Ventilated vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10391900-B2
Application number	US-201715850563-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Aug 27, 2019
Grant date	Aug 27, 2019

Abstract

An occupant support adapted for use in a vehicle includes a cushion, an air-permeable cushion cover, and a ventilation unit. The cushion is adapted to support an occupant on the occupant support. The air-permeable cushion cover is arranged around at least a portion the cushion. The ventilation unit is configured to selectively cool the occupant of the occupant support with convective cooling through the air-permeable cushion cover.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An occupant support comprising
a cushion having an outer surface arranged to face an occupant of the occupant support, an inner surface spaced apart from the outer surface, and an intermediate surface located between the outer surface and the inner surface and the cushion formed to define a cooling passage that extends between the outer surface and the intermediate surface,
an air-permeable cushion cover arranged around the outer surface of the cushion, and
a ventilation unit located between the intermediate surface and the inner surface of the cushion, the ventilation unit including a flexible support panel and a piezoelectric fan coupled to the support panel, the piezoelectric fan aligned with the cooling passage and including a deformable membrane and a piezoelectric motor configured to undulate the deformable membrane in response to receiving electric energy so that the ventilation unit provides a flow of air through the cooling passage and air-permeable cushion cover to provide convective cooling to the occupant of the occupant support.

2. The occupant support of claim 1 , wherein the flexible support panel is formed to include a panel aperture that extends through the flexible support panel and the piezoelectric fan closes the panel aperture.

3. The occupant support of claim 2 , wherein the panel aperture is circular shaped and the deformable membrane included in the piezoelectric fan is circular shaped.

4. The occupant support of claim 2 , wherein the cushion further includes a spacer surface located between the intermediate surface and the inner surface, the spacer surface is spaced apart from the intermediate surface to define a slot, and the ventilation unit is received in the slot.

5. The occupant support of claim 4 , wherein the cushion is formed to define an intake passage that extends between the inner surface and the spacer surface and the piezoelectric fan is aligned with the intake passage.

6. The occupant support of claim 1 , wherein the air-permeable cushion cover and cushion cooperate to define a plurality of ridges that extend toward the occupant and away from the inner surface, a pair of neighboring ridges cooperate to form a channel therebetween, and the cooling passage opens into the channel so that the flow of air is conducted into the channel during operation of the ventilation unit.

7. The occupant support of claim 6 , wherein the channel extends along a channel axis, the cooling passage extends along a passage axis, the passage axis and the channel axis define an angle therebetween, and the angle is greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees.

8. The occupant support of claim 6 , wherein the channel extends along a channel axis, the piezoelectric fan is oriented to conduct the flow of air along a passage axis, the passage axis and the channel axis define an angle therebetween, and the angle is greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees.

9. The occupant support of claim 1 , wherein the ventilation unit further includes a controller configured to activate the piezoelectric fan in response to receiving an input.

10. The occupant support of claim 1 , wherein the cushion and the flexible support panel are integrally formed.

11. An occupant support comprising
a cushion having an outer surface and an inner surface spaced apart from the outer surface,
an air-permeable cushion cover arranged around the outer surface of the cushion, and
a ventilation unit located between the air-permeable cushion cover and the cushion, the ventilation unit including a support panel and a piezoelectric fan coupled to the support panel,
wherein the piezoelectric fan includes a deformable membrane and a piezoelectric motor configured to undulate the deformable membrane in response to receiving electric energy.

12. The occupant support of claim 11 , wherein the support panel is formed to include a panel aperture that extends through the support panel and the piezoelectric fan closes the panel aperture.

13. The occupant support of claim 12 , wherein the panel aperture is circular shaped and the deformable membrane included in the piezoelectric fan is circular shaped.

14. The occupant support of claim 11 , wherein the cushion includes an intermediate surface located between the outer surface and the inner surface and a spacer surface located between the intermediate surface and the inner surface to define a slot and the ventilation unit is received in the slot.

15. The occupant support of claim 14 , wherein the cushion is formed to define a cooling passage that extends between the outer surface and the intermediate surface and an intake passage that extends between the inner surface and the spacer surface and the piezoelectric fan is aligned with the cooling passage and the intake passage.

16. The occupant support of claim 11 , wherein the air-permeable cushion cover and cushion cooperate to define a plurality of ridges, a pair of neighboring ridges cooperate to form a channel therebetween, and at least a portion of the piezoelectric fan is located between the pair of neighboring ridges.

17. The occupant support of claim 16 , wherein the channel extends along a channel axis, the piezoelectric fan is oriented to conduct air along a passage axis, the passage axis and the channel axis define an angle therebetween, and the angle is greater than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees.

18. The occupant support of claim 11 , wherein the cushion and the support panel are integrally formed.

19. The occupant support of claim 11 , wherein the ventilation unit further includes a controller configured to activate the piezoelectric fan in response to receiving an input.

Assignees

• Faurecia Automotive Seating Llc

Inventors

• Zhao Ying (Carolyn)
• Fitzpatrick Robert C
• Ketels Cedric
• Perraut John M

Classifications

• B60H1/00828

  Ventilators, e.g. speed control (B60H1/00864 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/5657 Primary

  blown towards the seat surface · CPC title

• B60N2/5628

  coming from the vehicle ventilation system, e.g. air-conditioning system · CPC title

• B60N2/58

  Seat coverings · CPC title