Patent Publication Number: US-2011061402-A1

Title: Heating and cooling system for vehicle seat

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application Number 10-2009-0088219 filed on Sep. 17, 2009, the entire contents of which application is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a heating and cooling system, and more particularly, to a heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat, which has a simplified structure and can be simply assembled and disassembled. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In general, a vehicle is equipped with an air-conditioning system including a cooler and a heater. The air-conditioning system controls the temperature and moisture inside the vehicle. 
     However, since the air-conditioning system mounted inside the vehicle mainly controls the temperature inside the vehicle, a function of directly controlling the temperature of a vehicle seat has been neglected. 
     In the summer, even if an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat lowers the temperature inside the vehicle by operating the cooler, the seat is relatively slowly cooled down. In addition, the seat is continuously warmed by the body heat of the occupant. Then, the occupant may sweat at the buttocks and the back, which would otherwise develop into heat rashes. 
     In the winter, even if the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat raises the temperature inside the vehicle by operating the heater, the seat stays cold for the time being before the heater warms up the air. Thus, the occupant may feel chilly or cold at the buttocks or back. 
     Recently, in order to address these problems, a seat-dedicated heating and cooling system, which can directly control the temperature of a vehicle seat, has been designed to be separately mounted on the vehicle seat. 
     An example of such a seat heating and cooling system will be illustrated with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
     The seat heating and cooling system  1  is provided in the rear side of a vehicle seat S. Since the seat S is composed of a sitting part S 1  and a back S 2 , the seat heating and cooling system  1  is provided in both the sitting part S 1  and the back S 2  in order to heat and cool the seat S. 
     In more detail, the seat heating and cooling system  1  includes a first duct  10  connecting the sitting part  51  and the back S 2 , a second duct  20  provided in the sitting part S 1 , a blowing unit  30  provided between the first and second ducts  10  and  20  to blow air into the first and second ducts  10  and  20 , and heat exchangers  40  and  50  connected to the first and second ducts  10  and  20 , respectively, to blow cold and hot air into the seat S. 
     The blowing unit  30  can be a blower that simultaneously blows air into both the first and second ducts  10  and  20 . The heat exchangers  40  and  50  can include a thermoelectric element that can selectively heat or cool air. 
     However, since the heating and cooling apparatus for a vehicle seat of the related art is installed inside the rear side of the seat, it is difficult to install or separate the system in or from the seat. In addition, maintenance such as the replacement of components is difficult. 
     Furthermore, since the heat exchanger unit, which heats and cools air, the blower unit, which circulates air, and the ducts connecting the heat exchanger unit and the blowing unit are separately provided, the structure is complicated and the volume is increased. 
     The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Various aspects of the present invention are directed to provide a heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat, which has a simplified structure and can be easily assembled to or disassembled from the vehicle seat. 
     In an aspect of the present invention, the heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat, may include a housing having an air supply port through which air communicates with the vehicle seat and an air exhaust hole through which air communicates with the outside of the housing, a thermoelectric element located in the housing between the air supply port and the air exhaust hole to selectively heat or cool air, which is directed toward the air supply port or the air exhaust hole, and a first blower fan provided in the air supply port to communicate air between the vehicle seat and the thermoelectric element. 
     The air supply port may be located in an upper portion of the housing, and the air exhaust hole is located in a lower side portion of the housing, wherein the housing has an inner air hole formed in an upper side portion thereof above the thermoelectric element. 
     The heating and cooling system may further include an air filter attached to the inner air hole. 
     The inner air hole may allow air, taken in from inside the seat, to pass by one side of the thermoelectric element and be supplied to the air supply port. 
     The housing may have an outer air port in a lower portion thereof under the thermoelectric element, wherein the outer air port takes in air outside the seat so that taken-in air passes by one side of the thermoelectric element and is exhausted through the air exhaust hole. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, the heating and cooling system may further include a second blower fan provided in the outer air port to communicate air between the outer air port and the air exhaust hole through the thermoelectric element, wherein the first blower fan is spaced apart from one side of the thermoelectric element, and the second blower fan is spaced apart from the other side of the thermoelectric element, wherein the first and second blower fans are driven by a single motor, wherein the first and second blower fans have blades oriented in opposite direction, and wherein a rotary shaft of the single motor is coupled to the first blower fan by passing through the thermoelectric element. 
     The heating and cooling system may further include an air filter attached to the outer air port. 
     A plurality of the inner air holes may be radially formed along the circumference of the housing. 
     A plurality of the air exhaust holes may be radially formed along the circumference of the housing. 
