Heated and cooled chair apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seating systems fail to provide efficient and comfortable temperature control for occupants, as they often require high-pressure air distribution, generate noise, and may overcool or undercool users, especially in varying environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
A chair with a moisture-permeable surface and an enclosed plenum system that uses low-wattage fans to circulate air across the underside of the seat and backrest, incorporating reflective surfaces for radiation management and resistive heating elements for localized heating, operated by a controller with sensors for dynamic temperature adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If high-pressure air distribution systems are used for seat cooling, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but noise and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional high-pressure mechanical air distribution system with an evaporative cooling system that uses water evaporation and low-pressure air flow. The water-permeable material allows water to evaporate on the user's skin, providing cooling without requiring high-pressure air systems, thereby reducing noise and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of water from liquid to vapor through evaporation. Water is delivered through the water-permeable material to the user's skin, where it evaporates and absorbs heat, providing effective cooling without the need for high-pressure air distribution systems.
2Temperature
If high-pressure air distribution systems are used for seat cooling, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the energy-intensive high-pressure air distribution system with a passive evaporative cooling mechanism. The system uses water evaporation and natural convection currents created by low-wattage fans, dramatically reducing energy consumption while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent exploits the latent heat of vaporization of water to provide cooling. As water evaporates from the user's skin through the water-permeable material, it absorbs heat energy, providing effective cooling without requiring the high energy input needed for compressed air systems.
3Temperature
If ambient air temperature control is used, then overall environmental comfort is improved, but individual thermal requirements of occupants are not satisfied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides localized thermal control at the seat level rather than controlling the entire ambient environment. The seat system independently regulates temperature for each user through water evaporation and heating elements, allowing individual thermal comfort preferences to be met without affecting other occupants or requiring extensive ambient air conditioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the thermal control system into individual seat units, each capable of independent temperature regulation. This allows each occupant to have customized thermal comfort settings based on their personal preferences and environmental conditions, rather than relying on a single ambient temperature control system.
4Strength
If conventional chair materials are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but thermal comfort and heat exchange efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials including water-permeable fabrics that combine structural integrity with thermal functionality. These materials allow water to pass through for evaporative cooling while maintaining the necessary mechanical strength and support properties of the chair structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses water-permeable porous materials for the seat covering. These porous materials allow water to pass through to the user's skin for evaporative cooling while maintaining sufficient structural integrity. The porosity enables thermal comfort functionality without compromising the chair's structural strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides efficient and comfortable temperature control with reduced noise and energy consumption, adapting to individual thermal needs by enhancing convective and evaporative heat exchange while minimizing thermal capacitance and radiant heat transfer.
Implementation Method 1
an airstream that cools the moisture-permeable material of the seat body by convective heat exchange
Implementation Method 2
a moisture-permeable material that allows an occupant's moisture to pass through the material to the airstream and by evaporative heat exchange cools the occupant
Implementation Method 3
a plenum backplane with reflective surfaces for directing heating and cooling to the user of the chair
Implementation Method 4
resistive heating elements for localized heating
Data Source
AI summary
Articles of furniture with a system of heating and cooling that can be integrated into a building environmental control network are provided. The heating/cooling system of the article has surfaces of a porous or non-porous, moisture-permeable material allowing convective and evaporative heat exchange from the body surface to the environment. The material covers a plenum that has reflective surfaces to reduce radiant losses and low-wattage fans to circulate air that convectively cools the occupant. Resistance heating may be incorporated at key occupant contact areas in the seat and backrest. Temperature, occupancy and other sensors can be incorporated. A control interface controls the actions of the heating/cooling system of the article and can interact with a network server to transmit measurements of environmental temperatures and occupant selection of control settings that are useful for control of the building's indoor environment.