the air flow formed by the backrest side air flow forming portion, and the seating side air volume which is the air volume of the air flow formed by the seating side air flow forming portion. A control unit (60) for controlling the amount of solar radiation and a solar radiation amount detection unit (70) for detecting the amount of solar radiation, and the control unit includes a solar radiation elevation angle acquisition unit (S22) for acquiring the elevation angle of the solar radiation entering the vehicle interior. The elevation angle determination unit (S24) determines whether or not the elevation angle satisfies the large elevation angle condition in which the amount of solar radiation received by the seating portion is larger than the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion, and the elevation angle is a large elevation angle condition in the elevation angle determination unit. When it is determined that the condition is satisfied, the air volume adjusting unit (S26, S28) that increases the seating side air volume relative to the backrest side air volume is provided, and the larger the solar radiation amount detected by the solar radiation amount detecting unit, the larger the solar radiation amount. Increase the total amount of air volume on the backrest side and air volume on the seating side .

According to this disclosure, when the elevation angle of solar radiation satisfies the large elevation angle condition, it is possible to form an air flow with an air volume larger than that of the upper body with respect to the lower body of the seated person by increasing the air volume on the seating side. As a result, when the elevation angle of the solar radiation is relatively large and more sunlight is likely to hit the lower body than the upper body of the seated person, the air can be focused on the lower body of the occupant. As described above, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat air conditioner capable of blowing air control corresponding to a change in the elevation angle of solar radiation.

One of the disclosed vehicle seat air conditioners is a seat (10R, 10L) mounted on a vehicle and provided with a backrest portion (10a) for supporting the upper body of the seated person and a seating portion (10b) on which the lower body of the seated person is seated. ), The backrest side air flow forming portion (50a) that forms an air flow that blows air from the surface of the backrest portion to the passenger compartment or sucks air from the passenger compartment, and air from the surface of the seating portion to the passenger compartment. The seat side air flow forming portion (50b) that forms an air flow that blows out or sucks air from the passenger compartment, and the backrest side air volume and the seating side air flow forming portion that are the air volumes of the air flow formed by the backrest side air flow forming portion. The control unit includes a control unit (60) for controlling the seating side air volume, which is the air volume of the air flow formed by the air flow, and a solar radiation amount detection unit (70) for detecting the solar radiation amount . An elevation angle acquisition unit (S22) for acquiring an elevation angle, and an elevation angle determination unit (S24) for determining whether or not the elevation angle satisfies a small elevation angle condition in which the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion is larger than the amount of solar radiation received by the seated portion. And an air volume adjusting unit (S26, S28) that increases the air volume on the backrest side relative to the air volume on the seating side when the elevation angle determining unit determines that the elevation angle satisfies the small elevation angle condition . The larger the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation amount detection unit, the larger the total amount of air volume on the backrest side and air volume on the seating side .

According to this disclosure, when the small elevation angle condition where the elevation angle of solar radiation is relatively small is satisfied, the air flow by the air volume larger than that of the upper body is formed for the upper body of the seated person by increasing the air volume on the backrest side. Can be done. As a result, when the elevation angle of the solar radiation is relatively small and more sunlight is likely to hit the upper body than the lower body of the seated person, it is possible to intensively blow the air to the upper body of the occupant. As described above, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat air conditioner capable of blowing air control corresponding to a change in the elevation angle of solar radiation.

It is a figure which shows the seat air conditioner for a vehicle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which looked at the seat air conditioner for a vehicle of 1st Embodiment from the front side of a vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the control performed by the vehicle seat air conditioner of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which looked at the seat air conditioner for a vehicle of 2nd Embodiment from the front side of a vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the control performed by the vehicle seat air conditioner of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the seat air conditioner for a vehicle which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the control performed by the vehicle seat air conditioner of 3rd Embodiment.

(First Embodiment)
The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 has seats 10R and 10L that provide seats for occupants who are seated. As shown in FIG. 2, the seat 10R is a right-hand seat provided on the right side in the vehicle width direction, and the seat 10L is a left-side seat provided on the left side in the vehicle width direction. The seats 10R and 10L each include a backrest portion 10a that supports the back of the seated person, and a seating portion 10b that supports the buttocks and thighs of the seated person. Blowers 50a and 50b are provided on the backrest portion 10a and the seating portion 10b, respectively. The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 forms an air flow around the seated person by driving the blowers 50a and 50b. The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 constitutes a so-called seat ventilation system. In the first embodiment, the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 will be described as a seat ventilation system that blows air from the surfaces of the seats 10R and 10L to the seated person.

The backrest portion 10a has a seat pad 20a, a skin member 30a, and a blower device 50a. The backrest portion 10a and the seating portion 10b each have a metal skeleton member that maintains the overall shape.

