JPH11254938A - Air-conditioning device for vehicle seat - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an occupant from becoming uncomfortable, by controlling the temperature of a seat at a low cost without using a temperature sensor. SOLUTION: After air-conditioning is started, when the thermal load of the cabin of a vehicle lowers as the temperature of the cabin increases, the heat radiation from a seat 2 is decreased, and accordingly an occupant feels that the seat 2 is hot so as to be uncomfortable. Thus, the lowering of the thermal load is determined from a blow signal for vehicle air-conditioning, and a blower 13 for the seat is turned off. After a reference time (τOFF) elapses, the blower 13 is again turned on for a reference time (τON). Thereafter, the blower 13 is controlled by the times τOFF/τON. It is noted that the rising speed of the temperature of the seat differs, depending upon a thermal load in the cabin, and accordingly, the times τOFF, τON may be compensated by a temperature of the cabin. As a result, the temperature of the seat is held within a predetermined temperature range in response to a turn-on and -off of the seat blower 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle seat air conditioner for supplying conditioned air to a seat.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a prior art, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 59-1645 is disclosed.
There is a "vehicle air-conditioning sheet" described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 52-52.
This device improves the comfort of the occupant sitting on the seat by blowing air from the air-conditioned unit at the front air-conditioning unit to the air chamber inside the seat through the air duct for seats and blowing air from the air-permeable seat. It is.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, if the seat temperature becomes too high by constantly sending warm air to the seat during heating, the occupant becomes too hot and uncomfortable. In addition, during cooling, when a steady state is reached in which the room temperature drops from the cool down and becomes stable, the cold air blown out from the seats becomes too cold for the occupant and is uncomfortable.
As a countermeasure for this, a method is conceivable in which a temperature sensor is installed in the sheet and the air blowing to the sheet is controlled according to the temperature in the sheet. However, in this method, there is a problem in that the cost is increased because a temperature sensor is newly used, and the seating comfort of the seat is impaired by incorporating the temperature sensor in the seat. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and has as its object to control a seat temperature without using a temperature sensor (at low cost) to prevent occupant discomfort. Is to provide.

[0004]

(Means for Solving the Problems) (Means of claim 1) A blower stop means capable of stopping the blower to the sheet, wherein the blower stop time by the blower stop means is controlled in accordance with the heat load in the vehicle compartment. Features. Thus, for example, in the case of the heating operation, the heat load decreases with an increase in the vehicle interior temperature, so that the air blowing to the seat can be stopped by the air blowing stop means when the heat load decreases to some extent. . As a result, an increase in the seat temperature can be suppressed,
It is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable due to the seat temperature rising too much. Further, in the cooling operation, the heat load decreases as the vehicle interior temperature decreases. Therefore, when the heat load decreases to some extent, the air blowing to the seat can be stopped by the air blowing stop means. As a result, a decrease in the seat temperature can be suppressed, so that it is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable because the seat temperature is too low.

The means for stopping air blowing is an air blowing device for generating an air flow toward the sheet in the air blowing duct for sheet. In this case, the air blowing to the sheet can be stopped by stopping the operation of the blower, and the air can be blown to the sheet by starting the operation of the blower.

The means for stopping air blowing is an opening / closing door which is disposed in the air blowing duct for the sheet and can open and close the air blowing passage to the sheet. In this case, the air blowing to the sheet can be stopped by closing the air blowing passage to the sheet by the opening / closing door. In addition, the air can be blown to the sheet by opening the air passage to the sheet by the opening / closing door.

(Means of Claim 4) The time for stopping air supply to the seat and the time for re-air supply are corrected in accordance with the heat load in the vehicle interior. The rate of decrease of the seat temperature during cooling and the rate of increase of the seat temperature during heating vary depending on the heat load in the vehicle interior. Temperature can be controlled in response to changes in heat load. In addition, the re-blowing time means that after the blowing to the sheet is stopped by the blowing stop means,
This is the air blowing time when air blowing to the sheet is started again.

The heat load in the vehicle interior is at least one of a blower signal of the vehicle air conditioner, a vehicle interior temperature signal, a target blowout temperature signal, a blowout temperature signal, an outside air temperature signal, and a solar heat quantity signal. Can be determined. Since these signals are used for controlling the air conditioning of the passenger compartment by the vehicle air conditioner, it is not necessary to newly provide a detecting means (sensors) for detecting the heat load.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a vehicle seat air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle seat air conditioner 1. Vehicle seat air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment
The vehicle includes, for example, a sheet blowing unit 3 disposed below the front seat 2 and a sheet blowing duct 5 for sending conditioned air from the front air conditioning unit 4 (existing vehicle air conditioner) to the sheet blowing unit 3. .

