VEHICLE SEAT AND REAR SEAT SYSTEM WITH FAN SYSTEM

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle seat for a rear seat system of a motor vehicle, comprising a seat part which has a base pan and a seat cushion arranged on the base pan, wherein the base pan is designed to be placed and fastened on a body wall of the motor vehicle, and comprising a fan device integrated into the seat part, which has at least one electrically operated fan and at least one air duct leading from an edge region of the seat part to the fan.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a rear seat system for a motor vehicle, with a body wall arranged elevated in the rear seat area of ​​the motor vehicle and oriented at least substantially horizontally, and with at least one vehicle seat arranged on the body wall.

[0003] Vehicle seats of the type mentioned above are known from the prior art. Fan devices for vehicle seats are increasingly found in all types of motor vehicles. They enable active seat ventilation, through which ambient air is drawn in and conveyed through the seat cushion and a seat cover. For this purpose, for example, the seat cover has a plurality of air outlet openings, and the seat cushion is designed to allow air to flow through. For example, patent DE 196 28 698 C1 discloses such a vehicle seat. The air intake opening is arranged below the seat part, so that air is drawn in from the space below the seat part. In this case, the air flow undergoes a reversal of flow direction, and the air is drawn in from a space that is more likely to be dusty and dirty. A generic vehicle seat having a fan device is known from published patent application DE 10 2011 122 124 A1.An air duct is formed on the underside of the floor pan, which faces the body wall when installed. The vehicle seat can be placed on a body wall, making it suitable for a rear seat system that, for example, eliminates the need for a custom seat frame.

[0004] German Patent Application DE 10 2011 121 331 A1 discloses a seat ventilation device for a vehicle seat, comprising an air supply duct comprising a fan duct region and a connected supply duct region, the latter opening into an outlet opening. The outlet opening is arranged on a narrow side of a cushioning layer and concealed by a cover. Both the fan duct region and the connected supply duct region extend entirely within the cushioning layer. Further vehicle seats with fan devices are known from German Patent Applications US 2019 / 210 492 A1, DE 10 2015 210 624 A1, and US 2018 / 272 908 A1.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of creating an improved vehicle seat which ensures improved air guidance for the fan device without requiring additional material or cost.

[0006] The object underlying the invention is achieved by a vehicle seat with the features of claim 1. This has the advantage that, despite being designed for a rear seat system, it ensures advantageous air intake which causes low flow losses and is nevertheless not immediately visible to the user from the outside. According to the invention, the air duct is formed at least substantially between the seat cushion and the floor pan, that the floor pan has an edge section in the edge region which is arranged at a distance from the seat cushion in order to form an intake opening, and that the air duct opens into the intake opening at a distance from an outer edge of the seat cushion. The edge section of the floor pan is therefore located at a distance from the seat cushion, so that an intake opening is formed between the seat cushion and the edge section, which serves to supply air for ventilation.Because the floor pan is located below the seat part, the distance between the edge section and the seat cushion creates a height difference (when installed as intended) such that the intake opening is located below the seat cushion. Because the air duct opens into the intake opening at a distance from the outer edge of the seat cushion, the air duct is not visible from the outside, and the intake opening forms an extension of the air duct, which, however, as previously described, is located below the seat cushion. Because the air duct merges into the intake opening, and this faces the edge section or edge region of the vehicle seat, in particular the seat part, the air flow is conveyed in a direction that draws in air from the area in front of the vehicle seat and not from below the vehicle seat.In particular, the vehicle seat also has a backrest associated with the seat part, which is mounted, for example, fixedly or pivotably on the seat part, at the end of the seat part facing away from the intake opening in the longitudinal direction. When used in a rear seat system, suction below the vehicle seat would only be possible with increased effort, because the space below the seat part is usually closed off by the body wall underneath. The advantageous design of the vehicle seat therefore also results in the advantage that it ensures a favorable airflow for ventilating a passenger or a user of the vehicle seat, even when used in a rear seat system.