The seat pad 20a is made of an elastically deformable material, for example, open cell type polyurethane foam. The seat pad 20a has a sufficiently large thickness dimension with respect to the skin member 30a. The seat pad 20a is a cushion member that absorbs the load of the seated occupant by elastic deformation and supports the back of the occupant's body. Inside the seat pad 20a, an air passage 21a through which air can flow is formed.

The air passage 21a is a flow path through which air driven by the blower device 50a flows. It is formed so as to penetrate from the back surface to the front surface of the seat pad 20a. The air passage 21a is formed so as to extend from the back surface of the seat pad 20a while branching to the front surface. The air passage 21a is formed so as to open at the surface of the seat pad 20a. That is, in the case of the seat ventilation system that blows out air as in the first embodiment, the air that has passed through the air passage 21a passes through the skin member 30a from the surface of the seat pad 20a and is blown out into the vehicle interior.

The skin member 30a is provided by leather, fabric, or the like. The skin member 30a is a breathable member provided by a material in which a plurality of holes, slits, or the like are formed so as to be breathable, or a material through which air can be directly ventilated. The skin member 30a may be able to ventilate particularly at the opening position of the air passage 21a on the surface of the seat pad 20a. The skin member 30a is a member that covers the seat pad 20a and comes into direct contact with the seated person. The skin member 30a provides a backrest surface 31a in the backrest portion 10a. The backrest surface 31a is a surface on which the back of the seated occupant can come into contact.

The blower device 50a includes a fan that is rotationally driven by an electric motor and a casing that houses the fan. The fan can be provided by various fans such as a centrifugal fan and an axial fan. The blower device 50a drives air by the rotation of the fan, and forcibly forms an air flow in the air passage of the seat pad 20a. The blower device 50a can adjust the amount of air blown out by changing the rotation speed of the fan. The blower device 50a is arranged on the back surface of the seat pad 20a, for example, and is attached to the skeleton member of the backrest portion 10a. The blower device 50a sucks air in the vehicle interior through the rear back portion, which is a ventilation member that covers the back portion of the backrest portion 10a, and blows air to the air passage 21a. The blower device 50a forms an air flow that sucks air from the back surface of the backrest portion 10a and blows out air from the backrest surface 31a. The blower device 50a can change the air volume of the air flow that blows air from the backrest surface 31a to the vehicle interior, that is, the air volume on the backrest side by changing the rotation speed of the fan. The blower device 50a is an example of an air flow forming portion on the backrest side.

Next, the seating portion 10b will be described. The seating portion 10b is a portion on which the seated person is seated, and is a portion that supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant. In the following description, the configuration having the same name as the configuration of each part of the backrest portion 10a will be described as being different from the configuration of the backrest portion 10a, and the description of the backrest portion 10a will be used for common points.

The seating portion 10b has a seat pad 20b, a skin member 30b, and a blower device 50b, similarly to the backrest portion 10a. The seat pad 20b is a cushion member that supports the buttocks and thighs of the occupant's body. An air passage 21b through which air can flow is formed inside the seat pad 20a. The skin member 30b provides a seating surface 31b in the seating portion 10b. The seating surface 31b is a surface on which the buttocks and thighs of the seated occupant can come into contact with each other.

The blower device 50b is attached to the skeleton member, for example, at the lower part of the seat pad 20b. The fan of the blower device 50b is housed in a casing so that its rotation axis faces in the vertical direction. The suction port opens downward, for example, and sucks in the air below the seating portion 10b. The blower device 50b forms an air flow that sucks air from below the seating portion 10b, circulates the air passage 21b, and blows out air from the seating surface 31b. The blower device 50b can change the air volume of the air flow that blows air from the seating surface 31b to the vehicle interior, that is, the seating side air volume by changing the rotation speed of the fan. The blower device 50b is an example of a seating side air flow forming portion.

The control device 60 controls the operation of the blower devices 50a and 50b in the vehicle seat air conditioner 1. The control device 60 includes a microcomputer having a storage medium readable by a computer as a main hardware element. The storage medium is a non-transitional substantive storage medium that non-temporarily stores a predetermined program that can be read by a computer. The storage medium may be provided by a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like. The means and / or functions provided by the control device 60 can be provided by software recorded on a storage medium and a computer, software only, hardware only, or a combination thereof that executes the software. For example, when the control device 60 is provided by an electronic circuit that is hardware, it can be provided by a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits, or an analog circuit.

