MOTOR VEHICLE SEAT AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to an air conditioning device for a motor vehicle seat, said seat comprising a seat cushion (A) and a backrest (D) whose respective horizontal and vertical positions are variable, and incorporating a network of internal tubing (T) supplied by a hood (1) located in the seat cushion and designed to draw in an airflow from a duct (2) connected to an on-board HVAC system and mounted on the vehicle floor, the outlet of which (20) opens under said seat, characterized in that it comprises a motorization assembly (3) designed to align said hood (1) with the outlet (20) of the duct (2) according to the position of said seat. Abstract figure: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE SEAT AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE

[0001] The invention relates, in general, to the field of thermal comfort in the passenger compartment of motor vehicles and is concerned, more particularly, with an improved device for air conditioning the seats of these vehicles.

[0002] Existing vehicles are generally equipped with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system designed to establish predetermined air temperatures in the passenger compartment to provide thermal comfort to the vehicle occupants.

[0003] Such a system includes, in particular, an on-board cold air generator and internal ducts for transporting this air to different areas of the passenger compartment. These ducts open, in particular, at the front of the vehicle at the level of the first row of seats (driver and passenger) and at the rear at the second row and, where applicable depending on the type of vehicle, also near the third row of seats.

[0004] In addition, the seats are sometimes equipped with a specific air conditioning device designed to heat and / or cool the physical environment of the occupants as close as possible to their bodies. Such a device provides hot or cold ventilation of the seat through the seat cushion and / or the backrest, by means of either expelling or drawing in air.

[0005] The invention relates to air extraction means comprising a hood integrated into the seat itself and supplied with cold air by the HVAC system via a fixed duct housed in the vehicle floor. This extraction hood has an inlet whose dimensions are slightly larger than the diameter of the duct so as to primarily collect the ducted cold airflow from the HVAC system while also drawing in a small volume of less cold air from the ambient atmosphere of the passenger compartment.

[0006] With the aim of optimizing the air conditioning of the seat and therefore the comfort in the passenger compartment, the position of the hood relative to the fixed driving position must be able to adapt to the possible horizontal and vertical movements of the seat which are regularly made by the various passengers to adjust its position and / or orientation.

[0007] In its normal position, the outlet of the air duct connected to the HVAC system is located opposite the inlet of the internal hood, and the flow of cold air from the HVAC system is therefore completely collected while only a small amount of ambient air from the passenger compartment is drawn in. The air temperature across the seat is thus controlled, and the occupant's thermal comfort is thereby ensured.

[0008] Conversely, when the seat is moved by its occupant, horizontally and / or vertically, the air duct outlet will be offset from the hood's inlet, and ambient air from the passenger compartment will then be predominantly drawn in. In this case, the airflow through the seat resulting from the mixing has an uncontrolled temperature, which is problematic because the occupant's thermal comfort is significantly reduced.

[0009] US patents 6478369B1 and 11850982B2 describe vehicle seat air conditioning systems with an integrated network of fixed ducts designed to ensure air diffusion through the structure.

[0010] Patent CN106541866BB and patent application WO201602128A1 propose air conditioning systems for vehicle seats incorporating one or more flexible ducts optionally supplied by motorized blowing means.

[0011] However, these technical solutions are not satisfactory because the seats are mounted in the vehicle at the factory and it would therefore be necessary to connect the conduits under the seats to connect them to the HVAC system, while the space there is very limited, which is particularly laborious.

[0012] In addition, the flexible conduits are visible because they protrude under the seats, which leads to risks of disconnection or even breakage, in particular, in the event that objects are found there in an inopportune manner (for example, while driving) or intentionally (for example, during a move).

[0013] US patent application US20230364965A1 describes a vehicle seat air conditioning system powered by an onboard HVAC system. This system comprises air ducts mounted in the vehicle floor, fittings mounted on these ducts at the interface with the seats, and a network of tubing integrated into the seat structure. These fittings are provided with mechanical means allowing the seats to rotate in several directions while continuing to provide air distribution.

[0014] However, this device does not include an extraction hood in the seats and, moreover, is only suitable for seats rotating around a vertical axis. Consequently, it does not solve the technical problem of ensuring optimal extraction flow from the hood integrated into a seat regardless of the position and orientation of the seat and backrest.

