JP2008529621A - Vehicle seat and cushion thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

  The invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a cover (3, 9) and a foam core (4, 10) and comprising an assembly of layers having at least one air guide layer (6, 12). With this type of vehicle seat cushion, one outflow opening (8, 12) is provided in the area of the air guide layer, and the cold outside air dried by the outflow of warm and moist air is automatically turned into the air guide layer. Arranged to flow in.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle seat and a cushion for this type of vehicle seat.

  Today, in materials used for seat cushions in vehicle seats, sufficient ventilation at the contact surface of the seat on which the body part of the vehicle occupant is supported is always ensured, especially when the temperature and humidity are relatively high Often not. As a result, moisture accumulates on this contact surface and has a significant adverse effect on seat comfort.

  For example, a cold foam made of polyurethane is used for a seat cushion, and a molded part corresponding to the seat cushion is molded using the cold foam. However, molded parts made from foam have the disadvantage of low air permeability but are light in weight.

  Another possibility is to use a mixture of coconut fiber, animal hair or other similar natural fibers and a binder, in particular latex, to make it a cushioning part known under the generic name "Lavalised hair" It is to be molded into. Despite the relatively heavy weight of this type of rubberized hair cushioning part, it has high air permeability and is extremely suitable for the targeted air conditioning of vehicle seats made from this type of cushioning part. Well suited.

  Several proposals are known from the prior art to ventilate and / or air-condition vehicle seat cushions in order to eliminate the increased humidity inevitably generated by vehicle occupants.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a seat cushion for a vehicle seat in which a plurality of depressions penetrate a core material portion made of a foamed plastic material. This indentation serves primarily to adapt the seat to a certain human body structure to some extent and also allows for partial air circulation. This is because air exchange can only occur with an air permeable pad placed on top of the core portion. In some cases, the air permeable pad can be connected to a flow path in which a fan is disposed.

  Similarly, Patent Document 2 discloses a cushion for a vehicle seat having a cushion core member through which a flow path system passes. This flow path system is formed from a horizontal partial flow path arranged at right angles to each other and a further flow path extending vertically from the horizontal partial flow path into the core. Ventilation is provided by a fan, which directs air from this vertical channel to the cushion core and exhausts the air again through another vertical channel.

  The vertical flow path is also known from Patent Document 3, for example, and the vertical flow path exclusively plays the role of ventilation.

  Further known from the prior art is a method of inserting an activated carbon insert capable of absorbing moisture into the interior of the seat structure, for example in addition to a system which provides for ventilation of the seat and thus removal of moisture by means of a ventilator. However, this type of activated carbon insert has the serious disadvantage that the moisture of sweat generated from the vehicle occupant accumulates constantly and thus the effectiveness of this type of activated carbon insert decreases significantly over time. In addition, the activated carbon insert can even generate a malodor in some situations.

  Active seat ventilators are disadvantageous because it has become clear that the structure of the cushions or vehicle seats that contain them are complex and costly. In addition, additional units to be provided for this type of ventilation are associated with increased weight and increased space requirements.

German Utility Model No. 200 02 447 U1 Specification German Patent Application Publication No. 102 43 315 A1 German Patent Invention No. 37 22 814 C2 Specification

  With the above as a starting point, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat cushion and a vehicle seat that can realize cost-effective removal of moisture by simple means.

  This object is achieved by a cushion having the features of claim 1, a seat cushion according to claim 7, a backrest according to claim 8, and a vehicle seat according to claim 9.

  The core of the present invention is essentially that warm and moist air flows out of one outflow opening with respect to the air guide layer inside the cushion which can be used as a seat cushion or backrest in a vehicle seat. The arrangement is such that dry and cold outside air automatically flows into the air guide layer.

  In this regard, the arrangement according to the invention makes use of the “chimney effect” known from thermodynamics and thermoelectronics. In this chimney effect, the suction effect of warm and humid air flowing out in the flow path system causes cooler and hence drier air to flow into the flow path system from the outside environment. By this means, the water vapor partial pressure or the water vapor diffusion gradient inside the cushion can be greatly increased.

