U.S. patent application number 13/166500 was filed with the patent office on 2012-06-14 for air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hyundai Motor Company. Invention is credited to Duck Chae Jun, Jang Su Park.
Application Number | 20120144844 13/166500 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46144720 |
Filed Date | 2012-06-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120144844 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Park; Jang Su ; et
al. |
June 14, 2012 |
AIR-CONDITIONING VENTILATION SEAT MODULE FOR VEHICLES
Abstract
An air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles, may
include a blower unit having a housing, a thermoelectric module
having a casing mounted in the housing, wherein a thermoelectric
device may be mounted in the casing, and wherein an internal space
of the casing may be divided into a cold air path and a hot air
path, a separator connected to one side of the thermoelectric
module between the cold air path and the hot air path and having a
curved section in order to maximize an amount of absorbing a
condensate that may be created by a temperature difference between
the cold air path and the hot air path when the seat module
operates in cooling mode.
Inventors: |
Park; Jang Su; (Busan,
KR) ; Jun; Duck Chae; (Seongnam-si, KR) |
Assignee: |
Hyundai Motor Company
Seoul
KR
KBAUTOTECH Co., Ltd.
Asan-si
KR
Kia Motors Corporation
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
46144720 |
Appl. No.: |
13/166500 |
Filed: |
June 22, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/3.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/5657 20130101;
B60N 2/5692 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/3.3 |
International
Class: |
F25B 21/04 20060101
F25B021/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 9, 2010 |
KR |
10-2010-0125670 |
Claims
1. An air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles,
comprising: a blower unit having a housing; a thermoelectric module
having a casing mounted in the housing, wherein a thermoelectric
device is mounted in the casing; and wherein an internal space of
the casing is divided into a cold air path and a hot air path; a
separator connected to a side of the thermoelectric module between
the cold air path and the hot air path and having a curved section
in order to maximize an amount of absorbing a condensate that is
created by a temperature difference between the cold air path and
the hot air path when the seat module operates in cooling mode.
2. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 1, wherein the separator is made of a
polypropylene non-woven fabric that undergoes hydrophilic treatment
and a compression process.
3. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 1, wherein the curved section curves towards the
hot air path.
4. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 3, wherein the cold air path is disposed above
the hot air path and the curved section curves down towards the hot
air path.
5. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 4, wherein the separator is made of a
polypropylene non-woven fabric that undergoes hydrophilic treatment
and a compression process.
6. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 1, wherein the separator further includes a
fitting section horizontally extending from an end of the curved
section.
7. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 6, wherein the separator is made of a
polypropylene non-woven fabric that undergoes hydrophilic treatment
and a compression process.
8. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 6, wherein the casing is provided in a side with
a slot with a cross-section in a shape of ` `, into which an end of
the fitting section is inserted and coupled.
9. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 8, wherein the separator is made of a
polypropylene non-woven fabric that undergoes hydrophilic treatment
and a compression process.
10. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 6, wherein the curved section has a surface
portion which is hidden such that an area exposed to cold air
passing through the cold air path is smaller than that exposed to
hot air passing through the hot air path.
11. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 10, wherein the separator is made of a
polypropylene non-woven fabric that undergoes hydrophilic treatment
and a compression process.
12. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 10, wherein the housing includes an upper casing
and a lower casing, the upper casing having, on a bottom in a side
thereof, a guider to hide a portion of the surface portion of the
curved section.
13. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 12, wherein the thermoelectric module and the
guider are separated with a predetermined gap.
14. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 12, wherein the separator is made of a
polypropylene non-woven fabric that undergoes hydrophilic treatment
and a compression process.
15. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 12, wherein the guider is brought into close
contact with the curved section.
16. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 15, wherein the separator is made of a
polypropylene non-woven fabric that undergoes hydrophilic treatment
and a compression process.
