U.S. patent application number 10/528017 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-29 for cushion for a vehicle seat.
Invention is credited to Karl Pfahler, Lothar Renner, Gerd Urban, Manfred Ziemann.
Application Number | 20060138811 10/528017 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31969201 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060138811 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pfahler; Karl ; et
al. |
June 29, 2006 |
Cushion for a vehicle seat
Abstract
A cushion has a cushion core, particularly made of a foam
material, and an air-permeable and moisture-permeable covering
layer that covers the core. To improve the climate comfort by
ensuring good removal of moisture from the area between covering
layer and cushion core, longitudinal and transverse grooves, spaced
apart from one another, are formed in the surface of the cushion
core covered by the covering layer. These grooves are open toward
the covering layer and intersect one another. In addition, the
cushion core is provided with channels which pass through the
entire thickness of the core and which, at one end, open out at the
points of intersection of the longitudinal and transverse grooves
and, at the other end, open freely to the outside of the cushion
core.
Inventors: |
Pfahler; Karl; (Stuttgart,
DE) ; Renner; Lothar; (Nufringen, DE) ; Urban;
Gerd; (Remshalden, DE) ; Ziemann; Manfred;
(Tamm, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CROWELL & MORING LLP;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
P.O. BOX 14300
WASHINGTON
DC
20044-4300
US
|
Family ID: |
31969201 |
Appl. No.: |
10/528017 |
Filed: |
August 16, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
August 16, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP03/09095 |
371 Date: |
December 8, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/180.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/5635
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/180.14 |
International
Class: |
A47C 31/00 20060101
A47C031/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 18, 2002 |
DE |
102 43 315.1 |
Claims
1-3. (canceled)
4. A cushion for a vehicle seat, comprising: a cushion core made of
a foam material, an air-permeable and moisture-permeable covering
layer by which the cushion core is lined, and a network formed in
the cushion core, the network comprising grooves spaced apart from
one another, which are open toward the covering layer, and through
which air is forced, and channels which pass through an entire core
thickness of the cushion core and which, at one end, open into
grooves and, at the other end, open out freely on an outer face of
the cushion core directed away from said grooves, wherein the
grooves are intersecting longitudinal grooves and transverse
grooves having intersection areas at which the channels open out,
wherein at least one shaft is provided in the cushion core, passes
completely through the core thickness of the cushion core, opens
out in at least one of the longitudinal grooves, the transverse
grooves, or both the longitudinal and the transverse grooves, and
is open on the outer face of the cushion core directed away from
the longitudinal and transverse grooves, and wherein a miniature
fan, which sucks air in from an area surrounding the cushion, is
arranged in the at least one shaft.
5. The cushion as claimed in claim 4, wherein a mouth of the at
least one shaft is positioned in an intersection area of one of the
longitudinal grooves and one of the transverse grooves.
6. The cushion as claimed in claim 4, wherein the covering layer
has a support, made of reticulated foam, and an air-permeable
lining stretching across the support.
7. The cushion as claimed in claim 5, wherein the covering layer
has a support, made of reticulated foam, and an air-permeable
lining stretching across the support.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a cushion for a vehicle seat.
[0002] In a cushion of this type known from German document DE 33
06 871 A1, shells are fitted into longitudinal grooves arranged in
the seat area and/or backrest area of the cushion core, these
shells being open toward the outside and being connected at one end
to a suction pump via a main connection tube. In an alternative
configuration of this known vehicle seat, the cushion core is
provided with channels which pass through the entire thickness of
the core. The channels are open at both ends and open out freely on
the underside of the cushion, since in this area they pass through
a seat bucket of the vehicle seat receiving the cushion. Both
structural configurations of the cushion involve air extraction or
air exchange in order to carry away the heat and moisture which
form between the covering layer and the cushion when the seat is
occupied by a passenger, and in order thereby to improve the
climate of the vehicle seat.
[0003] In a heated vehicle seat known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,439,
the cushion body of the seat cushion and backrest is provided,
underneath a covering layer over the cushion body, with transverse
grooves into which there open air inlet channels extending through
the cushion body at right angles to the transverse grooves.
