A ventilated seat, a vehicle including the ventilated seat, and a method of controlling airflow in a vehicle having a ventilated seat are provided. The ventilated seat includes a seat cushion assembly and an air duct configured to interface with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module of the vehicle and provide conditioned air from the HVAC module to the seat cushion assembly. The HVAC module of the vehicle further provides conditioned air to an interior cabin of the vehicle through at least one air vent.

A vehicle seat according to the present invention includes: a seat back frame constituting a framework of a seat back; a blower disposed in the seat back; a bracket to which the blower is fixed; and a cover member provided on the rear side of the seat back frame. Herein, the bracket is fixed to the cover member with the seat back frame being held between the bracket and the cover member.

A vehicle seat according to the present invention includes: a seat back frame constituting a framework of a seat back; a blower disposed in the seat back; a bracket to which the blower is fixed; and a cover member provided on the rear side of the seat back frame. Herein, the bracket is fixed to the cover member with the seat back frame being held between the bracket and the cover member.

Energy management techniques for heating or cooling a surface of a component of a vehicle comprise determining a heating lag time indicative of a lag time for a surface element of the vehicle component to heat to a first target temperature in response to a power on-off or power off-on modulation of a heat transfer component, determining a cooling lag time indicative of a lag time for the surface element to cool to a second target temperature in response to a power on-off or power off-on modulation of the heat transfer component, and controlling power-on and power-off times of the heat transfer component based on the determined heating and cooling lag times so as to not require a temperature sensor for feedback-based temperature control.

Energy management techniques for heating or cooling a surface of a component of a vehicle comprise determining a heating lag time indicative of a lag time for a surface element of the vehicle component to heat to a first target temperature in response to a power on-off or power off-on modulation of a heat transfer component, determining a cooling lag time indicative of a lag time for the surface element to cool to a second target temperature in response to a power on-off or power off-on modulation of the heat transfer component, and controlling power-on and power-off times of the heat transfer component based on the determined heating and cooling lag times so as to not require a temperature sensor for feedback-based temperature control.

The present invention relates to a duct module and a vehicle seat including a duct module. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the duct module includes a duct, an air intake module and a sterilization module. The duct may have a duct air passage formed therein and include a first rigid portion, a second rigid portion, and a flexible portion disposed between the first rigid portion and the second rigid portion. The air intake module may be connected to the first rigid portion of the duct and guide external air into the duct air passage. Further, the sterilization module may be disposed in the duct to emit sterilization light into the duct air passage. The duct air passage may be formed as an internal space of the first rigid portion, the second rigid portion and the flexible portion.

A vehicle that includes a cabin air conditioning system, having a driver air distribution circuit provided with a plurality of driver blowing vents arranged to blow air directly into the driver's area. At least 75% of the driver blowing vents are carried by the driver's seat.

A seat air-conditioner is applied for a seat on which an occupant is seated. The seat air-conditioner includes a blower configured to suck air through a supporting surface of the seat that supports the occupant, and an introducing passage through which the air is introduced from the supporting surface to the blower. The seat includes a seat cushion supporting a lower body of the occupant and a seat back supporting an upper body of the occupant. The blower is disposed in the seat back such that airflow generated by the blower flows more through the seat back than through the seat cushion.

A method for controlling an occupant microclimate system includes determining an occupant personal parameter, determining a vehicle environmental condition, predicting an initial set point value for a plurality of thermal effectors associated with the occupant from a portion of a master dataset based on the occupant personal parameter3 and the vehicle environmental condition, and regulating the plurality of thermal effectors based upon the initial set point values.

A method for controlling an occupant microclimate system includes determining an occupant personal parameter, determining a vehicle environmental condition, predicting an initial set point value for a plurality of thermal effectors associated with the occupant from a portion of a master dataset based on the occupant personal parameter3 and the vehicle environmental condition, and regulating the plurality of thermal effectors based upon the initial set point values.