  For this purpose, the temperature gradient between the temperature of about 35 ° C. and the outside air temperature of about 24 ° C., which is normally present at the contact surface between the occupant and the cushion, will remove the sweat moisture almost completely through the seat. It is already enough to get this effect that makes it possible.

  The cushion according to the present invention is composed of an assembly of a plurality of layers, that is, an assembly of a foam core material, an air guide layer, and a cover covering the layers. In this case, different arrangements of the individual layers are also possible.

  In one embodiment, the air guide layer is disposed between the cover and the foam core, whereas in another embodiment, the foam core is disposed between the cover and the air guide layer. Is done.

  The foam core material can be penetrated through horizontal and / or vertical flow paths. Thus, depending on each embodiment, cold and dry air or warm and humid air can be directed through the flow path system.

  In order to be able to absorb the corresponding warm and humid air at the contact surface with the vehicle occupant, the cover is composed of a laminate of air permeable and hydrophilic fleece.

  According to the present invention, the air guide layer is composed of either a spacer knit, a reticulated foam or a rubberized hair.

  The cushion configured according to the above-described embodiment can be used both for a seat cushion of a vehicle seat and for a backrest.

  In the case of the backrest, the outflow opening of the cushion is arranged in the upper end region of the cushion on the back side of the backrest when viewed in the traveling direction. Furthermore, according to the invention, at least one inflow opening is provided. This inflow opening is likewise open to the back side, through which cold and dry air is sucked. The outflow opening is provided in the region of the backrest at the maximum possible distance from this inflow opening.

  In the case of a seat cushion, the outflow opening is located at the rear end, preferably the rear end of the air guide layer. In this case, similarly, the inflow opening is provided at a position at the maximum possible distance from the outflow opening. The outflow opening is provided on the end portion side or the lower surface side of the seat cushion.

  It is clear that the simple structural scheme according to the invention and the corresponding layer structure can achieve an effective elimination of warm and humid air for this type of cushion and vehicle seat.

  The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the examples shown in the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a vehicle seat according to the present invention.

  The vehicle seat includes a seat cushion 1 and a backrest 2.

  The seat cushion 1 and the backrest 2 are essentially composed of the same layer structure according to the invention.

  This layer structure consists of a top cover 3 composed of a fleece laminate, a foam core 4 disposed below it and having a flow path 5 for guiding vertical air and moisture, and subsequently below it. And an air guide layer 6 made of rubber knit.

  The assembly of layers 3, 4 and 6 is arranged on a spring core 7 for the seat cushion 1. Since the cover 3 is permeable to air and moisture, warm and humid air is guided into the rubber knit 6 through the channel 5 in the foam core 4. At the rear end of the seat cushion 1, an outflow opening 8 is provided in the region of the rubber knit 6, and warm and moist air can flow out from the opening 8.

  When warm and moist air flows out from the outflow opening 8, cold and dry air is sucked from the surroundings and flows into the rubber knit 6. For this reason, the rubber knit 6 has an air-permeable surface toward the spring core material 7.

  The same method is also implemented in the area of the backrest 2.

  Similarly, the backrest 2 includes a cover 9, which is disposed on the foam core material 10 and is permeable to air and moisture, and the flow path 11 extends basically horizontally inside the foam core material 10. Is provided. An air guide layer 12 in the form of a rubber knit, for example, is provided behind the foam core 10 when viewed in the running direction. The rubber knit is supported on the spring core 13. An outflow opening 14 is disposed at the upper end of the backrest 2. The inflow opening 15 is provided in the lower region of the backrest 2 with the maximum possible distance from the outflow opening 14. The openings 14 and 15 are open in the back extended portion of the backrest 2. When warm and humid air flows into the rubber knit 12 via the cover 9 and the flow path 11, additional cold and dry air is sucked from below through the inflow opening 15.

  FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the vehicle seat. In this vehicle seat, a rubber knit air guide layer 17 is disposed directly below the cover 16. Underneath, a foam core 18 with at least one inflow opening 19 is mounted, the inflow opening 19 being provided in the foam core 18 and preferably a sheet for sucking further cold and dry air It is arrange | positioned at the front part area | region of the cushion 1, and is opened downward. In some cases, the opening is provided in the outer shell of the seat cushion or in the region of the spring core.

