Patents by Inventor Jochen Pfaff

Jochen Pfaff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12071052
    Abstract: An air conditioning device for a vehicle seat, the air conditioning device includes: at least one flow generator to generate an air flow; at least one air inlet opening fluidically connected to a flow inlet of the flow generator to draw in air to be temperature-controlled; at least one air outlet opening fluidically connected to a flow outlet of the flow generator to eject the temperature-controlled air; a temperature-control device configured to control a temperature of the air drawn in through the at least one air inlet opening prior to the air being ejected from the at least one air outlet opening; and a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the air drawn into the at least one air inlet opening and to adapt a heating power of the temperature-control device to the detected temperature of the drawn-in air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Gentherm GMBH
    Inventors: Jochen Pfaff, Alexander Rappl
  • Publication number: 20230234485
    Abstract: An air conditioning device for a vehicle seat, the air conditioning device includes: at least one flow generator to generate an air flow; at least one air inlet opening fluidically connected to a flow inlet of the flow generator to draw in air to be temperature-controlled; at least one air outlet opening fluidically connected to a flow outlet of the flow generator to eject the temperature-controlled air; a temperature-control device configured to control a temperature of the air drawn in through the at least one air inlet opening prior to the air being ejected from the at least one air outlet opening; and a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the air drawn into the at least one air inlet opening and to adapt a heating power of the temperature-control device to the detected temperature of the drawn-in air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Jochen Pfaff, Alexander Rappl
  • Patent number: 11673495
    Abstract: An air conditioning device for a vehicle seat, the air conditioning device includes: at least one flow generator to generate an air flow; at least one air inlet opening fluidically connected to a flow inlet of the flow generator to draw in air to be temperature-controlled; at least one air outlet opening fluidically connected to a flow outlet of the flow generator to eject the temperature-controlled air; and a temperature-control device configured to control a temperature of the air drawn in through the at least one air inlet opening prior to the air being ejected from the at least one air outlet opening; the at least one air inlet opening and the at least one air outlet opening are arranged next to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Gentherm GMBH
    Inventors: Jochen Pfaff, Alexander Rappl
  • Publication number: 20230117319
    Abstract: A method for operating a temperature control fan integrated in an air guiding system, the method includes steps of: determining a current volume flow generated by a flow generator of the temperature-control fan within a detection region, and then adjusting at least one operating parameter of the temperature-control fan according to the determined current volume flow within the detection region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Alexander Rappl, Jochen Pfaff
  • Publication number: 20220176855
    Abstract: An air conditioning device for a vehicle seat, the air conditioning device includes: at least one flow generator to generate an air flow; at least one air inlet opening fluidically connected to a flow inlet of the flow generator to draw in air to be temperature-controlled; at least one air outlet opening fluidically connected to a flow outlet of the flow generator to eject the temperature-controlled air; and a temperature-control device configured to control a temperature of the air drawn in through the at least one air inlet opening prior to the air being ejected from the at least one air outlet opening; the at least one air inlet opening and the at least one air outlet opening are arranged next to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Jochen Pfaff, Alexander Rappl
  • Patent number: 10933780
    Abstract: A device for controlling the temperature of the neck region of a user of a vehicle seat. The device includes an air conveying device that is configured to convey air to a temperature control region, a temperature control device that is configured to control the temperature of the air to be conveyed to the temperature control region, and a control device that is configured to automatically control the air conveying device and the temperature control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: GENTHERM GMBH
    Inventors: Alexander Rappl, Jochen Pfaff
  • Patent number: 10926677
    Abstract: The present teachings relate to a neck fan for a vehicle seat for generating a usable air flow that emerges from the neck fan toward a passenger, said neck fan being provided with at least one air conveying device for generating a usable air flow in the region of a headrest or the upper end of a seat back. It is provided that one or more compensating means are provided, by means of which asymmetrical climatic conditions caused by interfering currents in the area surrounding a passenger can be compensated for, and that one or more compensating means act asymmetrically on the usable air flow and/or impart an asymmetry to the cross-section of the usable air flow, at least in the region of an outlet of the neck fan, said asymmetry relating to at least one geometric or thermodynamic parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: GENTHERM GMBH
    Inventors: Alexander Rappl, Jochen Pfaff, Johann Würl
  • Publication number: 20200039398
    Abstract: The present teachings relate to a neck fan for a vehicle seat for generating a usable air flow that emerges from the neck fan toward a passenger, said neck fan being provided with at least one air conveying device for generating a usable air flow in the region of a headrest or the upper end of a seat back. It is provided that one or more compensating means are provided, by means of which asymmetrical climatic conditions caused by interfering currents in the area surrounding a passenger can be compensated for, and that one or more compensating means act asymmetrically on the usable air flow and/or impart an asymmetry to the cross-section of the usable air flow, at least in the region of an outlet of the neck fan, said asymmetry relating to at least one geometric or thermodynamic parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Alexander Rappl, Jochen Pfaff, Johann Würl
  • Publication number: 20190031060
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (10) for controlling the temperature of the neck region of a user of a vehicle seat (50), said device comprising an air conveying device (12), which is configured to convey air to a temperature control region (14), a temperature control device (16), which is configured to control the temperature of the air to be conveyed to the temperature control region (14), and a control device (18), which is configured to control the air conveying device (12) and the temperature control device (16) automatically.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Alexander Rappl, Jochen Pfaff