The control device 60 is provided by, for example, an air conditioner ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls a vehicle air conditioner. Alternatively, it may be provided by an ECU different from the air conditioner ECU. The control device 60 controls the opening degree of the air mix door, the amount of air blown by the blower, the amount of discharge of the compressor, and the like in the vehicle air conditioner. The control device 60 is connected to a plurality of sensors and can receive detection signals from each sensor. The plurality of sensors are, for example, an inside air temperature sensor, an outside air temperature sensor, an illuminance sensor 70, a seating sensor, and the like. The control device 60 performs various calculations and processes using these detection signals and the stored air conditioning control program, and outputs a control signal for controlling various air conditioning functional components that contribute to vehicle interior air conditioning. The air-conditioning functional component includes a compressor, a blower, an inside / outside air switching door, an air mix door, a blowout mode door, etc. for the vehicle air-conditioning device, and includes blowers 50a and 50b for the vehicle seat air-conditioning device 1. The control device 60 is an example of a control unit.

The solar radiation sensor 70 is a sensor that detects the amount and direction (elevation angle and azimuth angle) of solar radiation that enters the vehicle interior. The solar illuminance sensor 70 is provided on, for example, a dashboard in the vehicle interior. The solar radiation sensor 70 includes, for example, a plurality of light receiving elements arranged with directivity in different directions. The solar radiation sensor 70 includes a calculation unit that calculates the elevation angle and the azimuth angle of the solar radiation based on the amount of solar radiation detected by each of the plurality of light receiving elements. The solar radiation sensor 70 has a solar radiation elevation detection unit that detects the elevation angle of solar radiation, a solar radiation direction detection unit that detects whether the solar radiation is radiating from the right side or the left side in the vehicle width direction, and a solar radiation amount detection unit that detects the amount of solar radiation. This is an example.

Next, the operation of the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 and the air flow formed by the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 will be described. The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 starts operation when an occupant turns on the operation switch of the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 provided on, for example, an instrument panel or the like.

When the operation switch is turned on, the control device 60 rotates and drives the fans of the blower devices 50a and 50b to start blowing air. In the backrest portion 10a, the air in the vehicle interior is sucked into the blower device 50a from the rear of the backrest portion 10a by the blower device 50a, and is blown out from the blower device 50a to the air passage 21a. The air that has passed through the air passage 21a passes through the skin member 30a and is blown out from the backrest surface 31a into the vehicle interior. The air blown into the passenger compartment heads forward from the backrest surface 31a, and forms an air flow that is blown to the back and waist of the upper body of the seated person and passes around the upper body.

In the seating portion 10b, the air in the vehicle interior is sucked into the blowing device 50b from below the seating portion 10b by the blower device 50b and blown out to the air passage 21b. The air that has passed through the air passage 21b passes through the skin member 30b and is blown out from the seating surface 31b into the vehicle interior. The air blown into the passenger compartment goes upward from the seating surface 31b, and forms an air flow that is blown to the thighs and buttocks of the lower body of the seated person and passes around the lower body. As described above, the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 blows air to the seated person to give the seated person a cool feeling.

Next, an example of the control executed by the control device 60 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The control device 60 executes the process shown in FIG. 3 when the operation of the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 is started by turning on the operation switch or the like. The control device 60 first acquires information on the amount of solar radiation from the solar radiation sensor 70 in step S10, and proceeds to step S12. In step S12, it is determined whether or not the amount of solar radiation acquired in step S10 is larger than the start threshold value. Step S10 is an example of the solar radiation amount determination unit.

The start threshold value is a threshold value for determining whether or not it is necessary to start the process of determining the air volume distribution based on the elevation angle and the azimuth angle of the solar radiation. The starting threshold value is set to an amount of solar radiation that can be judged to cause a change in the thermal sensation of the seated person to a certain extent or more due to a change in the irradiation site of the solar radiation to the seated person due to a change in the solar radiation elevation angle. That is, when the amount of solar radiation below the starting threshold is detected, it can be considered that the change in the elevation angle of the solar radiation does not cause a large change in the thermal sensation of the seated person. It can be determined that it is not necessary to execute the determination process. The start threshold is predetermined based on an experiment or the like. The start threshold is an example of threshold solar radiation.

If it is determined in step S12 that the amount of solar radiation is equal to or less than the start threshold value, the process proceeds to step S26, and the air volume on the backrest side is set to be smaller than the air volume on the seating side. As a result, when the amount of solar radiation is relatively small, the processing of steps S14 to S24 can be omitted and the processing of step S26 can be executed. Therefore, when the amount of solar radiation is relatively small, the air volume on the backrest side can be set to be smaller than the air volume on the seating side so that the air volume distribution can suppress the coldness of the seated person.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that the amount of solar radiation is larger than the start threshold value, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the information on the solar azimuth angle is acquired, and the process proceeds to step S16.

