JP7352554B2 - Temperature control device for pets and temperature control method of temperature control device for pets - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pet temperature control device and a temperature control method for a pet temperature control device. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-157143 filed in Japan on August 24, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein.

Patent Document 1 includes a heat conductor, a thermoelectric conversion element that adjusts the temperature of the heat conductor, and an atmosphere detection sensor, and the thermoelectric conversion element is controlled based on the temperature detected by the atmosphere detection sensor. A cooling device for small animals has been disclosed that adjusts temperature by switching electrical positive/negative and electric power amount.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-201388

However, the device described in Patent Document 1 requires a separate atmospheric detection sensor to detect the outside temperature, which increases the cost. Furthermore, in order to adjust the temperature of the thermal conductor on which the pet rests using only the thermoelectric conversion element, a large thermoelectric conversion element is required, and it has been particularly difficult to sufficiently heat the thermal conductor. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a pet temperature control device and the like that can improve the pet's comfort with a simple configuration that is inexpensive.

A pet temperature control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a thermal conductor on which a pet rides; a cooling means for cooling the thermal conductor by providing a temperature difference between the thermal conductor and a heat dissipation means; a heating means for heating a conductor; a first temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the heat conductor; a second temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the heat dissipation means; and a first temperature detection means acquired from the first temperature detection means. and a temperature adjusting means for operating the cooling means or the heating means to adjust the temperature of the thermal conductor based on the first temperature and the second temperature acquired from the second temperature detecting means.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a specific configuration of the temperature control device for pets according to the first embodiment. It is a figure for explaining the internal structure of the above-mentioned temperature adjustment device for pets. It is a figure showing an example of the pet temperature control device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the functional structure of the control part in the temperature adjustment device for pets shown in FIG. It is a figure showing an example of the functional composition of the temperature adjustment part in the above-mentioned control part. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of energization levels. It is a figure which shows an example of initial energization level information. It is a figure which shows an example of the energization level related information for setting temperature adjustment. It is a figure showing an example of a flow of a pet temperature control device in a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the functional structure of the control part in the temperature adjustment device for pets concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure for explaining an example of the temperature change in winter in a pet temperature control device. It is a figure for explaining another example of temperature change in winter in a pet temperature control device. It is a figure for demonstrating yet another example of the temperature change in winter in a temperature adjustment device for pets. It is a figure for explaining yet another example of temperature change in winter in a pet temperature control device. It is a figure for explaining an example of temperature change in summer in a pet temperature control device. It is a figure for explaining another example of temperature change in summer in a pet temperature control device. It is a figure for explaining yet another example of temperature change in summer in a pet temperature control device. It is a figure for explaining another example of temperature change in summer in a pet temperature control device. 18 is a table showing slopes obtained from the values of time t and T4 in FIG. 17. 19 is a table showing slopes obtained from the values of time t and T4 in FIG. 18. It is a figure showing an example of a flow of a pet temperature control device in a 2nd embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a pet temperature control device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pet temperature control device 100 includes a base 1, a heat conductor 2, and a housing 3. A base 1 supports a thermal conductor 2 and a casing 3.

Thermal conductor 2 has a first end 2a and a second end 2b. A sheet-like seat portion 2c is provided on the first end 2a side of the heat conductor 2 on which a pet such as a cat or dog can sit and rest. This sheet portion 2c is exposed from the housing 3. Further, the second end 2b side of the heat conductor 2 has an L-shape bent and raised with respect to the sheet part 2c, and this raised part is equipped with a Peltier element (cooling means). 4. An attachment part 2d for attaching a heat sink 5 (heat dissipation means), etc. is provided.

The housing 3 has a rounded rectangular parallelepiped shape, partially covers the base 1 and the thermal conductor 2, and includes an attachment part 2d of the thermal conductor 2, a Peltier element 4, a heat sink 5, and a fan 6. to store.

The Peltier element 4 is a thermoelectric conversion element for cooling at least the heat conductor 2, and is attached so as to be in contact with the back side of the attachment part 2d of the heat conductor 2. This Peltier element 4 cools the thermal conductor by providing a temperature difference between the thermal conductor 2 and the heat sink 5, which is a heat dissipation means, for example. The thermal conductor 2 is preferably formed from a plate made of a thermally conductive material such as aluminum, copper, steel, or stainless steel, in order to transfer the heat of the Peltier element 4 to the sheet portion 2c. In consideration of conductivity, workability, cost, etc., it is more preferable to use an aluminum plate. The heat of the Peltier element 4 is transferred to the seat portion 2c, and the temperature is adjusted, thereby providing a comfortable temperature environment for the pet. Note that cooling and heating of the Peltier element 4 can be adjusted by changing the direction and intensity of the current. Further, the shape of the attachment portion 2d of the heat conductor 2 is preferably matched to the size of the Peltier element 4, the heat sink 5, etc., for example.

