HEATING AND VENTILATION INLAY FOR A VEHICLE SEAT

• US 20170096088A1
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kongsberg Automotive Ab (Kongsberg Automotive ASA)
• Inventors: Persson, Mattias, Tuskes, Milan, Leu, Cristian
• Granted Patent: US 10,065,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5642 with circulation of air through a layer inside the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5657 blown towards the seat surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5678 characterised by electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5685 Resistance

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a heating and ventilation inlay for a vehicle seat that is adapted to be placed in a recess in a seat cushion or backrest of the vehicle seat underneath a seat trim. The heating and ventilation inlay comprises an arrangement of layers including an air permeable heating mat having a heating conductor running on the heating mat. Underneath the heating mat an air permeable layer of spacer material is connectable to a fan or suction fan for transporting air through the heating and ventilation inlay. The heating mat and the layer of spacer material are connected to each other and form a composite that can be handled as a unitary component, by a plurality of rivets which are distributed over the area of the heating and ventilation inlay. The rivets are pierced through the heating mat and the spacer material layer.

Claims

1. Heating and ventilation inlay for a vehicle seat, which inlay is adapted to be placed in a complementary recess in a seat cushion or backrest of the vehicle seat to be disposed underneath a seat trim, wherein the heating and ventilation inlay comprises an arrangement of layers including an air permeable heating mat having a heating conductor running on the heating mat, and underneath the heating mat an air permeable layer of spacer material which is connectable to a fan or suction fan for transporting air conveyed by the fan or suction fan through the heating and ventilation inlay, characterized in that the heating mat and the layer of spacer material are connected to each other, and in this manner form a composite that can be handled as a unitary component, by a plurality of rivets which are distributed over the area of the heating and ventilation inlay and which are pierced through the heating mat and the spacer material layer.

2. Heating and ventilation inlay according to claim 1, wherein between the heating mat and the spacer material layer an intermediate layer of reticulated foam is disposed, which reticulated foam layer is likewise pierced by the rivets connecting the heating mat and the spacer material layer.

3. Heating and ventilation inlay according to claim 1, wherein between the heating mat and the spacer material layer an intermediate layer of perforated foam is disposed, which perforated foam layer is likewise pierced by the rivets connecting the heating mat and the spacer material layer.

4. Heating and ventilation inlay according to claim 3, wherein the size and the density of the perforations varies over the area of the intermediate layer to effect a desired distribution of transported air.

5. Heating and ventilation inlay according to claim 1, characterized in that the rivets consist of plastic.

6. Heating and ventilation inlay according to claims 5, wherein the rivets are tag pins.

7. Heating and ventilation inlay according to claim 1, wherein the rivets hold an enforcement layer in abutment against the heating mat surface which faces away from the spacer material layer, which enforcement layer only partially covers the area of the heating and ventilation inlay, in order to prevent folding up of parts of the heating mat and formation of wrinkles of the heating mat with respect to the layer underneath.

8. Heating and ventilation inlay according to claim 7, wherein the enforcement layer is formed by a net of plastic threads which are connected to the heads of at least some of the rivets of the plurality of rivets.

9. Heating and ventilation inlay according to claim 1, further comprising a hose that leads into a side surface of the air permeable spacer material layer, the hose being made of flexible, air impermeable material, wherein in the interior of the hose a flexible, air permeable spacer material is disposed, wherein the end of the hose remote from the heating and ventilation inlay is adapted to be connected to a fan or to a suction fan.

10. Vehicle seat comprising a seat cushion and a backrest connected thereto, wherein in the cushion body of at least one of the seating cushion and the backrest a heating and ventilation inlay according to claim 1 is placed in a complementary recess of the cushion body, wherein a fan is provided which communicates with the heating and ventilation inlay in the recess, in order to convey air through the heating and ventilation inlay and a seat trim on top of the heating and ventilation inlay.