Vehicle heating device
AssigneeSubaru Corporation
InventorTakashi Tsunoda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle heating device includes a heat storage material, a heat recovery unit, a footrest, and a heat controller. The vehicle heating device heats an occupant with heat stored in the heat storage material. The heat recovery unit recovers thermal energy from at least one of a heat source generated by a vehicle or a natural heat source from outside of the vehicle. The heat storage material stores the recovered thermal energy. The footrest is provided at a front portion of a vehicle seat disposed in a vehicle cabin, and has the heat storage material packed inside a heat insulating material. The heat controller heats the footrest by radiating the heat stored in the heat storage material at a predetermined timing with respect to the occupant to be on the vehicle.
Claims19
A vehicle heating device comprising:
- a heat recovery unit configured to convert, into electrical energy, heat generated by at least one of heat sources generated by a behavior of a vehicle or a natural heat source from outside of the vehicle;
- a heat storage unit configured to be filled with a heat storage material, the heat storage unit in its entirety being enclosed by a heat insulating material, the heat storage unit configured to store thermal energy converted from the electrical energy, a heat radiation window with a heat shutter being formed on a periphery of the heat storage unit, the heat shutter configured to be openable;
- a footrest configured to be provided at a front portion of a vehicle seat disposed in a vehicle cabin, the footrest including the heat storage unit, and a heat controller configured to store thermal energy in the heat storage unit by using a heater converting the electrical energy into the thermal energy when the vehicle traveling is detected, the heater provided inside the heat storage unit, and turn on an aft conditioner of the vehicle with the heat shutter closed after warming the footrest by opening the heat shutter to transfer the thermal energy through the heat shutter from inside the heat storage unit into the footrest at a predetermined timing with respect to an occupant being in the vehicle.
A vehicle heating device comprising:
- a heat recovery unit configured to convert, into electrical energy, heat generated by at least one of a-heat sources generated by a behavior of a vehicle or a natural heat source from outside of the vehicle;
- a heat storage unit configured to be filled with a heat storage material, the heat storage unit in its entirety being enclosed, by a heat insulating material, the heat storage unit configured to store thermal energy converted from the electrical energy, a heat radiation window with a heat shutter being formed on a periphery of the heat storage unit, the heat shutter configured to be openable;
- a footrest configured to be provided at a front portion of a vehicle seat disposed in a vehicle cabin, the footrest including the heat storage unit, and circuitry configured to:
- store thermal energy in the heat storage unit by using a heater converting the electrical energy into the thermal energy when the vehicle traveling is detected, the heater provided inside the heat storage unit, and turn on an air conditioner of the vehicle with the heat shutter closed after warming the footrest by opening the heat shutter to transfer the thermal energy through the heat shutter from inside the heat storage unit into the footrest at a predetermined timing with respect to an occupant being in the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.