Air-conditioning device for motor vehicle seats

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an air-conditioning device for a motor vehicle seat, the seat comprising a cushion (A) and a backrest (D) whose respective horizontal and vertical positions are variable and incorporating a network of internal tubes (T) supplied by a hood (1) installed in the cushion and intended to suck up a flow of air from a pipe (2) connected to an on-board HVAC system and mounted on the floor of the vehicle and the outlet orifice (20) of which opens under the seat, the device comprising a drive assembly (3) intended to place the hood (1) opposite the outlet orifice (20) of the pipe (2) according to the position of the seat.

Description

DESCRIPTION TITLE: AUTOMOBILE SEAT AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application 2408934 filed on August 14, 2024, the content of which (text, drawings, and claims) is incorporated herein by reference. The invention relates, in general, to the field of thermal comfort in the passenger compartment of motor vehicles and focuses, more particularly, on an improved device for air conditioning the seats of such 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's occupants.

[0003] Such a system includes, in particular, an onboard cold air generator and internal ducts designed to transport 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 climate control system designed to heat and / or cool the occupants' physical environment as close as possible to their bodies. Such a system provides hot or cold ventilation of the seat through the seat cushion and / or backrest, via means that either expel or draw 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 channeled cold airflow. derived from the HVAC system while drawing a small volume of less cold air from the ambient atmosphere of the passenger compartment.

[0006] With the aim of optimizing seat air conditioning and therefore comfort in the passenger compartment, the position of the hood relative to the fixed driving position must be able to adapt to any 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 passing through the seat is thus controlled, ensuring the occupant's thermal comfort.

[0008] However, 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 drawn in primarily. In this case, the airflow through the seat resulting from the mixing process 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 throughout the structure.

[0010] Patent CN106541866BB and patent application W0201602128A1 propose air conditioning systems for vehicle seats incorporating one or more flexible ducts possibly supplied by motorized blowing means.

[0011] However, these technical solutions are not satisfactory because the seats are factory-fitted in the vehicle and it would therefore be necessary to connect the ducts 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, particularly if 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 includes 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 equipped with mechanical means allowing the seats to rotate in multiple directions while continuing to provide air distribution.

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

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

[0016] This goal 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 whose respective horizontal and vertical positions are variable and incorporating a network of internal tubing supplied by a hood implanted 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 orifice opens under said seat, characterized in that it comprises a motorization assembly intended to bring said hood into alignment with the outlet orifice 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 extractor hood includes an air inlet 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 system 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 abrupt temperature changes. This is because seat movements are generally rapid, while the motorized system can only ensure a slower movement of the extraction hood. The resulting delay allows for a comfortable adjustment of the seat temperature.

[0025] Furthermore, the absence of a mechanical link between the internal tubing in the seat that ensures air diffusion and the HVAC supply duct allows for freedom of movement of the seat. In addition, the combined and permanent presence of a gap between the The inlet of the extractor hood and the outlet of the air supply duct allow the airflow from the HVAC to be mixed with a small volume of air from the passenger compartment.

[0026] When the device is operating in cooling mode, this mixing allows the cold air temperature from the HVAC (approximately 10°C) to be raised 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 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 extractor 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 attached 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 figure 1 showing the device of the invention in normal position.

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

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

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

[0035] [Fig. 6] is a detailed view of the seat in Figure 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 possibilities.

[0037] The invention relates to the general field of thermal comfort for occupants in the passenger compartment of motor vehicles. In particular, the invention is concerned with the air conditioning of specific seats, such as the one shown schematically in Figure 1, which incorporate a network of tubes T mounted inside its structure (seat A and / or backrest D) and intended to diffuse (and possibly draw) 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 on 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 Figure 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 ambient air with the air conditioned by the HVAC system ensures optimal comfort for the seat occupant.

[0040] Vehicle seats are traditionally equipped with mechanisms 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 intake 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, depending on the seat position. Thus, the occupant's thermal comfort is guaranteed regardless of their seat position.

[0042] Figures 3 to 6 illustrate the implementation of the air conditioning device of the invention in 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 variant 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 offset vertically 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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