Seat Ventilation Device for a Seat System, in Particular of a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A seat ventilation device for a seat system, in particular of a motor vehicle, includes a plurality of radial fans for conducting air and at least one cushion which has a foam support and a ventilation layer which is arranged over or in front of the foam support and through which air conducted by the radial fans can flow. The radial fans are at least partly received in the foam support and are arranged below or behind the ventilation layer.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A seat ventilation device for a seat system, comprising: a plurality of radial fans for conveying air; and a cushion which has a foam pad and a ventilation layer, wherein the ventilation layer is disposed above or in front of the foam pad and is permeatable by air conveyed by the plurality of radial fans; wherein the plurality of radial fans are at least partially disposed in the foam pad and are disposed below or behind the ventilation layer.

12. The seat ventilation device according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of radial fans are completely disposed in the foam pad with respect to an axial extension of the plurality of radial fans.

13. The seat ventilation device according to claim 11, wherein in a direction of a seat surface or a backrest surface of the seat ventilation device the plurality of radial fans are each completely covered by the ventilation layer.

14. The seat ventilation device according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of radial fans has at least one outlet opening through which air is flowable and via which conveyed air is conductible out of the respective radial fan.

15. The seat ventilation device according to claim 14, wherein the respective at least one outlet opening or a respective inlet opening of the plurality of radial fans is completely covered by the ventilation layer in a direction of a seat surface of the seat ventilation device.

16. The seat ventilation device according to claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of radial fans has at least one fan wheel for conveying the air and at least one deflection channel through which the air is flowable and which has the respective at least one outlet opening for the conveyed air, wherein via the at least one deflection channel air which is conveyed by the at least one fan wheel is flowable into the at least one fan wheel in an axial direction and is flowable away from the at least one fan wheel in a radial direction and is deflectable such that air is flowable through the at least one outlet opening in the axial direction.

17. The seat ventilation device according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of radial fans has a first extension extending in an axial direction of the respective radial fan, wherein the ventilation layer has a second extension extending in the axial direction of the respective radial fan, and wherein the second extension is smaller than the first extension.

18. The seat ventilation device according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of radial fans include at least, or exactly, three radial fans.

19. The seat ventilation device according to claim 11, wherein two of the plurality of radial fans are disposed below ischial tuberosities of an occupant seated on the seat system and at least one other of the plurality of radial fans is disposed below a thigh of the occupant seated on the seat system.

20. The seat ventilation device according to claim 11, wherein the cushion is covered by a seat cover which has a plurality of passage openings for air conveyed by the plurality of radial fans.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic and sectional side view of a seat ventilation device for a seat system, in particular of a motor vehicle, comprising a plurality of radial fans, which are at least partially received in a foam pad of a cushion of the seat ventilation device and are thereby arranged below a ventilation layer of the cushion;

[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic and perspective side view of the radial fan; and

[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic and sectional plan view of the seat ventilation device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In the drawings, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference signs.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic and sectional side view of a seat ventilation device for a seat system 12, in particular of a motor vehicle such as a passenger car, which device as a whole is denoted by reference numeral 10. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the seat system 12 is designed as a single seat, such that the seat system 12 provides exactly one seat for an occupant who is also referred to as a seat occupant. However, the previous and following embodiments can be easily transferred to a seat system designed as a bench seat, wherein the seat system provides a plurality of seats for the respective occupants. In particular, it is conceivable that the seat system 12 is designed as a rear seat system, and therefore is used in a rear area of the motor vehicle. The seat is therefore a rear seat, for example.

[0031] The seat ventilation device 10 comprises a plurality of radial fans 14a-c which can be seen particularly well in FIGS. 2 and 3, the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawings comprising exactly three radial fans 14a-c. Air can be conveyed by the relevant radial fan 14a-c, as is explained in more detail below.

[0032] The seat ventilation device 10 further comprises a cushion 16, which is also referred to as cushioning. In addition, the seat ventilation device 10 comprises a seat cover 18 which the cushion 16 is covered by. The seat cover 18 is also simply referred to as a cover, and forms a seat surface 20 on which the aforementioned occupant can sit. In a state in which the occupant sits on or in the seat system 12, the occupant sits on the seat surface 20 and therefore on the seat cover 18 and the cushion 16. In this case the seat occupant touches the seat surface 20. This state is also referred to as an occupied state.

