Motor Vehicle Seat
The invention relates to a motor vehicle seat comprising a back rest (11), a height-adjustable head rest (12), and an aeration device (13) that is integrated into the back rest and comprises a blow opening (16) arranged in the upper side (111) of the back rest (11) and used to blow out hot air. The aim of the invention is to improve the aeration device by reducing the aeration noises and generating a comfortable warm feeling for the user of the seat, in the head, neck and shoulder region. To this end, a diffuser (19) is arranged in the intermediate space between the back rest (11) and the head padding (15) of the head rest (12), said diffuser being embodied and oriented in relation to the blow opening in such a way that the hot air flow through the blow opening towards the head padding is deflected into a wide, diffuse hot air flow flowing around the head, neck and shoulder area of a user (10). The length of the diffuser (19) can be varied and the diffuser itself is fixed to the lower side (151) of the head padding (15) and to the upper side (11) of the back rest (11), so that it is involved in the height adjustment of the head rest.
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This invention relates to a vehicle seat for a motor vehicle.
In a known vehicle seat for an open motor vehicle or convertible (see German document DE 100 47 754 A1), to avoid an undesirable draft for the seat user, air discharge openings are provided level with the upper region of the backrest, which air discharge openings are connected to an air-distributing device integrated in the backrest. The air-distributing device has a fan and a heating element for heating the air flow. Of the air discharge openings, one is arranged in the upper side of the backrest and two are arranged in the lateral narrow sides of the backrest. The air discharge openings are oriented in such a manner that the air flow is discharged essentially in the transverse direction of the vehicle. To avoid eddies of cold air when traveling with the motor vehicle open, a wind deflector is integrated in the backrest, is designed, for example, as a roller blind, and can be extended out of the backrest or retracted into the backrest manually or by motor. In the extended position, the upper edge of the wind deflector is fixed to the rear side of the head cushion. In this case, the wind deflector extends over the entire width of the backrest and tapers toward the head cushion.
In another vehicle seat which is likewise known (see German document DE 101 60 799 A1) and which has an additional heating system for the head, neck and shoulder region of the seat user by means of hot air being blown out, a pressure connection of a hot air fan ends with its blow-out opening in the intermediate space between the head cushion and the upper side of the backrest. The normal of the blow-out opening of the pressure connection is oriented approximately horizontally, so that the head, neck and shoulder region of the seat user has hot air flowing directly against it.
One object of the invention is the object of more effectively designing the ventilation device for supplying hot air to the head, neck and shoulder region of the seat user so that, while any flow noises are negligible, the seat user experiences a comfortable sensation of heat without there being any draft.
This object is achieved according to the invention.
The vehicle seat according to the invention has the advantage that, by means of a diffuser present in the intermediate space between backrest and head cushion, the hot air blow-out opening, which is enclosed in the upper side of the backrest and is advantageously not directly visible, does not issue a directed and focused hot air stream which directly impacts against the neck and head and shoulder region of the seat user or flows past that region at a great flow rate. Rather, the opening issues a diffuse, fanned-out, gentle hot air flow which acts upon the neck and head region of the seat user and, as a result, in this region forms a type of hot air cushion which initiates a comfortable sensation of heat for the seat user. Owing to the fact that the diffuser covers the intermediate space between backrest and head cushion to the rear, the formation of the hot air cushion cannot be disturbed from the rear by horizontal air flows. By the length-variable diffuser being fixed to the head cushion and to the upper side of the backrest, this hot air cushion is produced and maintained irrespective of the size of the seat user and the head restraint height setting, which is dependent on seat user size. Advantageous embodiments of the vehicle seat according to the invention together with expedient developments and refinements of the invention are defined by the further patent claims.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the transverse direction of the seat, the diffuser covers the region between the two supporting rods of the head restraint. This affords the advantage that the view of the seat user, in particular of the driver, to the rear is not restricted, without compromises having to be made with regard to the hot air cushion produced in the head, neck and shoulder region of the seat user.
The invention is described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings.
The vehicle seat, part of which is illustrated in side view in
In order to blow out the hot air of the ventilation device 13, a blow-out opening 16 is embedded in the upper side 111 of the backrest 11 and is the mouth opening of a pressure connection 17 of a suction fan 18 of the ventilation device 13, which suction fan is integrated in the backrest 11. In a manner not illustrated further, the suction fan 18 sucks up hot air and blows it out via the pressure connection 17 and the blow-out opening 16. Alternatively, the suction fan 18 can suck up ambient air from the interior of the vehicle, with the air being guided over an electric heating element. The discharge direction of the hot air from the blow-out opening 16 is directed toward the head cushion 15.