     The heating and cooling system may further include heat sink fins attached to one or more sides of the thermoelectric element, wherein upper surface of the thermoelectric element in the air supply port includes heat sink fins and lower surface of the thermoelectric element in the outer air port includes heat sink fins, and wherein the heat sink fins are radially arrayed in an annular shape along the thermoelectric element. 
     The housing may include first and second semi-circular housings and assembled each other to form a single housing shaped of a cylinder. 
     In further another aspect of the present invention, the heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat, may include a housing having an air supply port through which air is supplied into the seat and an air exhaust hole through which air is exhausted from the seat, a thermoelectric element located in the housing between the air supply port and the air exhaust hole to selectively heat or cool air, which is directed toward the air supply port or the air exhaust hole, heat sink fins attached to one side and the other side of the thermoelectric element, and blower fans provided in the air supply port and the air exhaust hole, respectively, to communicate air with the thermoelectric element. 
     According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention as set forth above, the heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat has the following advantageous effects: 
     First, the heating and cooling system is provided on the rear side of the seat such that one part of the heating and cooling system is exposed. As a result, the heating and cooling system can be easily mounted to or separated from the seat, and the maintenance of the heating and cooling system such as the replacement of components is made easier. 
     Second, the complicated structures of the related art, including heat exchanger unit, which heats and cools air, the blower unit, which circulates air, and the ducts connecting the heat exchanger unit and the blower unit, can be realized inside a single housing. This, as a result, can simplify the structure as well as reduce the volume. 
     Third, the efficiency of heating or cooling a seat can be enhanced by separately controlling the heating or cooling of the sitting part or the back of the seat. 
     The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description of the Invention, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat of the related art. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective configuration view showing the application of an exemplary heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing important parts of the exemplary heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the exemplary heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the exemplary heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. 
     In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that present description is not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     Above all, reference should be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals and signs are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and components incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective configuration view showing the application of heating and cooling systems for a vehicle seat in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing important parts of the heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat shown in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat shown in  FIG. 3 , and  FIG. 5  is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the heating and cooling systems  1  for a vehicle seat can be mounted, respectively, on the rear sides of a sitting part S 1  and a back S 2  of a vehicle seat S. The seat S has a porous structure defining, therein, air passages along which air can freely flow. The temperature of the seat S can be controlled by air, which is heated or cooled by the heating and cooling systems  1  for a vehicle seat. 
     In this exemplary embodiment, the heating and cooling systems  1  are illustrated as being provided, respectively, in the rear central area of the sitting part S 1  and in the rear central area of the back S 2 . However, this is not intended to be limiting the present invention. The heating and cooling systems  1  can be mounted on proper positions of the seat S in order to enhance heating and cooling efficiency, and the number of the heating and cooling systems  1  can be changed when necessary. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 5 , the heating and cooling system  1  for a vehicle seat includes a housing  10 , a thermoelectric element  20 , and first and second blower fans  31  and  33 . The housing  10  forms the outline of the heating and cooling system  1 . One part of the housing  10  is inserted into the seat S, and the other part of the housing  10  is exposed out of the seat S. The thermoelectric element  20  is provided inside the housing  10  to selectively heat or cool air. The first and second blower fans  31  and  33  are provided inside the housing  10  to circulate air. 
     The housing  10  defines, therein, an air supply port  11  through which air is supplied into the seat S, inner air holes  15  adjacent to the air supply port  11 , air exhaust holes  13  through which air is exhausted out of the seat S, and an outer air port  17  adjacent to the air exhaust holes  13 . 
     When the housing  10  is mounted on the seat S, the air supply port  11  and the inner air holes  15  are located inside the seat S, and the air exhaust holes  13  and the outer air port  17  are exposed out of the seat S. 
     The housing  10  can be made in the form of a column such that the air supply port  11  located in the upper portion of the housing  10  can have a circular configuration. The air supply port  11  located in the upper portion of the housing  10  can increase the open area of the housing  10  such that more air can be supplied into the seat S through the air supply port  11 . 
     The inner air holes  15  can be formed in the upper portion of the side of the housing  10 . The inner air holes  15  communicate with the air supply port  11  such that air inside the seat S can flow into the air supply port  11  through the inside of the housing  10 . 
     A number of the inner air holes  15  can be radially provided along the circumference of the housing  10 . The inner air holes  15  efficiently introduce air into the housing  10  by guiding air in several directions from inside the seat S. 
     The air exhaust holes  13  are formed in the lower portion of the side of the housing  10 . A number of the air exhaust holes  13  can also be radially provided along the circumference of the housing  10 . The air exhaust holes  13  efficiently exhaust air from the housing  10  by guiding air in several directions out of the seat S. 