[0033] The cushion 16 comprises a foam pad 22, which is formed for example from a foam material. The foam material itself is, for example, impermeable to air. In addition, the cushion 16 comprises a ventilation layer 24 which is arranged above at least a portion of the foam pad 22, and which is formed, for example, by a knitted spacer fabric, in particular made of rubber fibers. The air conveyed by the radial fans 14a-c can flow through the ventilation layer 24. The feature that the ventilation layer 24 is arranged above the foam pad 22 or above at least one portion of the foam pad 22 is to be understood in particular as meaning that the ventilation layer 24 is arranged between the seat surface 20 and the foam pad 22 or the portion of the foam pad 22.

[0034] In addition, the cushion 16 includes a foam layer 26 arranged on the ventilation layer 24, which foam layer is also referred to as a foam pad, for example, and is formed by a cut foam layer, for example. In this case, the foam pad 26 is arranged on a face of the ventilation layer 24 that faces away from the foam pad 22, in particular on the upper face 28, such that the ventilation layer 24 is arranged between the foam layer 26 and the foam pad 22 or the portion of the foam pad 22. For example, the foam pad 26 has a plurality of through-flow openings, through which the air conveyed by the radial fans 14a-c can flow.

[0035] In order to be able to achieve a particularly high level of comfort in a particularly cost-effective manner, the radial fans 14a-c are at least partially received in the foam pad 22 and in this case are arranged below the ventilation layer 24. It is particularly clear from FIG. 1 that the radial fans 14a-c are completely received in the foam pad 22 with respect to the axial extension of the fans. In other words, the radial fans 14a-c are received or installed in the foam pad 22 so as to be recessed. An in particular intrinsically rigid, grid is arranged above the respective radial fans 14a-c, for example, which grid is formed, for example, by the ventilation layer 24. Alternatively, it is conceivable that relevant grid is formed separately from the ventilation layer 24 and in this case is arranged between the ventilation layer 24 and the relevant radial fan 14a-c.

[0036] The foam pad 22 has, for example, one corresponding receptacle 30 per radial fan 14a-c, in which receptacle the relevant radial fan 14a-c is at least partially received. By means of the respective grid, it can be avoided, for example, that the ventilation layer 24 is pressed into the relevant receptacle 30, in particular in the occupied state of the seat system 12. In the embodiment illustrated in the dawings, the seat ventilation device 10 also includes a massage device 32, which is also referred to as a massage cushion. The occupant seated on the seat system 12 can be massaged by the massage device 32.

[0037] It is clear from FIG. 1 that the foam pad 22 has at least one feed channel 34 per radial fan 14a-c, through which channel the air conveyed by the means of the radial fan 14a-c can flow. Each radial fan 14a-c can therefore suction in air via the relevant feed channel 34, for example, such that the air suctioned in and conveyed by each radial fan 14a-c flows through the relevant feed channel 34 and therefore can flow via the relevant feed channel 34 to the relevant radial fan 14a-c. The suctioned air can flow through the relevant radial fan 14a-c and flow away from the relevant radial fan 14a-c, and as a result flow into the ventilation layer 24, for example. For this purpose, each feed channel 34 opens into the relevant receptacle 30, for example, which has at least one discharge opening, through which the conveyed air can flow. The conveyed air can therefore flow through the discharge opening and, via the discharge opening, can flow out of each radial fan 14a-c and into the relevant ventilation layer 24. In FIG. 1, the arrows 36 illustrate the air conveyed by the radial fans 14a-c or the flow thereof through the feed channels 34, the radial fans 14a-c, into and through the ventilation layer 24 and through the foam pad 26. By embedding the radial fans 14a-c into the foam pad 22, a particularly advantageous noise reduction and vibration decoupling of the radial fans 14a-c can be achieved such that unpleasant airborne and structure-borne noise caused by the radial fans 14a-c during the operation thereof can be avoided. The foam pad 22 is therefore used as a surrounding foam volume for damping vibration and airborne sound.

