This disclosure describes vehicle climate control systems and methods for more intelligently controlling an occupant comfort level within a vehicle interior in a manner that minimizes energy usage of the vehicle. The climate control system may be automatically controlled in an economical mode (i.e., ECO mode) when certain vehicle conditions are met. For example, the decision to activate the ECO mode of the climate control system may be a function of one or more variables including, but not limited to, vehicle speed, vehicle speed differentials, ambient temperatures, temperature differentials, battery state of charge, predicted low battery state of charge, etc.

The present invention relates to an electrothermal converter, which has at least one cold side and one warm side. Provision is made that all the components of the converter cope with the thermal loads appearing when the converter is operated and/or in particular maintains its mechanical stability.

Disclosed herein are a cold/warm headrest for a vehicle and a method of controlling operation thereof. It is possible to provide cold air to an occipital region, a head, and a face of a seated occupant, and to provide warmth to a neck and shoulders of the occupant, in which the trapezius muscles are located along with peripheral nerves.

The invention relates to a surface temperature-controlling device, in particular for use in vehicles, comprising a first air-distributing layer which has multiple air inlets extending through the first air-distributing layer and multiple air outlets extending through the first air-distributing layer, and a second air-distributing layer which fluidically connects air inlets and air outlets of the first air-distributing layer, wherein the air inlets are designed to introduce pre-heated or pre-cooled air into the second air-distributing layer, and the air outlets are designed to discharge air out of the second air-distributing layer.

A vehicle occupant air curtain system includes a seat that has a seat cushion and a seat back. The seat back has a region that is configured to be arranged above an occupant shoulder. An air vent is supported on the seat back and is arranged in the region. The air vent is configured to be directed adjacent to a seated occupant's head and neck.

A vehicle seat includes a seat portion having a heating element, such as an electrically conductive wire. A sensing structure having a characteristic that is responsive to a temperature of the heating element is provided adjacent to the heating element, such as by being helically wrapped thereabout or extending parallel thereto. For example, the sensing structure may include an optical fiber, and the characteristic of the sensing structure may be an amount of light transmitted through the optical fiber. A controller is responsive to the characteristic of the sensing structure for determining when the temperature of the heating element exceeds a predetermined value.

The present invention relates to a temperature-controlled child support and transfer device for cooling and warming a child positioned in the seat. More specifically, the seat has a Peltier unit for controlling temperature of air blowing onto the seat and has a fan unit for blowing air. The seat has a power source, a temperature control to control temperature and a fan control to control speed of the fan. In another embodiment, the seat has heating grids for providing heat to the seat and a fan unit coupled to a conduit for blowing cool air onto the seat. The seat can be used with vehicle, stroller, swing, crib, or bassinet.

A temperature control method for vehicle seat heating includes: when turning on or switching to a heating level, determining a heating period at present according to a temperature value corresponding to a current Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensor, the heating period including an initial heating stage, an approaching stage and a steady stage; and segmentally controlling the on-off of a seat heating apparatus according to a heating strategy corresponding to each heating period, so that the seat surface temperature reaches to and stabilizes at an expected target temperature of the level. Further disclosed are a corresponding temperature control apparatus for the vehicle seat heating and a temperature control system for the vehicle seat heating. By adopting the temperature control method for the vehicle seat heating, the seat surface temperature can quickly reach to and stabilize at the expected temperature value, and thus the use experience of a user is improved.

A heater control system includes a heater driver, a current sensor, a slope calculator, and a mode selector. The heater driver is configured to control current to a heater. The current sensor is configured to sense current supplied to the heater. The slope calculator is configured to calculate a slope of the current supplied to the heater. The mode selector is configured to adjust current supplied to the heater by the heated driver based on the slope of the current.

Methods and systems for providing multi-zone climate control for a vehicle. One system includes a power source, a plurality of switches, a first zone heating/cooling device, a second zone heating/cooling device, and an electronic controller. The electronic controller is configured to operate the plurality of switches to supply current bi-directionally through the first zone heating/cooling device, bi-directionally through the second zone heating/cooling device, or bi-directionally through a series connection of the first zone heating/cooling device and the second zone heating/cooling device.