Heating system for vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a heating system for a vehicle, in which a surface heating element (11) is arranged on an object (7) in the vehicle in order to heat an interior (1) of the vehicle by means of heat radiation. According to the invention, at least one vehicle seat (4) of the vehicle is assigned a temperature control region (10), and a surface heating element (11) is assigned to the vehicle seat (4) having the temperature control region (10). In order to determine a heating demand of a vehicle occupant (2) located on a vehicle seat (4) having a temperature control region (10), a corresponding sensor unit is provided in the vehicle. Furthermore, a corresponding device is provided in the vehicle for specifying the heating power assigned to the at least one surface heating element (11) of the vehicle seat (4) having the temperature control region (10) as a function of the heating demand of the vehicle occupant (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a heating system for a vehicle according to the preamble of patent claim 1 . Background Art

[0002] In order to heat the interior of a vehicle operated by an internal combustion engine, the waste heat of the internal combustion engine is usually used for a heating system which controls the temperature of the entire interior of the vehicle by convection. In particular in the case of electrically operated vehicles, this possibility of heating the interior is no longer available, so that alternative heating types and heating systems must be used here.

[0003] In particular, heating systems which control the temperature of the vehicle interior by means of radiant heat are also conceivable in relation to these alternative types of heating. In these heating systems, heat is generated in a targeted and localized manner at specific locations in the vehicle by means of thermal radiation (infrared radiation), i.e., it is no longer necessary to heat the entire interior of the vehicle as is the case with convection heating.

[0004] DE 10 2021 103 399 A1 discloses a method for automatically regulating the locally felt temperature in a camper by means of radiant heating, with regard to the subject of vehicle interior heating. In this known method, a plurality of electric surface heaters are integrated into a planar accessory item for different use areas in the camper interior. The heating power of at least one of these electric surface heaters is adjusted and / or controlled depending on the exact position of the person located in the camper interior. In particular, laminated fabrics, roof or wall panels, furniture, doors or the like are provided as planar accessory items for the camper interior.

[0005] US11 363 683 B2 discloses a system and method for radiant heating by a PTC radiant field. A radiant heating system for heating an occupant of an enclosed space includes a field for radiating heat in the enclosed space toward the occupant. A power source provides electrical power to the field. A controller controls the electrical power provided to the field based on the temperature in the enclosed space and the position of the field in the enclosed space.

[0006] DE 10 2014 210 962 A1 describes an air conditioning device for a motor vehicle, comprising a plurality of climate parameter influencing components respectively assigned to body regions of vehicle occupants, a plurality of sensors respectively assigned to the climate parameter influencing components, by means of which the properties of the respectively corresponding occupant body regions can be determined, and a control device coupled to the sensors and the climate parameter influencing components, by means of which the climate parameter influencing components can be controlled as a function of the properties determined by the respectively associated sensors. The invention is characterized in that the sensors are configured as distance sensors and the property determined by them is the distance between the respective sensor and the respectively corresponding occupant body region.

[0007] DE 10 2019 202 223 A1 relates to an assembly for heating a vehicle interior, in particular a rail vehicle interior, wherein an infrared surface heating radiator is arranged in the interior for heating the vehicle interior. The infrared surface heating radiator is designed as an integrated component of the interior surface.

[0008] Furthermore, other relevant publications are US 2015 0 028 119 A1, DE 103 20 829 A1 and DE 10 2013 009 516 A1.

[0009] EP 2 578 423 B1 shows a radiant heating device for a vehicle, which includes a heating radiator that radiates radiant heat in the direction of a passenger and is provided together with an air conditioning system that selectively introduces air from outside the passenger compartment or inside the passenger compartment and then supplies conditioned air generated by the introduced air to the passenger compartment. The heating radiator includes a regulator that distinguishes the amount of radiant energy of the heating radiator when the air introduced into the air conditioning system is air from outside the passenger compartment and when the introduced air is air inside the passenger compartment. Corresponding to this radiant heating, a warm and comfortable feeling can be given to the passenger regardless of the external circulation mode or the internal circulation mode of the air conditioning system. Summary of the invention

[0010] Starting from this prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide a heating system for a vehicle of the generic type, with which the heating power can be adjusted comfortably and individually for the vehicle occupants in a simple manner.