[0015] In this problematic context, the invention proposes a simple technical solution which makes it possible to maintain the relative positioning between the external air supply duct of the HVAC and the inlet of the internal suction hood regardless of the horizontal, vertical and angular positions chosen for the seat.

[0016] This objective is achieved, according to the invention, by means of an air conditioning device for motor vehicle seats, said seat comprising a seat and a backrest of which the respective horizontal and vertical positions are variable and incorporate a network of internal tubing supplied by a hood located in the seat and intended to draw in an airflow from a duct connected to an on-board HVAC system and mounted on the floor of the vehicle and whose outlet is located under said seat, characterized in that it includes a motorization assembly intended to bring said hood into alignment with the outlet of the duct according to the position of said seat.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the air conditioning device of the invention, the motorization assembly is controlled by seat position sensors.

[0018] The invention further provides that the extraction hood includes an air inlet opening whose vertical position is offset vertically from the position of the outlet orifice of the duct connected to the HVAC, regardless of the position of the seat.

[0019] According to a first embodiment of the device of the invention, the motorization assembly is housed in the seat and moves the hood in the horizontal and vertical directions and in the opposite direction to the movement of the seat.

[0020] According to another embodiment of the device of the invention, the motor assembly is mounted on the floor of the vehicle and intended to move the outlet of the pipe connected to the HVAC.

[0021] Another object of the invention is a motor vehicle seat incorporating an air conditioning device as defined above.

[0022] Yet another object of the invention is a use of the device as defined above for the automatic adjustment of the air conditioning of motor vehicle seats.

[0023] A final object of the invention is a motor vehicle equipped with a seat air conditioning device having the characteristics defined above.

[0024] The device of the invention allows for optimal management of the seat's climate control, in heating or cooling mode, without causing sudden temperature changes. Indeed, seat movements are generally rapid, while the motorization system can only ensure a slower movement of the extraction hood. The resulting latency time thus allows for a comfortable adjustment of the seat temperature.

[0025] Furthermore, the absence of a mechanical link between the internal seat air ducts and the HVAC inlet duct allows the seat to move freely. In addition, the continuous gap between the exhaust hood inlet and the air inlet duct outlet allows the airflow from the HVAC system to be mixed with a small volume of air from the passenger compartment.

[0026] When the device is operating in cooling mode, this mixing makes it possible to raise the cold temperature of the air coming from the HVAC (approximately 10°C) by mixing it with the cabin air (approximately 20°C) to diffuse air with a temperate temperature (approximately 15°C) into the seat, thus preserving the thermal comfort of the occupant.

[0027] Conversely, when the device is operating in heating mode, this mixing allows the hot air temperature from the HVAC (approximately 20°C) to be lowered with the cabin air (approximately 10°C) to diffuse into and through the seat air with a more temperate temperature (approximately 15°C), which still preserves the thermal comfort of the occupant.

[0028] Thus, thanks to the thermal comfort provided by the improved air conditioning device of the invention, it becomes possible to reduce the dimensions of the extraction hood as well as the power of the HVAC, which contributes to a decrease in the manufacturing costs of vehicles as well as to a greater autonomy of electric vehicles.

[0029] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying figures, for which:

[0030] [Fig.1] is a schematic cross-sectional and side view of a motor vehicle seat equipped with a preferred embodiment of the air conditioning device of the invention.

[0031] [Fig.2] is a detailed view of the seat of the [Fig.1] showing the device of the invention in normal position.

[0032] [Fig.3] is a detailed view of the seat of the [Fig.1] showing the device of the invention in an elevated position.

[0033] [Fig.4] is a detailed view of the seat of the [Fig.1] showing the device of the invention in the lowered position.

[0034] [Fig.5] is a detailed view of the seat of the [Fig.1] showing the device of the invention in an advanced position.

[0035] [Fig.6] is a detailed view of the seat of the [Fig.1] showing the device of the invention in a retracted position.

[0036] Naturally, the embodiment of the air conditioning device of the invention described below and illustrated in the figures is given only by way of non-limiting example. It is explicitly provided for within the scope of the invention that different embodiments can be proposed and combined to offer other embodiments.

[0037] The invention relates to the general field of thermal comfort for occupants in the passenger compartment of motor vehicles. In particular, the invention concerns the air conditioning of specific seats, such as the one schematically represented in [Fig. 1], which incorporate a network of T-shaped tubes mounted within its structure (seat A and / or backrest D) and intended to diffuse (and possibly draw in) a flow of air (hot or cold) which is generated by an on-board heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system and which is conveyed, in particular to the seats, by an air duct 2 mounted on the floor of the vehicle (not shown).

