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US 7,621,135 B2Granted
Differential thermal conditioning of a vehicle seat
AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorsPrasad Shripad Kadle, Edward Wolfe, IV, Xiaoxia Mu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Differential thermal conditioning of vehicle seat zones is achieved with convenient adjustment of a seat temperature differential for optimizing the thermal comfort of the seat occupant. Two or more thermoelectric units supply conditioned air to different zones of the seat, and the temperature differential between specified zones of the seat is set by an occupant-adjustable control input.
Claims3
An apparatus for delivering thermally conditioned air to a seat back of a vehicle seat, comprising:
- a thermal thermoelectric unit conditioning air supplied to an upper back seat zone defined by an upper portion of said seat back and a lower back seat zone defined by a lower portion of said seat back, wherein said thermoelectric unit includes a first outlet duct in hydraulic communication with said upper portion of said seat back and a second outlet duct in hydraulic communication with said lower portion of said seat back;
- and
- an air valve apparatus for apportioning conditioned air from said thermoelectric unit among said first outlet duct and said second outlet duct, wherein said air valve apparatus includes a first air control door between said first and second outlet ducts for apportioning conditioned air among said upper back seat zone and said lower back seat zone, a second air control door for selectively exhausting air from a passage coupling said thermoelectric unit to said upper back seat zone, and a third air control door for selectively exhausting air from a passage coupling said thermoelectric unit to said lower back seat zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.