Vehicle Seat Blower Chamber Ventilation Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
In slim seat designs for vehicles, the large capacity blower fans required for air conditioning determine the thickness of the seat, limiting the potential for a more compact in-vehicle space.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat configuration with a blower chamber sandwiched between urethane pads, featuring through-holes and vent holes that minimize air resistance and allow air to be discharged across the full width of the chamber, enabling the use of a smaller capacity blower fan and providing flexibility in air discharge positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a large capacity blower fan is used to discharge air through long thin duct lines to different areas of the seat back, then air distribution coverage is improved, but the seat thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the air discharge function into multiple air outlets distributed across the seat back surface, each connected to the blower fan through short thin duct lines rather than one or few long duct lines. This segmentation allows a smaller blower fan to effectively serve the entire seat back area by reducing the length and resistance of individual duct paths while maintaining comprehensive air distribution coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a centralized air discharge approach to a distributed two-dimensional array of air outlets across the seat back surface. By arranging multiple air outlets in a planar distribution pattern rather than concentrating discharge points, the system achieves wide coverage area without requiring increased seat thickness to accommodate larger fans or longer ducts
2Quantity of substance
If a large capacity blower fan is mounted in the seat back, then sufficient air flow to distal end portions of duct lines is achieved, but the blower fan dimension determines the thickness of the seat
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow delivery system is segmented into multiple parallel pathways, each consisting of a short duct line connecting the blower fan to an individual air outlet. This segmentation reduces the maximum duct length required compared to a single long duct system, thereby allowing the use of a smaller blower fan with sufficient total flow capacity to serve all outlets simultaneously without increasing seat thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the system parameters by increasing the number of air outlets and corresponding duct lines while decreasing the length of each individual duct line. This parameter transformation allows the blower fan operating point to shift to a regime where smaller fan dimensions can deliver adequate air flow quantity to all outlets without requiring excessive seat thickness
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
This configuration allows for a slim seat design with reduced blower fan size, minimizing air resistance and enhancing comfort by evenly distributing air across the seat surface, while offering greater design freedom for air discharge positions.
Implementation Method 1
a blower fan; a blower chamber defining a ventilation passage of air sent from the blower fan
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat including a seat cushion and a seat back is constructed such that at least one of the seat cushion or the seat back includes: a blower fan, a blower chamber defining a ventilation passage of air sent from the blower fan, and a urethane pad sandwiching the blower chamber and formed with a plurality of vent holes allowing the air from the blower chamber to flow there-through. The ventilation passage in the blower chamber is formed across the full width of the blower chamber, and the blower chamber is formed with through-holes having a diameter smaller than that of the vent holes of the urethane pad and in a manner that the plurality of through-holes are overlapped with one vent hole in the urethane pad.