Method for ventilating a seat

• US 7,356,912 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2004
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm GmbH (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WET Automotive Systems Limited (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Iqbal, Syed R., Howick, Shaun C., Alionte, Corina S., Bajic, Goran, Panic, Zoran, Lazanja, Marinko, Gerasimov, Vladimir, Zlotin, Boris, Proseanik, Vladimir, Nagele, Peter, Stoewe, Stefan, Ulan, Piter, Kohler, Simone, Drobnjakovic, Valerija
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THIEM D
• Application Number:
  US10/822,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 296/13, 294/211, 294/28, 296/11, 298/900.32, 165/43, 297/180.1, 297/180.13, 297/180.14, 454/907, 621/80, 236/49.3, 236/91.C
• US Class Current: 29/613
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/72 Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/74 for ventilation, heating or cooling actuated by rocking the chair A47C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5635 coming from the passenger compartment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 Heater type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49087 with envelope or housing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49353 Heat pipe device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49805 Shaping by direct application of fluent pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards a method of forming a ventilated seat. More specifically, in one aspect, the present invention is directed towards providing an insert in fluid communications with an air mover and a seating surface, wherein the system optionally includes a thermoelectric device for providing heating or cooling of air flowing through the insert.

Claims

1. A method for cooling a seat of a transportation vehicle, comprising:

placing a seat insert over a seat cushion and below a seating surface of a transportation vehicle seat;

drawing ambient air to a location beneath the seating surface and into the insert and into a mixing region of the seat;

mixing the drawn ambient air with a cooled fluid provided to the mixing region; and

removing the resulting mixture from the mixing region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transportation vehicle is an automotive vehicle, and the cooled fluid is air.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of cooling air by passage of the air through a heat exchanger and advancing the air to the mixing region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the heat exchanger includes a thermoelectric device and the air is advanced by a fan.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixing region is disposed at least partially within an insert.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixing region is disposed at least partially between an insert and the seating surface.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising defining the mixing region in a space of the insert that has a plurality of flow holes through which the ambient air is drawn.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixing region is enclosed within an insert.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising defining the mixing region in a space of the insert that has a plurality of flow holes through which the ambient air is drawn.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the insert is attached in fluid communication with the fan.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the fan and the thermoelectric device are secured internally within the seat.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the seat comprises a seat cover disposed over the insert for defining a seating surface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the seat cover is made of a material selected from a synthetic material, a natural material or a combination thereof, and the cover is selected from a woven material, an unwoven material, a perforated material, an impermeable material, or any combination thereof, and the seat further comprises at least one foam seat or backrest cushion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cooled fluid is provided by blowing cooled air into the mixing region while preventing substantially all of the resulting mixture from passing through the seating surface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of re-circulating at least a portion of the removed resulting mixture back into the mixing region.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising maintaining the pressure in the mixing region below the ambient pressure so that substantially all of the resulting mixture does not pass through the seating surface.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the cooled fluid is provided by blowing cooled air into the mixing region while preventing substantially all of the resulting mixture from passing through the seating surface.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining the pressure in the mixing region below the ambient pressure so that substantially all of the resulting mixture does not pass through the seating surface.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of exhausting at least a portion of the resulting mixture to ambient air.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the seating surface includes a cover made of a material selected from a synthetic material, a natural material or a combination thereof, and the cover is selected from a woven material, an unwoven material, a perforated material, an impermeable material, or any combination thereof, and the seat further comprises a foam seat cushion.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of exhausting at least a portion of the resulting mixture to ambient air.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of re-circulating at least a portion of the removed resulting mixture back into the mixing region.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of placing a seat insert over a seat cushion of the seat and below the seat surface.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the air being drawn below the seat surface enters the seat insert.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the seat insert is in fluid communication with a fan.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the fan is located downstream from the mixing region.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the mixing region is formed at least partially within the insert.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of providing the cooled fluid through the use of a thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device including an active side and waste side and adapted to provide heating and cooling by passing electricity through the device, wherein the cooled fluid is provided by the active side of the thermoelectric device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a peltier unit.

30. A method for cooling a seat of a transportation vehicle, comprising:

placing a seat insert over a seat cushion and below a seating surface of a transportation vehicle seat;

drawing ambient air to a location beneath the seating surface and into the insert and into a mixing region of the seat;

mixing the drawn ambient air with a cooled fluid provided to the mixing region;

removing the resulting mixture from the mixing region; and

providing the cooled fluid through the use of a thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device including an active side and waste side and adapted to provide heating and cooling by passing electricity through the device, wherein the cooled fluid is provided by the active side of the thermoelectric device.

31. A method for cooling a seat of a transportation vehicle, comprising:

placing a seat insert over a seat cushion and below a seating surface of a transportation vehicle seat;

drawing ambient air to a location beneath the seating surface and into the insert and into a mixing region of the seat with a fan;

mixing the drawn ambient air with a cooled fluid provided to the mixing region;

removing the resulting mixture from the mixing region by locating the fan down stream from the mixing region;

providing the cooled fluid through the use of a thermoelectric device; and

maintaining the pressure in the mixing region below the ambient pressure so that substantially all of the resulting mixture does not pass through the seating surface.

32. A method for cooling a seat of a transportation vehicle, comprising:

placing a seat insert over a seat cushion and below a seating surface of a transportation vehicle seat;

drawing ambient air to a location beneath the seating surface and into the insert and into a mixing region of the seat with a fan;

mixing the drawn ambient air with a cooled fluid provided to the mixing region;

removing the resulting mixture from the mixing region by locating the fan down stream from the mixing region; and

providing the cooled fluid through the use of a thermoelectric device;

wherein the cooled fluid is provided by blowing cooled air into the mixing region while preventing substantially all of the resulting mixture from passing through the seating surface.