[0038] The internal tubing network T is supplied with air via a hood 1, generally located in the seat A, which sucks, for example via a turbine 12, the airflow (represented by arrows in the figures) from the outlet 20 of the pipe 21 connected to the HVAC system and opening under the seat.

[0039] In its normal position, the inlet 10 of the hood 1 is located opposite the outlet 20 of the HVAC duct, as illustrated in [Fig. 2]. However, a vertical offset h remains between the inlet 10 and the outlet 20, allowing the extractor hood 1 to draw in a small volume of ambient air (see the arrows around the periphery of the inlet 10 in the figures). Mixing this volume of ambient air with the air conditioned by the HVAC ensures optimal comfort for the seat occupant.

[0040] Vehicle seats are traditionally equipped with means for adjusting their horizontal and vertical position and the orientation of the backrest D. However, when an occupant changes the position of their seat, the inlet of the exhaust hood 1 becomes misaligned with the inlet 20 of the duct 2. In this case, the hood only draws in ambient air from the passenger compartment that is not conditioned by the HVAC system. The occupant's thermal comfort is then no longer optimally ensured.

[0041] The invention aims to remedy this problematic situation by integrating into the air conditioning system a motor assembly 3 designed to align the vent 10 of the hood 1 with the outlet 20 of the duct 2 according to the seat position. Thus, the occupant's thermal comfort is guaranteed regardless of the seat position.

[0042] Figures 3 to 6 illustrate the implementation of the air conditioning device of the invention according to different seat positions, respectively, in a raised, lowered, forward, and backward position. In all these positions, the invention provides for maintaining a vertical distance h between the air inlet 10 of the hood 1 and the outlet 20 of the duct 2 in order to maintain an ambient air supply that is conducive to temperature moderation.

[0043] Preferably, the motorization assembly 3 is controlled by seat position sensors (not shown).

[0044] In the embodiment of the air conditioning device shown here in the figures, the motor assembly 3 is housed in the seat A and moves the hood 1 in the horizontal and vertical directions and in the opposite direction to the movement of the seat.

[0045] According to another embodiment of the device of the invention, not shown, the motorization assembly can be mounted on the floor of the vehicle and intended to move the pipe 2 and, in particular, its outlet orifice 20, so as to position it opposite the mouth 10 of the hood 1 which is then fixedly mounted in the seat.

[0046] The drive assembly 3 includes, for example, an electric motor 30 coupled to transmission elements ensuring the movement of the hood 1 (or the duct 2), in particular, via an arm 31. The hood 1 includes, for example, a bellows sleeve 11 giving it the necessary flexibility when moving under the action of the motor 30. The invention is not, however, limited to such embodiments and any other type of motorized actuator can be integrated into the air conditioning device to ensure the relative movements described above and illustrated by the figures.

Claims

Demands

1. Air conditioning device for motor vehicle seat, said seat comprising a seat (A) and a backrest (D) whose respective horizontal and vertical positions are variable and incorporating a network of internal tubing (T) supplied by a hood (1) located in the seat and intended to draw in an airflow from a duct (2) connected to an on-board HVAC system and mounted on the floor of the vehicle and whose outlet (20) opens under said seat, characterized in that it comprises a motorization assembly (3) intended to bring said hood (1) into alignment with the outlet (20) of the duct (2) according to the position of said seat.

2. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said motorization assembly (3) is controlled by seat position sensors.

3. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the extraction hood (1) comprises an air inlet mouth (10) whose vertical position is vertically offset from the position of the outlet orifice (20) of the duct (2), regardless of the position of the seat.

4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said motorization assembly (3) is housed in the seat (A).

5. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said motorization assembly (3) moves said hood (1) in the horizontal and vertical directions and in the opposite direction to the movement of the seat.

6. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said motorization assembly (3) is mounted on the floor of the vehicle and intended to move the outlet orifice (20) of the pipe (2) connected to the HVAC.

7. Motor vehicle seat, characterized in that it incorporates an air conditioning device according to one of the preceding claims.

8. Use of the device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 for the automatic adjustment of the air conditioning of motor vehicle seats.

9. Motor vehicle equipped with a seat air conditioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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