[0007] Particularly preferably, the air duct and the intake opening are designed such that an air flow from the intake opening to the fan flows without flow reversal. Thus, there is no flow reversal in the flow path of the air flow from the intake opening to the fan, thereby avoiding flow losses and achieving high airflow volumes.

[0008] Preferably, the edge section of the floor pan is oriented such that the distance between the seat cushion and the floor pan increases toward the outer edge of the seat cushion. Thus, when the vehicle seat is installed, the edge section is inclined downward, so that a free end is positioned lower than the end facing the air duct. This creates an intake funnel in the area of ​​the intake opening, allowing for improved air intake and supply.

[0009] Particularly preferably, the fan is arranged at a distance from the edge section in the air duct, so that the fan is arranged, for example, further in the rear area or at least at a distance from the outer edge of the seat cushion in order to achieve comfort advantages by the fan being located in an area that is better or more strongly protected by the seat cushion.

[0010] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the fan is arranged on the side of the air duct facing away from the floor pan. The fan is thus located above the air duct and draws air from the intake opening, directing it directly upward into the seat cushion or through the seat cushion and an optional seat cover. This results in an advantageous, particularly space-saving arrangement of the fan in the seat part.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the air duct has a duct wall supporting the air cushion, at least on the side of the air cushion. This duct wall ensures that the air duct cannot be narrowed or collapsed due to the load of the seat cushion. The duct wall thus ensures the airflow cross-section of the air duct at all times.

[0012] The fan preferably has a housing connected to the duct wall. This ensures, on the one hand, a reliable and flow-optimized flow of the air stream from the air duct into the fan housing, and, on the other hand, allows for easy installation of the fan device. In particular, the air duct or the duct wall and the fan housing can be designed as a pre-assembled unit to then be arranged and / or attached together to the seat cushion and / or the floor pan.

[0013] Preferably, a wire frame, in particular a spring-wheel frame, is arranged in the seat cushion, which serves to provide suspension and thus increase the comfort of the seat part. The wire frame is preferably routed around the fan device so that the wire frame and the fan housing, as well as the duct wall of the air duct, do not meet. This ensures advantageous integration of the suspension into the seat cushion.

[0014] The rear seat system according to the invention with the features of claim 9 is characterized by the inventive design of the vehicle seat. This results in the advantages already mentioned.

[0015] Preferably, the fan device is assigned to one long side of the seat part. Thus, when viewed from above, the fan device is located off-center and thus in an area subject to less stress from a user, thus ensuring optimal seating comfort. Furthermore, the intake opening is also located off-center, so that air is highly likely to be drawn in from an area in which the user's legs would not be expected to be in a normal sitting position. Particularly preferably, each long side of the seat part is assigned a correspondingly designed fan device, thus doubling the airflow volume and ensuring improved ventilation for the user of the vehicle seat.

[0016] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an advantageous rear seat system of a motor vehicle, Figure 2 shows a perspective sectional view of a vehicle seat of the rear seat system and Figure 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the vehicle seat.

[0017] Figure 1shows a simplified perspective view of a rear seat system 1 with two vehicle seats 2 and 3 arranged next to one another. The rear seat system 1 has a body wall 4, on which a seat part 5, 6 for each vehicle seat 2, 3 is arranged. The seat parts 5, 6 each have a seat cover 7 (not shown here), a seat cushion 8 located beneath the seat cover, and a floor pan 9. The floor pan 9 rests at least partially on the body wall 4 and thus serves to hold and fasten the vehicle seats 2, 3 to the body of the motor vehicle. The floor pan 9 also serves as a support for the seat cushion 8 and the seat cover 9. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the seat parts 5, 6 have a common seat cushion 8, a common seat cover 7, and a common floor pan 9.The floor pan 9, the seat cover 7, and the seat cushion 8 thus extend across the entire width of the rear seat system 1. The seat parts 5, 6 are mirror images of each other and otherwise have at least essentially the same structure. The structure of both seat parts 5, 6 will now be described using seat part 3 as an example.