[0011] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a heating system for a vehicle having the features of patent claim 1 .

[0012] Advantageous developments of the invention are part of the further patent claims.

[0013] In the heating system according to the invention, the interior of the vehicle is heated in a targeted manner by means of heat radiation by means of at least one surface heating element, which is preferably arranged in the interior component of the vehicle, i.e. integrated in the interior component of the vehicle or arranged on the interior component of the vehicle. In particular, at least one surface heating element is arranged near a vehicle seat, which is assigned a specific temperature control area, i.e., the vehicle seat environment in a specific area around the seat can be heated or temperature-controlled by at least one surface heating element.

[0014] Here, any surface of the interior trim of the vehicle can be provided as a receiving surface for the surface heating element, for example the backrest of the front seat of the vehicle and / or the door trim of the side door of the vehicle and / or the footwell of the vehicle and / or the dashboard of the vehicle and / or the center console of the vehicle and / or the roof lining of the vehicle. Preferably, these receiving surfaces for the surface heating element are oriented in the direction of the respective vehicle occupant. For example, for the occupants in the rear row of the vehicle, the surface heating element can be provided in the backrest part (seat back) of the front seat of the vehicle.

[0015] For a vehicle occupant who is seated on a vehicle seat having a temperature-controlled zone, a current heating requirement is determined and a heating power allocated to a surface heating element of the vehicle seat is specified as a function of the heating requirement.

[0016] In an advantageous development of the invention, the heating power assigned to at least one surface heating element of a vehicle seat with a temperature control zone is specified by a control unit of the vehicle, by which the voltage and current intensity of the corresponding surface heating element are adjusted and / or controlled according to the current heating requirements of the corresponding vehicle occupant located on the vehicle seat with a temperature control zone.

[0017] In order to determine the current heating requirement of a vehicle occupant located on a vehicle seat having a temperature-controlled zone, a sensor unit is provided in the vehicle, which is preferably designed as an optical sensor unit or a thermal sensor unit.

[0018] By means of a thermal imaging camera as a thermal sensor unit, the surface temperature of an irradiated body part of a vehicle occupant located on a vehicle seat with a temperature-controlled zone can be detected in order to determine the current heating requirement of a vehicle occupant located on a vehicle seat with a temperature-controlled zone. Based on the respective surface temperature of the body part of the vehicle occupant, the current heating requirement of the respective body part of the vehicle occupant can be inferred and the heating power allocated to at least one surface heating element of the vehicle seat with a temperature-controlled zone can be controlled or regulated accordingly.

[0019] By means of an optical camera provided as an optical image acquisition unit of an optical sensor unit instead of or in addition to a thermal sensor unit, in order to determine the current heating requirement of a vehicle occupant located on a vehicle seat with a temperature-controlled zone, the distance between at least one body part of the vehicle occupant located on the vehicle seat and at least one surface heating element assigned to the vehicle seat can be detected, from which the current heating requirement of the vehicle occupant located on the vehicle seat and, in particular, also the current heating requirement of different body parts of the vehicle occupant located on the vehicle seat with a temperature-controlled zone can be derived. In particular, it can also be taken into account here that the heat energy taken up by the vehicle occupant depends on the distance to the radiation source and, therefore, on the distance to the at least one surface heating element assigned to the vehicle seat with a temperature-controlled zone. In this case, as well as directly determining the surface temperature of the irradiated body part of the vehicle occupant located on the vehicle seat, it can also be taken into account that different body parts of the vehicle occupant may have different heating requirements, for example, there may be significantly different heating requirements between the head area and the foot area of ​​the vehicle occupant.

[0020] In order to detect the distance between at least one body part of a vehicle occupant and at least one surface heating element, a capacitive sensor unit is provided. The capacitive sensor unit can be arranged in the surface heating element, i.e. integrated in the surface heating element and for this purpose, for example, be designed as a capacitive circuit in the surface heating element, or can be arranged on the surface heating element, or can be arranged in the area between the surface heating element and the vehicle seat, or can be integrated in the vehicle seat, or can be arranged on the vehicle seat.

