Air-permeable heating device for a seat

• US 6,064,037 A
• Filed: 02/03/1999
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wet Automotive Systems AG (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lorenzen, Gunter, Weiss, Michael, Rauh, Hans-Georg, Schuller, Ferdinand
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeffery, John A.
• Application Number:
  US09/230,924
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 219/217, 219/549, 219/545, 219/529, 297/180.12
• US Class Current: 219/217
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/74 for ventilation, heating or cooling actuated by rocking the chair A47C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/56 Heating or ventilating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings

Abstract

An air conditioning device for a seat comprises an air-permeable base body which is fitted under a seat surface, and a heating element fitted in the base body, or between the seat surface and the base body. The base body and the heating element are mat-shaped. They are arranged substantially parallel to each other, and have substantially equal surface areas.

Claims

1. In a seat, an air conditioning device comprises an air-permeable base object arranged under a surface of said seat and a heating element arranged in said base object, said base object and said heating element being of a mat-like shape having a surface dimension, said base object and said heating element being substantially aligned parallel to each other, and being substantially of equal size relative to their surface dimension, wherein at least one area of said base object, which corresponds to an area intended to be covered by a person occupying said seat, is provided with a higher air permeability in an unoccupied condition than a remaining area of said base object, such that the air permability of said base object is substantially even in an occupied condition.

2. Air conditioning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heating element is arranged in said base object.

3. Air conditioning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heating element is arranged between said surface of said seat and said base object.

4. Air conditioning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heating element is conductive sheet-type heating element comprising heat conductors, and wherein a distance from any random point of the conductive sheet-type heating element to a heat conductor is not larger than 1 cm (0.4 inch).

5. Air conditioning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein in a normal direction with respect to a plane of said base object, the base object has an air permeability of 300 liters per second to 800 liters per second at a differential pressure of 100 Pa relative to a surface of 1 dm².

6. Air conditioning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base object has a thickness of between 5 and 20 mm (0.2 and 0.80 inch).

7. Air conditioning device as claims in claim 1, wherein said base object has a strain hardness of between 10 kPa and 15 kPa.

8. Air conditioning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base object is comprised of aluminum-coated fibers.

9. Air conditioning device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a thermal-reflective layer on a side of said device that faces the seat surface.

10. Air conditioning device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a thermal-reflective layer on a side of said device that faces away from the seat surface.

11. Air conditioning device according to claim 9, characterized in that said thermal-reflective layer is an aluminum layer.

12. Air conditioning device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a thermal-reflective layer on a side of said device that faces away from the seat surface.

13. In a seat, an air conditioning device comprises an air-permeable base object which is comprised of aluminum-coated fibers and arranged under a surface of said seat, and a heating element, said base object and said heating element being of a mat-like shape having a surface dimension, said base object and said heating element being substantially aligned parallel to each other, and being substantially of equal size relative to their surface dimension, wherein at least on area of said base object, which corresponds to an area intended to be covered by a person occupying said seat, is provided with higher air permeability in unoccupied condition than a remaining area of said base object, such that the air permability of said base object is substantially even in an occupied condition.