In step S16, it is determined whether or not the acquired solar radiation azimuth is larger than the threshold azimuth. The threshold azimuth is, for example, 180 degrees. The threshold azimuth is a threshold for determining whether more sunlight is emitted from the right side or the left side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. For example, if the azimuth of the front of the vehicle is 0 degrees, if the azimuth is between 0 and 180 degrees, the sun will be emitted from the right side of the vehicle, and if the azimuth is between 180 and 360 degrees. Sunlight will be emitted from the left side of the vehicle. If it is determined in step S16 that the solar radiation azimuth is smaller than the threshold azimuth, the process proceeds to step S18.

In step S18, the air volume of the right side sheet 10R is set to be smaller than the air volume of the left side sheet 10L. The difference between the air volume of the right side sheet 10R and the air volume of the left side sheet 10L is set to a larger value, for example, as the solar azimuth angle approaches 90 degrees. That is, the solar radiation is radiated from a direction closer to the lateral direction of the vehicle, and the larger the difference in the amount of solar radiation radiated between the right side seat 10R and the left side seat 10L, the larger the difference in air volume between the left and right seats 10R and 10L is set. .. Alternatively, a constant air volume difference may be set regardless of whether the azimuth is close to 90 degrees.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S16 that the solar radiation azimuth is equal to or greater than the threshold azimuth, the process proceeds to step S20. In step S20, the air volume of the left side sheet 10L is set to be smaller than the air volume of the right side sheet 10R. The difference between the air volume of the right side sheet 10R and the air volume of the left side sheet 10L is set to a larger value, for example, as the solar azimuth angle approaches 270 degrees. Alternatively, a constant air volume difference may be set regardless of whether the azimuth is close to 270 degrees. In steps S16, S18, and S20, the air volume of the sheets 10R and 10L arranged on the side where a large amount of solar radiation is irradiated is measured by the sheets 10R and 10L on the opposite side based on the detection result of the solar radiation azimuth by the solar radiation sensor 70. This is an example of an azimuth air volume adjusting unit that increases relative to the air volume.

When either the process of step S18 or step S20 is performed, the process proceeds to step S22. In step S22, information on the solar illuminance angle is acquired from the solar radiation sensor 70. Step S22 is an example of the solar radiation elevation angle acquisition unit. When the elevation angle information is acquired, the process proceeds to step S24.

In step S24, it is determined whether or not the solar elevation angle acquired in step S22 is equal to or greater than the threshold elevation angle. The threshold elevation angle is a value that is an index for determining the magnitude relationship between the amount of solar radiation received by the seating portion 10b of the seat 10R and 10L and the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion 10a after entering the vehicle interior. When the solar radiation elevation angle is equal to or higher than the threshold elevation angle, the solar radiation entering from the window of the vehicle is shielded by the roof panel or the like of the vehicle, and the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion 10a is smaller than the amount of solar radiation received by the seating portion 10b. When the solar radiation elevation angle is smaller than the threshold elevation angle, the solar radiation is shielded by the front portion of the vehicle or the like, and the amount of solar radiation received by the seating portion 10b is smaller than the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion 10a.

It can also be said that the threshold elevation angle is a value that is an index for determining the magnitude relationship between the amount of solar radiation radiated to the upper body of the occupant seated on the seats 10R and 10L and the amount of solar radiation radiated to the lower body. The threshold elevation angle is a value determined in consideration of the positions of the seats 10R and 10L in the vehicle interior, the shape of the vehicle body, and the like, and stored in advance in the control device 60. The fact that the solar elevation angle is larger than the threshold elevation angle is an example of the large elevation angle condition, and the fact that the solar radiation elevation angle is equal to or less than the threshold elevation angle is an example of the small elevation angle condition. Step S24 is an example of an elevation angle determination unit.

If it is determined in step S24 that the solar radiation elevation angle is equal to or greater than the threshold elevation angle, it can be determined that the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion 10a is smaller than the amount of solar radiation received by the seating portion 10b, and the process proceeds to step S26. In step S26, the rotation speeds of the blower devices 50a and 50b are determined so that the amount of air blown from the backrest portion 10a is smaller than the amount of air blown from the seating portion 10b, and the process proceeds to step S30. The total amount of the backrest side air volume and the seating side air volume at this time is set so as to become larger as the amount of solar radiation increases.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S24 that the solar radiation elevation angle is smaller than the threshold elevation angle, it can be determined that the amount of solar radiation received by the seating portion 10b is smaller than the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion 10a, so the process proceeds to step S28. In step S28, the rotation speeds of the blower devices 50a and 50b are determined so that the amount of air blown from the seating portion 10b is smaller than the amount of air blown from the backrest portion 10a, and the process proceeds to step S30. The total amount of the backrest side air volume and the seating side air volume at this time is set so as to become larger as the amount of solar radiation increases. Step S26 and step S28 are examples of the air volume adjusting unit.

