Ventilated seat with low pressure zone induced airflow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524613-B2
Application number	US-202017134705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2020
Priority date	Dec 28, 2020
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A method of controlling a seat cooling cycle in a vehicle seat includes determining whether a vehicle cooling system is operating. If the vehicle cooling system is operating, then executing a seat cooling cycle such that portions of an occupant-facing surface of the vehicle seat are urged outwardly to create high contact zones between the occupant and the portions of the vehicle seat that have been urged outwardly, and such that areas of reduced occupant contact are defined between adjacent ones of the portions of the occupant-facing surface that are urged outwardly, wherein the areas of reduced occupant contact define low pressure zones that facilitate the flow of air between the vehicle seat and the occupant within the low pressure zones.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a combined air distribution and massage system in a seat comprising the steps of:
providing a seat having a combined air distribution and massage system that includes a fan, an air distribution portion having an air channel that is in fluid communication with the fan and is adapted to move air to and/or from the fan and past an occupant of the seat, and a massage portion having an air bladder that is in fluid communication with the fan and is adapted to inflate and/or deflate to provide support for the occupant of the seat; and
if the air distribution portion of the combined air distribution and massage system is operating, then operating the massage portion of the combined air distribution and massage system such that:
first portions of the seat are urged outwardly from the seat to define high contact zones between the occupant and the first portions of the seat, and
second portions of the seat are not urged outwardly from the seat to define low pressure zones between the occupant and the second portions of the seat that facilitate the flow of air through the air distribution portion of the combined air distribution and massage system when the occupant is on the seat.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the seat includes a seat back having cushion foam therein and a plurality of A-side air bladders positioned on an A-side of the cushion foam;
wherein when inflated, the plurality of A-side air bladders urge the portions of the occupant-facing surface of the seat outwardly to create the high contact zones and the low pressure zones therebetween; and
wherein the seat cooling cycle includes sequentially actuating ones of the plurality of A-side air bladders to define a seat cooling cycle.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the seat is a ventilated vehicle seat having an air compressor connected to the plurality of A-side air bladders via a plurality of valves, and a controller; and
wherein the seat cooling cycle is implemented and controlled by an algorithm in the controller.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of A-side air bladders are configured as a plurality of pairs of air bladders that are selectively inflatable and deflatable; and
wherein when a pair of the air bladders are inflated, the low pressure zone and the associated path for the flow of air is defined between the air bladders of the pair of air bladders.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the seat cooling cycle includes sequentially actuating ones of the plurality of pairs of the A-side air bladders to define the seat cooling cycle.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the seat is a ventilated vehicle seat having an air compressor connected to the plurality of A-side air bladders via a plurality of valves, and a controller; and
wherein the seat cooling cycle is implemented and controlled by an algorithm in the controller.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the seat cooling cycle includes sequentially actuating multiple ones of the plurality of pairs of the A-side air bladders to define the seat cooling cycle.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the seat is a ventilated vehicle seat having an air compressor connected to the plurality of A-side air bladders via a plurality of valves, and a controller; and
wherein the seat cooling cycle is implemented and controlled by an algorithm in the controller.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the seat back further includes a plurality of B-side air bladders positioned on a B-side of the cushion foam;
wherein when inflated, the plurality of B-side air bladders urge the portions of the occupant-facing surface of the seat outwardly to create the high contact zones and the low pressure zones therebetween; and
wherein the seat cooling cycle includes sequentially actuating ones of the plurality of B-side air bladders to define a seat cooling cycle.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the seat cooling cycle includes sequentially actuating ones of both the plurality of pairs of the A-side air bladders and the plurality of B-side air bladders to define the seat cooling cycle.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the seat is a ventilated vehicle seat having an air compressor connected to the plurality of B-side air bladders via a plurality of valves, and a controller; and
wherein the seat cooling cycle is implemented and controlled by an algorithm in the controller.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein when adjacent ones of the B-side air bladders are inflated, the low pressure zone and the associated path for the flow of air is defined between the inflated adjacent B-sided air bladders.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the seat cooling cycle includes sequentially actuating one or more of the B-side air bladders to define the seat cooling cycle.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the seat is a ventilated vehicle seat having an air compressor connected to the plurality of B-side air bladders via a plurality of valves, and a controller; and
wherein the seat cooling cycle is implemented and controlled by an algorithm in the controller.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Duncan Bradley C
• Ivanov Vyachislav
• Abbey Caleb

Classifications

• B60N2/914

  Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape · CPC title

• B60N2/5642 Primary

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

• B60N2/64

  Back-rests {or cushions (B60N2/2222 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60N2/5657

  blown towards the seat surface · CPC title

• B60N2/5664

  with unforced air circulation, i.e. not using a fan or the like · CPC title