Vehicle seating assembly having a blower mounted to the seatback against a plastic matrix

• US 9,713,975 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Soyka, Richard Joseph, Billardello, Nicholas Alphonse, Kondrad, Marcos Silva, Berry, S. M. Akbar, Line, Johnathan Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Fox, Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERAA, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US14/674,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20160288678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5642 with circulation of air through a layer inside the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/565 sucked from the seat surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/64 Back-rests or cushions B60N2/2222 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly for a motor vehicle has raised seatback that includes a permeable foam layer having a plurality of spaced apertures. A distribution system having airflow passages is juxtaposed against the permeable foam layer, such that the airflow passages of the distribution system are in fluid communication with the apertures in the permeable foam layer. A carrier assembly is juxtaposed against the distribution system and has an upper portion having a central annual member supported by a plurality of flexible radial arms, to which is attached a blower in fluid communication with the airflow passages of the distribution system and the apertures in the permeable foam layer. Warm air from the permeable foam layer is displaced away from the permeable foam layer and is circulated through the raised seatback by operation of the blower.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating assembly for a motor vehicle having a lower seating structure and a raised seatback, wherein one of the lower seating structure or the raised seatback includes a flexible multilayer assembly comprising:

a permeable foam layer upon which an occupant is supported, the permeable foam layer having a forward and rearward surface and a plurality of spaced apertures extending therethrough between the forward and rearward surfaces within which an airflow may be created;

a distribution system having airflow passages therethrough juxtaposed against the permeable foam layer, the airflow passages of the distribution system being in fluid communication with the apertures in the permeable foam layer;

a carrier assembly juxtaposed against the distribution system and having an upper portion having a central annular member supported by a plurality of flexible radial arms disposed about a periphery of the central annular member; and

a blower attached to the central annular member of the carrier assembly, the blower being in fluid communication with the airflow passages of the distribution system and the apertures in the permeable foam layer, whereby air proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer is displaced away from the forward surface of the permeable foam layer and is circulated through the lower seating structure or the raised seatback by operation of the blower;

wherein the distribution system is a semi-rigid fabric spacer fabricated as a single piece from a semi-rigid injection molded thermoplastic material comprising an inner air plenum having a plurality of airflow passages to allow airflow passage through the spacer and wherein the spacer is juxtaposed between the permeable foam layer and the carrier assembly, the spacer having an airtight outer skin and an external opening to the inner air plenum aligned with the airflow of the blower, the air plenum being in fluid communication with the airflow passages within the distribution system, and the spacer having perforations in a portion of the outer skin being in fluid communication with the airflow passages within the distribution system and with the apertures in the permeable foam layer.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein air proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer is warmed by the occupant and a resulting increased thermal energy proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer is lowered by operating the blower to force air from exterior the lower seating structure or the raised seatback into the airflow passages of the distribution system in fluid communication with the apertures in the permeable foam layer to displace the air proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the air proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer is warmed by the occupant and a resulting increased thermal energy proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer is lowered by operating the blower to draw air proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer away from the forward surface of the permeable foam layer through the airflow passages of the distribution system in fluid communication with the apertures in the permeable foam layer to withdraw the air proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the spacer is fabricated from semi-rigid polyurethane.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, wherein the permeable foam layer and the spacer each include longitudinally aligned permeable wings that extend laterally from each side of the lower seating structure or the raised seatback, the permeable foam layer has a plurality of perforations disposed on and extending between inner and outer surfaces of the permeable foam layer, and wherein the perforations on the spacer are disposed on the wings of the spacer and the apertures in the permeable foam layer are disposed on the permeable wings of the permeable foam layer, whereby the perforations on the spacer are aligned with the apertures in the permeable foam layer.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, wherein the central annular member supported by the plurality of flexible radial arms has an opening aligned with the external opening of the spacer, wherein a nozzle of the blower is received within the opening of the central annular member and the external opening of the spacer is in fluid communication with a recess formed proximate the inner air plenum of the spacer.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, wherein the carrier assembly further comprises an open lower portion and a suspension layer having an adjustable firmness mounted therein.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the flexible dynamic layer comprises a suspension layer formed from tunable springs by which a stiffness of the lower seating structure or the raised seatback support can be adjusted.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the permeable foam layer and the distribution system are further comprised of upper and lower portions corresponding and longitudinally aligned with the upper and lower portions of the carrier assembly, and wherein the permeable foam layer and the spacer each include longitudinally aligned flexible wings that extend laterally from each side of the lower portion thereof, and wherein the perforations on the spacer are disposed on the flexible wings of the spacer and the apertures in the permeable foam layer are disposed on the flexible wings of the permeable foam layer, whereby the perforations on the spacer are aligned with the apertures in the permeable foam layer.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the blower is in electrical communication with an electronic control module, whereby the electronic control module sends a signal to the blower to turn on the blower based on an input command from the occupant.

11. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 10, wherein the input command is obtained via an electronic switch within the motor vehicle.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the electronic switch within the motor vehicle is presented through an integrated in-vehicle communications and entertainment system.

13. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 10, wherein the input command is obtained via a voice command presented through an integrated in-vehicle communications and entertainment system.

14. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 10, wherein the electronic control module sends a signal to the blower to turn on the blower based on an input command from the occupant to activate the blower between any of an on condition, an on-high condition, an on-low condition and an off condition.

15. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the blower is in electrical communication with an electronic control module, whereby the electronic control module sends a signal to the blower to turn on the blower based on an input from a thermocouple disposed proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer and a predetermined temperature setting selected by the occupant.

16. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the permeable foam layer is covered by a flexible covering.

17. A vehicle seat comprising:

a foam layer having apertures;

a distribution system having passages in fluid communication with the apertures;

a carrier assembly having a central annular member supported by flexible radial arms disposed about a periphery of the central annular member; and

a blower attached to the central annular member in fluid communication with the passages and the apertures, whereby air is displaced away from the foam layer by operation of the blower;

wherein the distribution system comprises a semi-rigid fabric spacer fabricated as a single piece from a semi-rigid injection molded thermoplastic material comprising an inner air plenum having a plurality of airflow passages to allow airflow passage through the spacer and wherein the spacer is juxtaposed between the foam layer and the carrier assembly, the spacer having an airtight outer skin and an external opening to the inner air plenum aligned with an airflow of the blower, the air plenum being in fluid communication with the airflow passages within the distribution system, and the spacer having perforations in a portion of an outer skin thereof being in fluid communication with the airflow passages within the distribution system and with the apertures in the foam layer.

18. The vehicle seat of claim 17, wherein the distribution system is a semi-rigid fabric spacer juxtaposed between the foam layer and the carrier assembly, the spacer having an airtight outer skin and an external opening to an inner air plenum aligned with an airflow of the blower, the air plenum being in fluid communication with the passages within the distribution system, and the spacer having perforations in a portion of the outer skin being in fluid communication with passages within the distribution system and with the apertures in the foam layer, and wherein the central annual member supported by the plurality of flexible radial arms has an opening aligned with the external opening of the spacer, wherein a nozzle of the blower is received within the opening of the central annual member and the external opening of the spacer is in fluid communication with a recess formed proximate the inner air plenum of the spacer.

19. A method of cooling a vehicle seat for a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a permeable foam layer upon which an occupant is supported, the permeable foam layer having a forward and rearward surface and a plurality of spaced apertures extending therethrough between the forward and rearward surfaces within which an airflow may be created;

disposing a distribution system having airflow passages therethrough against the permeable foam layer, the airflow passages of the distribution system being in fluid communication with the apertures in the permeable foam layer;

disposing a carrier assembly juxtaposed against the distribution system and having an upper portion having a central annular member supported by a plurality of flexible radial arms disposed about a periphery of the central annular member;

attaching a blower to the central annular member of the carrier assembly, the blower being in fluid communication with the airflow passages of the distribution system and the apertures in the permeable foam layer; and

operating the blower whereby air proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer is displaced away from the forward surface of the permeable foam layer and is circulated through the seat by operation of the blower;

wherein the distribution system comprises a semi-rigid fabric spacer fabricated as a single piece from a semi-rigid injection molded thermoplastic material comprising an inner air plenum having a plurality of airflow passages to allow airflow passage through the spacer and wherein the spacer is juxtaposed between the permeable foam layer and the carrier assembly, the spacer having an airtight outer skin and an external opening to the inner air plenum aligned with the airflow of the blower, the air plenum being in fluid communication with the airflow passages within the distribution system, and the spacer having perforations in a portion of the outer skin being in fluid communication with the airflow passages within the distribution system and with the apertures in the permeable foam layer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the air proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer is warmed by the occupant and a resulting increased thermal energy proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer is lowered by operating the blower to force air from exterior the seat into the airflow passages of the distribution system in fluid communication with the apertures in the permeable foam layer to displace the air proximate the forward surface of the permeable foam layer.