Vehicle seat with thermal device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065544-B2
Application number	US-201615145852-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2016
Priority date	May 7, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A passenger restraint includes a vehicle seat and a foundation adapted to couple the seat to a vehicle frame included in a vehicle. The vehicle seat is adapted to support a passenger sitting thereon. The foundation couples the vehicle seat in spaced-apart relation to the vehicle frame to allow the vehicle seat to move back and forth relative to the vehicle frame.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A passenger restraint comprising
a vehicle seat adapted to support a passenger sitting thereon,
a foundation adapted to couple the seat to a vehicle frame included in a vehicle in spaced-apart relation to the vehicle frame to allow the vehicle seat to move back and forth relative to the vehicle frame, and
a heat-transfer unit positioned to lie in a space defined in part by the vehicle seat and the vehicle frame and configured to provide means for transferring heat from ambient air surrounding the vehicle seat to the vehicle frame using a closed-path flow of refrigerant so that a cooling sensation is provided to the occupant in a minimized amount of time.

2. The passenger restraint of claim 1 , wherein the heat-transfer unit is positioned to lie under the vehicle seat.

3. The passenger restraint of claim 2 , wherein the foundation includes a pair of spaced-apart frame rails and the heat-transfer unit is positioned to lie between the frame rails.

4. The passenger restraint of claim 3 , wherein the heat-transfer unit extends out of the space.

5. The passenger restraint of claim 4 , wherein the vehicle seat includes a seat bottom coupled to the frame rails and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom to extend away from the seat bottom and the frame rails, the seat bottom including a perimeter edge arranged to extend around the seat bottom, and the heat-transfer unit is arranged to extend beyond the perimeter edge of the seat bottom.

6. The passenger restraint of claim 1 , wherein the heat-transfer unit includes a cooling-air supply configured to transfer heat from the ambient air to the closed path flow of refrigerant to provide a cooling stream of air having a lower-than-ambient temperature to the vehicle seat, a compressor coupled fluidly to the cooling-air supply to increase a pressure of the closed path flow of refrigerant, a heat sink coupled fluidly to the compressor to transfer heat from the closed path flow of refrigerant to the vehicle frame, and an expander coupled fluidly between the heat sink and cooling-air supply to decrease pressure of the closed path flow of refrigerant and form the closed path of refrigerant included in the heat-transfer unit.

7. The passenger restraint of claim 6 , wherein the cooling-air supply includes an air cooler coupled fluidly between the expander and compressor and configured to transfer heat from the ambient air to refrigerant passing through the air cooler and an air mover configured to move ambient air through the air cooler.

8. A passenger restraint comprising
a vehicle seat adapted to support a passenger sitting thereon,
a foundation adapted to couple the seat to a vehicle frame included in a vehicle in spaced-apart relation to the vehicle frame to allow the vehicle seat to move back and forth relative to the vehicle frame, and
a heat-transfer unit positioned to lie in a space defined in part by the vehicle seat and the vehicle frame and configured to provide means for transferring heat from ambient air surrounding the vehicle seat to the vehicle frame using a closed-path flow of refrigerant so that a cooling sensation is provided to the occupant in a minimized amount of time,
wherein the heat-transfer unit includes a cooling-air supply configured to transfer heat from the ambient air to the closed path flow of refrigerant to provide a cooling stream of air having a lower-than-ambient temperature to the vehicle seat, a compressor coupled fluidly to the cooling-air supply to increase a pressure of the closed path flow of refrigerant, a heat sink coupled fluidly to the compressor to transfer heat from the closed path flow of refrigerant to the vehicle frame, and an expander coupled fluidly between the heat sink and cooling-air supply to decrease pressure of the closed path flow of refrigerant and form the closed path of refrigerant included in the heat-transfer unit,
wherein the cooling-air supply includes an air cooler coupled fluidly between the expander and compressor and configured to transfer heat from the ambient air to refrigerant passing through the air cooler and an air mover configured to move ambient air through the air cooler,
wherein the air mover includes an air box arranged to surround the air cooler, an inlet arranged to extend between and interconnect the air box to a source of ambient air, and an outlet arranged to extend between and interconnect the air box and the vehicle seat to cause the cooling stream to be communicated from the air box to the vehicle seat.

9. The passenger restraint of claim 8 , wherein the air mover further includes a condensation remover coupled to the air box and configured to collect condensation formed on the air cooler and transport the condensation outside of the air box.

10. The passenger restraint of claim 9 , wherein the condensation remover is configured to provide means for transferring the condensation from the air box through the vehicle frame to an environment surrounding the vehicle frame.

11. A passenger restraint comprising
a vehicle seat adapted to support a passenger sitting thereon,
a foundation adapted to couple the seat to a vehicle frame included in a vehicle in spaced-apart relation to the vehicle frame to allow the vehicle seat to move back and forth relative to the vehicle frame, and
a heat-transfer unit positioned to lie in a space defined in part by the vehicle seat and the vehicle frame and configured to provide means for transferring heat from ambient air surrounding the vehicle seat to the vehicle frame using a closed-path flow of refrigerant so that a cooling sensation is provided to the occupant in a minimized amount of time,
wherein the heat-transfer unit includes a cooling-air supply configured to transfer heat from the ambient air to the closed path flow of refrigerant to provide a cooling stream of air having a lower-than-ambient temperature to the vehicle seat, a compressor coupled fluidly to the cooling-air supply to increase a pressure of the closed path flow of refrigerant, a heat sink coupled fluidly to the compressor to transfer heat from the closed path flow of refrigerant to the vehicle frame, and an expander coupled fluidly between the heat sink and cooling-air supply to decrease pressure of the closed path flow of refrigerant and form the closed path of refrigerant included in the heat-transfer unit,
wherein the cooling-air supply includes an air cooler coupled fluidly between the expander and compressor and configured to transfer heat from the ambient air to refrigerant passing through the air cooler and an air mover configured to move ambient air through the air cooler,
wherein the vehicle seat includes a seat pan coupled to the frame rails, a support cushion coupled to the seat pan and positioned to support a user on the vehicle seat, and a seat trim positioned to surround the support cushion and a first portion of the cooling stream of air moves between the seat trim and the support cushion.

12. The passenger restraint of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle seat further includes one or more vents formed in the vehicle seat and arranged in fluid communication with the heat-transfer unit to transfer a second portion of the cooling stream over an occupant supported by the vehicle seat.

Assignees

• Faurecia Automotive Seating Llc

Inventors

• Joshi Raghvendra T

Classifications

• B60N2/5692

  Refrigerating means · CPC title

• B60N2/5642

  with circulation of air through a layer inside the seat · CPC title

• B60H1/00285

  for vehicle seats · CPC title

• B60N2/5657 Primary

  blown towards the seat surface · CPC title