In step S30, the blower devices 50a and 50b are rotationally driven at the set rotation speeds, and the blown air from the blower devices 50a and 50b is started. That is, when the process of step S26 is performed, the amount of air blown from the seating portion 10b is smaller than the amount of air blown from the backrest portion 10a. On the other hand, when the process of step S28 is performed, the amount of air blown from the seating portion 10b becomes smaller than the amount of air blown from the backrest portion 10a.

Next, the action and effect brought about by the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment will be described. The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment includes seats 10R and 10L mounted on the vehicle and including a backrest portion 10a for supporting the upper body of the seated person and a seating portion 10b on which the lower body of the seated person is seated. The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 includes a blower device 50a that forms an air flow that blows air from the backrest surface 31a into the vehicle interior, and a blower device 50b that forms an air flow that blows air from the seating surface 31b into the vehicle interior. And. The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 includes a control device 60 that controls the backrest side air volume, which is the air volume of the air flow formed by the blower device 50a, and the seating side air volume, which is the air volume of the air flow formed by the blower device 50b. The control device 60 acquires the elevation angle of the solar radiation entering the vehicle interior, and determines whether or not the acquired elevation angle satisfies the large elevation angle condition in which the amount of solar radiation received by the seating portion 10b is larger than the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion 10a. do. When it is determined that the elevation angle satisfies the large elevation angle condition, the control device 60 increases the seating side air volume relative to the backrest side air volume.

According to this, when the elevation angle of solar radiation satisfies the large elevation angle condition, it is possible to form an air flow with a larger air volume than the upper body for the lower body of the seated person by increasing the air volume on the seating side. As a result, when the elevation angle of the solar radiation is relatively large and more sunlight is likely to hit the lower body than the upper body of the seated person, the air can be focused on the lower body of the occupant. As described above, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat air conditioner 1 capable of blowing air control corresponding to a change in the elevation angle of solar radiation.

The control device 60 acquires the elevation angle of the solar radiation entering the vehicle interior, and determines whether or not the acquired elevation angle satisfies the small elevation angle condition in which the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion 10a is larger than the amount of solar radiation received by the seating portion 10b. do. When it is determined that the elevation angle satisfies the small elevation angle condition, the air volume on the backrest side is increased relative to the air volume on the seating side.

According to this, when the small elevation angle condition where the elevation angle of solar radiation is relatively small is satisfied, it is possible to form an air flow with a larger air volume than the upper body for the upper body of the seated person by increasing the air volume on the backrest side. can. As a result, when the elevation angle of the solar radiation is relatively small and more sunlight is likely to hit the upper body than the lower body of the seated person, it is possible to intensively blow the air to the upper body of the occupant. As described above, it is possible to provide a vehicle seat air conditioner 1 capable of blowing air control corresponding to a change in the elevation angle of solar radiation. In particular, the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment determines whether or not the solar radiation elevation condition satisfies the large elevation angle condition and whether or not the small elevation angle condition is satisfied. Control is possible.

When the azimuth angle of solar radiation is smaller than the threshold azimuth angle, the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 sets the air volume blown from the right side seat 10R to be smaller than the air volume blown out from the left side seat 10L. When the azimuth angle of solar radiation is equal to or greater than the threshold azimuth angle, the air volume blown from the right side sheet 10R is set to be larger than the air volume blown out from the left side sheet 10L. According to this, it is possible to increase the amount of air blown from the sheet provided on the side of the right side seat 10R and the left side seat 10L that is irradiated with sunlight in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, in addition to the ventilation control corresponding to the elevation angle of the solar radiation, the ventilation control corresponding to the irradiation direction of the solar radiation in the vehicle width direction becomes possible.

(Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, a modification of the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. The components having the same reference numerals as those in the drawings of the first embodiment in FIGS. 4 and 5 are the same components and have the same effects.

As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 of the second embodiment has two blowers 50a1 and 50a2 in the backrest portion 10a and two blowers 50b1 and 50b2 in the seat portion 10b. The number of rotations of the blower devices 50a1, 50a2, 50b1, and 50b2 can be controlled independently. The seat pads 20a and 20b are formed with air passages corresponding to the blower devices 50a1, 50a2, 50b1 and 50b2, respectively. That is, the air blown from the respective blowers 50a1, 50a2, 50b1 and 50b2 flows through different air passages without mixing with each other and blows out from the surfaces of the seat pads 20a and 20b.

