Ventilated Seat Airflow via Segmented Inflatable Bladders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ventilated vehicle seats face restricted airflow due to occupant contact, limiting the effectiveness of heating and cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of inflatable air bladders on the seat, which create high and low pressure zones to facilitate air flow by urging the occupant-facing surface outward, defining areas of reduced contact and enhancing airflow between the seat and occupant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the fan pushes air through an air channel to the A-surface, then air is moved out through the A-surface past the occupant, but the flow of air is restricted by the occupant when the occupant's back continuously contacts the seat back
Solution Approach 1:
The seat back is divided into multiple independently inflatable air bladders arranged in columns and rows. These segmented air bladders can be individually inflated to create localized high contact zones that push the occupant's back away from the seat surface, thereby creating channels for improved airflow without requiring the entire seat back to be modified.
Solution Approach 2:
The air bladders are dynamically controllable through the control system that can selectively inflate and deflate specific bladders based on detected airflow restrictions. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt to different occupant positions and contact patterns, optimizing airflow channels in real-time without manual intervention.
2Productivity
If air bladders are inflated to create high contact zones, then airflow is facilitated through low pressure zones, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air bladders serve multiple functions: they provide structural support to the seat back, enable airflow channel creation through selective inflation, and can potentially provide massage or comfort functions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems and justifies the added complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single integrated component.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system automatically detects airflow restrictions through sensors and autonomously determines which air bladders to inflate to create optimal airflow channels. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual operation or complex user interfaces, allowing the system to manage its own complexity through automated decision-making algorithms.
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 solution increases airflow, improving the heating and cooling efficiency by creating low pressure zones that allow for better air circulation around the occupant, thereby enhancing comfort.
Implementation Method 1
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
Data Source
AI summary
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.