[0018] Figure 2 shows the rear seat system 1 in a perspective sectional view along the line AA from Figure 1 . The seat part 6 has a fan device 10 which is integrated into the seat part 6. The seat part 5 is assigned a correspondingly designed fan device 10, as shown in Figure 1 shown. The fan device 10 comprises a fan 11, which has a fan housing 12, in which a fan wheel (not shown here) is driven by an electric motor. The housing 12 has a fan inlet opening 13 and a fan outlet opening 14, which is only Figure 1shown, fan outlet opening 14. The fan inlet opening 13 is aligned axially with respect to the axis of rotation of the fan wheel, and the fan outlet opening 14 is at least substantially radially or tangentially. The fan outlet opening 14 is located in the seat cushion 8, so that air conveyed by the fan 10 is conveyed into the seat cushion 8. The seat cushion 8 is designed to be permeable to air or has a plurality of air channels that lead from the fan outlet opening 14 to the seat cover 7, which is also permeable to air and, in particular, is provided with a plurality of air outlet openings.

[0019] The fan 11 is arranged at a distance from an outer edge 15 in the longitudinal extension of the seat part 6, which is formed by the seat cover 7. The outer edge 15 is located at the front in the direction of travel or at the front end of the seat part 6, so that the fan 11 is arranged set back from the front outer edge of the seat part 6 in the seat part 6. Furthermore, the fan 11, viewed in a plan view of the seat part 6, is not arranged in the center, but rather on a long side, namely the long side of the seat part 6 facing the adjacent seat part 5. Thus, the fan 11 is arranged overall in an area that is subject to relatively little load when the vehicle seat 3 is in use. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the fans 11 of both seat parts 5, 6 are arranged close to the center of the rear seat system 1, so that they are located in an area in which a center tunnel 16 runs through the body of the motor vehicle.This means that the fans are located in an area in which the legs of the users of the vehicle seats 2, 3 are not usually located, thus ensuring advantageous air intake.

[0020] The housing 12 of the fan 11 is further connected to a duct wall 17, on which the seat cushion 8 rests in some areas. The duct wall 17 is spaced apart from the base pan 9, so that an air duct 18 is formed between the base pan 9 and the duct wall 17, which leads to the fan inlet opening 13. Optionally, a further duct wall 22 is arranged opposite the duct wall 17, with the duct wall 22 resting on the base pan 9, so that the air duct 18 is formed between the duct walls 17, 22. Particularly preferably, the duct walls 17, 22 are formed integrally with one another or at least firmly connected to one another.

[0021] Figure 3For easier understanding, shows a simplified sectional view of the vehicle seat 3 along the line AA from Figure 1. The seat cushion 8 is also shown here, as is the seat cover 7. The fan 11 is arranged on the upper duct wall 17, so that the fan inlet opening 13 is formed in the duct wall 17 and the fan 11 is arranged above the air duct 18. At its end facing away from the fan 11, the air duct 18 opens into an intake opening 19 which is formed between the floor pan 9 and the seat cushion 8. While the seat cushion 8 essentially rests on the floor pan 9, apart from the area of ​​the fan device 10, the seat cushion 8 in particular also rests on the floor pan at its outer edge 15 laterally adjacent to the fan device, the intake opening 19 is formed in the area of ​​the air duct 18 in that an edge section 20 of the floor pan 9 facing the outer edge 15 is arranged below the seat cushion 8 at a distance from the seat cushion 8.This creates a gap between the floor pan 9 and the seat cushion 8, which forms the intake opening 19. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the edge section 20 of the floor pan 9 is inclined such that the distance between the floor pan 9 and the seat cushion 8 increases towards the outer edge 15 of the seat cushion 8 or the seat part 6. This creates a funnel-shaped intake opening 19, viewed in longitudinal section. The air duct 18 opens into the air intake opening 19 at a distance from the outer edge 15, so that the intake opening 19 extends the air duct 18 below the seat cushion 8.