One of the air passages opens in the right side region R of the surface of the seat pads 20a and 20b, and the other opens in the left side region L of the surface of the seat pads 20a and 20b. Here, the right side region R and the left side region L are a right side region and a left side region of the seat pads 20a and 20b divided into two equal parts in the width direction. That is, by independently controlling the rotation speeds of the blowers 50a1, 50a2, 50b1, and 50b2, the air volume blown from the right side region R of one sheet 10R and 10L and the air volume blown out from the left side region L are separately controlled. It is possible. That is, the blower devices 50a1, 50a2, 50b1, and 50b2 are examples of region air volume changing units capable of changing the air volume of the air flow formed by the right side region R and the left side region L.

Next, an example of the control executed by the control device 60 in the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the control device 60 determines in step S16 that the solar radiation azimuth is lower than the threshold azimuth, the control device 60 proceeds to step S19.

In step S19, the air volume in the right side region R is set to be smaller than the air volume in the left side region L. The difference between the air volume in the right region R and the air volume in the left region L is set to a larger value, for example, as the solar azimuth is closer to 90 degrees. That is, the solar radiation is emitted from a direction closer to the lateral direction of the vehicle, and the larger the difference in the amount of solar radiation emitted to the right side region R and the left side region L, the larger the air volume difference between the right side region R and the left side region L. Set. Alternatively, a constant air volume difference may be set regardless of whether the azimuth is close to 90 degrees.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S16 that the solar radiation azimuth is equal to or greater than the threshold azimuth, the process proceeds to step S21. In step S21, the air volume in the left side region L is set to be smaller than the air volume in the right side region R. The difference between the air volume in the right region R and the air volume in the left region L is set to a larger value, for example, as the solar azimuth is closer to 270 degrees. Alternatively, a constant air volume difference may be set regardless of whether the azimuth is close to 270 degrees. In steps S16, S19, and S21, based on the detection result of the solar azimuth angle by the solar radiation sensor 70, the air volume in the region of the right side region R and the left region L where the solar radiation is abundant is measured in the opposite region. Each blower is controlled to increase relative to the amount of air formed. Steps S16, S19, and S21 are examples of the regional air volume adjusting unit. When either the process of step S19 or step S21 is performed, the process proceeds to step S22. Since the processing after step S22 is the same as that of the first embodiment, it is omitted.

The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 of the second embodiment blows out the air volume blown from the right side region R of the seats 10R and 10L from the left side region L of the seats 10R and 10L when the azimuth angle of solar radiation is smaller than the threshold azimuth angle. Set it smaller than the air volume. When the azimuth angle of solar radiation is equal to or greater than the threshold azimuth angle, the air volume blown from the right side region R of the sheets 10R and 10L is set to be larger than the air volume blown out from the left side region L of the sheets 10R and 10L. Thereby, it is possible to increase the air volume on the side irradiated by the solar radiation in the vehicle width direction in one sheet 10R and 10L. Therefore, one sheet 10R and 10L can be used for ventilation control corresponding to the change in the azimuth angle of the solar radiation in addition to the ventilation control corresponding to the change in the elevation angle of the solar radiation.

(Third Embodiment)
In the third embodiment, a modification of the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. The components having the same reference numerals as those in the drawings of the first embodiment in FIGS. 6 and 7 are the same components and have the same effects.

The vehicle air-conditioning seat device of the third embodiment has a heating unit 90 capable of heating the air to be blown as shown in FIG. The heating unit 90 can be provided by various heating devices such as an electric heater such as a PCT heater and a nichrome wire heater, and a heat exchanger such as a condenser of a refrigerating cycle. The heating unit 90 is installed on the sheets 10R and 10L together with, for example, the blower devices 50a and 50b, and heats the air blown from the blower devices 50a and 50b. The operation of the heating unit 90 is controlled by the control device 60.

The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 has a warm air mode in which the heated air is blown out as warm air by operating the heating unit 90 at the time of blowing air. The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 can give a warm feeling to the seated person by the warm air mode. The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 can selectively switch between a ventilation mode in which only ventilation is performed without operating the heating unit 90 to give a cool feeling to the seated person and the above-mentioned warm air mode. The switching between the warm air mode and the ventilation mode may be operated by the occupant with a switch or the like, or may be executed by interlocking with the air conditioning mode of the vehicle air conditioner.

Next, an example of the control executed by the vehicle seat air conditioner according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7. When the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 executes the ventilation mode, the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 executes the same processing as the flowchart of FIG. 3 of the first embodiment. The vehicle seat air conditioner 1 executes the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 7 when the warm air mode is executed. Since the processes of steps S310 to S316 and S322 to S324 of FIG. 7 are the same as the processes of steps S10 to S16 and S22 to S24 of the flowchart of FIG. 3, the description thereof will be omitted.