[0021] Alternatively, a sensor unit using other measuring methods, in particular a combination of different such sensor units, may also be provided for detecting the distance between at least one body part of the occupant and the at least one surface heating element.

[0022] By using an optical sensor unit, in particular an optical camera, according to the invention, it is also possible to detect the sitting position / positioning of a vehicle occupant on a vehicle seat with temperature-controlled zones. In particular, for this purpose, the sitting position / sitting posture of the occupant and / or the body posture of the occupant and / or the position of the limbs of the occupant as well as other characteristic / typical influencing factors that may influence the heating requirement of the occupant can be detected by means of an optical sensor unit, in particular an optical camera, from which the current heating requirement of the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat with temperature-controlled zones can be derived. That is, the current heating requirement of the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat with temperature-controlled zones can also be derived in particular by taking into account the current sitting position of the vehicle occupant relative to the radiation surface of at least one surface heating element assigned to the vehicle seat.

[0023] This also prevents, for example, taller vehicle occupants who sit closer to the surface heating element due to their height and therefore feel too hot due to being heated strongly by the surface heating element, and shorter vehicle occupants who sit farther away from the surface heating element due to their height and therefore feel too cold due to being heated weakly by the surface heating element.

[0024] In a further advantageous development of the invention, specific physical characteristics or personal parameters of the occupant can also be detected as further factors influencing the heating need of a vehicle occupant located in a vehicle seat with a temperature-controlled zone, such as in particular the height of the respective occupant and / or the clothing condition of the respective occupant, and the current heating need of the vehicle occupant located in the vehicle seat with a temperature-controlled zone can be deduced therefrom.

[0025] For example, it may be assumed that the heating demand of the leg area of ​​a vehicle occupant wearing shorts is smaller than the heating demand of a vehicle occupant wearing long trousers, or that the heating demand of a vehicle occupant wearing a jacket is greater than the heating demand of a vehicle occupant not wearing a jacket.

[0026] Advantageously, the present invention can achieve high thermal comfort for the vehicle occupants by taking into account different factors influencing the current heating needs of the vehicle occupants and determining the heating power of the surface heating element accordingly, thereby creating a comfortable environment for the vehicle occupants.

[0027] Since the heating power is specified in a manner that is individual to the vehicle occupants and adapted to the respective application or current boundary conditions of the vehicle's interior, the vehicle's interior can be heated very efficiently and energy-savingly, preferably locally, which is very important for the vehicle's range, particularly in the case of electrically operated vehicles.

[0028] Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment and from the drawing which includes two figures.

[0029] The above-mentioned features and combinations of features mentioned in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features mentioned in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures, can be used not only in the respectively given combination but also in other combinations or alone without departing from the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In the attached figure:

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an interior space of a vehicle having front seats of the vehicle and vehicle occupants, and

[0032] Figure 2Another schematic diagram of the interior of a vehicle with front seats of the vehicle and vehicle occupants is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Figure 1 and Figure 2 In each case a schematic diagram of a section of an interior 1 of a vehicle is shown, wherein an occupant 2 is located on a rear seat 4 of the vehicle in a rear area 3 of the vehicle.

[0034] The occupants 2 shown in both figures on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle have different heights: Figure 1 The occupant 2 on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle shown is relatively tall, so that the legs 5 of the occupant 2 are also relatively close to the backrest 6 of the front seat 7 of the vehicle, that is, there is a small distance 8 from the backrest 6 of the front seat 5 of the vehicle; on the contrary, Figure 2 The occupant 2 on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle shown is relatively short, so that the legs 5 of the occupant 2 are also relatively far away from the backrest 6 of the front seat 7 of the vehicle, that is, there is a large distance 9 from the backrest 6 of the front seat 5 of the vehicle.

[0035] At a specific location in the interior 1 of the vehicle, the surface heating element 11 is arranged on an interior trim component of the vehicle adjacent to the vehicle seats 4 , 7 , the radiation surface of the surface heating element preferably facing the respective vehicle seat 4 , 7 of the vehicle.

[0036] In order to designate a temperature control zone 10 for the rear seat 4 and thereby individually heat a specific area for an occupant 2 in the rear area 3 of the vehicle or an occupant 2 located on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle, a surface heating element 11 is provided on the backrest 6 of the front seat 7 of the vehicle, which is integrated, for example, in a backrest lining 12 in the backrest 6 of the front seat 5 of the vehicle.

