# US 10,118,517 B2 · Heater fan, especially for use as a neck warmer in vehicle seats > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,517 B2 - Document ID: US10118517B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/091,081 - Filed: 2016-04-05 - Published: 2016-07-28 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-07-25 - Assignees: Gentherm Incorporated - Applicants: Gentherm GMBH - Inventors: Winfried Helmenstein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118517B2 ## CPC - B60N 2/879: with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers - B60N 2/56: Heating or ventilating devices - B60N 2/5642: {with circulation of air through a layer inside the seat} - B60N 2/5671: {forming a windbreak, e.g. warm air blown on the neck of the passenger of an open vehicle} - B60N 2/5685: {Resistance} - F24H 3/0429: {For vehicles} - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F24H: FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL (steam generation F22) ## Abstract The present invention concerns a heater fan for a body support arrangement, and specifically the heater fan has at least one air delivery arrangement and at least one heating appliance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A body supporting arrangement comprising: a. a seat back; b. a head rest; and c. an air delivery arrangement comprising: a fan that is configured to suction air from an intermediate space defined between an upper edge of the seat back and a lower edge of the head rest, the air is suctioned upwardly in a direction from an area adjacent the upper edge of the seat back to an area adjacent the lower edge of the head rest, the fan is configured to then eject the suctioned air towards a user; wherein the upper edge of the seat back includes a recess so that the fan can suction the air from the intermediate space even when the head rest is lowered against the upper edge of the seat back. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The body supporting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the fan comprises an impeller located in a working space of a housing that comprises an outflow opening, and wherein the air delivery arrangement comprises a heating appliance comprising a plurality of heat input elements are arranged in an arc along the outflow opening. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The body supporting arrangement of claim 2, wherein the heat input elements can be one or more: a. heat conducting baffles; b. zig zag bent strips that channel or generate heat; c. heating circuits that generate heat directly; d. register of heating coils; e. PCT elements with or without a heat exchanger; f. Peltier elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The body supporting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the recess extends to a front side and a back side of the seat back. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The body supporting arrangement of claim 1, wherein either: a. the recess extends to a front side of the seat back and is closed off at a back side of the seat back so that the fan suctions the air from the front side of the seat back; or b. the recess extends to a back side of the seat back and is closed off at a front side of the seat back so that the fan suctions the air from the back side of the seat back. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The body supporting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the body supporting arrangement is a seat for a vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The body supporting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the air delivery arrangement comprises a heating appliance comprising a plurality of heat input elements that are configured to transfer heat to the air that is ejected towards the user, and wherein the heating appliance operates as a diffuser that broadens out a stream of the air that is ejected towards the user. ### Claim 8 A neck warmer comprising: a. a fan that is configured to suction air and then eject the suctioned air towards a neck of a user; and b. a heating appliance that is configured to transfer heat to the suctioned air that is ejected towards the neck of the user, wherein the heating appliance is also a diffuser that is configured to deflect a stream of the air that is ejected towards the neck of the user, wherein a vehicle seat comprises the neck warmer, the vehicle seat comprises a seat back and a head rest, wherein the fan suctions the air from an intermediate space defined between the seat back and the head rest, the air is suctioned from an area adjacent the upper edge of the seat back to an area adjacent a lower edge of the head rest, and wherein the fan is located in the head rest, and the seat back has an upper edge that includes a recess so that the fan can suction the air from the recess when the head rest is lowered against the upper edge of the seat back. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The neck warmer of claim 8, wherein the heating appliance is a plurality of heat input elements that are arranged in an arc along an outflow opening of a housing containing an impeller of the fan. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The neck warmer of claim 9, wherein the heat input elements are arranged parallel to a direction of the stream of the air. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The neck warmer of claim 10, wherein the fan suctions the air into the housing which is then deflected about 90 degrees in the housing, and then ejected through the heating appliance and one or more blowing vents towards the neck of the user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The neck warmer of claim 9, wherein the heat input elements can be one or more: a. heat conducting baffles; b. zig zag bent strips that channel or generate heat; c. heating circuits that generate heat directly; d. register of heating coils; e. PCT elements with or without a heat exchanger, f. Peltier elements. ### Claim 13 A vehicle seat comprising: a. a seat back; b. a head rest; c. an intermediate space located between an upper edge of the seat back and a lower edge of the head rest; and d. a neck warmer comprising: i. a fan that suctions air from the intermediate space and ejects the air towards a neck of a user, the fan comprising an impeller that is located in a working space of a housing, the working space comprises an outflow opening, and ii. a heating appliance that transfers heat to the air that is ejected towards the neck of the user, wherein the heating appliance is also a diffuser that deflects and broadens out a stream of the air that is ejected towards the neck of the user, wherein the heating appliance comprises a plurality of heat input elements are arranged in an arc along the outflow opening, and wherein the upper edge of the seat back includes a recess so that the fan can suction the air from the intermediate space when the lower edge of the head rest is against the upper edge of the seat back. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle seat of claim 13, wherein the heat input elements can be one or more: a. heat conducting baffles; b. zig zag bent strips that channel or generate heat; c. heating circuits that generate heat directly; d. register of heating coils; e. PCT elements with or without a heat exchanger, f. Peltier elements. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The vehicle seat of claim 13, wherein the recess extends to a front side and a back side of the seat back. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The vehicle seat of claim 13, wherein the recess extends to a front side of the seat back and is closed off at a back side of the seat back so that the fan suctions the air from the front side of the seat back. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The vehicle seat of claim 13, wherein the recess extends to a back side of the seat back and is closed off at a front side of the seat back so that the fan suctions the air from the back side of the seat back. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The vehicle seat of claim 13, wherein the fan is configured to suction the air upwardly in a direction from an area adjacent the upper edge of the seat back towards an area adjacent the lower edge of the head rest.