VEHICLE SEAT WITH THERMAL DEVICE

• US 20150266405A1
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Robert C., Lowell, Dana R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,676,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/56 Heating or ventilating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5685 Resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5692 Refrigerating means

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes seat pads included in seat bottoms and seat backs. The seat pads are configured to provide both a cold sensation and a warming sensation to an occupant sitting on the seat pads. According to the present disclosure, a vehicle seat includes an occupant-support base. The occupant-support base includes a cushion cover defining a cushion-receiving space and a cushion positioned to lie in the cushion-receiving space.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat including a seat pad included in the seat bottom or seat back, the vehicle seat comprising:

an occupant-support base that is one or both of a seat bottom or a seat back, wherein the occupant-support base includes a thermal device and a seat pad, wherein the thermal device includes a heat-transfer station,

wherein the seat pad includes a cushion, a cushion-receiving space formed in the cushion, and a cushion cover,

wherein the cushion cover defines the cushion-receiving space and is arranged to extend around an cover the cushion,

wherein the thermal device is coupled to the cushion and positioned to lie in the cushion-receiving space, and

wherein the thermal device is configured to optionally provide a cold sensation and a warming sensation to an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat by moving heat between the heat-transfer station coupled to the cushion located in the seat pad and the occupant seated in the vehicle seat without convective heat transfer.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the thermal device also includes a heat conductor, a portion of which is positioned to lie between an inner surface of the cushion cover and an outer surface of the cushion and in confronting relation with the cushion cover and wherein the heat conductor is coupled to the heat-transfer station to cause heat to flow between the occupant and the heat-transfer station.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the thermal device to control whether the thermal device is in an occupant cooling mode or an occupant heating mode.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 9, wherein the vehicle seat includes the occupant-support base in the seat bottom and an occupant-support base in the seat back, wherein both the seat base and the seat back each include a thermal device and a seat pad, wherein the thermal device includes a heat-transfer station, and wherein each seat pad includes a cushion, a cushion-receiving space, and a cushion cover, wherein each cushion cover defines the cushion-receiving space and is arranged to extend around and cover the cushion, and wherein the thermal device in each occupant-support base is individually controlled by the controller to optionally provide a cold sensation and a warming sensation to the occupant sitting in the vehicle seat.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 9, wherein the controller is coupled to a control interface that enables independent selection of the occupant cooling mode or the occupant heating mode for each of the occupant-support base establishing the seat base and occupant-support base establishing the seat back.

16. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the cushion includes an array of outer heat-transfer nodes located on an outer surface of the cushion.

18. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the cushion cover blocks communication of air from the cushion-receiving space to the occupant resting on the occupant-support base.

19. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the heat-transfer station includes a heat mover, a heat source, and a heat sink.

20. The vehicle seat of claim 19, wherein the heat mover is coupled to the cushion and positioned to lie in spaced-apart relation below an outer surface of the cushion.

21. The vehicle seat of claim 19, wherein the heat conductor is coupled to the heat mover and extends between the heat mover and an inner surface of the cushion cover.

24. The vehicle seat of claim 19, wherein the heat source includes one or more cavities formed in the cushion that contains one of heated fluid and heated gel and the one heated fluid and heated gel is heated by a resistive heater.

25. The vehicle seat of claim 24, wherein the heated fluid is one of air and a liquid.

26. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the thermal device includes one or more thermal electric device microchips.

27. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the thermal device includes moisture-management means for managing moisture developed between the occupant and the occupant-support base so that moisture between the occupant and the occupant-support base is minimized.

28. The vehicle seat of claim 27, wherein the moisture-management means includes a source of pressurized, conditioned air directed between the occupant and the occupant-support base.

2-3. -3. (canceled)

5-8. -8. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

13-15. -15. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

22-23. -23. (canceled)

29-31. -31. (canceled)

32. An occupant-support base for a vehicle seat, the occupant-support base comprising

a cushion cover defining a cushion-receiving space therein,

a cushion positioned to lie in the cushion-receiving space, and

a thermal device coupled to the cushion and arranged to lie in the cushion-receiving space and configured to provide means for moving heat between a heat-transfer station located in the cushion and an occupant seated on the occupant-support base without convective heat transfer in one of a cooling mode in which heat moves from the occupant seated on the occupant-support base through the cushion cover to a heat sink provided in the heat-transfer station and a warming mode in which heat moves from a heat source included in the heat-transfer station through the cushion cover to the seat occupant.

33. The occupant-support base of claim 32, wherein the cushion cover includes an inner surface arranged to face toward the cushion and an outer surface arranged to face away from the cushion and the thermal device includes the heat-transfer station and a heat conductor and a portion of the heat conductor is positioned to lie between the inner surface of the cushion cover and an outer surface of the cushion to lie in confronting relation with the cushion cover.

34. The occupant-support base of claim 33, wherein the heat conductor is coupled to the heat-transfer station to cause heat to flow between the occupant and the heat-transfer station through the heat conductor.

35. The occupant-support base of claim 34, wherein the heat-transfer station includes a heat mover coupled to the cushion and positioned to lie in spaced-apart relation below an outer surface of the cushion, a heat source, and a heat sink.

36. The occupant-support base of claim 33, wherein the heat conductor is coupled to the heat mover and extends between the heat mover and the inner surface of the cushion cover.

37-38. -38. (canceled)