The heat sink 5 is a heat radiator that radiates heat from the Peltier element 4, and is installed so as to be in contact with the Peltier element 4. The heat sink 5 includes a rectangular plate portion 5a and a plurality of fins 5b extending perpendicularly from the plate portion 5a and aligned substantially parallel to the long sides of the plate portion 5a. The plate-shaped portion 5a of the heat sink 5 is in contact with the Peltier element 4. Further, the fan 6 is installed so as to face the fins 5b of the heat sink 5, and blows air to the heat sink 5 for air cooling. In this embodiment, an example has been given in which the fins 5b of the heat sink 5 are aligned substantially parallel to the long sides of the plate-shaped portion 5a, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration may be adopted in which the fins 5b are aligned substantially parallel to the short sides, for example. This heat sink 5 is provided with a second thermistor (second temperature detection means) 11 that detects the temperature near the Peltier element 4 . This second thermistor 11 is for example to prevent the Peltier element 4 from being damaged due to high temperature. For example, when the second thermistor 11 detects a predetermined temperature, for example 80° C. or higher, the power supply to the Peltier element 4 is stopped to prevent the Peltier element 4 from being damaged. As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the second thermistor 11 is provided on the heat sink 5, but it is not limited to this form, and as long as it can detect the temperature near the Peltier element 4, its configuration and installation position can be changed. It is not particularly limited.

Further, between the sheet portion 2c of the heat conductor 2 and the base 1, a heat insulating member 7, a heater (heating means) 8, and an insulating sheet 9 are laminated in order from the base 1 side, and are supported by the base 1. . The heater 8 heats the seat portion 2c. Thereby, for example, it is preferable to heat the seat portion 2c using only the heater 8 without operating the Peltier element 4. Examples of the heater 8 include a sheet-shaped aluminum heater. The heat insulating member 7 suppresses the dissipation of heat toward the bottom side of the base 1, and is made of, for example, expanded polystyrene or the like. The insulating sheet 9 insulates the sheet portion 2c and the heater 8, and is made of an insulating resin or the like. Further, a first thermistor (first temperature detection means) 10 is provided at the lower part of the seat portion 2c to detect the temperature of the seat portion 2c.

In addition, in the pet temperature control device 100, a cooling mode in which the seat portion 2c is cooled by the Peltier element 4 and a heating mode in which the seat portion 2c is heated to a set temperature by the heater 8 can be switched. The set temperature of this heating mode may be set in advance in the temperature control device for pets, or may be set by the user, and may cause discomfort such as burns to the pet. There are no particular limitations as long as the temperature is not high.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the pet temperature control device 100. The pet temperature control device 100 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a control section 101, a storage section 102, a timekeeping section 103, a Peltier element 4, a heater 8, a first thermistor (first temperature detection means) 10, a second thermistor ( (second temperature detection means) 11. The control unit 101 is, for example, a CPU, an MPU, etc., and executes various information processing according to programs stored in the storage unit 102. The storage unit 102 is, for example, a flash memory or a RAM, and holds programs executed by the control unit 101 and various data. Furthermore, the storage unit 102 also operates as a work memory for the control unit 101. Furthermore, the timer unit 103 measures time. Further, the control section 101 is connected to each of the Peltier element 4, the heater 8, the first thermistor 10, the second thermistor 11, etc., and controls each section.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control section of the pet temperature control device 100 shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 101 of the pet temperature adjustment device 100 according to the present embodiment functionally includes an initial first temperature acquisition unit 201, an initial second temperature acquisition unit 202, and a temperature adjustment unit 203. . In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the temperature of the seat portion 2c is adjusted when the pet temperature control device 100 is powered on and the user instructs the pet temperature control device 100 to operate in heating mode.

The initial first temperature acquisition unit 201 acquires the initial first temperature T1, which is the temperature of the seat portion 2c detected by the first thermistor 10, when the pet temperature adjustment device 100 is powered on.

The initial second temperature acquisition unit 202 acquires the initial second temperature T2, which is the temperature of the heat sink 5 detected by the second thermistor 11, when the pet temperature adjustment device 100 is powered on.

The temperature adjustment section 203 controls the Peltier element 4 or the heater 8 based on the initial first temperature T1 and the initial second temperature T2 to adjust the temperature of the seat section 2c. For example, in the heating mode, the temperature adjustment section 203 adjusts the temperature of the seat section 2c detected by the first thermistor 10 to a set temperature (for example, 38 degrees Celsius).

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the temperature adjustment section 203 functionally includes a previous operation determination section 301, an outside temperature prediction section 302, an initial energization level information acquisition section 303, and a set temperature adjustment temperature acquisition section 304. , a set temperature adjustment energization level information acquisition section 305 , and an operation control section 306 .

The operation control unit 306 controls the operations of the heater 8 and the Peltier element 4. The operation control unit 306 controls the energization rate in the heater 8 and the Peltier element 4, thereby adjusting the temperature of the seat portion 2c. In the present embodiment, for example, the operation control unit 306 controls the heater 8 to maintain the predicted outside temperature described below until the temperature detected by the first thermistor approaches the set temperature (for example, 38° C.) after the power is turned on. energize at the corresponding energization level. Thereby, the temperature of the seat portion 2c can be adjusted to the set temperature at an early stage. In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, the energization level is set according to the energization rate at which the heater 8 is energized. This energization level is not particularly limited, and may be set depending on, for example, the performance of the heater 8. Further, for example, in this embodiment, when the operation control unit 306 operates the Peltier element 4, it energizes the Peltier element 4 at an energization rate of 100%.