17. The air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles
according to claim 12, wherein the lower casing is bent from the
hot air path with a predetermined angle and the curved section is
disposed at a connection point between the lower casing and the hot
air path.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2010-0125670 filed on Dec. 9, 2010, the entire
contents of which is incorporated herein for purposes by this
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates, in general, to an
air-conditioning ventilation seat for vehicles and, more
particularly, to an air-conditioning ventilation seat for vehicles,
in which in an air-conditioning mode, an amount of absorbing
condensate is maximized.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Generally, vehicles are provided with an air conditioner,
which includes a cooler and a heater, in order to regulate the
temperature of the interior of a vehicle. However, such an air
conditioner does not have the function of regulating the
temperature of vehicle seats, so that for instance in the summer,
although the temperature of vehicle interior is lowered by the
operation of the air conditioner, the vehicle seat is not
sufficiently cooled and if a passenger is sitting thereon, because
of the passenger's heat, the sweat of the passenger may make his
hips and backs moist, and cause him to suffer from heat rash.
[0006] Also in winter, although operating the heater drives up the
temperature of the interior of a vehicle, the vehicle seat does not
sufficiently heat up, but stays cold, so that the hips and back of
a passenger who is sitting thereon feels cold.
[0007] Thus, recently, when manufacturing a vehicle, an air
conditioner is often mounted separately and is designed to regulate
the temperature of a vehicle seat. The air conditioner in general
is configured such that an air supply pipe that is connected to an
air conditioning system of a vehicle is mounted in the vehicle seat
so that cooled or warmed air is discharged out of the vehicle seat
from the air conditioning system through the air supply pipe.
Besides the above air conditioner for a vehicle seat of the related
art, as shown in FIG. 1, there is provided another air conditioner
for a vehicle seat including a back part 2 and a cushion part 3,
which includes, in the center of the cushion part 3 of the vehicle
seat 1, a blower unit 10, in which a blowing fan and a motor are
mounted, and having blast outlets 11 and 12, which are supplied
with air from the vehicle interior and vent air in opposite
directions. Blast ducts 16 each are mounted in the cushion part 3
and the back part 2 such that the respective blast ducts are
connected to the blast outlets 11 and 12. The blast ducts 16 have
on ends thereof cushion-side and back-side outlets 17 and 18
through which air is vented perpendicular to a direction of air
supply. A cushion-side thermoelectric semiconductor module 19 and a
back-side thermoelectric semiconductor module 20 are provided in
the middle of the blast ducts 16 adjacent to the cushion-side and
back-side outlets 17 and 18. The thermoelectric semiconductor
modules 19 and 20 have first sides 19a and 20a serving as a cooler
and second sides 19b and 20b serving as a heater. The roles of the
first and second sides can be reversed by changing the polarity of
the applied voltage. The thermoelectric semiconductor module is
well known in the art, so a detailed description thereof will be
omitted.
[0008] As shown in FIG. 2, the thermoelectric semiconductor modules
19 and 20 are mounted in the middle of the blast ducts 16, so that
a first path P1 is formed between the first sides 19a and 20a of
the modules 19 and 20 and the blast ducts 16 to communicate with
the cushion-side outlet 17. Further, a second path P2 is formed
between the second sides 19b and 20b of the modules 19 and 20 and
the blast ducts 16 to communicate with the back-side outlet 18.
[0009] Thus, when the second sides 19b and 20b of the
thermoelectric semiconductor modules 19 and 20 serve as a cooler,
air blown from the blower unit 10 is heat-exchanged with cold air
in the second path P2 in the blast duct 16 so that the cold air is
vented out of the back-side outlet 18 towards the vehicle interior.
On the contrary, when the first sides 19a and 20a of the
thermoelectric semiconductor modules 19 and 20 serve as a heater,
air blown from the blower unit 10 is heat-exchanged with hot air in
the first path P1 in the blast duct 16 so that the hot air is
vented out of the cushion-side outlet 17 towards the vehicle
interior.