     The outer air port  17  communicates with the air exhaust holes  13  such that air outside the seat S can flow into the air exhaust holes  13  through the inside of the housing  10 . The outer air port  17  is located in the lower portion of the housing  10  and has a circumferential configuration corresponding to the arrangement of the air exhaust holes  13 . 
     The outer air port  17  located in the lower portion of the housing  10  can increase the open area of the housing  10  such that more air can be introduced through the outer air port  17 . As a result, the outer air port  17  promotes the flow of air exhausted through the air exhaust holes  13  so that air inside the housing  10  can be efficiently exhausted out of the seat S. 
     The thermoelectric element  20  is located inside the housing  10 . The thermoelectric element  20  can preferably be located in the central area inside the housing  10  in order to selectively heat or cool air, which is directed toward the air supply port  11  and the air exhaust holes  13 . 
     The thermoelectric element  20  can have a disk-like shape corresponding to the inner circumferential shape of the housing  10 . 
     The thermoelectric element  20  can be implemented with a Peltier element. The Peltier element is realized based on the Peltier effect in which heat is absorbed or generated when a current is passed through junctions of two different metals. In this exemplary embodiment, the thermoelectric element  20  is implemented with the Peltier element in order to cool or heat the seat S. 
     When a current is passed through the thermoelectric element  20 , one side of the thermoelectric element  20  is heated and, at the same time, the other side of the thermoelectric element  20  is cooled down. The side to be heated is changed according to the direction of a current applied to the thermoelectric element  20 . 
     One side of the thermoelectric element  20  is oriented toward the upper portion of the housing  10 , that is, toward the air supply port  11 , and the other side of the thermoelectric element  20  is oriented toward the lower portion of the housing  10 , that is, toward the outer air port  17 . 
     In addition, a shaft hole can preferably be formed in the central area of the thermoelectric element  20 , allowing a rotary shaft  41  of blower fans  30 , which will be described later, to extend through. 
     In addition, heat sink fins can be attached to one or more sides of the thermoelectric element  20 . In this exemplary embodiment, the heat sink fins include first heat sink fins  24  attached to one side of the thermoelectric element  20  and second heat sink fins  26  attached to the other side of the thermoelectric element  20 . The heat sink fins  24  and  26  increase the area where the thermoelectric element  20  absorbs or generates heat so that efficient heat conduction can be carried out. 
     The heat sink fins  24  and  26  can be attached to the thermoelectric element  20 , radially arrayed in an annular shape or a doughnut-like shape. This shape of the heat sink fins can provide a better structure for the rotary shafts  41  and  42  of the motor  40  to couple with the blower fans  30 , thereby raising the flow efficiency of air. 
     The blower fans  30  are provided in the air supply port  11  and/or the air exhaust holes  13  to circulate air. In this exemplary embodiment, the blower fans  30  include a first blower fan  31  located adjacent to the air supply port  11  and a second blower fan  33  located adjacent to the air exhaust holes  13 . 
     In more detail, the first blower fan  31  is spaced apart from one side of the thermoelectric element  20 . Since the first heat sink fins  24  are attached to one side of the thermoelectric element  20  as described above, the first blower fan  31  is located above the first heat sink fins  24 . 
     In addition, the second blower fan  33  is spaced apart from the other side of the thermoelectric element  20 . Since the second heat sink fins  26  are attached to the other side of the thermoelectric element  20  as described above, the second blower fan  33  is located below the second heat sink fins  26 . 
     Both the first and second blower fans  31  and  33  can be operated by a single motor  40 . For this, the motor  40  can preferably be implemented with a double shaft motor to which two rotary shafts  41  and  42  are coupled in opposite directions. 
     The first and second blower fans  31  and  33  can be simultaneously rotated by the double shaft motor. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the first and second blower fans  31  and  33  have blades oriented in opposite directions. Accordingly, the first blower fan  31  blows wind toward the air supply port  11 , and the second blower fan  33  blows wind toward the air exhaust holes  13 . 
     Since the first and second blower fans  31  and  33  can be simultaneously rotated by one motor  40 , the structure of the heating and cooling system can be further simplified, and thus the heating and cooling system can be more easily installed in and separated from the seat S. 
     Meanwhile, air filters can preferably be attached to the inner air holes  15  and/or the outer air port  17 . 
     The air filters purify air that flows through the inner air holes  15  and through the outer air port  17 . The air filters can preferably be designed to be detachable in order to facilitate the removal of impurities, which may accumulate with extended use, and to make the replacement of filters easier. 
     The air filters include a first air filter  51  attached to the inner air holes  15  and a second air filter  53  attached to the outer air port  17 . 
     The first air filter  51  can be in the shape of a ring that is coupled to the side of the housing  10  in order to surround the inner air holes  15  in the radial direction. The first and second air filters  51  and  53  can be mesh type filters by which impurities are removed. 