The previous operation determination unit 301 determines the initial first temperature T1 acquired by the initial first temperature acquisition unit 201 and the initial second temperature T2 acquired by the initial second temperature acquisition unit 202 when the pet temperature adjustment device 100 is powered on. Based on this, the previous operating state of the pet temperature control device 100 is determined. The previous operating state is, for example, heating mode, cooling mode, or non-use state. Note that the unused state is, for example, a state in which the temperature of each part of the pet temperature regulator 100 has become accustomed to the outside temperature and has been equalized, and the pet temperature regulator 100 has not been used for a long time. .

If |T1−T2|≦X (for example, 3° C.), the previous operation determining unit 301 determines that the device is not in use. This X is, for example, a detection error of the values detected by the first thermistor 10 and the second thermistor 11 that are set in advance, and is, for example, a value obtained in advance through experiments or the like. In other words, the previous operation determination unit 301 determines that if the temperatures of the seat portion 2c and the distant portions of the heat sink 5 are approximately the same, each portion of the pet temperature control device 100 will become accustomed to the outside temperature, and the temperature will be approximately the same as the outside temperature. The state is determined to be (unused state).

Further, the previous operation determination unit 301 determines that the vehicle was operated in the cooling mode last time when T2>T1+X. This is because when operating in the cooling mode, the Peltier element 4 operates and the heat sink 5 becomes high temperature, so T2 becomes higher than the outside temperature, while the seat portion 2c is cooled and T1 becomes lower than the outside temperature. This is because only T2 becomes high temperature as a result.

Furthermore, in the case of T1>T2+X, the previous operation determination unit 301 determines that the vehicle was operated in heating mode last time. This is because when operating in heating mode, T1 becomes high because the heater 8 is operating, but since the Peltier element 4 is not operating, T2 hardly changes from the outside temperature, resulting in T1 becoming high temperature. It's for a reason.

The outside temperature prediction unit 302 predicts the predicted outside temperature of the pet temperature control device 100 based on the determination by the previous operation determination unit 301. The outside temperature prediction unit 302 predicts the predicted outside temperature to be T1 when the previous operation determination unit 301 determines that the vehicle is not in use. This is because, as described above, when not in use, T1 and T2 are approximately the same value as the outside temperature. Therefore, in the above, the predicted outside temperature is set to T1, but this predicted outside temperature may be predicted as T2 or (T1+T2)/2 in consideration of errors and the like.

Furthermore, when the previous operation determination unit 301 determines that the vehicle was operated in the cooling mode last time, the outside temperature prediction unit 302 predicts the predicted outside temperature to be T1+Y. This Y (for example, 5° C.) is a limit value of the cooling capacity of the Peltier element 4 that can be lowered from the actual outside temperature, and is a value obtained, for example, through experiments. This is because in the cooling mode, the seat portion 2c is normally cooled by the Peltier element 4 at maximum output, and it can be determined that the outside temperature is higher than T1 by about Y. Note that the outside temperature prediction unit 302 predicts the predicted outside temperature based on the temperatures detected by the first thermistor 10 and the second thermistor 11, but the configuration is not limited to this and can predict the predicted outside temperature. If so, it is not particularly limited.

Furthermore, when the previous operation determination unit 301 determines that the vehicle was operated in heating mode last time, the outside temperature prediction unit 302 predicts the predicted outside temperature to be T2. This is because, as described above, when the heating mode is operated, the Peltier element 4 does not operate, so T2 remains almost unchanged from the outside temperature.

In this way, the outside temperature can be predicted from the first thermistor 10 that detects the temperature of the seat portion 2c and the second thermistor 11 that protects the Peltier element 4. Further, even if not much time has passed since the previous operation in the cooling mode or heating mode, and the first thermistor 10 or the second thermistor 11 has a temperature different from the outside temperature, the first thermistor 10 or the second thermistor 11 may The outside temperature can be predicted based on the temperature difference between the thermistor 10 and the second thermistor 11.

Therefore, the heater 8 can be energized at an energization level corresponding to the predicted outside temperature without separately providing a thermistor for detecting the outside temperature. The energization rate control based on the predicted outside temperature will be explained below.

The initial energization level information acquisition unit 303 acquires initial energization level information representing the energization rate at which the heater 8 is energized based on the predicted outside temperature predicted by the outside temperature prediction unit 302. Specifically, the initial energization level information acquisition unit 303 acquires initial energization level information in which the predicted outside temperature and the energization level are associated, as shown in FIG. 7, for example. The initial energization level information acquisition unit 303 then acquires initial energization level information based on the predicted outside temperature. This initial energization level is determined and set in advance through experiments and the like. Note that the above initial energization level information corresponds to control information in the claims.

The operation control unit 306 starts energizing the heater 8 based on the initial energization level information. More specifically, for example, when the outside temperature prediction unit 302 predicts the predicted outside temperature to be 22°C, the initial energization level information acquisition unit 303 calculates, based on FIG. Initial energization level information associated with temperature <30°C: 4 is acquired. Then, the operation control unit 306 energizes the heater 8 at level 4 based on the initial energization level information: 4.

