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US 6,676,207 B2Granted
Vehicle seat
AssigneeW.E.T. Automotive Systems AG
InventorsHans-Georg Rauh, Stefan Stowe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle seat including at least one pad (12) having an air-permeable surface area (16). In the region of the air-permeable surface area (16) of the pad, an air-permeable heating element (18) is arranged to heat the surface area (16) of the pad. A fan unit (24) blows air through the heating element (18) and the surface area (16) of the pad. A first temperature sensor (26) detects the temperature of the surface area (16) or of the heating element (18). A second temperature sensor (30) detects the temperature of the air aspirated by the fan (24). A fan regulator (32) regulates the volume flow of air as a function of the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor (30).
Claims19
A vehicle seat comprising:
- at least one pad comprising an air-permeable surface area;
- an air-permeable heating element arranged proximate the air-permeable surface area of the pad to heat the surface area of the pad;
- a fan unit for forcing air through the heating element and the surface area of the pad;
- a first temperature sensor remote from the heating element for providing a first temperature value indicative of the temperature of ambient air aspirated by the fan unit;
- and
- a controller in operative communication with the fan unit and the first temperature sensor, the controller adapted to operate the fan unit to regulate a volume flow of air as a function of the first temperature value.
3 more elements
A vehicle seat comprising:
- at least one pad comprising an air-permeable surface area;
- an air-permeable heating element arranged proximate the air-permeable surface area of the pad to heat the surface area of the pad;
- a fan unit for forcing air through the heating element and the surface area of the pad;
- a first temperature sensor for providing a first temperature value indicative of the temperature of air aspirated by the fan unit;
- a second temperature sensor proximate the heating element for providing a second temperature value indicative of the seat pad temperature proximate the heating element;
- and
- a controller in operative communication with the fan unit, the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, the controller adapted to operate the fan unit to regulate a volume flow of air as a function of the first and second temperature values.
4 more elements
A vehicle seat comprising:
- at least one pad comprising an air-permeable surface area;
- an air-permeable heating element arranged proximate the air-permeable surface area of the pad to heat the surface area of the pad;
- a fan unit for forcing air through the heating element and the surface area of the pad;
- a first temperature sensor comprising a negative temperature coefficient sensor for providing a first temperature value indicative of the temperature of air aspirated by the fan unit;
- and
- a controller in operative communication with the fan unit and the first temperature sensor, the controller adapted to operate the fan unit to regulate a volume flow of air as a function of the first temperature value.
3 more elements
A vehicle seat comprising:
- at least one pad comprising an air-permeable surface area;
- an air-permeable heating element arranged proximate the air-permeable surface area of the pad to heat the surface area of the pad;
- a fan unit for forcing air through the heating element and the surface area of the pad;
- a first temperature sensor for providing a first temperature value indicative of the temperature of air aspirated by the fan unit;
- a second temperature sensor proximate the heating element for providing a second temperature value indicative of the temperature of the heating element or surface area of the pad;
- an operator interface comprising a seat temperature selection mechanism;
- and
- a controller in operative communication with the heating element, fan unit and the first and second temperature sensors, the controller adapted to operate the fan unit to regulate a volume flow of air as a function of the first temperature value and maintain said heating element at an operator-defined temperature value as a function of the second temperature value.
5 more elements
A method of heating a vehicle seat comprising:
- receiving an operator-defined temperature value;
- controlling an air-permeable heating element arranged proximate an air-permeable surface area of a pad of the seat to maintain said heating element at a temperature corresponding to said operator-defined temperature value;
- providing a fan unit in fluid communication with said heating element for forcing air through the heating element and the surface area of the pad;
- receiving a first temperature value of air inducted into said fan unit from a first temperature sensor remote from said heating element, said first temperature value indicative of the temperature of air aspirated by the fan unit;
- and
- controlling the fan unit to regulate a volume flow of air as a function of the first temperature value.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.