     When air inside the seat S is introduced to the inner air holes  15 , the first air filter  51  extracts impurities from air. 
     The second air filter  53  is shaped to surround the opening of the outer air port  17 . When outside air is introduced into the seat S through the outer air port  17 , the second air filter  53  extracts impurities so that the impurities do not enter the housing  10 . 
     Due to the above-described configuration, the heating and cooling system  1  for a vehicle seat of this exemplary embodiment can realize heating and cooling components using a simple structure, which is arranged inside a single housing. When compared to the conventional art, it is possible to reduce the installation space as well as to simplify the installation and disassembly processes. 
     Since one part of the housing  10  is mounted inside the seat S and the other part of the housing  10  is mounted outside the seat S, the heating and cooling system can be easily mounted to or separated from the seat S, and the maintenance of the heating and cooling system is simplified. 
     In addition, the complicated structures of the related art (see  FIG. 1 ) such as the heat exchanger unit, which heats and cools air, the blower unit, which circulates air, and the ducts connecting the heat exchanger unit to the blowing unit can be realized inside a single housing  10 . This, as a result, can simplify the structure while reducing the volume. 
     Furthermore, the heating and cooling system  1  for a vehicle seat of this exemplary embodiment is separately installed in the sitting part S 1  or in the back S 2  of the seat S. Accordingly, the heating and cooling system  1  can be separately controlled to perform the heating and cooling of the sitting part S 1  or the back S 2 , thereby raising the heating or cooling efficiency of the seat. 
     Below, a description will be given of the operation of the heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat of this exemplary embodiment by referring again to  FIG. 5 . 
     The heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat of this exemplary embodiment is mounted in such a fashion that one part of the housing  10  is inserted into the seat S and the other part of the housing  10  exposed out of the seat S. 
     When an occupant selects a cooling or heating mode for the vehicle seat S, a current is supplied to the heating and cooling system from the vehicle or from inside the seat. 
     When the current is supplied, one side of the thermoelectric element  20 , which is heated, and the adjacent heat sink fins  24  serve as a heater, and the other side of the thermoelectric element  20 , which is cooled, and the adjacent heat sink fins  26  serve as a cooler. 
     The cooler will be referred to as the upper part of the housing  10  for the sake of convenience. The first blower fan  31  located in the cooler circulates and supplies heated air to the air supply port  11 . At this time, as designated with arrows A, air is introduced into the housing  10  through the inner air holes  15  from inside the seat S. Then, the first air filter  51  provided on the inner air holes  15  prevents impurities inside the seat S from flowing into the housing  10 . 
     Next, air, introduced into the housing  10 , is cooled by the thermoelectric element  20 , and is then supplied into the seat S through the air supply port  11 . The first heat sink fins  24  enhance the cooling efficiency by widening the cooling surface area that comes into contact with air. In this fashion, the seat S is cooled by air, which is supplied into the seat S. 
     In addition, the thermoelectric element  20  generates heat in the heater, i.e., the lower part of the housing  10 . The second blower fan  33  located in the heater circulates heated air to exit through the air exhaust holes  13 , which are located in the lower side of the housing  10 . As shown in arrows B, air outside the seat S is introduced into the housing  10  through the outer air port  17  and then cools down the temperature of the heater. In addition, the second heat sink fins  26  enhance the heating efficiency by widening the heat dissipation surface area that comes into contact with air. 
     The second air filter  53  provided on the outer air port  17  facilitates the flowing of air by preventing impurities outside the seat S from flowing into the housing  10 . 
     Since the air exhaust holes  13  are formed along the circumference of the housing  10 , air is exhausted in the direction in parallel with the outer surface of the seat S. As a result, even if the heating and cooling system  1  for a vehicle seat of this exemplary embodiment is exposed from the rear side of the seat S, wind is not directly blown toward an occupant sitting behind the seat S. 
     In addition, since the heating and cooling systems  1  for a vehicle seat of this exemplary embodiment can be provided, respectively, in the sitting part S 1  and the back S 2  of the seat S, it is possible to separately control the heating and cooling of the sitting part S 1  and the back S 2 . 
     As described above, the heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be constructed more simply and easily since the complicated structures of the related art, including the heat exchanger unit, the blower unit, and the ducts, can be integrated inside a single housing. 
     In addition, the heating and cooling system is provided in such a manner that one part of the housing is mounted inside the seat and the other part of the housing is mounted outside the seat. As a result, the heating and cooling system can be easily mounted to or separated from the seat and the maintenance can be made easier, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. 
     For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms “upper”, “lower” and “outer” are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.