The set temperature adjustment temperature acquisition unit 304 acquires the set temperature adjustment temperature T3 from the first thermistor 10. The set temperature adjustment temperature acquisition unit 304 acquires a predetermined value measured by the clock unit 103 from the start of energization of the heater 8 by the operation control unit 306 based on initial energization level information or set temperature adjustment energization level information to be described later. The set temperature adjustment temperature T3 is acquired every time (for example, 10 minutes) elapses.

The set temperature adjustment energization level information acquisition unit 305 acquires the set temperature adjustment energization level information based on the set temperature adjustment temperature T3. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the set temperature adjustment energization level information acquisition unit 305 acquires the set temperature adjustment energization level related information associated with the set temperature adjustment temperature T3 and the energization level change information. get. Then, from the acquired energization level change information and the current energization level at which the heater 8 is energized, the energization level information for setting temperature adjustment is acquired. This energization level change information is determined and set in advance through experiments and the like. Then, the operation control unit 306 energizes the heater 8 based on this set temperature adjustment energization level information. More specifically, for example, when 35° C. is acquired as the set temperature adjustment temperature T3, the set temperature adjustment energization level information acquisition unit 305 determines that the set temperature adjustment temperature T3 is associated with less than 36° C. , Obtain energization level change information: +1. Then, when the heater 8 is energized at level 4 as in the above example, energization level information for setting temperature adjustment: 5 is acquired from the acquired energization level change information: +1 and 4 of level 4. Then, the operation control unit 306 energizes the heater 8 at level 5 based on the set temperature adjustment energization level information: 5. Thereby, the temperature of the seat portion 2c can be adjusted to approximately the set temperature. Note that the above-mentioned energization level information for temperature setting adjustment corresponds to control information in the claims.

As described above, even after the operation control unit 306 energizes the heater 8 based on the energization level information for set temperature adjustment, the operation control unit 306 acquires the set temperature adjustment energization level information based on the set temperature adjustment temperature T3, and 306 energizes the heater 8 based on the set temperature adjustment energization level information. Thereby, the temperature of the seat portion 2c can be adjusted to approximately the set temperature. Note that the configuration of the seat portion 2c including the temperature acquisition unit 304 for adjusting the set temperature, the energization level information acquisition unit 305 for adjusting the set temperature, the temperature adjustment unit 203, etc. is an example, and is a configuration that can maintain the temperature of the seat portion 2c approximately at the set temperature. If so, the configuration is not limited to the above configuration.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the operation control unit 306 of the pet temperature control device 100 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, when the power is turned on, the initial first temperature acquisition unit 201 acquires the initial first temperature T1 from the first thermistor 10 (S101). The initial second temperature acquisition unit 202 acquires the initial second temperature T2 from the second thermistor 11 (S102). The previous operation determination unit 301 determines the previous operation of the pet temperature adjustment device 100 before power-on, based on the initial first temperature T1 and the initial second temperature T2 (S103). This previous operation determination unit 301 determines the previous operation as an unused state when |T1−T2|≦X (X is a predetermined error value in the first thermistor 10 and second thermistor 11), and when T2>T1+X If T1>T2+X, the heating mode is determined. Based on the determination result of the previous operation determination unit 301, the outside temperature prediction unit 302 calculates the predicted outside temperature by T1 if the previous operation was in the non-use state, or T1+Y (Y is outside) if the previous operation was in the cooling mode. If the previous operation was in heating mode, T2 is predicted (S104). The initial energization level information acquisition unit 303 acquires initial energization level information based on the predicted outside temperature (S105). The operation control unit 306 starts energizing the heater 8 at the acquired energization level based on the initial energization level information (S106). The set temperature adjustment temperature acquisition unit 304 acquires the set temperature adjustment temperature T3 from the first thermistor 10 (S107). The set temperature adjustment energization level information acquisition unit 305 acquires set temperature adjustment energization level information based on the set temperature adjustment temperature T3 (S108). Then, the operation control unit 306 energizes the heater 8 at the set temperature adjustment energization level acquired based on the set temperature adjustment energization level information (S109). After S109, the process returns to S107, and by repeating S107 to S109, the temperature of the seat portion 2c is adjusted to be substantially constant at the set temperature. Note that the above flow also ends when the power of the pet temperature control device 100 is turned off. Note that this embodiment is not limited to the above flow, and various modifications are possible. For example, the order of S101 and S102 may be reversed or may be performed simultaneously.