[0037] In order to specify the heating power individually for the occupant 2 on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle, for example by means of a control unit of the vehicle, the distance from the surface heating element 11 to a specific body part of the occupant 2 located on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle is determined, for example, specifically, the distance 8, 9 from the surface heating element 11 to the legs 5 of the occupant 2 on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle is determined. This determination of the distance 8, 9 from the surface heating element 11 to the legs 5 of the occupant 2 can be realized, for example, by means of an optical camera, which is arranged, for example, in the roof region of the vehicle, for example integrated in the roof lining of the vehicle, or arranged in the center console region of the vehicle.

[0038] Since the distance 8 from the surface heating element 11 to the legs 5 of the occupant 2 is relatively small in the case of a tall occupant 2 (see Figure 1), so the heating power of the surface heating element 11 for heating the leg area of ​​the occupant 2, which can be adjusted in the range of 150W to 300W, can be specified as a low value, for example, a value of 180W.

[0039] On the other hand, since in the case of a shorter occupant 2, the distance 9 from the surface heating element 11 to the legs 5 of the occupant 2 is relatively large (see Figure 2 ), so in this case, the heating power of the surface heating element 11 for heating the leg area of ​​the occupant 2 should also be specified as a high value, for example, when the heating power of the surface heating element 11 can be adjusted in the range of 150W to 300W, a value of 250W is specified for it.

Claims

1. A heating system for a vehicle, for heating an interior space (1) of the vehicle by means of heat radiation from a surface heating element (11) arranged on an object (7) in the vehicle, wherein: At least one vehicle seat (4) of the vehicle is assigned a temperature control zone (10), wherein the vehicle seat (4) with the temperature control zone (10) is assigned at least one surface heating element (11), wherein in the vehicle a device is provided for determining a heating requirement of the vehicle occupant (2) located on the vehicle seat (4) with the temperature control zone (10), and wherein a device is provided for specifying the heating power assigned to the at least one surface heating element (11) of the vehicle seat (4) with the temperature control zone (10) according to the heating requirement of the vehicle occupant (2), It is characterized in that In order to determine the heating requirement of the vehicle occupant (2) located on the vehicle seat (4) having a temperature control zone (10), a sensor unit is provided for detecting the distance (8, 9) between the body part (5) of the vehicle occupant (2) and the at least one surface heating element (11) assigned to the vehicle seat (4) having a temperature control zone (10), wherein a capacitive sensor unit is provided for detecting the distance (8, 9) between the body part (5) of the vehicle occupant (2) and the at least one surface heating element (11) assigned to the vehicle seat (4) having a temperature control zone (10), wherein the capacitive sensor unit is integrated in the surface heating element (11) assigned to the vehicle seat (4) having a temperature control zone (10), and wherein, in order to determine the heating requirement of the vehicle occupant (2) located on the vehicle seat (4) having a temperature control zone (10), an optical sensor unit is provided for determining the seating position and / or the position of the limbs and / or the body posture of the vehicle occupant (2).

2. The heating system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, It is characterized in that In order to determine the heating requirement of the vehicle occupant (2) located on the vehicle seat (4) having a temperature-controlled area (10), an optical sensor unit is provided for determining the height and / or clothing condition of the vehicle occupant (2).

3. A heating system according to any one of claims 5 or 6, It is characterized in that The optical sensor unit includes an optical camera as an optical image detection unit.

4. The heating system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that In order to determine the heating requirement of the vehicle occupant (2) located on the vehicle seat (4) having a temperature control area (10), the thermal sensor unit is configured as a thermal imaging camera for detecting the surface temperature of a body part (5) of the vehicle occupant (2) located on the vehicle seat (4) having a temperature control area (10).

5. The heating system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, It is characterized in that The surface heating element (11) assigned to the vehicle seat (4) having the temperature control zone (10) is integrated into an interior component (7) of the vehicle or is arranged on an interior component (7) of the vehicle.

6. A heating system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, It is characterized in that A control unit of a vehicle is provided for specifying the heating power allocated to the at least one surface heating element (11) of a vehicle seat (4) having a temperature control zone (10).

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