[0022] The advantageous design of the vehicle seat 3 ensures that the air is sucked in from the footwell area of ​​the motor vehicle 1 located in front of the vehicle seat 3 and conveyed into the air cushion 8 without reversing the flow direction. This achieves low flow losses and increases the efficiency of the fan device 10. Because the air duct 18 is formed between the floor pan 9 and the seat cushion 8, the air duct 18 is already manufactured together with the seat part 5 or 6, so that the seat part 5, 6 can also be placed on different or differently shaped body walls 4 of a rear seat system 1 without impairing the air guidance or air flow.Rather, it is ensured that the air duct 18 always has the desired contour and shape as well as the desired course, and that the advantageous intake opening 19 ensures efficient and safe intake of air for ventilation.

[0023] Optionally, a spring wire frame 21 is also arranged in the seat cushion 8, extending through the seat cushion to increase the load-bearing capacity and rigidity of the seat cushion 8 while simultaneously improving seating comfort for passengers. The spring wire frame 21 is designed in such a way that it also protects the fan device 10, thus ensuring the continuous operation of the fan device 10.

[0024] Optionally, but not shown in the figures, at least one further fan device 10 is assigned to each seat part 5, 6, so that the achievable volume flow for ventilating a person sitting on the respective seat part 5, 6 is doubled or can be doubled. List of reference symbols

[0025] 1Rear seat system 2Vehicle seat 3Vehicle seat 4Body wall 5Seat part 6Seat part 7Seat cover 8Seat cushion 9Floor pan 10Ventilator 11Fan 12Fan housing 13Fan inlet opening 14Fan outlet opening 15Outer edge 16Center tunnel 17Duct wall 18Air duct 19Intake opening 20Edge section 21Spring wire frame 22Duct wall

Claims

1. Vehicle seat (2, 3) for a rear seat system (1) of a motor vehicle, comprising a seat part (5, 6) which has a floorpan (9) and a seat cushion (8) arranged on the floorpan (9), wherein the floorpan (9) is designed to be placed and fastened on a body wall (4) of the motor vehicle, and comprising a fan device (10) integrated into the seat part (5, 6), which has at least one electrically operated fan (11) and at least one air duct (18) leading from an edge region of the seat part (5, 6) to the fan (11), wherein the air duct (18) is formed at least substantially between the seat cushion (8) and the floorpan (9) the floorpan (9) has an edge portion (20) in the edge region, which is spaced from the seat cushion (8) and arranged below the seat cushion (8) to form a gap between the floorpan (9) and the seat cushion (8) as an intake opening (19), and the air duct (18) opens into the intake opening (19) spaced from an outer edge (15) of the seat cushion (8) such that the intake opening (19) extends the air duct (18) below the seat cushion (8).

2. Vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the edge portion (20) of the floorpan (9) is aligned such that a distance between the seat cushion (8) and the floorpan (9) increases toward the outer edge (15) of the seat cushion (8).

3. Vehicle seat according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fan (11) is arranged spaced from the edge portion (20) in the air duct (18).

4. Vehicle seat according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the air duct (18) and the intake opening (19) are designed such that an air flow passes from the intake opening (19) to the fan (11) without flow reversal.

5. Vehicle seat according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fan (11) is arranged on the side of the air duct (18) facing away from the floorpan (9).

6. Vehicle seat according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the air duct (18) has, at least on the side of the seat cushion (8), a duct wall (17) supporting the seat cushion (8).

7. Vehicle seat according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fan (11) has a housing (12) which is connected to the duct wall (17).

8. Vehicle seat according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a wire frame, in particular a spring wire frame (21), is arranged in the seat cushion (8).

9. Rear seat system (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising an at least substantially horizontally aligned body wall (4) arranged so as to be elevated in the rear seat region, and comprising at least one vehicle seat (2, 3) arranged on the body wall (4), characterized in that the vehicle seat (2, 3) is designed according to any of claims 1 to 8.

10. Rear seat system according to claim 9, characterized in that the fan device (10) is assigned to a longitudinal side of the seat part (5, 6).