Heating and cooling system for vehicle seat

Abstract

A heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat, may include a heat exchanger cooling or heating air before the air is introduced into the seat, and a blower blowing air toward the heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger includes a positive temperature coefficient element assembly provided inside a housing of the heat exchanger to heat the air supplied from the blower, and wherein the positive temperature coefficient element assembly operates in a case of heating the seat but does not operate in a case of cooling the seat.

1 . A heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat, comprising:
 a heat exchanger cooling or heating air before the air is introduced into the seat; and   a blower blowing air toward the heat exchanger,   wherein the heat exchanger includes a positive temperature coefficient element assembly provided inside a housing of the heat exchanger to heat the air supplied from the blower, and   wherein the positive temperature coefficient element assembly operates in a case of heating the seat but does not operate in a case of cooling the seat.   
     
     
         2 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger and the blower are connected to each other by a duct, and the heat exchanger is detachably attached to the duct. 
     
     
         3 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the housing is an integral housing enclosing the blower and the heat exchanger therein,
 wherein the heat exchanger is disposed in an output port of the integral housing and the positive temperature coefficient element assembly and the Peltier element assembly of the heat exchanger are aligned in series along a longitudinal direction of the output port, and   wherein one or more of the integral housings are provided in one or more of a sitting part and a back of the seat.   
     
     
         4 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 1 , comprising two of the heat exchangers coupled to both ends of the blower, wherein one or more of the heat exchangers are provided in one or more of a sitting part and a back of the seat. 
     
     
         5 . A heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat, comprising:
 a heat exchanger cooling or heating air before the air is introduced into the seat; and   a blower blowing air toward the heat exchanger,   wherein the heat exchanger includes:
 a positive temperature coefficient element assembly provided inside a housing of the heat exchanger to heat the air supplied from the blower; and 
 a Peltier element assembly provided adjacent to the positive temperature coefficient element assembly to cool or heat air supplied from the blower, 
 wherein the positive temperature coefficient element assembly operates in a case of heating the seat, and the Peltier element assembly operates in a case of cooling or heating the seat. 
   
     
     
         6 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the housing of the heat exchanger has a seat inlet passage, through which cooled or heated air in the housing is introduced toward the seat, and an outlet passage, through which air in the housing is exhausted from the seat. 
     
     
         7 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein
 the housing further has a partition forming a boundary between the seat inlet passage and the outlet passage, and   the Peltier element assembly is arranged to extend from the partition toward an entrance of the housing to guide air into the seat inlet passage and the outlet passage respectively.   
     
     
         8 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein
 the housing further has an entrance-side partition provided in an entrance area of the housing and extending from the Peltier element assembly toward the entrance to prevent air heat-controlled by the Peltier element assembly and air heat-controlled by the Peltier element assembly from being mixed with each other, and   the positive temperature coefficient element assembly is arranged along one lateral side of the entrance-side partition and is located in a passage leading to the seat inlet passage.   
     
     
         9 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein
 the positive temperature coefficient element assembly is located more adjacent to the blower than the Peltier element assembly is, and   the positive temperature coefficient element assembly selectively operates to evaporate condensed water, which is produced due to the Peltier element assembly, in case of cooling the seat.   
     
     
         10 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the positive temperature coefficient element assembly is arranged in series from the Peltier element assembly toward the entrance of the housing. 
     
     
         11 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 10 , further comprising heat sink fins attached to one lateral side of the Peltier element assembly, which faces the seat inlet passage. 
     
     
         12 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 5 , further comprising heat sink fins attached to both sides of the Peltier element assembly and the positive temperature coefficient element assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger and the blower are connected to each other by a duct, and the heat exchanger is detachably attached to the duct. 
     
     
         14 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the housing is an integral housing enclosing the blower and the heat exchanger therein,
 wherein the heat exchanger is disposed in an output port of the integral housing and the positive temperature coefficient element assembly and the Peltier element assembly of the heat exchanger are aligned in series along a longitudinal direction of the output port, and   wherein one or more of the integral housings are provided in one or more of a sitting part and a back of the seat.   
     
     
         15 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 5 , comprising two of the heat exchangers coupled to both ends of the blower, wherein one or more of the heat exchangers are provided in one or more of a sitting part and a back of the seat. 
     
     
         16 . The heating and cooling system in accordance with  claim 6 , further comprising heat sink fins attached to the Peltier element assembly, wherein the heat sink fins adjacent to the outlet passage are larger than the heat sink fins adjacent to the seat inlet passage in order to enhance heat dissipation from the seat. 
     
     
         17 . A heating and cooling system for a vehicle seat, comprising:
 a heat exchanger cooling or heating air before the air is introduced into the seat, wherein the heat exchanger has a duct that introduces the air into the seat;   a blower including an integral housing communicating with the ducts and a blower fan mounted inside the integral housing, wherein the blower fan blows air toward the heat exchanger;   a positive temperature coefficient element provided inside the heat exchanger to heat air supplied from the blower; and   a Peltier element mounted inside the integral housing of the blower,   wherein the positive temperature coefficient element operates when the seat is heated, and the Peltier element operates when the seat is cooled.