The front air-conditioning unit 4 has a well-known configuration as a vehicle air-conditioning system, and adjusts the temperature of blast air based on a target blow-out temperature (TAO) calculated by the ECU 6 (air-conditioning control device). By blowing the adjusted conditioned air into the vehicle interior, the vehicle interior can be air-conditioned. The ECU 6 receives an operation signal output from the operation panel 7, an inside air sensor 8 for detecting the temperature inside the vehicle, an outside air sensor 9 for detecting the temperature outside the vehicle, and various sensor values such as a solar radiation sensor 10 for detecting the amount of solar radiation. Air conditioner (not shown) such as a blower,
Mode switching door, refrigeration cycle, etc.). The operation panel 7 is provided with a seat switch (not shown) for executing seat air conditioning.

The seat ventilation duct 5 utilizes an existing rear foot duct for supplying warm air from the front air conditioning unit 4 to the feet of the rear passengers, for example, and is formed substantially linearly along the floor of the vehicle. Are arranged. The sheet air duct 5 is provided with a switching door 11 on the air upstream side of the foot outlet 5a. The switching door 11 is provided rotatably between a position for blocking the foot outlet 5a (hereinafter, referred to as a closed position) and a position for opening the foot outlet 5a (hereinafter, referred to as an open position). It is driven by an actuator (not shown) such as a servomotor. The actuator is
The energization is controlled by the ECU 6, and when the seat switch of the operation panel 7 is turned on, the switching door 11 is driven to the closed position,
When the seat switch is turned off, the switching door 11 is driven to the open position.

The sheet blowing unit 3 includes a case 12,
The case 12 includes a sheet blower 13 accommodated in the case 12, an electric heater 14 (for example, a PTC heater) disposed downstream of the sheet blower 13 in the case 12. The case 12 is provided in communication with the sheet air duct 5 through the suction port 15 of the sheet air blower 13, and is connected to the sheet 2 through a connection duct 16 provided integrally with (or separate from) the case 12. . Movement of the seat 2 to the connection duct 16 (adjustment of the seat position)
The bellows portion 16a is provided so as to cope with the above.

The sheet blower 13 comprises a centrifugal blower fan 13a and a motor 13b, and can blow out the air sucked from the suction port 15 in a substantially right angle direction. The sheet blower 13 is activated by turning on a sheet switch on the operation panel 7. However, the operation of the seat blower 13 after startup depends on the heat load in the vehicle interior.
6 is controlled to be energized. The electric heater 14 is used when sufficient warm air is not obtained by the front air-conditioning unit 4 (for example, when the temperature of engine cooling water as a heating heat source is low).
Etc. can be used. The electric heater 14
Is the air upstream side of the sheet blower 13 (the suction port 15 side)
May be arranged.

The seat 2 is composed of a seat back 2A and a seat cushion 2B, each of which is covered with a breathable seat surface material 2C. Further, inside the seat back 2A and the seat cushion 2B, a plurality of air distribution ducts 2a to which the connection ducts 16 are connected, and a plurality of branches extending from the air distribution duct 2a and extending to the surfaces of the seat back 2A and the seat cushion 2B. Is provided. Thereby, the conditioned air supplied from the sheet blowing unit 3 is distributed to each of the blowing outlets 2b through the air distribution duct 2a, and the occupant sitting on the seat 2 through the sheet surface material 2C from each of the blowing outlets 2b. Sprayed on.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described by taking a heating mode as an example. When the sheet switch of the operation panel 7 is turned on, the switching door 11 in the sheet air duct 5 is driven to the closed position, and the sheet air blower 13 is started. Here, the configuration is such that the front air conditioning unit 4 can be activated through the ECU 6 by turning on the seat switch.
As a result, the warm air supplied from the front air conditioning unit 4 to the sheet blowing duct 5 is blown from the sheet blowing unit 3 to the sheet 2, and the sheet temperature rises. Here, at the time of warm-up, if the heat load in the vehicle interior decreases as the vehicle interior temperature increases, the heat radiation from the seat 2 decreases, and the occupant feels that the seat 2 is hot and uncomfortable. May be.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, it is determined from the blower signal for vehicle air conditioning that the heat load has decreased, and the blower 13 for the seat is stopped (the blower 13 for the seat is first stopped after being started). Time until τ0). Thereafter, after the elapse of the reference time (τOFF), the sheet blower 13 is turned on again to operate only for the reference time (τON). Thereafter, the sheet blower 13 is turned off at the time τOFF / τON.
Control. Note that the rate of increase in the seat temperature varies depending on the heat load in the vehicle compartment (the rate of increase in the seat temperature decreases when the heat load is large). For example, as shown in FIGS. ΤOFF and τO depending on room temperature
The N time may be corrected. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the sheet temperature is maintained within a predetermined temperature range with the ON / OFF operation of the sheet blower 13.