According to the present embodiment, the Peltier element 4 or the heater 8 is controlled based on the first temperature acquired from the first thermistor 10 and the second temperature acquired from the second thermistor 11, and the sheet portion 2c of the thermal conductor is controlled. It is possible to provide a pet temperature control device that can adjust the temperature of a pet. Thereby, the temperature of the heat conductor sheet portion 2c can be adjusted to a temperature comfortable for the pet. Furthermore, since the outside temperature can be predicted by the outside temperature prediction unit that predicts the outside temperature in the pet temperature adjustment device from the first temperature and the second temperature, the outside temperature is detected separately from the first thermistor 10 and the second thermistor 11. The temperature of the heat conductor sheet portion 2c can be adjusted without providing a sensor or the like.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the initial energization rate of the heater 8 is controlled based on the outside temperature predicted by the outside temperature prediction unit, and when the first thermistor 10 is close to the set temperature, the set temperature is The energization rate of the heater 8 is changed based on the adjustment energization level information. Thereby, even when the predicted outside temperature is low, the temperature of the seat portion 2c can reach the set temperature quickly, and on the other hand, when the predicted outside temperature is high, the temperature of the seat portion 2c can reach the set temperature. This prevents the pet from feeling uncomfortable due to the temperature exceeding the temperature range.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the present invention has a structure that is substantially the same as the structure shown in the above embodiment, a structure that has the same effect, or a structure that can achieve the same purpose. You can also replace it with

For example, the operation control unit 306 may energize the heater 8 at level 10, which is the maximum energization rate of 100%, for a predetermined period after the power is turned on or until the first thermistor 10 reaches a predetermined temperature. When the user turns on the power to the pet temperature control device, it means that the user wants to quickly change the temperature of the seat part 2c by heating mode or cooling mode, so first set the heater 8 to the maximum current rate of 100%. By energizing at level 10, user dissatisfaction can be reduced. Note that, also in this case, it is preferable to change the predetermined period for energizing at the maximum energization rate and the predetermined temperature depending on the predicted outside temperature.

Further, for example, in addition to the above configuration, a protection control information acquisition unit may be included to prevent the temperature of the seat portion 2c from rising too much. The protection control information acquisition unit acquires protection control information that stops energizing the heater 8 when, for example, the temperature detected by the first thermistor 10 exceeds a predetermined temperature (for example, 50° C.). The temperature adjustment unit 203 stops energizing the heater 8 based on this protection control information. Thereby, for example, it is possible to prevent a pet from getting burned, and safety can be ensured. Furthermore, if the temperature detected by the first thermistor 10 falls below a predetermined temperature (for example, 30° C.) after the power is turned off, the heater is heated again based on the predicted temperature predicted by the outside temperature prediction unit 302. 8 may be configured to be energized.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the user specifies the heating mode when the pet temperature control device 100 is turned on, but for example, the seat portion 2c is cooled by the Peltier element 4 according to the outside temperature. The vehicle may include a mode switching unit that switches to either a cooling mode in which the seat portion 2c is heated by the heater 8 or a heating mode in which the seat portion 2c is heated by the heater 8. For example, the mode switching section operates in the cooling mode when the predicted outside temperature predicted by the outside temperature prediction section 302 is a predetermined temperature (for example, 25 degrees Celsius) or higher, and operates in the cooling mode when the predicted outside temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature (for example, 25 degrees Celsius). Configure it to operate in heating mode. This eliminates the need for the user to specify the driving mode, thereby improving convenience for the user.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that, in the following, descriptions of points similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of the functional configuration of the control section of the temperature control device for pets according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 101 of the pet temperature adjustment device 100 according to the present embodiment functionally includes, for example, a pet determination first temperature acquisition unit 401, a pet determination second temperature acquisition unit 402, a pet presence It includes a determination section 403 and a temperature adjustment section 203. In the initial state of the pet temperature control device 100 according to the present embodiment, the power to the heating and cooling elements such as the Peltier device 4 and the heater 8 is cut off by, for example, a timer, but at least the control unit 101 is powered on. state.

The pet determination first temperature acquisition unit 401 detects the temperature of the sheet portion detected by the first thermistor 10 at every predetermined elapsed time (for example, 2 minutes) measured by the timer unit 103 after the power supply to the heating/cooling element is cut off. A pet determination first temperature T4, which is the temperature of 2c, is obtained.

The pet determination second temperature acquisition unit 402 detects, for example, the temperature detected by the second thermistor 11 at every predetermined elapsed time (for example, 2 minutes) measured by the timer unit 103 after the power supply to the heating/cooling element is cut off. A pet determination second temperature T5, which is the temperature of the heat sink 5, is acquired.

The pet presence determination unit 403 determines whether or not a pet is sitting on the seat portion 2c based on the first pet determination temperature T4 and the second pet determination temperature T5. When it is determined that a pet is on the seat part 2c, for example, the temperature adjustment part 203 reenergizes the heating/cooling elements such as the Peltier element 4 and the heater 8 to adjust the temperature of the seat part 2c. For example, in the present embodiment, the operating mode (cooling mode or heating mode) when power to the heating/cooling element is cut off is stored, and the temperature control of the seat portion 2c is performed based on the determination by the pet presence determination unit 403. When restarted, it is operated in the previously stored operating mode and the temperature of the seat portion 2c is adjusted to a predetermined set temperature.

More specifically, the pet presence determining unit 403 determines that a pet is on board, for example, when T4 and T5 obtained at time t are T4-T5>X. Note that, as in the first embodiment, X is, for example, a detection error of the values detected by the first thermistor 10 and the second thermistor 11 that are set in advance, and is, for example, a value obtained in advance by experiment etc. .