Temperature-controlled warm air, generated in a heating pump with
heat exchanger, is blown into the inlet channels.
[0004] In a vehicle seat known from U.S. Patent Application
Publication 2001/0035669 A1, the cushion body of a seat cushion
comprises a network of channels which pass through the cushion body
in a large number of different directions. In a central area, a
number of channels of by comparison greater internal diameter pass
more or less perpendicularly through the cushion body and open out
at the underside of the body. Arranged below the mouths of these
channels there is a fan which sucks air through the cushion from
the upper face of the cushion body.
[0005] A vehicle seat known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,318 has a seat
cushion and a backrest in whose cushion bodies there are
intersecting longitudinal and transverse grooves which are covered
by a cushion lining. At the central area of the seat body, the
cushion lining has four holes passing through it which communicate
with the longitudinal and transverse grooves and with channels
extending perpendicularly through the cushion body. Arranged
directly underneath the holes, there are nonreturn valves which
ensure that air does not flow out of the channels through the
holes. The cushion body of the backrest has a similar design. At
the end remote from the holes, the mouths of the vertical channels
passing through the cushion bodies are connected to one another via
a connection tube. As a result of vibrations caused by the person
seated on the seat cushion, air is pumped out of the channels of
the seat cushion into the channels of the backrest, thereby
ventilating the latter.
[0006] A water-impermeable and breathable lining for mattresses
known from German document DE 201 20 207 U1 is composed of a layer
of water-impermeable material in which intersecting longitudinal
and transverse grooves are formed. Continuous tubes perpendicular
to the layer are formed which, at one end, open into the points of
intersection of the longitudinal and transverse channels and, at
the other end, open out on the underside of the layer. By
structuring the layer in this way, horizontal and vertical air
intake and air removal is made possible during use of the
mattress.
[0007] In a vehicle seat known from German document DE 198 05 173
C, the cushion in the seat part and backrest has a ventilation
layer through which air can flow and a cushion lining stretched
across the surface of the cushion directed toward the person
occupying the seat. Air channels are worked into the cushion and
open out from the underside and rear side of the cushion directed
away from the cushion lining and open into the ventilation layer.
In these air channels, there are miniature fans which force air
from underneath or behind the cushion into the ventilation layer,
and the air blown in is removed from the ventilation layer through
channels which start from the ventilation layer and pass through
the cushion.
[0008] In the case of a cushion for a vehicle seat of the type
mentioned at the outset, that is to say a full-foam cushion, the
object of the invention is to further improve the seat climate at
minimal additional production cost.
[0009] According to the invention, this object is achieved.
[0010] The cushion according to the invention for a vehicle seat,
which can be a cushion for the seat part of the vehicle seat (seat
cushion) or a cushion for the backrest (backrest cushion), has the
advantage that the network of longitudinal and transverse grooves
communicating with the environment via the channels passing through
the cushion core ensures very good removal of moisture from the
surface of the cushion core made of moisture-impermeable material.
The moisture passing through the covering layer is transported via
the longitudinal and transverse grooves to the mouths of the
channels, and the moisture passes through the channels into the
open. The air which is blown by the miniature fans into the network
of longitudinal and transverse grooves, and which is removed again
through the channels present in the cushion, generates a very
intensive flow of air through the longitudinal and transverse
grooves and very rapid removal of heat and moisture from the
intermediate cushion area delimited by covering layer and cushion
core.
[0011] Advantageous embodiments of the cushion according to the
invention, with preferred refinements and configurations of the
invention, are also set out in the patent claims.
[0012] The invention is described in more detail below on the basis
of illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings, in which each of
the figures shows a schematic view.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a seat cushion of a vehicle seat
with the covering layer partially cut away,
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a cross section along the line II-II in FIG.
1,
[0015] FIG. 3 shows the same view as in FIG. 1, but of a modified
seat cushion, and
[0016] FIG. 4 shows a cross section along the line IV-IV in FIG.
3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] A vehicle seat has, in a known manner, a seat part and a
backrest which are both covered with a cushion. FIGS. 1 and 2 show
only the seat cushion of the vehicle seat, but its structure, as
described below, applies also to the backrest cushion.