(Effects of the present embodiment) According to the vehicle seat air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, at the time of warm-up, the seat blower 13 is stopped when the heat load in the vehicle interior has decreased to some extent. It is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable due to an excessive rise in the seat temperature. Further, by temporarily stopping the sheet blower 13 and then controlling the sheet blower 13 for τOFF / τON time, the seat temperature can be kept within an allowable temperature range. Obtainable. At this time, by correcting the τOFF / τON time by the heat load, the sheet temperature can be controlled according to the change in the heat load. In this seat air conditioning, the seat blower is controlled using the existing blower signal and sensor signal used for air conditioning control in the passenger compartment, so there is no need to detect the seat temperature with a temperature sensor or the like, and the seat air conditioning is inexpensive. Temperature can be controlled. In the above-described embodiment, the heating operation is described as an example. However, in the cooling operation, the seat blower 13 is similarly controlled in accordance with the heat load in the vehicle cabin, so that the occupant due to the seat temperature being too low is reduced. It goes without saying that discomfort can be prevented.

(Modification) In the above embodiment, the time (τ) from when the sheet blower 13 is started to when it is first stopped (τ)
0) is controlled based on the blower signal, but may be controlled based on other physical quantities (for example, vehicle interior temperature, blow-out temperature, target blow-out temperature, outdoor temperature, solar heat quantity, etc.) for which the heat load can be estimated. it can. Further, the τOFF / τON time may be, for example, a blower signal, a blowing temperature,
The heat load can be estimated and corrected based on the target outlet temperature or the like. The blowing of the sheet 2 is stopped by stopping the blower 13 for the sheet. For example, a door (blowing stop means of the present invention) is provided in a blowing path to the sheet 2 and the door closes the blowing path. You may comprise so that the ventilation to the sheet | seat 2 may be stopped.

In the time chart of FIG. 2, the blower of the front air-conditioning unit 4 is activated at the same time when the seat switch is turned on. However, when the so-called blower delay control for delaying the activation of the blower until the engine water temperature reaches a predetermined temperature is performed. Alternatively, the activation of the sheet blower 13 may be synchronized with the activation of the blower. Further, the sheet heater 13 may be activated by turning on the electric heater 14 until desired hot air is obtained. The seat air conditioning is performed by turning on a seat switch provided on the operation panel 7. The blower switch, the A / C switch, or the AUT of the front air conditioning unit 4 is used.
The seat air conditioning may be started by turning on an O switch or the like. Although the existing rear foot duct is used as the air blowing duct 5 for the seat, a rear vent duct for supplying cool air to the rear passenger may be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle seat air conditioner.

FIG. 2 is a time chart of the embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between a vehicle interior temperature and a ventilation stop time, and FIG. 3B is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between a vehicle interior temperature and a re-blowing time.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle seat air conditioner 2 front seat 4 front air conditioner unit (vehicle air conditioner) 5 seat air duct 13 seat air blower (blower stop / air blower)

Claims (5)

[Claims] An air conditioning system for cooling and heating the interior of the vehicle, a ventilation duct for introducing air from the vehicle air conditioner to the seat, and a ventilation stop means capable of stopping the ventilation to the seat. A vehicle seat air conditioner, wherein the timing of stopping the air blowing by the air blowing stop means is controlled. 2. The vehicle seat air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the blower stop means is a blower that generates an airflow toward the seat in the seat blower duct. 3. The vehicle seat air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing stop means is an opening / closing door disposed in the air blowing duct for the seat and capable of opening and closing an air blowing passage to the seat. apparatus. 4. The vehicle seat air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing stop time to the seat and the re-air blowing time are corrected in accordance with a heat load in the vehicle interior. 5. The heat load in the vehicle interior includes a blower signal of the vehicle air conditioner, a vehicle interior temperature signal, a target blowout temperature signal,
The vehicle seat air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the determination is made based on at least one of a blowout temperature signal, an outside air temperature signal, and a solar heat quantity signal.