[0038] It is particularly clear from FIG. 2 that each radial fan 14a-c has a relevant housing 38 in which, for example, a relevant fan wheel for conveying the air is rotatably received. In this case, each radial fan 14a-c has an outlet opening 40 formed by the housing 38, for example, through which the conveyed air can flow. The conveyed air can be conducted out of each radial fan 14a-c via the relevant outlet opening 40. In this case, the radial fans 14a-c are arranged such that the respective outlet openings 40 are each completely covered by the ventilation layer 24 in the direction of the seat surface 20. The air flowing through each outlet opening 40 flows in a flow direction through the relevant outlet opening 40 and away from the relevant radial fan 14a-c. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the flow direction points towards the seat surface 20, such that the conveyed air is blown into the ventilation layer 24. In this case it is particularly clear from FIG. 1 that the air is not blown into the ventilation layer 24 via an end face or narrow face 42 thereof, but the air is instead blown into the ventilation layer 24 via a broad face 44 which faces the radial fans 14a-c and in particular the outlet openings 40, and faces away from, for example, the seat surface 20. If the radial fans 14a-c are operated in such a way, for example, or if the radial fans 14a-c are arranged in such a way, for example, that the air is not blown into the ventilation layer 24, for example, but instead is suctioned away from the ventilation layer 24, then the air is not suctioned away via the narrow face 42, but instead via the broad face 44. As a result, a particularly uniform or homogeneous air distribution can be ensured such that a particularly high level of comfort can be achieved. In this case, the inlet opening is protected by a grid, which may be either separately or directly connected, for example over-molded. It is also conceivable that the knitted spacer fabric has a sufficient inherent rigidity due to suitable measures.

[0039] During each operation, the air conveyed by the relevant radial fan 14a-c flows into the fan wheel at least substantially in the axial direction of the fan wheel, and therefore of the relevant radial fan 14a-c, and is in particular deflected by means of the fan wheel or by means of the relevant radial fan 14a-c by at least substantially 90, such that the air flows away from the radial fan at least substantially in the radial direction thereof. There is therefore a first deflection of the air, since the air first flows into the fan wheel in the axial direction and flows away in the radial direction. In this case, each radial fan 14a-c has at least one deflection channel 46 which is formed, for example, by the housing 38 and has the outlet opening 40, by means of which channel, for example, a second deflection of the air is effected after the first deflection. In the course of the second deflection, the air is deflected, for example, by at least substantially 90, such that the air flows through the relevant outlet opening 40 at least substantially in the axial direction of the relevant radial fan 14a-c, and therefore flows away from the respective radial fan 14a-c. As a result, the radial fans 14a-c can be arranged in a particularly space-saving manner, such that in particular a thickness of the seat ventilation device 10 that extends at least substantially perpendicular to the seat surface 20 can be kept particularly low. A particularly high air mass flow or air volume flow can be achieved at the same time, such that a high level of comfort can be achieved. It is also clear from FIG. 1 that each radial fan 14a-c has a first extension extending in the axial direction of the relevant radial fan 14a-c, and the ventilation layer 24 has a second extension extending in the axial direction of the relevant radial fan 14a-c, which second extension is smaller than the first extension is.

[0040] It is particularly clear from FIG. 3 that the seat ventilation device 10 has exactly three radial fans 14a-c. In this case, the radial fans 14a and 14b are arranged, with respect to the occupied state of the seat system 12, below the ischial tuberosities of the occupant, while, with respect to the occupied state of the seat system 12, the radial fan 14c is arranged below a thigh of the occupant.

[0041] Furthermore, the seat cover 18 preferably has a plurality of passage openings for the air conveyed by the radial fans 14a-c. The passage openings of the seat cover 18 are formed, for example, by a perforation. Since the seat cover 18 has the passage openings, in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings they can function as air outlet openings, via which the air conveyed by the radial fans 14a-c can flow out of the seat ventilation device 10 and, for example, towards the occupant. The air can thus flow out over the at least substantially entire seat surface 20, in order to achieve a particularly high level of comfort.