JP2000060680A - Appliance vehicular seat-cooling/heating - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make the subject appliance compact by providing heat pipes in the surface area of a seat, a cooling element in one end of the heat pipe, and a heating element in the other end of the heat pipe. SOLUTION: A plurality of heat pipes 11 are provided in the surface area of a seat back 21 of a seat and the heat pipes 11 form a wick or a groove for moving the working fluid in the inner wall of the pipe by the capillarity by a heat transmission acceleration means formed by sealing various types of working fluid such as water, ammonia, methanol, or sodium therein. Pertier element 12 as a cooling element is provided in each one end of the heat pipes 11, a heat radiating element 121 is provided in the heat generation part side of the Pertier element 12, and a heater 13 is provided in the other end of the heat pipe 11. This constitution can make the appliance compact to store it in the seat.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle seat heating / cooling device which is provided in a vehicle seat to cool and heat an occupant.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Air conditioners for automobiles have been widely used to control the temperature in the interior of an automobile, but the rise in the sensible temperature of passengers has been improved. In order to save energy, various types of seats provided with a cooling / heating device directly have been proposed. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 60-42115 discloses an air conditioner for a vehicle seat of the type in which a heater core of an air conditioner for a vehicle is used to draw warm air from here.

However, since the air conditioner for automobiles has restrictions on the handling of hot water to the heater core and the handling of refrigerant to the evaporator, it is generally installed under the instrument panel on the front side of the room. . Therefore, when trying to draw in warm air from here, it is necessary to route the blower duct to the floor in the room, which causes a large problem in terms of space and cost.

Further, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-253037, there has been proposed a device in which a heater is directly provided on a seat in addition to an air conditioner for an automobile, but this device has a cooling function. Is not prepared.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a cooling and heating apparatus having a compact structure.

[0006]

[1] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a cooling / heating device (1) for a vehicle seat according to claim 1 is provided in a surface area of a seat (2) or one thereof. A heat pipe (11), a cooling element (12) provided on one end side of the heat pipe, and a heating element (13) provided on the other end side of the heat pipe. To do.

In the cooling and heating apparatus of the present invention, the cooling element for cooling and the heating element for heating are respectively provided at the end portions of the heat pipe. Therefore, when cooling is desired, the cooling element is activated. Thus, one end of the heat pipe is cooled and this cold heat is rapidly transmitted to the other end by the heat pipe. If heating is desired, the other end of the heat pipe is heated by the heating element, and this heating is rapidly transmitted to the one end by the heat pipe.

As described above, according to the cooling and heating apparatus of the present invention, the heat transfer rate is high in both cooling and heating, and the heat pipe, the cooling element and the heating element have a simple structure, so that the apparatus becomes compact. It can also be stored in the seat.

[2] As a cooling element according to the present invention, a Peltier element can be exemplified. This is an element that has the property of generating or absorbing heat other than Joule heat at the contacts when a current is applied to the contacts of different conductors or different semiconductors. If the current direction is reversed, heat generation and absorption will occur. Is reversed. The specific material is not particularly limited.

Further, in the cooling and heating apparatus of the present invention, since the Peltier element is used as the cooling element, the heat absorbing portion of the Peltier element is provided in the heat pipe, but the heat is generated by cooling the other heat generating portion. The heat absorption effect of the absorption part is further improved. Therefore, although not particularly limited, the cooling element is formed of a Peltier element, and the heat generating portion of the Peltier element is provided with a radiator (121), as in the cooling and heating apparatus for a vehicle seat according to claim 2. It is more preferable that the heat radiator is provided so as to face the heat dissipation passage (23) formed in the seat.

Further, at this time, it is more preferable to provide a blower fan (122) in the heat radiation passage, as in the cooling and heating system for a vehicle seat according to claim 3.

By providing a heat radiator in the heat generating portion of the Peltier element, the heat radiation effect is improved, and by forming the heat radiation passage in the seat, the device can be made compact. Further, if a blower fan is provided in the heat radiation passage, the heat radiation effect becomes more remarkable, and as a result, the cooling effect by the heat absorbing portion becomes higher.

In the cooling / heating apparatus of the present invention, although not particularly limited, like the cooling / heating apparatus for a vehicle seat according to claim 4, the inlet (231) of the heat radiation passage is made to face the inside and the outside, and these are switched. It is more preferable to provide a damper (233).

