Upholstery support arrangements for conditioned furniture are disclosed herein. A representative arrangement, such as for a ventilated bed, comprises an upholstery support structure having a support platform that defines a support plane, for supporting an upholstery item, the upholstery support platform having a first array of apertures that allow a flow of air through the support platform; the upholstery supported on the support platform (e.g., a mattress) having a bottom face facing the support platform and including a second array of apertures positioned to allow the flow of air through the bottom face into the upholstery; wherein a periodicity of the first array of apertures and a periodicity of the second array of apertures are matched to one another.

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.

A seat with a ventilation system that maintains seated person's coolness by blowing air to minimum segments of a seatback and a seat cushion so that seated person's comfort is maintained is provided. Air-blowing means is controlled in air-blowing quantity and air-blowing time periodically by air-blowing control means, and air blowing in each period is set to include a first term T1 in which a predetermined quantity of air is blown and a second term T2 in which the predetermined quantity of air to be blown is gradually reduced.

A portable beach chair for cooling a person while relaxing or basking in a warm environment is provided. The portable beach chair comprises a chair having a body support portion and a back support portion with the back support portion hingedly connected to the body support portion and releasably securable in a desired angular position. A water reservoir secured to the back support portion holds a predetermined amount of water. A showerhead is fluidly connected to the water reservoir with the showerhead positioned above the back support portion and directing a water flow from the water reservoir in a general direction toward both the body support portion and the back support portion. Upon introducing water through the showerhead from the water reservoir, the water flow through the showerhead cools the person thereby eliminating any need for the person to access a hose or go into a waterbody to cool off.

Provided is a conveyance seat in which a duct connected to a fan can be compactly disposed, and the fan is provided in a pan-frame-type seat cushion. The vehicle seat includes a seat cushion (S2) and a blower (48) provided in the seat cushion (S2). The seat cushion (S2) is provided with a plate-shaped pan frame (42). The blower (48) is provided below the pan frame (42), a duct (49) is connected to the blower (48), and an opening (42a) through which the duct (49) extends is formed in the pan frame (42).

A vehicle seat according to the present invention includes: a seat back frame constituting a framework of a seat back; a blower disposed in the seat back; a bracket to which the blower is fixed; and a cover member provided on the rear side of the seat back frame. Herein, the bracket is fixed to the cover member with the seat back frame being held between the bracket and the cover member.

A heating/cooling system for furnishing employs an electrochemical heat transfer device. An electrochemical heat transfer device may be an electrochemical hydrogen compressor that pumps hydrogen into and out of a tank having a metal hydride forming alloy therein. The absorption of hydrogen by the metal hydride forming alloy is exothermic, produces heat, and the desorption of the hydrogen from the metal hydride forming alloy is endothermic and draws heat in. An electrochemical hydrogen compressor may be configured between to tanks and pump hydrogen back and forth to form a heat transfer device. A heat exchange device may be coupled with the tank or may comprise the outer surface of the tank to transfer heat to an object or to the surroundings. A closed loop may be configured having two tanks and one or two electrochemical hydrogen compressors to pump the hydrogen in a loop around the system.

An air-permeable seat having a seat cushion and a seatback, each formed by mounting an urethane pad on a frame and then covering the urethane pad with an air-permeable trim cover, the air-permeable seat includes a fiber pad provided in at least one of the seat cushion and the seatback and penetrating a part of the urethane pad; a chamber defined at the back of the fiber pad, covering the fiber pad and shaped to rectify an airflow coming from the fiber pad; and air intake parts flow the air in the fiber pad and introduce the air from the fiber pad into the chamber; wherein as the air intake parts is driven, air is drawn from the surface of the fiber pad through the trim cover, flows from the fiber pad to the chamber, may be rectified in the chamber and flow out through the chamber.

Powered chairs, assemblies for use in the powered chairs, and components for use in the assemblies are provided. Electrical systems for use in the powered chairs, and components for use in the electrical systems are provided. Control systems and methods for operating powered chairs are also provided. Any given chair may be locally and/or remotely controlled.

This invention will provide a lightweight, portable device which will be adjustable and can be used outdoors in all types of environments. The device can be configured into multiple shapes for extra utility while the device is used. For instance, the user can lie flat on the device as well as form the device into a chair. Other features that may be incorporated into the device include a storage compartment, a cell phone compartment, and an air conditioner and the ability for more than one person to use the device. In some of the embodiments the device can be used by two people.