Vehicle seat with cooling fluidflow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10821803-B2
Application number	US-201715689314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2017
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A seating assembly includes a seating surface extending over at least one of a seat and a seatback. The seating assembly also includes a fluid mover and a fluid transfer member including a fluid inlet portion and a fluid outlet portion. The fluid inlet portion is coupled to the fluid mover, and the fluid outlet portion is proximate the seating surface. The fluid mover is selectively operable to release a pressurized fluid through the tube so that the release of the pressurized fluid at the outlet cools a seating assembly occupant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seating assembly comprising:
a seating surface extending over at least one of a seat and a seatback and defined by a permeable substrate;
a compressor;
a fluid transfer member comprising:
a fluid inlet portion; and
a fluid outlet portion including a pressure-activated opening; and

a holder including a cap disposed below the seating surface;
wherein the fluid inlet portion is coupled to the compressor, wherein the fluid outlet portion is fluidly coupled to the holder and is proximate the seating surface; and
wherein the compressor is selectively operable to direct a pressurized fluid through the fluid transfer member, the pressure-activated opening, the holder, and the cap to deliver a cooling effect at the seating surface due to an adiabatic expansion of the fluid at the pressure-activated opening, wherein the pressure-activated opening includes a metered valve, and wherein the metered valve measures one or more of: the output temperature of the fluid, the pressure of the fluid, and the flow rate of the fluid.

2. The seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fluid transfer member comprises a tube.

3. A seating assembly comprising:
a seating surface extending over at least one of a seat and a seatback and defined by a permeable substrate;
a compressor;
a fluid transfer member comprising:
a fluid inlet portion; and
a fluid outlet portion including a pressure-activated opening; and

a holder including a cap disposed below the seating surface;
wherein the fluid inlet portion is coupled to the compressor, wherein the fluid outlet portion is fluidly coupled to the holder and is proximate the seating surface; and
wherein the compressor is selectively operable to direct a pressurized fluid through the fluid transfer member, the pressure-activated opening, the holder, and the cap to deliver a cooling effect at the seating surface due to an adiabatic expansion of the fluid at the pressure-activated opening, wherein the pressure-activated opening includes a porous plug.

4. The seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cap includes circular openings.

5. A seating assembly comprising:
a seating surface extending over at least one of a seat and a seatback and defined by a permeable substrate;
a compressor;
a fluid transfer member comprising:
a fluid inlet portion; and
a fluid outlet portion including a pressure-activated opening; and

a holder including a cap disposed below the seating surface;
wherein the fluid inlet portion is coupled to the compressor, wherein the fluid outlet portion is fluidly coupled to the holder and is proximate the seating surface; and
wherein the compressor is selectively operable to direct a pressurized fluid through the fluid transfer member, the pressure-activated opening, the holder, and the cap to deliver a cooling effect at the seating surface due to an adiabatic expansion of the fluid at the pressure-activated opening, wherein the holder includes an orifice that is disposed in the fluid outlet portion of the fluid transfer member.

6. The seating assembly of claim 5 , wherein the fluid outlet portion of the fluid transfer member forms a sleeve-like fit around the orifice.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dry Alan George
• Line Johnathan Andrew
• Kondrad Marcos Silva
• Preuss Kevin Wayne

Classifications

• B60N2/5635 Primary

  coming from the passenger compartment · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• B60N2/5607

  characterised by convection · CPC title

• B60N2/5657

  blown towards the seat surface · CPC title

• B60N2/5692

  Refrigerating means · CPC title