Climate controlled beds and methods of operating the same
AssigneeGentherm Incorporated
InventorsDavid Marquette, Dusko Petrovski, Brian D. Comiskey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A climate controlled seat, bed or other assembly configured to receive a person includes a blower and two or more thermoelectric devices or other conditioning fluid modules. According to one embodiment of an operational scheme, a control system for the seat or bed is configured to continuously discharge air from the blower through the thermoelectric devices. In one arrangement, the thermoelectric devices are sequenced between an activated and a deactivated position. Consequently, the desired cooling and/or cooling effect can be maintained while reducing energy consumption of the climate control system.
Claims20
A climate controlled seat assembly configured to receive an occupant, the climate controlled seat assembly comprising:
- one or more support members configured to receive an occupant;
- one or more air transfer devices configured to deliver air;
- a first thermoelectric device configured to heat or cool air delivered by the one or more air transfer devices;
- a second thermoelectric device configured to heat or cool air delivered by the one or more air transfer devices;
- a first air distribution device downstream of and in fluid communication with the first thermoelectric device, the first air distribution device configured to distribute air from the one or more air transfer devices toward the occupant on the one or more support members along a first area of the one or more support members;
- a second air distribution device downstream of and in fluid communication with the second thermoelectric device, the second air distribution device configured to distribute air from the one or more air transfer devices toward the occupant on the one or more support members along a second area of the one or more support members;
- a control module configured to:
- selectively regulate the first and second thermoelectric devices and the one or more air transfer devices to deliver a volume of air to first and second air distribution devices;
- and
- maintain a generally consistent overall power consumption rate for the climate controlled seat assembly over a predetermined period of time by turning on or off or modulating electrical energy delivered to the first and second thermoelectric devices and the one or more air transfer devices.
A climate controlled system configured to maintain a generally consistent overall power consumption rate, the climate controlled system comprising:
- one or more support members configured to contact an occupant;
- a first conditioning zone extending along a first area of the one or more support members;
- a second conditioning zone extending along a second area of the one or more support members;
- a first thermal conditioning device configured to heat or cool the first conditioning zone;
- a second thermal conditioning device configured to heat or cool the second conditioning zone;
- and
- a control module configured to:
- selectively regulate the first and second thermal conditioning devices to heat or cool the first and second conditioning zones;
- and
- maintain a generally consistent overall power consumption rate for the climate controlled system over a predetermined period of time by turning on or off or modulating electrical energy delivered to at least one of the first thermal conditioning device or the second thermal conditioning device.
A method of maintaining a generally consistent overall power consumption rate for a climate controlled system, the method comprising:
- selectively heating or cooling a first conditioning zone with a first thermal conditioning device;
- selectively heating or cooling a second conditioning zone with a second thermal conditioning device;
- and
- maintaining a generally consistent overall power consumption rate for the climate controlled system over a predetermined period of time by turning on or off or modulating electrical energy delivered to at least one of the first thermal conditioning device or the second thermal conditioning device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.