If the vehicle is parked for a long time with the windows closed during the summer or the like, the indoor temperature often becomes higher than the outdoor temperature. In such a case, the heat radiation effect is higher when the outdoor air having a lower temperature is introduced than when the indoor air is introduced into the heat radiation passage. In the cooling and heating apparatus according to the fourth aspect, this can be done by switching the damper, so that the cooling effect by the Peltier element becomes higher.

[3] In the cooling and heating apparatus of the present invention, although not particularly limited, the heat pipe includes an oscillating portion (11).
1) is formed, the swinging portion is provided in a boundary area of the seat back portion (21) and the seat cushion portion (22) of the seat, and the heat pipe is continuously provided in the seat back portion and the seat cushion portion. You can also

By doing so, it suffices to provide one cooling and heating device for the seat back portion and the seat cushion portion, and the number of parts such as cooling elements and heating elements can be reduced.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a mounted state of the cooling and heating apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a mounting range of the cooling and heating apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a conceptual view of a main part showing another embodiment of the cooling / heating apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a front view showing an embodiment of the cooling / heating apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along line VI-VI of FIG. Figure,
FIG. 7 is a side view showing another embodiment of the heat pipe according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a side view showing still another embodiment of the heat pipe according to the present invention.

First, the structure of the cooling and heating apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 shows a front view of the cooling and heating apparatus 1 embedded in the seat back portion 21 of the seat 2, and a plurality of (here, 6 Main) heat pipe 11, Peltier elements 12 provided at one end (here, the upper end) of the heat pipe 11, a radiator 121 provided on the heat generating portion side of the Peltier element 12, and a heat pipe The heater 13 is provided at the other end (here, the lower end) of the heater 11.

The heat pipe 11 is a heat transfer promoting means in which various working fluids such as water, ammonia, methanol or sodium are enclosed, and the working fluid is moved to the inner wall of the tube by a capillary phenomenon. (For example, wire mesh or fiber material of about 100 to 150 mesh) or grooves are formed. The working fluid evaporates and absorbs heat from the outside in the evaporator (here, the lower end region), and the vapor of the working fluid condenses and radiates heat in the condenser (here, the upper end region). The working fluid condensed in the condensing section returns to the evaporating section by the capillary force in the above-mentioned wick or groove. As a result, the heat applied to the evaporator or the cold applied to the condenser is immediately transferred to the other, improving the rise of the cooling and heating effect of the seat back part 21 and the seat cushion part 22 as a whole. be able to.

By the way, in the present embodiment, the seat back portion 21 is usually in a substantially upright posture, so that the working fluid condensed in the condenser portion of the heat pipe 11 moves to the evaporator portion due to its own weight. That is, when the cooling element is provided at one end of the heat pipe 11 and the heating element is provided at the other end, the arrangement of the cooling element and the heating element is not limited in general, but the cooling is performed at the upper end portion as in this embodiment. By providing the element 12 and the heating element 13 at the lower end,
The return of the working fluid due to its own weight can be further promoted. That is, the heat transfer rate becomes faster. Similarly to this,
Since the seat cushion portion 22 is usually in a substantially horizontal posture or lowered rearward, the cooling element 12 is provided at the end of the heat pipe 11 on the front side of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1, and the heating element 13 is provided at the end of the rear side of the vehicle. Is desirable. However, such selection of the mounting positions of the cooling element 12 and the heating element 13 is not an essential requirement of the present invention, and if the above-mentioned wick or groove is provided on the inner wall of the heat pipe 11, no problem will occur.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a Peltier element 12 is attached to each heat pipe 11 at the upper end of the heat pipe 11. Peltier element 1
As described above, 2 is an element having a property that when a current is applied to a contact such as a different conductor, the contact generates or absorbs heat other than Joule heat. It is the opposite of absorption. Although the specific material is not particularly limited, since the Peltier element 12 is used as a cooling element in the cooling and heating device 1 of the embodiment, the heat absorbing portion of the Peltier element 12 is attached to the heat pipe 11, or the heat pipe 11 is attached. The direction of the electric current is set so that the mounted part becomes the heat absorption part.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a heat radiator 121 is provided on the heat generating portion of the Peltier element 12, here on the main surface opposite to the heat pipe 11. Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, this heat radiator 121
Is composed of one so that it can be shared by all Peltier elements 12. The radiator 121 is attached to the seat 2 so as to face the inside of a radiator passage 23 described later.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, one heater 13 is mounted on the lower end of the heat pipe 11 in common with each heat pipe 11. The heater 13 is used as a heating element, and an electric heater or the like can be used. In the illustrated embodiment, one heater 1
However, a plurality of heaters 13 may be provided for each heat pipe 11.