Furthermore, in the heating mode, the pet presence determination unit 403 determines whether or not a pet is on board, based on, for example, the slope of the relationship between time t and T4, in addition to the case where T4-T5>X. do. More specifically, for example, the pet presence determination unit 403 uses T4(x) acquired at time t(x) (x is an integer and represents the order of acquired T4) and T4(x) acquired after a predetermined time. Based on the slope calculated from T4(x+1) acquired at time t(x+1): {T4(x+1)-T4(x)}/{t(x+1)-t(x)}, for example, this slope is larger than a threshold value (for example, -1), and if T4-T5>X, it is determined whether or not a pet is sitting on the seat portion 2c. Note that the above threshold values are set in advance through experiments and the like.

The determination by the pet presence determination unit 403 will be described in more detail with reference to the temperature changes in the pet temperature control device shown in FIGS. 11 to 22.

Below, patterns (A), (1) to (3) in summer and (B) (4) to (6) in winter will be explained based on FIGS. 11 to 18. FIGS. 11 to 18 show the relationship between the elapsed time after the power supply to the heating/cooling element is cut off, and the pet determination first temperature T4 and the pet determination second temperature T5. The part surrounded by a dotted line in the figure shows the time when the pet got on the seat part 2c, and the part surrounded by a dashed-dotted line shows the time when the pet presence determination unit 403 decided that the pet got on the seat part 2c. . In addition, in FIGS. 11 to 18, temperature changes due to energization of the heating/cooling element are excluded in order to make the temperature changes due to the pet riding on the pet more clear.

The patterns of (A), (1) to (3), and (B) (4) to (6) are as follows.
(A) In summer (for example, outside temperature 30°C), if the pet does not sit on the seat part 2c after the electricity is cut off while operating in cooling mode,
(1) In the summer, when the pet temperature controller 100 adjusts to the outside temperature after the electricity is cut off while operating in the cooling mode, and the pet gets on the vehicle while the temperature is the same as the outside temperature,
(2) In the summer, if the electricity is cut off while operating in cooling mode and a pet gets on the pet before the pet temperature control device 100 adjusts to the outside temperature,
(3) In the summer, if your pet is on the car while the car is in cooling mode, and the pet is still on the car when the power is turned off,
(B) In winter (for example, outside temperature 20°C), if the pet does not get on the seat part 2c after the electricity is cut off while driving in heating mode,
(4) In the winter, when the pet temperature controller 100 adjusts to the outside temperature after the electricity is cut off while operating in the heating mode, and the pet gets on it while the temperature is the same as the outside temperature,
(5) If the pet gets on the pet temperature control device 100 before it adjusts to the outside temperature after the electricity is cut off during the winter while operating in the heating mode,
(6) In the winter, if a pet is on the vehicle while operating in heating mode, and the pet remains on the vehicle when the power is turned off.

In the case of the pattern (A), for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the Peltier element 4 was operating at the time when the current was turned off (0 minutes), so T5 was at a high temperature, and the seat portion 2c was Because it was being cooled, T4 was lower than the outside temperature (30°C). Then, as time passes, T5 decreases and becomes almost the same as the outside temperature after 10 minutes. On the other hand, T4 increases over time and becomes approximately the same as the outside temperature after 10 minutes. In this way, the temperature control device 100 for pets adjusts to the outside temperature and becomes T4≈T5, and after that, T4 and T5 do not change substantially because no pet is on board.

In the case of pattern (1), for example, as shown in FIG. 12, T4 and T5 have approximately the same temperature from the start of acquisition until 28 minutes, and it can be determined that they have adapted to the outside temperature. Then, 28 minutes later, the pet gets on the seat portion 2c, and 30 minutes later, T4 has risen. The temperature increase at T4 after 30 minutes can be determined to be due to the temperature increase of the pet sitting on the seat portion 2c, considering that the pet has become accustomed to the outside temperature. On the other hand, T5 is not affected by pets and remains almost unchanged from the outside temperature (30°C). As a result, the pet presence determining unit 403 can determine that there has been a temperature change due to the pet's body temperature when T4-T5>X (in this embodiment, X is 3°C, for example), and the pet is It is determined that the vehicle is riding on the vehicle.

In the case of pattern (2), for example, as shown in FIG. 13, since T5 is not affected by the pet, the temperature decreases until it becomes accustomed to the outside temperature, as in case (A). On the other hand, T4 increases as time passes, approaching the outside temperature, as in case (A) at the initial stage after the power is turned off, but after 4 minutes, the pet gets on the vehicle, and from then on, the outside temperature increases. Even if it exceeds (30°C), the temperature rises further and exceeds T5 after 10 minutes. This increase in T4 over T5 can be determined to be a temperature change due to the pet's body temperature, considering that T5 decreases only to the outside temperature. As a result, the pet presence determination unit 403 can determine that there has been a temperature change due to the pet's body temperature when T4−T5>X, and determine that the pet is riding on the seat portion 2c.