If it is determined in step S316 that the solar radiation azimuth is smaller than the threshold azimuth, the process proceeds to step S318. In step S318, the air volume of the right side sheet 10R is set to be larger than the air volume of the left side sheet 10L. As a result, it is possible to blow out more warm air from the right side seat 10R than to the left side seat 10L to give a warmer feeling to the upper body of the occupant who is irradiated with a small amount of solar radiation.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S316 that the solar radiation azimuth is equal to or greater than the threshold azimuth, the process proceeds to step S20. In step S20, the air volume of the left side sheet 10L is set to be larger than the air volume of the right side sheet 10R. As a result, it is possible to blow out more warm air from the left side seat 10L than to the right side seat 10R to give a warmer feeling to the upper body of the occupant who is irradiated with a small amount of solar radiation.

When the process of either step S318 or step S320 is performed, the processes of steps S322 and S324 are executed. When the control device 60 determines in step S324 that the solar radiation elevation angle is larger than the threshold elevation angle, the control device 60 sets the air volume of the backrest portion 10a to be larger than the air volume of the seating portion 10b in step S326. As a result, it is possible to blow out more warm air from the backrest portion 10a than the seating portion 10b to give a warmer feeling to the upper body of the occupant who is irradiated with a small amount of solar radiation.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S324 that the solar radiation elevation angle is equal to or less than the threshold elevation angle, the air volume of the seating portion 10b is set to be larger than the air volume of the backrest portion 10a in step S328. As a result, it is possible to blow out more warm air from the seating portion 10b than the backrest portion 10a to give a warmer feeling to the lower body of the occupant who is irradiated with a small amount of solar radiation.

(Other embodiments)
The disclosure herein is not limited to the exemplary embodiments. Disclosures include exemplary embodiments and modifications by those skilled in the art based on them. For example, the disclosure is not limited to the parts and / or combinations of elements shown in the embodiments. Disclosure can be carried out in various combinations. The disclosure can have additional parts that can be added to the embodiment. Disclosures include those in which the parts and / or elements of the embodiment are omitted. Disclosures include the replacement or combination of parts and / or elements between one embodiment and another. The technical scope disclosed is not limited to the description of the embodiments. Some technical scopes disclosed are indicated by the description of the scope of claims and should be understood to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the description of the scope of claims. ..

In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 is configured to blow air from the backrest surface 31a and the seating surface 31b of the seats 10R and 10L by a blower. Instead of this, air may be sucked from the backrest surface 31a and the seating surface 31b by a blower.

In the above-described embodiment, the air volume of the air flow blown from the backrest portion 10a and the air volume of the air flow blown from the seating portion 10b are adjusted by different blowers 50a and 50b, respectively. Instead of this, even if it is provided with a common blower and a damper that can adjust the air volume distribution when the air blown by the common blower is blown to each of the backrest portion 10a and the seat portion 10b. good. In this case, the air volume on the backrest side and the air volume on the seating side are adjusted according to the rotation speed of the fan of the blower and the position of the damper. In this case, the common blower and damper are the backrest side air flow forming portion and the seating side air flow forming portion.

In the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the large elevation angle condition is satisfied when the solar radiation elevation angle is larger than the threshold elevation angle, and the small elevation angle condition is satisfied when the solar radiation elevation angle is equal to or less than the threshold elevation angle. That is, it is assumed that the solar elevation angle satisfies either the large elevation angle condition or the small elevation angle condition. Instead of this, an elevation range in which the solar elevation angle does not satisfy both the large elevation condition and the small elevation condition may be set.

In the first embodiment and the third embodiment, the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 adjusts the air volume of the right side seat 10R and the left side seat 10L based on the solar azimuth angle, but it is not necessary to execute this air volume control. ..

10R right side seat (seat), 10L left side seat (seat), 10a backrest part, 10b seating part, 60 control part, 50a backrest side air flow forming part, 50a1, 50a2, 50b1, 50b2 blower (region air volume changing part), 50b Seating side air flow forming part, area air volume changing part, 70 solar radiation direction detection part, 70 solar radiation amount detection part, 90 heating part, L left area, R right side area, S10 solar radiation amount judgment unit, S16, S18, S20 directional air volume Adjustment unit, S16, S19, S21 area air volume adjustment unit, S22 solar radiation elevation acquisition unit, S24 elevation angle determination unit, S26, S28 air volume adjustment unit.