The air conditioner 1 described above is installed in the vehicle seat 2
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, it is desirable to install it in a region as close to the surface of the seat 2 as possible and within a range where the body of the occupant comes into contact when the occupant is seated. Seat 2
As an example of being provided in the front surface area, it is desirable to provide it in contact with the back surface of the seat cover 24 as shown in FIG. Also, as an example of providing in the range where the body contacts,
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, it is desirable to provide it in the central region where the back of the seat back part 21 contacts, or the central region where the buttocks and the back of the knee of the seat cushion part 22 contact.

The air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a seat 2
When mounted on the seat 2, as shown in FIG.
And an inlet 231 is provided on the back side and an outlet 232 is provided on the upper surface. Then, in the heat dissipation passage 23,
Radiator 1 attached to the heat generating part of the Peltier element 12
Face 21. At this time, although the radiator 121 may be cooled by natural ventilation of the radiator passage 23, in the present embodiment, the blower fan 122 is provided in the radiator passage 23 to perform forced air blow and the amount of heat released from the radiator 121. Is to increase. The positions of the inlet 231 and the outlet 232 of the heat dissipation passage 23 may be opposite to those in the example shown in FIG.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the temperature sensor 14 is attached to the heat insulating portion at the center of the heat pipe 11, and the electric power supplied to the Peltier element 12, the electric power supplied to the heater 13, and the blower fan. 122 ON / O
A controller 15 for processing the temperature detected by the FF and the temperature sensor 14 is provided. This controller 15 supplies power to the Peltier element 12 and turns on / off the blower fan 122 during cooling based on the temperature of the heat insulating portion of the heat pipe 11 detected by the temperature sensor 14.
OFF control is performed, and power supply to the heater 13 is controlled during heating.

Next, the operation will be described. In an environment where the room temperature is high and cooling is required, such as in the summer, the room temperature becomes abnormally high, especially when the vehicle is parked for a long time. Have difficulty. In such a case, electric power is supplied to the Peltier element 12 and the blower fan 122 is operated by a control command from the controller 15.

As shown in FIG. 3, when a current is passed through the Peltier element 12, its heat absorbing portion, that is, the heat pipe 11
Heat is absorbed at the upper end (condensing part of the heat pipe) of the and the working fluid is condensed. The condensed working fluid that has become this low temperature
The inner wall of the heat pipe 11 flows down by the capillary force and its own weight to reach the evaporating portion at the lower end, whereby the entire heat pipe 11 is cooled. Such cooling occurs immediately after operating the cooling / heating apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, and since the cooling / heating apparatus 1 is provided so as to almost contact the body and the sensible temperature is also sensitive, the cooling feeling rises remarkably. improves. Such a cooling effect is obtained not only in the seat back portion 21 but also in the seat cushion portion 22.

When the blower fan 122 is operated, room air is taken in through the inlet 231 of the heat dissipation passage 23 and the outlet 2
Since the air is discharged from 32, an air flow is generated in the heat radiation passage 23, and the amount of heat radiation from the heat radiator 121 increases. As a result, the temperature of the heat generating portion of the Peltier element 12 drops, so the heat absorbing capacity of the heat absorbing portion further increases, and the temperature of the heat pipe 11 further lowers even when the same electric power is supplied to the Peltier element 12. That is, the cooling capacity can be controlled.

Incidentally, when the vehicle is parked for a long time, the room temperature is often higher than the outdoor temperature. In consideration of such a case, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, an inlet 231b for introducing the outdoor air is provided at the inlet 231 of the heat dissipation passage 23, and an inlet 231a for introducing the indoor air and an inlet 231b for introducing the outdoor air are provided. A damper 233 that selectively switches may be provided. When the indoor temperature is higher than the outdoor temperature, the air introduced into the heat dissipation passage 23 is used as the outside air, whereby the radiator 1
21 further increases the heat radiation amount.