In order to achieve an effective circulation of hot air around the head, neck and shoulder region of the seat user 10, a diffuser 19 is arranged in the intermediate space between the upper side 111 of the backrest 11 and the lower side 151 of the head cushion 15 in such a manner that it covers the intermediate space to the rear from an airflow. In the transverse direction of the seat, the diffuser 19 here fills the region between the two supporting rods 141 of the supporting hoop 14 of the head restraint 12. The diffuser 19 is designed in such a manner and oriented relative to the blow-out opening 16 in the upper side 111 of the backrest 11 in such a manner that it alters the focused hot air stream, which emerges from the blow-out opening 16 and is directed toward the head cushion 15, into a wide, diffuse hot air flow with a low flow rate aiming at the neck and head region of the seat user 10. In the exemplary embodiment of
In the case of the vehicle seat which is partially illustrated in
In the exemplary embodiment, illustrated in
In the case of the exemplary embodiment of the vehicle seat in
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Claims
1-11. (canceled)
12. A vehicle seat comprising:
- a backrest,
- a height-adjustable head restraint which has a supporting hoop with two parallel supporting rods guided in the backrest and a head cushion held on the supporting hoop,
- a ventilation device which has a blow-out opening arranged in an upper side of the backrest for blowing out a hot air stream, and
- a diffuser arranged in an intermediate space between the backrest and the head cushion which blocks off the intermediate space to the rear and is designed and oriented relative to the blow-out opening in such a manner that the hot air stream emerging from the blow-out opening in the direction of the head cushion is altered into a spread-apart, diffuse hot air flow spreading out to a neck and rear head region of a seat user.
13. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 12, wherein the diffuser is variable in length and is fixed on the upper side of the backrest and on a lower side of the head cushion.
14. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 12, wherein, in a transverse direction of the seat, the diffuser covers a region between the two supporting rods of the supporting hoop of the head restraint.
15. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 12, wherein the diffuser is designed as stretched cloth which is inclined with respect to the upper side of the backrest and extends from a rear edge of the upper side of the backrest as far as a front edge of a lower side of the head cushion.
16. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cloth is pulled off from a reel of cloth wound up on a resetting roller-blind-type rod.
17. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15, wherein the cloth is a pleated cloth which can be expanded in the manner of a concertina and has folds running in a transverse direction of the seat.
18. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 12, wherein the diffuser is formed by an expansion bellows which surrounds the supporting rods of the head restraint and the blow-out opening, is fastened on an end side on the upper side of the backrest and to a lower side of the head cushion, and is open continuously longitudinally to the front toward the neck and head region of the seat user.
19. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 12, wherein the blow-out opening arranged in the upper side of the backrest is a mouth opening of a pressure connection of a suction fan of the ventilation device, and wherein the suction fan is integrated in the backrest.
20. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 12, wherein the diffuser is formed by a blow-out duct which surrounds the blow-out opening in the upper side of the backrest, enters the backrest in an axially displaceable manner, extends as far as a lower side of the head cushion and is fastened to the latter, and wherein, in a duct section extending between the upper side of the backrest and the lower side of the head cushion, the blow-out duct is open forward toward the neck and head region of a seat user.
21. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 20, wherein the blow-out duct is curved forward at least in its end region facing the head cushion.
22. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 20, wherein the air blow-out opening in the upper side of the backrest is the mouth opening of a pressure connection of a suction fan of the ventilation device, which suction fan is integrated in the backrest, and wherein the blow-out duct is guided by its end section, which enters the backrest, in a telescopically displaceable manner on the pressure connection.
23. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 13, wherein the blow-out opening arranged in the upper side of the backrest is a mouth opening of a pressure connection of a suction fan of the ventilation device, and wherein the suction fan is integrated in the backrest.
24. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 14, wherein the blow-out opening arranged in the upper side of the backrest is a mouth opening of a pressure connection of a suction fan of the ventilation device, and wherein the suction fan is integrated in the backrest.
25. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15, wherein the blow-out opening arranged in the upper side of the backrest is a mouth opening of a pressure connection of a suction fan of the ventilation device, and wherein the suction fan is integrated in the backrest.
26. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 16, wherein the blow-out opening arranged in the upper side of the backrest is a mouth opening of a pressure connection of a suction fan of the ventilation device, and wherein the suction fan is integrated in the backrest.
27. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 17, wherein the blow-out opening arranged in the upper side of the backrest is a mouth opening of a pressure connection of a suction fan of the ventilation device, and wherein the suction fan is integrated in the backrest.
28. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 18, wherein the blow-out opening arranged in the upper side of the backrest is a mouth opening of a pressure connection of a suction fan of the ventilation device, and wherein the suction fan is integrated in the backrest.
29. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in a transverse direction of the seat, the diffuser covers a region between the two supporting rods of the supporting hoop of the head restraint.
30. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 13, wherein the diffuser is formed by a blow-out duct which surrounds the blow-out opening in the upper side of the backrest, enters the backrest in an axially displaceable manner, extends as far as a lower side of the head cushion and is fastened to the latter, and wherein, in a duct section extending between the upper side of the backrest and the lower side of the head cushion, the blow-out duct is open forward toward the neck and head region of a seat user.
31. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 14, wherein the diffuser is formed by a blow-out duct which surrounds the blow-out opening in the upper side of the backrest, enters the backrest in an axially displaceable manner, extends as far as a lower side of the head cushion and is fastened to the latter, and wherein, in a duct section extending between the upper side of the backrest and the lower side of the head cushion, the blow-out duct is open forward toward the neck and head region of a seat user.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 30, 2004
Publication Date: Nov 27, 2008
Applicant: DAIMLERCHRYSLER AG (STUTTGART)
Inventors: Claudio Bargheer (Holzgerlingen), Thomas Heckmann (Aidlingen), Karl Pfahler (Stuttgart)
Application Number: 10/586,186
International Classification: A47C 7/72 (20060101);