Claims (7)

A seat (10R, 10L) mounted on a vehicle and provided with a backrest portion (10a) for supporting the upper body of the seated person and a seating portion (10b) on which the lower body of the seated person is seated.
The backrest side air flow forming portion (50a) forming an air flow that blows air from the surface of the backrest portion to the vehicle interior or sucks air from the vehicle interior, and the backrest side air flow forming portion (50a).
A seating side air flow forming portion (50b) forming an air flow that blows air from the surface of the seating portion to the passenger compartment or sucks air from the passenger compartment.
A control unit (60) that controls the backrest side air volume, which is the air volume of the air flow formed by the backrest side air flow forming portion, and the seating side air volume, which is the air volume of the air flow formed by the seating side air flow forming portion.
The solar radiation amount detection unit (70) that detects the amount of solar radiation,
Equipped with
The control unit
The solar radiation elevation acquisition unit (S22) for acquiring the elevation angle of the solar radiation entering the vehicle interior, and
An elevation angle determination unit (S24) for determining whether or not the elevation angle satisfies a large elevation angle condition in which the amount of solar radiation received by the seating portion is larger than the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion.
When the elevation angle determination unit determines that the elevation angle satisfies the large elevation angle condition, the air volume adjusting unit (S26, S28) that increases the seating side air volume relative to the backrest side air volume.
A vehicle seat air conditioner that increases the total amount of the backrest side air volume and the seating side air volume as the solar radiation amount detected by the solar radiation amount detection unit increases . A seat (10R, 10L) mounted on a vehicle and provided with a backrest portion (10a) for supporting the upper body of the seated person and a seating portion (10b) on which the lower body of the seated person is seated.
The backrest side air flow forming portion (50a) forming an air flow that blows air from the surface of the backrest portion to the vehicle interior or sucks air from the vehicle interior, and the backrest side air flow forming portion (50a).
A seating side air flow forming portion (50b) forming an air flow that blows air from the surface of the seating portion to the passenger compartment or sucks air from the passenger compartment.
A control unit (60) that controls the backrest side air volume, which is the air volume of the air flow formed by the backrest side air flow forming portion, and the seating side air volume, which is the air volume of the air flow formed by the seating side air flow forming portion.
The solar radiation amount detection unit (70) that detects the amount of solar radiation,
Equipped with
The control unit
The solar radiation elevation acquisition unit (S22) for acquiring the elevation angle of the solar radiation entering the vehicle interior, and
An elevation angle determination unit (S24) for determining whether or not the elevation angle satisfies a small elevation angle condition in which the amount of solar radiation received by the backrest portion is larger than the amount of solar radiation received by the seated portion.
When the elevation angle determination unit determines that the elevation angle satisfies the small elevation angle condition, the air volume adjusting unit (S26, S28) that increases the backrest side air volume relative to the seating side air volume.
A vehicle seat air conditioner that increases the total amount of the backrest side air volume and the seating side air volume as the solar radiation amount detected by the solar radiation amount detection unit increases . The control unit
It has a solar radiation amount determination unit (S10) for determining whether or not the amount of solar radiation entering the vehicle interior is smaller than the threshold solar radiation amount.
When the solar radiation amount determination unit determines that the solar radiation amount is smaller than the threshold solar radiation amount, the backrest side air volume is relative to the seating side air volume regardless of the determination result of the elevation angle determination unit. The vehicle seat air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the number is reduced. A solar radiation direction detection unit (70) for detecting whether the solar radiation is radiating more from the right side or the left side in the vehicle width direction is provided.
The seat includes a right side seat (10R) provided on the right side of the vehicle interior in the vehicle width direction and a left side seat (10L) provided on the left side of the vehicle interior with respect to the right side seat.
The control unit
Based on the detection result of the solar radiation direction detection unit, the air volume of the sheet arranged on the side where the solar radiation is heavily irradiated in the vehicle width direction is relative to the air volume of the sheet arranged on the opposite side. The vehicle seat air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a directional air volume adjusting unit (S16, S18, S20) to be increased. The air volume of the air flow formed by the right side region (R), which is the right side region, and the left side region (L), which is the left side region with respect to the right side region, in the region where the surface of the seat is divided in the vehicle width direction. (50a1, 50a2, 50b1, 50b2) and
A solar radiation direction detection unit (70) that detects whether the solar radiation is emitted from the right side or the left side in the vehicle width direction, and
Equipped with
The control unit
Based on the detection result of the solar radiation direction detection unit, the air volume of the air flow formed in the region of the right side region and the left side region where the solar radiation is abundant in the vehicle width direction is measured on the opposite side. Any of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a region air volume adjusting unit (S16, S19, S21) that controls the region air volume changing unit so as to increase relative to the air volume of the air flow formed in the region. The vehicle seat air conditioner according to item 1. It further has a heating unit (90) for heating the air.
The control unit
When the air is heated by the heating unit, if the elevation angle determination unit determines that the elevation angle satisfies the large elevation angle condition, the backrest side air volume is relatively increased with respect to the seating side air volume. The vehicle seat air conditioner according to claim 1. It further has a heating unit (90) for heating the air.
The control unit
When the air is heated by the heating unit, if the elevation angle determination unit determines that the elevation angle satisfies the small elevation angle condition, the seating side air volume is relatively increased with respect to the backrest side air volume. The vehicle seat air conditioner according to claim 2.

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