On the other hand, in an environment where the room temperature is low and heating is required, such as in winter, especially when the vehicle is parked for a long time, the room temperature becomes abnormally low and only the normal air conditioner is used. Therefore, it is difficult to heat the room rapidly. Especially in the case of heating, since the engine cooling water is used as the heat source, it is necessary to withstand the cold until the engine warms up.

In such a case, the heater 13 is operated by the control command from the controller 15. As shown in FIG. 3, when a current is passed through the heater 13, the lower end of the heat pipe 11 (evaporating portion of the heat pipe) is heated, and the working fluid is thereby evaporated. The evaporating working fluid having the high temperature rises up the inner wall of the heat pipe 11 and reaches the condensation section at the upper end, whereby the entire heat pipe 11 is heated. Such heating occurs immediately after operating the cooling / heating apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, and since the cooling / heating apparatus 1 is provided so as to almost contact the body and the sensible temperature is also sensitive, the rise of the heating sensation is remarkable. improves. Such heating effect can be obtained not only in the seat back portion 21 but also in the seat cushion portion 22.

The embodiments described above are described for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and not for limiting the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above-described embodiment is intended to include all design changes and equivalents within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2), the cooling / heating device 1 of the present invention is mounted separately on the seat back portion 21 and the seat cushion portion 22 of the seat 2, but one cooling / heating device is used. The device 1 can be attached to the seat back portion 21 and the seat cushion portion 22.

However, the normal seat 2 has a seat back portion 21.
Since there is a reclining fulcrum between the seat cushion portion 22 and the seat cushion portion 22 and the seat cushion portion 22 swings by a predetermined angle, the heat pipe 11 also needs to be swingable accordingly.

Regarding this point, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the swinging portion 1 having a bellows structure is provided in the middle of the heat pipe 11.
11 is provided, and the heat pipe 11 is arranged so that the swinging portion 111 is located at the fulcrum of the seat back portion 21. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the middle of the heat pipe 11 (preferably the heat insulating portion of the heat pipe) is connected by a flexible tube made of a reinforcing thread and a soft metal, and this is used as the swinging portion 111. is there. Also in this case, the heat pipe 11 is arranged so that the swinging portion 111 is located at the fulcrum of the seat back portion 21.

By doing so, it suffices to provide one air conditioner 1 for the seat back portion 21 and the seat cushion portion 22, and the number of parts such as the Peltier element 12 and the heater 13 can be reduced.

[0038]

As described above, according to the cooling and heating apparatus of the present invention, the heat transfer speed is high in both cooling and heating, and the heat pipe, the cooling element, and the heating element are simple in structure, so that they are compact. It can also be stored in the seat. Therefore, even if the cooling load or the heating load is significantly large and is insufficient by only the normal air conditioner such as when parked for a long time, the use of the cooling and heating device of the present invention enables quick cooling or rapid heating. It will be possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a mounted state of a cooling and heating device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a mounting range of the cooling and heating device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a main part showing another embodiment of the cooling and heating device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an embodiment of a cooling and heating apparatus of the present invention.

6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing another embodiment of the heat pipe according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view showing still another embodiment of the heat pipe according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Air conditioner 11 ... Heat pipe 111 ... Oscillating part 12 ... Peltier element (cooling element) 121 ... Radiator 122 ... Blower fan 13 ... Heater (heating element) 2 ... seat 21 ... Seat back section 22 ... Seat cushion 23 ... Heat dissipation passage 231, 231a, 231b ... Entrance 232 ... Exit 233 ... Damper 24 ... Seat cover

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. One or more heat pipes provided in a surface area of a seat, a cooling element provided on one end side of the heat pipe, and a heating element provided on the other end side of the heat pipe. An air conditioning system for a vehicle seat, characterized by being provided with. 2. The cooling element is composed of a Peltier element, a heat radiator is provided in a heat generating portion of the Peltier element, and the heat radiator is provided so as to face a heat radiation passage formed in the seat. The air-conditioning system for a vehicle seat according to claim 1. 3. A cooling / heating apparatus for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein a blower fan is provided in the heat radiation passage. 4. A cooling and heating system for a vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein an inlet of the heat radiation passage faces a room and a room and has a damper for switching between them. 5. A swinging portion is formed on the heat pipe, the swinging portion is provided in a boundary region between the seat back portion and the seat cushion portion of the seat, and the heat pipe includes the seat back portion and the seat cushion portion. 5. The air conditioner for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner is continuously provided in the vehicle.