Air Supply Device for a Motor Vehicle Seat and Method for Operating the Air Supply Device

A method of operating an air-supply device for a vehicle seat having an air-outflow opening provided in an upper region of the vehicle seat via which a head, shoulder and neck region of the seat occupant is suppliable with an air stream, the air stream being adjustable by control or regulation of a speed of a fan and being heatable by a heating element, the method comprising the acts of:

• (a) checking, in a control unit, whether a switch-on signal that switches on the air-supply device is present;
• (b) if the switch-on signal is present, determining whether an interior temperature of a vehicle exceeds a preset threshold temperature value, wherein:
• (b1) if the interior temperature exceeds the preset threshold temperature value, switching-on the heating element and the fan and controlling or regulating, via the control unit, a fan power such that the fan is operated at a power-setting fan speed dependent on a required power setting of the air-supply device;
• (b2) if the interior temperature does not exceed the preset threshold temperature value, switching on the heating element and the fan and controlling or regulating, via the control unit the fan power such that the fan is operated at a preset minimum fan speed which is lower than the power-setting fan speed, then:
• (b3) starting a timer for measuring an elapsed time;
• (b4) checking whether the interior temperature exceeds the preset threshold temperature value, wherein:
• (i) if the interior temperature exceeds the preset threshold temperature value, controlling or regulating the fan power so that the fan is operated at the power-setting fan speed dependent on the required power setting of the air-supply device, and (ii) if the interior temperature does not exceed the preset threshold temperature value, checking whether a period of time elapsed since the timer started is greater than a preset period of time and, if not, returning to step (b4), otherwise controlling or regulating the fan power so that the fan is operated at the power-setting fan speed dependent on the required power setting of the air-supply device.