Vehicle Seat Ventilation HVAC Integration for Rapid Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle ventilation seats have inadequate initial cooling performance when room temperatures are high, as they primarily suck and discharge warm air, failing to provide satisfactory cooling to the driver.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a blower, temperature sensors, and an HVAC control unit to determine the optimal air blow direction based on detected temperatures, directing cooled air towards both the face and lower legs when the room temperature is high, and focusing on the lower leg area when the seat temperature is higher than the room temperature, to enhance cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ventilation seat simply sucks and discharges air using a blower, then the device complexity is low, but the initial cooling performance is insufficient when room temperature is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ventilation seat system with the vehicle's HVAC system by establishing communication between the seat control unit and HVAC control unit. This allows the seat blower to coordinate with the HVAC air conditioner, enabling the seat to utilize cooled air from the HVAC system rather than just circulating ambient air, thereby significantly improving initial cooling performance while maintaining reasonable system complexity through integrated control
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary cooling by activating the HVAC air conditioner before or during seat ventilation operation. When the seat blower is activated, the HVAC system is already providing cooled air to the passenger compartment, ensuring that the air being circulated through the seat is pre-cooled, thus enhancing the initial cooling effect rather than waiting for the seat system to cool ambient air
2Adaptability or versatility
If the blower operates without temperature-based mode control, then the ease of operation is high, but the adaptability to different temperature conditions is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring the operation state of the seat blower and automatically adjusting the HVAC blow direction mode based on this feedback. The control unit receives signals from the seat control unit regarding blower activation and autonomously determines the appropriate HVAC mode (face direction, lower leg direction, or both), adapting to different temperature conditions without requiring manual user input, thus maintaining ease of operation while achieving high adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the HVAC blow direction mode based on real-time operating conditions. When the seat blower is activated, the HVAC system automatically switches to appropriate cooling modes (such as blowing air toward the face and lower legs simultaneously), and returns to normal operation when the blower is off, enabling the system to adapt flexibly to different thermal environments without fixed preset modes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach rapidly cools the vehicle interior and seat by interlocking the ventilation seat system with the HVAC, providing effective cooling by directing cold air where it is most needed, thereby improving the comfort of the driving environment.
Implementation Method 1
a blower disposed below the seat of the vehicle and configured to blow air onto a body contact surface
Implementation Method 2
a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a front end of a suction hole of the blower; a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the body contact surface
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a system of air-conditioning a seat for a vehicle and a method for controlling the same. The system of air-conditioning a seat for a vehicle includes: a blower disposed below the seat of the vehicle and configured to blow air onto a body contact surface; a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a front end of a suction hole of the blower; a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the body contact surface; a third temperature sensor configured to detect a room temperature of the vehicle; and an HVAC control unit configured to control an air-conditioning system of the vehicle. The HVAC control unit determines a blow direction mode of the air-conditioning system of the vehicle based on the temperatures detected by the first, the second, and the third temperature sensors when the blower is actuated.