In the case of pattern (3), for example, as shown in FIG. 14, since T5 is not affected by the pet, it exhibits the behavior of a decrease in temperature until it adjusts to the outside temperature, similar to the case of (A). On the other hand, since T4 was being cooled in the cooling mode, it rises after the power is turned off, and as time passes, it rises to approach the pet's body temperature in a higher temperature range than the outside temperature (30° C.). After 8 minutes, T4 exceeds T5. Considering that T5 decreases only to the outside temperature, it can be determined that the increase in T4 over T5 is due to the influence of the body temperature of the pet while riding on the seat portion 2c. As a result, the pet presence determining unit 403 can determine that there has been a temperature change due to the pet's body temperature when T4-T5>X, and determine that the pet is riding on the seat portion 2c. In this way, even if the pet remains on the pet when the electricity is turned off by a timer or the like, the pet temperature control device 100 does not immediately re-energize, and does not re-energize unless T4 exceeds T5. Therefore, the Peltier element 4 is prevented from being continuously energized and is not re-energized until the heat sink 5 is cooled, so that damage to the Peltier element 4 can be prevented.

In the case of the pattern (B), for example, as shown in FIG. 15, the Peltier element 4 was not operating at the time the current was turned off (0 minutes), so T5 was almost the same as the outside temperature (20°C). Since T4 was heated by the heater 8, the temperature was higher than the outside temperature. Then, as time passes, T5 remains at the same temperature as the outside temperature and does not change. On the other hand, T4 decreases and becomes almost the same as the outside temperature after 10 minutes. In this way, the temperature control device 100 for pets adjusts to the outside temperature and becomes T4≈T5, and after that, T4 and T5 do not change substantially because no pet is on board.

In the case of pattern (4), for example, as shown in FIG. 16, T4 and T5 are approximately the same temperature from the start of acquisition until 28 minutes, indicating that the pet temperature control device 100 has become accustomed to the outside temperature. It can be determined that Further, T5 was not affected by the pet and the Peltier element 4 was not operating in the heating mode, so as in the case of (B), there was almost no change from the outside temperature (20° C.). Then, 28 minutes later, the pet gets on the seat portion 2c, and 30 minutes later, only T4 has risen. The temperature increase at T4 after 30 minutes can be determined to be due to the temperature increase of the pet sitting on the seat portion 2c, considering that the pet has become accustomed to the outside temperature. As a result, the pet presence determining unit 403 can determine that there has been a temperature change due to the pet's body temperature when T4-T5>X, and determine that the pet is riding on the seat portion 2c.

In the case of the pattern (5), for example, as shown in FIG. 17, at the time when the electricity was turned off (0 minutes), the Peltier element 4 was not operating as in (B), so T5 is the outside temperature (20 minutes). ℃), and since T4 was heated by the heater 8, it was higher than the outside temperature. Further, after that, T5 was not affected by the pet and the Peltier element 4 was not operating in the heating mode, so as in the case of (B), there was almost no change from the outside temperature (20° C.). On the other hand, T4 decreases to approach the outside temperature as in (B), but after 4 minutes, when the pet gets on the seat portion 2c, the temperature starts to rise due to the pet's body temperature. In this pattern (5), as shown in Figure 17, T4-T5>X is already established when the power is turned off (0 minutes), so (A) and (1) to (3) above are satisfied. As in the case of the cooling mode shown, it cannot be determined that the pet is on the seat portion 2c when T4-T5>X. Therefore, the pet presence determination unit 403 determines the presence of a pet from the above-mentioned slope calculated from time t and T4. This calculated slope is as shown in FIG. 19. As shown in FIG. 19, the slope 4 minutes after the pet rides is as small as -2, but after the next 6 minutes, T4 rises due to the pet's body temperature and the slope becomes -1 (in this implementation It is 0, which is larger than the threshold value of the shape. In other words, as described above, the pet presence determining unit 403 determines that T4-T5=12°C>X (3°C in this embodiment) and slope>-1 (in this embodiment) at the time of acquiring T4 after 6 minutes. This applies to the case (threshold value in the embodiment), and it is determined that a pet is on board.

In the case of the pattern (6), for example, as shown in FIG. 18, at the time when the electricity was turned off (0 minutes), the Peltier element 4 was not operating as in (B), so T5 is the outside temperature (20 minutes). ℃), and since T4 was heated by the heater 8, it was higher than the outside temperature. Further, after that, T5 was not affected by the pet and the Peltier element 4 was not operating in the heating mode, so as in the case of (B), there was almost no change from the outside temperature (20° C.). On the other hand, in T4, since the pet remains on the seat portion 2c, the temperature change after 2 minutes is more gradual than in pattern (5) due to the pet's body temperature. Here, in the pattern (6), as shown in FIG. 18, since T4-T5>X, the pet presence determination unit 403 determines whether the time t and T4 are the same as in the pattern (5). The presence of a pet is determined from the above slope calculated from . This calculated slope is as shown in FIG. 20. As shown in FIG. 20, the slope after 2 minutes is slower than the temperature drop in pattern (5) due to the influence of the pet's body temperature, as described above, and is therefore lower than -1 (threshold value in this embodiment). It is a large -0.5. In other words, as described above, the pet presence determination unit 403 determines that if T4-T5=18°C>X and the slope>-1 (threshold value in this embodiment) after 2 minutes, the pet is It is determined that he is riding.

Note that the determination by the pet presence determination unit 403 that a pet is on the seat portion 2c is not limited to the above configuration as long as it can be determined that a pet is on the seat portion 2c. do not have. Further, in this embodiment, the detection error in the first thermistor 10 and the second thermistor 11 is taken into consideration, but the determination may be made without taking the detection error into consideration. Furthermore, if the above patterns (1) to (6) do not apply, for example, in the case of patterns (A) and (B), it can be determined that no pet is on board.