[0018] The cushion is composed of a cushion core 11, made from a
block of foam, and of an air-permeable and moisture-permeable
covering layer 12 which covers the cushion core 11 and which in
turn has a support 13 made of reticulated foam and an air-permeable
lining 14 which secures the support 13 on the surface of the
cushion core 11. The lining 14 is made of fabric or of perforated
leather. In some cases, the support 13 can be replaced by a
nonwoven or can be omitted altogether. A heating mat for heating
the seat is normally also inserted into the support 13, but this is
not shown here. The cushion 10 in the seat part is fitted on a seat
bucket or, as in the illustrative embodiment described, on a sprung
core 15 which is secured in a seat frame of the seat part.
[0019] In the cushion core 11, longitudinally extending grooves 16
and transversely extending grooves 17 are formed in the surface
directed toward the covering layer 12. The longitudinal and
transverse grooves 16, 17 intersect one another and are open toward
the covering layer 12. At the points of intersection of
longitudinal grooves 16 and transverse grooves 17, the cushion core
11 has channels 18 which pass through the entire core thickness of
the cushion core 11 and open out freely on the outer face of the
cushion core 11 directed away from the covering layer 12. The
longitudinal grooves 16, the transverse grooves 17 and the channels
18 are produced during the foaming of the cushion core 11.
[0020] The network of longitudinal grooves 16 and transverse
grooves 17, in conjunction with the channels 18, ensures that
moisture produced by the occupant of the seat is removed from the
covering layer 12 to the outside of the cushion 10. The moisture is
transported through the longitudinal and transverse grooves 16, 17
to the hollows where the mouths of the channels 18 lie, and the
moisture passes through these channels 18 into the open. In this
way, in a so-called full-foam cushion whose cushion core is not
itself permeable to moisture, a comfortable seat climate is
generated, as is achieved, in the case of expensive seats, only by
using expensive knitted spacer fabric across the cushion core
11.
[0021] As is illustrated in FIG. 2, a fan 20 can also be arranged
outside the cushion (underneath it in the case of a seat cushion)
at a distance from the latter on the vehicle seat, and this fan 20
causes air to impact a central area of the cushion core 11. By
means of this central fan 20, air from the area surrounding the
cushion is blown into the channels 18 located in the central area
of the cushion core 11. This air passes into the network of
longitudinal grooves 16 and transverse grooves 17 and flows back to
the outer face of the cushion via the channels 18 present in the
edge area of the cushion core 11. The air flow is indicated by
arrows in FIG. 2. This active removal of moisture from the cushion
greatly increases the effectiveness of the removal of moisture
which passes through the air-permeable and moisture-permeable
covering layer 12 into the longitudinal and transverse grooves 16,
17.
[0022] In the cushion shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and intended for a
vehicle seat, an alternative embodiment for active removal of
moisture from the full-foam cushion is illustrated. The structure
of the cushion with cushion core 11 and covering layer 12 and with
the longitudinal grooves 16, transverse grooves 17 and channels 18
formed in the cushion core 11 is unchanged and is as described
above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, two shafts 21
spaced apart from one another are also present in the central area
in the cushion core 11, and, like the channels 18, they pass
through the entire core thickness of the cushion core 11 and, at
one end, open out at the point of intersection of a longitudinal
groove 16 and a transverse groove 17 and, at the other end, open
out freely on the outer face of the cushion core 11, but have a
much greater internal diameter compared to the channels 18. In the
illustrative embodiment described, both shafts 21 are arranged in
the center axis of the cushion core 11, one shaft 21 lying more or
less centrally in the cushion core 11 while the other shaft 21 is
offset closer to the front edge of the cushion core 11. Arranged in
each shaft 21 there is a miniature fan 22 which is secured in a
known manner in the cushion core 11 via a grommet (not shown here).
By means of the two miniature fans 22, air is sucked in from the
outside of the cushion and is forced through the shafts 21 into the
network of longitudinal grooves 16 and transverse grooves 17.
There, the air picks up the moisture and flows through the channels
18 back to the outside of the cushion core 11.
* * * * *