Chairs and seats – With heat exchanger or means to provide fluid or vapor... – Power source propels air for heat exchange
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2001-02-20
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3624)
Chairs and seats
With heat exchanger or means to provide fluid or vapor...
Power source propels air for heat exchange
C297S180110, C297S180130, C297S180140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189967
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable air cooled seat cushion for use with a preformed seat, such as the seat of a vehicle.
Air cooled seats for vehicles have been provided in which a porous seat cushion is supplied with air under pressure to cause the air to flow out through the porous material in the seat cushion to heat or cool a person sitting on the cushion. However, in many instances these seat cushions are quite complicated (for example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,912,832; 5,002,336; 4,923,248), are built into the seat themselves (for example see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,475,912; 1,568,471; 1,903,037; 2,022,959; 2,826,135; 2,978,972; 4,259,896; 5,385,382; 3,550,523; 5,382,075), require retaining straps to hold the cushions on the vehicle seat, (for example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,413,857; 4,997,230; 2,758,532; 3,030,145; 5,370,439; 5,613,729; 5,692,952), require connection to the vehicle ventilation system (for example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,137,523; 4,997,230; 5,385,382; 5,370,439), have a direct connection to the air moving device permitting transmission of vibration to the seat cushion (for example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,413,857; 2,992,604; 5,692,952), require complicated air flow passages within the seat cushions (for example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,475,912; 2,022,959; 2,826,135; 3,550,523; 4,002,108; 3,550,523; 4,853,992; 5,016,302; 5,372,402; 5,613,729), require the air moving device to be located in a specific area which may cause difficulty to the driver or occupant (for example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,791,956; 2,992,604; 3,030,145; 5,382,075), or have other drawbacks (for example see U.S. Pat. No. 2,931,286) which have prevented such seat cushions from gaining wide commercial acceptance.
Therefore, it would be an advance in the art if there were provided a cushion which overcame these drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for a portable air cooled seat cushion which has a seat portion and a back portion. Both portions have a generally rectangular perimeter, the seat portion having a front, two lateral sides and a rear, while the back portion has a top, two lateral sides and a bottom. The seat and back portions are joined together at least along a portion of the rear perimeter of the seat portion and the bottom perimeter of the back portion. The connection between the seat portion and the back portion is a flexible connection which permits the seat and back to hinge relative to one another so that the back can hinge down onto the seat or can be moved upright to 90° relative to the seat.
The seat and back portions each have an air permeable covering on a front side, an air impermeable covering on a back side, and a relatively open, porous filler so as to form air passages within the seat portion and the back portion. A standard, readily available seat cushion can be utilized which has a series of coiled wires inside of a woven vinyl covering. Thus, the wire coils hold the front and back faces of the seat and back portions apart from one another to allow for air to flow through the interior, and the woven vinyl covering is porous to permit air to flow therethrough at the front face.
The present air cooled seat cushion may have at least part of the joined portion of the perimeter being open between the back portion and the seat portion in order to permit a flow of air between the seat portion and the back portion. Alternatively, there may be no opening or communication between the back portion and the seat portion.
A flow of air is directed into the seat portion through the use of an electric motor powered air fan which can be powered from the vehicle 12 volt system through a power cord. The fan draws in ambient air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle since air conditioned air directly from the vehicle air conditioning system would be too cold for long term comfort for the occupant of the seat cushion. An adapter member is secured to an open side seam of the seat portion to allow a flexible hose to be connected between the air fan and the adapter, such that air flow from the fan will be directed into the interior of the seat portion to flow out of the air permeable covering thereof, and optionally through the interior up into the back portion to flow out of the air permeable cover thereof as well.
An electrical control component may be connected in the power cord to permit a user to control a selected flow of electrical current to the air fan in a range from 0 to a pre-determined maximum current. Also, an indicator light may be connected in series with the electrical control component to provide a visual indication to a user of the level of electrical current being supplied to the air fan. Further, a fuse may be provided to protect the air fan against a current spike.
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Cuomo Peter M.
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
White Rodney B.
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