Furthermore, it may be determined whether or not a pet is on board based on the slope of the relationship between time t and (T4-T5) instead of the slope of the relationship between time t and T4. By making a judgment based on the value of T4-T5, it is possible to prevent malfunctions when the outside temperature changes suddenly.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the pet temperature control device 100 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 21, the pet determination first temperature acquisition unit 401 acquires the pet determination first temperature T4 at time t every predetermined elapsed time (S201). The pet determination second temperature acquisition unit 402 acquires the pet determination second temperature T5 at time t every predetermined elapsed time (S202). The pet presence determination unit 403 determines whether or not a pet is on the seat portion 2c (whether or not there is a pet on the seat portion 2c) based on T4 and T5 (S203). More specifically, for example, in the cooling mode, the pet presence determination unit 403 determines that a pet is on board if T4-T5>X. In addition, in the heating mode, if the above T4-T5>X applies and the slope calculated from the relationship between time t and T4 is larger than a threshold value (for example, -1), if the pet rides It is determined that there is. If it is determined that a pet is on the seat portion 2c, the temperature adjustment portion 203 turns on the electricity to the heating/cooling element of the pet temperature adjustment device 100, and adjusts the temperature of the seat portion 2c (S204). Note that this embodiment is not limited to the above flow, and various modifications are possible. For example, the order of S201 and S202 may be reversed or may be performed simultaneously.

According to the present embodiment, the presence of a pet on the seat portion 2c is determined by the pet presence determination unit 403 based on the temperature acquired from the first thermistor 10 and the second thermistor 11, so that other devices such as a weight sensor etc. The temperature of the seat portion 2c can be adjusted without adding any members when a pet is present on the seat portion 2c. As a result, if a pet gets on the seat part 2c with the power to the heating/cooling element cut off due to a timer or the like, the temperature adjustment of the seat part 2c is automatically resumed, improving the pet's comfort. be able to.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments and examples described above, and the embodiments and modifications described above may be used in combination as long as they do not contradict each other. For example, the pet temperature control device 100 according to the second embodiment includes the previous operation determination section 301 according to the first embodiment, and the previous operation determination section determines the previous operation mode and performs the determined operation. It may be configured to operate in a mode. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, by providing the outside temperature prediction unit in the first embodiment, the driving mode may be automatically switched based on the predicted outside temperature.

Claims (7)

A heat conductor for your pet to ride on,
cooling means for cooling the thermal conductor by providing a temperature difference between the thermal conductor and the heat radiation means;
heating means for heating the thermal conductor;
a first temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the thermal conductor;
a second temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the heat radiation means;
A temperature at which the temperature of the thermal conductor is adjusted by operating the cooling means or the heating means based on the first temperature acquired from the first temperature detection means and the second temperature acquired from the second temperature detection means. adjustment means;
has
The temperature adjusting means predicts the outside temperature based on the first temperature and the second temperature, and operates the cooling means or the heating means based on the predicted outside temperature to adjust the temperature of the thermal conductor. Temperature control device for pets. The temperature adjustment means predicts the outside temperature based on an initial first temperature obtained from the first temperature detection means when the power is turned on and an initial second temperature obtained from the second temperature detection means when the power is turned on. an outside temperature prediction means; a control information acquisition means for acquiring control information for controlling the temperature of the heating means based on the predicted outside temperature predicted by the outside temperature prediction means; and a control information acquisition means for acquiring control information for controlling the temperature of the heating means based on the control information. The temperature regulating device for pets according to claim 1, further comprising operation control means for controlling the temperature. The temperature adjustment means includes a previous operation determination means for determining the previous operation state of the pet temperature adjustment device based on the initial first temperature and the initial second temperature, and the outside temperature prediction means includes: The temperature control device for pets according to claim 2, wherein the outside temperature is predicted based on the previous driving state determined by the previous driving determining means. a pet presence determining means for determining the presence of a pet on the thermal conductor based on the first temperature and the second temperature, and based on a determination result of the pet presence determining means, the temperature adjusting means The pet temperature adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which adjusts the temperature of the thermal conductor. Further, the pet presence determining means determines the presence of a pet on the thermal conductor based on a slope calculated from a relationship between time and the first temperature acquired at the time. Temperature control device for pets. 6. The pet temperature regulating device according to claim 4, wherein the temperature regulating means regulates the temperature of the thermal conductor in the operating state when the power was last turned off. A heat conductor for your pet to ride on,
cooling means for cooling the thermal conductor by providing a temperature difference between the thermal conductor and the heat radiation means;
heating means for heating the thermal conductor;
a first temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the thermal conductor;
A pet temperature adjustment device comprising a second temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the heat radiation means,
Predicting the outside temperature based on the first temperature acquired from the first temperature detection means and the second temperature acquired from the second temperature detection means, and based on the predicted outside temperature, the cooling means or the heating means A temperature control method for a temperature control device for pets, the method comprising operating a temperature control device to control the temperature of the heat conductor.

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