US 11,111,022 B2Granted

Thermally controlled surfaces

AssigneeSafran Seats Santa Maria LLC

InventorsChristopher J. La Montagna, Mark Erhardt Noske

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Abstract

Passenger seat assemblies including thermoelectric devices are described herein. An example passenger seat assembly may include a seat shell configured to receive a passenger seat. The seat shell (20) may include a plurality of surfaces. The passenger seat assembly may also include a thermoelectric device (78) disposed below or within at least one of the surfaces to define a thermal zone. The thermoelectric device may include a first side and a second side. The first side may be adjacent to the at least one surface. The thermoelectric device may be configured such that application of a first current having a first polarity causes a temperature of the thermal zone to increase, and application of a second current having a second polarity causes the temperature of the thermal zone to decrease.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An armrest of a passenger seat, the armrest comprising:

an armrest support structure disposed adjacent to a top surface of the armrest, wherein an opening is formed in the armrest support structure;
a thermoelectric system attached to a bottom side of the armrest support structure, the thermoelectric system comprising:
a plurality of thermoelectric devices, each thermoelectric device comprising a first side and a second side and configured such that a first current having a first polarity applied to the thermoelectric device causes a temperature of the first side to increase, and a second current having a second polarity applied to the thermoelectric device causes the temperature of the first side to decrease, wherein the first side of at least one of the thermoelectric devices extends through the opening formed in the armrest support structure,
wherein the plurality of thermoelectric devices are oriented in alternate orientations so as to have dedicated hot sides and dedicated cold sides whereby, in use, a current with the same polarity is applied to a first set of the plurality of thermoelectric devices that are configured to heat one or more respective thermal zones and to a second set of the plurality of thermoelectric devices that are configured to cool one or more respective thermal zones.

1 more element

A passenger seat assembly, comprising:

a seat shell configured to receive a passenger seat, the seat shell comprising a plurality of surfaces including at least an armrest, wherein the armrest comprises an armrest support structure in which is formed an opening;
and
a plurality of thermoelectric devices each disposed below or within the armrest to define a corresponding plurality of thermal zones, each thermoelectric device comprising a first side and a second side, the first side extending through the opening of the armrest support structure, the thermoelectric device configured such that application of a first current having a first polarity causes a temperature of the thermal zone to increase, and application of a second current having a second polarity causes the temperature of the thermal zone to decrease, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric devices are oriented in alternate orientations so as to have dedicated hot sides and dedicated cold sides whereby, in use, a current with the same polarity is applied to those thermoelectric devices that are configured to heat a respective thermal zone and to those thermoelectric devices that are configured to cool the respective thermal zone.

A passenger seat, comprising:

a plurality of thermal zones corresponding to a plurality of components of the passenger seat, each thermal zone of the plurality of thermal zones comprising a thermoelectric device disposed therein, each thermoelectric device comprising a hot side and a cold side;
and
a management device configured to manage each of the thermoelectric devices such that application of a first current having a first polarity causes a temperature of the respective thermal zone to increase, and application of a second current having a second polarity causes the temperature of the respective thermal zone to decrease,
wherein the thermoelectric devices are oriented in alternate orientations so as to have dedicated hot sides and dedicated cold sides whereby, in use, the management device is configured to apply a current with the same polarity to those thermoelectric devices that are configured to heat the respective thermal zone and to those thermoelectric devices that are configured to cool the respective thermal zone.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/750,942Filed 29 Feb 2016 · us provisional application
Priority: 7 Aug 2015
Published: US 2020/0086996 A119 Mar 2020
Granted: 7 Sep 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B60N 2/56
Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles: heating or ventilating devices
B64D 11/0626
Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats: with individual temperature or ventilation control
B60N 2/75
Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles: arm-rests
B64D 11/06
Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for: arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially…

Family

Application62/202,545Us provisional application · filed 7 Aug 2015
US 2020/0086996 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Mar 2020
US 11,111,022 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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