  The backrest 2 is composed of a cover 20, an air guide layer 21, and a foam core material 22 in the same manner. On the back side of the backrest, the outflow opening 23 and the inflow opening 24 are spaced apart from each other enough to create a “chimney effect”.

  FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the vehicle seat and cushion according to the present invention. This structure is essentially the same as the embodiment of FIG. 2, but a number of vertical flow paths 25 and at least one horizontal flow path 26 pass through the foam core 18 of the seat cushion 1. The point is different.

  Due to the suction effect based on the exhaust of warm and humid air flowing out through the outflow opening 8 at the rear end of the seat cushion 1, additional cold and dry air is drawn from the lower surface of the spring core 7 or the lower surface of the cushion shell. It is drawn through the vertical channel 25 of the foam core 18 and mixes with warm and humid air. The warm and humid air flows into the horizontal flow path 26 through the rubber knit 17, and then the mixed air flows out from the outflow opening 14.

  The flow conditions in the region of the backrest 2 are similar, with additional cold and dry air being supplied from the inflow opening 24 to the horizontal flow path 27 and subsequently to at least one essentially vertically extending flow path 28. After that, warm and humid air exhaust can flow out of the outflow opening 23.

A first embodiment of the invention is schematically shown in cross-sectional view. A second embodiment of the invention is schematically shown in cross-sectional view. A third embodiment of the invention is schematically shown in cross-sectional view.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Seat cushion 2 Backrest 3 Seat cushion cover 4 Seat cushion foam core material 5 Flow path in foam core material 6 Seat cushion air guide layer / rubber knit 7 Spring core material / cushion outer shell 8 Outflow opening 9 Backrest Cover 10 Backrest foam core 11 Flow path in foam core 12 Backrest air guide layer / rubber knit 13 Spring core 14 Outflow opening 15 Inflow opening 16 Seat cushion cover 17 Seat cushion air guide layer 18 Seat cushion Foam core material 19 Inflow opening 20 Backrest cover 21 Backrest air guide layer 22 Backrest foam core material 23 Outflow opening 24 Inflow opening 25 Seat cushion vertical flow path 26 Seat cushion horizontal flow path 27 Backrest horizontal flow path 28 Back Crest vertical channel

Claims (9)

An assembly comprising a layer having a cover (3, 9, 16, 20), a foam core (4, 10, 18, 22) and an air guide layer (6, 12, 17, 21) was provided. A cushion for a vehicle seat, wherein at least one outflow opening (8, 14, 23) is provided to remove warm and humid air,
The air flows so that the outflow openings (8, 14, 23) automatically flow into the air guide layers (6, 12, 17, 21) by the outflow of warm and humid air. Cushion, characterized in that it is arranged against the guide layer (6, 12, 17, 21).   Cushion according to claim 1, characterized in that the air guide layer (6, 12) is arranged between the cover (3, 9) and the foam core (4, 10).   Cushion according to claim 1, characterized in that the foam core (18, 22) is arranged between the cover (16, 20) and the air guide layer (17, 21).   The foam core material (18, 22) has horizontal flow paths (26, 27) and / or vertical flow paths (25, 28). The cushion according to one item.   The said cover (3, 9, 16, 20) is comprised from the laminated body of a hydrophilic fleece, The cushion as described in any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The cushion according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air guide layer (6, 12, 17, 21) is composed of knit, reticulated foam or rubberized hair.   The seat cushion for a vehicle seat provided with the cushion according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one outflow opening (8) travels in a region of the air guide layer (6, 17). A seat cushion, which is disposed at a rear end of the cushion as viewed in a direction.   The backrest for a vehicle seat provided with the cushion according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one outflow opening (14, 23) is formed on the backrest (2) when viewed in the traveling direction. At the rear end, at least one inflow opening (15, 24) is provided at the rear end, and the outflow opening (14, 23) is the upper end of the cushion and the inflow opening (15, 24). Backrest, characterized by the maximum possible distance from   A vehicle seat for an automobile comprising the seat cushion (1) according to claim 7 and the backrest (2) according to claim 8.

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