[0010] However, such a conventional air conditioner for a vehicle
seat has drawbacks in that upon cooling, the temperature of the
thermoelectric semiconductor modules 19 and 20, which serve as a
heater, is lower than that of the air in the vehicle interior,
causing the air to condense into moisture, which when introduced
into the modules 19 and 20, reduces the cooling efficiency so that
for instance a passenger sitting on the vehicle seat does not feel
sufficiently cold, and leads to operational errors. Further, while
a conventional air conditioner of a vehicle generally has a drain
structure through which moisture is discharged out of a vehicle, in
the above air conditioner for a vehicle seat, a ventilation module
is mounted in the vehicle, making it difficult to discharge
moisture out of the vehicle due to restrictions in the installation
of the drain structure.
[0011] 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
[0012] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to
providing an air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles,
which has a separator to maximize an amount of absorbing condensate
that is created from a thermoelectric semiconductor device in a
cooling mode.
[0013] In an aspect of the present invention, the air-conditioning
ventilation seat module for vehicles, may include a blower unit
having a housing, a thermoelectric module having a casing mounted
in the housing, wherein a thermoelectric device may be mounted in
the casing, and wherein an internal space of the casing may be
divided into a cold air path and a hot air path, a separator
connected to one side of the thermoelectric module between the cold
air path and the hot air path and having a curved section in order
to maximize an amount of absorbing a condensate that may be created
by a temperature difference between the cold air path and the hot
air path when the seat module operates in cooling mode.
[0014] The curved section curves towards the hot air path, wherein
the cold air path may be disposed above the hot air path and the
curved section curves down towards the hot air path.
[0015] The separator further includes a fitting section
horizontally extending from an end of the curved section, wherein
the separator may be made of a polypropylene non-woven fabric that
undergoes hydrophilic treatment and a compression process.
[0016] The casing may be provided in one side with a slot with a
section in a shape of `.quadrature.`, into which an end of the
fitting section may be inserted and coupled.
[0017] The curved section has a surface portion which may be hidden
such that an area exposed to cold air passing through the cold air
path may be smaller than that exposed to hot air passing through
the hot air path
[0018] The housing includes an upper casing and a lower casing, the
upper casing having, on a bottom in one side thereof, a guider to
hide a portion of the surface portion of the curved section,
wherein the thermoelectric module and the guider may be separated
with a predetermined gap.
[0019] The guider may be brought into close contact with the curved
section.
[0020] The lower casing may be bent from the hot air path with a
predetermined angle and the curved section may be disposed at a
connection point between the lower casing and the hot air path.
[0021] The separator may be made of a polypropylene non-woven
fabric that undergoes hydrophilic treatment and a compression
process.
[0022] As set forth before, according to the construction of the
invention, condensate that is created from the thermoelectric
module in cooling mode can be removed, thereby preventing
operational error of the thermoelectric module due to the
condensate, and improving the air conditioning efficiency
irrespective of factors associated with the creation of
condensate.
[0023] 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, which
together serve to explain certain principles of the present
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an air-conditioning
ventilation seat module for vehicles according to the related
art.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the operating principle of a
conventional thermoelectric semiconductor device.
[0026] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an
air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles according to
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which is
operating in cooling mode.
[0027] FIG. 4 is a view illustrating major components of an
air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles according to
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which is
operating in cooling mode.
[0028] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the assembly
of the seat module which is operating in cooling mode.
[0029] FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the operation of major
components of the seat module which is operating in cooling
mode.
[0030] FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating the overall
operation of the seat module.
[0031] 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.
[0032] 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
[0033] 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 the 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.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, an air-conditioning ventilation seat
module for vehicles according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention includes a blower unit 100, a thermoelectric
module 200, and a separator 300.
[0035] The blower unit 100 includes a housing 110 to which a motor
120, a blowing fan 130, and a cover are mounted. The housing 110
preferably has a mounting part for a disc type blowing fan 130, the
mounting part being of a shape corresponding to that of the blowing
fan. The blowing fan 130 rotates with the operation of the motor
120 and sucks air provided in the vehicle interior.
