US 7,475,464 B2Granted

Climate controlled seat

AssigneeAmerigon Incorporated

InventorsJohn Lofy, Todd Jackson, John Terech

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

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Abstract

A vehicle seat has a seat bottom and seat back. The seat bottom can have a ventilated insert located between the seat upholstery and the seat cushion. The inset can be in fluid communication with the cabin space of the vehicle. In one arrangement, the insert has a cover with holes and a body. The cover and body cooperate to form a plurality of plenums for passing air through the insert. A fluid system can deliver air to the insert so that the air passes through the plenums and directed out of the holes in the cover. The air then flows out of the vehicle seat to control the climate around the person in the seat. The insert can also be used to remove air near the seat by drawing air proximate the seat into the insert. The air can then pass through the insert and is delivered to the fluid system.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for producing an air circulation seat, the method comprising:

providing a seat support member having a front side generally facing a seated occupant, said seat support member comprising at least one recess area positioned along the front side, said recess area configured to receive a first insert such that an upper surface of said first insert is substantially flush with said front side of said seat support member, the seat support member comprising a tie-down trench for securing a seat covering material to the seat support member, wherein the first insert comprises a body portion, a cover portion and at least one channel defined between the body portion and the cover portion, the cover portion comprising a plurality of openings;
disposing a second insert within the first insert, the second insert configured to fit entirely within at least one channel of the first insert;
disposing the first insert within the recess area along the front side of the seat support member;
and
securing a seat covering material over the seat support member and the first insert;
wherein the body portion comprises a flange extending laterally on either side of the channel, the cover portion being configured to mate with the flange of the body portion;
wherein at least a portion of the first insert is configured to extend beneath the tie-down trench such that at least one of the openings of the cover portion is positioned on either side of the tie-down trench;
and
wherein the second insert is configured to diffuse fluid within the channel of the first insert.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/417,551Filed 3 May 2006 · continuation
Priority: 25 May 2004
Published: US 2006/0208540 A121 Sep 2006
Granted: 13 Jan 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B60N 2/565
By air: sucked from the seat surface
B60N 2/5628
By air: coming from the vehicle ventilation system, e.g. air-conditioning system
B60N 2/5657
By air: blown towards the seat surface
Y10T 29/481
Upholstered article making: method

Family

Application10/853,779Parent of this continuation · filed 25 May 2004
US 2006/0208540 A1Pre-grant publication · published 21 Sep 2006
US 7,114,771 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2005/0264086 A1Published application
US 7,475,464 B2This patent

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