[0036] The thermoelectric module 200 is mounted in one side of the
housing 110. While a ventilation seat for vehicles can be operated
in cooling mode or heating mode according to a passenger's choice,
the description will be made with respect to the case of operating
in cooling mode for the sake of explanation. If operating in
heating mode, it is sufficient to just apply reversely-biased
current to the thermoelectric semiconductor device 240. Here, the
operating principle is the same as operating in cooling mode, and
positions of a cold air path 220 and a hot air path 230 can be
switched with each other.
[0037] The thermoelectric module 200 includes a casing 210 and a
thermoelectric semiconductor device 240. The thermoelectric
semiconductor device 240 is mounted in the casing 210, so that the
thermoelectric semiconductor device 240 divides the internal space
of the casing 210 into a cold air path 220 and a hot air path 230.
That is, it divides the internal space of the casing 210 in a
horizontal direction, so as to allow cold air to flow through the
upper side of the casing 210 and hot air to flow through the lower
side of the casing 210. Thus, the temperature difference between
air flowing through the paths 220 and 230 causes condensate to be
created. To remove this condensate, the separator 300 to be
described is mounted.
[0038] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the separator 300 is connected to
one side of the casing 210 of the thermoelectric module 200 in
order to absorb the maximum amount of condensate created by the
temperature difference between two paths 220 and 230. Particularly,
the separator 300 has a curved section 310 for maximizing the
absorption area of condensate. Further, if the curved section is
formed, a problem of the restricted mounting space of the separator
will be solved, and the absorption area of the condensate can be
maximized.
[0039] The curved section 310 may preferably fall down towards the
hot air path 230. If this is the case, the absorption area of
condensate can be maximized, and the direction of condensate flow
coincides with the direction of the force of gravity, further
improving the absorption effect of condensate.
[0040] The separator 300 may preferably have a fitting section 320
that extends from one end of the curved section 310. Further, in
order to facilitate coupling and decoupling of the fitting section
320 to the housing 110, a slot 212 with a section shaped like ` `
is preferably formed in the end side of the casing 210.
[0041] The separator 300 is preferably configured so that a portion
of the curved section 310 is hidden such that an area exposed to
the cold air passing through the cold air path 220 is smaller than
that exposed to the hot air passing through the hot air path 230.
While in order to effectively evaporate condensate that is absorbed
in the separator 300, the maximum amount of air passing through the
hot air path 230 should be utilized, if the effect of the cold air
passing through the cold air path 220 is not minimized, the effect
of evaporating condensate cannot be maximized. Thus, in order to
minimize the effect of the cold air, a surface portion of the
separator 300 that will be brought into contact with the cold air
is preferably hidden.
[0042] To be specific, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it may be
configured so that the housing 110 includes an upper casing 114 and
a lower casing 116, and the upper casing has, on the bottom in one
side, a guider 114a to prevent the surface portion of the curved
section 310 of the separator 300 from coming into direct contact
with the cold air. Further, if the guider 114a is configured to be
brought into close contact with the curved section 310, the effect
of fixing the separator 300 can also be improved. The separator may
be made of polypropylene non-woven fabric that has undergone
hydrophilic treatment and a compression process to maximize the
function of absorbing condensate.
[0043] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the
guider 114a and the thermoelectric module 200 may be spaced with a
predetermined gap 118 such that condensate formed in the cooling
path 220 may be absorbed to the separator 300 through the gap.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 6, in the cooling mode of the ventilation
seat module, the condensate created by the temperature difference
between the cold and hot air paths 220 and 230 is absorbed in the
separator 300, and the absorbed condensate is evaporated by hot air
passing through the hot air path 230, thereby solving a problem of
degradation of the ventilation seat occurring owing to the
condensate. Further, other problems such as an increase in
condensate upon improvement of cooling efficiency, and a reduction
in cooling efficiency upon the condensate increasing can also be
solved.
[0045] In the meantime, as shown in FIG. 7, according to the
air-conditioning ventilation seat module for vehicles, cold air is
supplied in a cushion-side direction C or a back-side direction B
through an air duct, thereby maximizing the cooling efficiency.
[0046] For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in
the appended claims, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner" and
"outer" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments
with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in
the figures.
[0047] 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.
* * * * *