Patent ID: 9676310
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: B60N

Claim:
1. A vehicle seat including a seat pad included in the seat bottom or seat back, the vehicle seat comprising: an occupant-support base that is one or both of a seat bottom or a seat back, wherein the occupant-support base includes a thermal device and a seat pad, wherein the thermal device includes a heat-transfer station, wherein the seat pad includes a cushion, a cushion-receiving space formed in the cushion, and a cushion cover, wherein the cushion cover defines the cushion-receiving space and is arranged to extend around and cover the cushion, wherein the thermal device is coupled to the cushion and positioned to lie in the cushion-receiving space, wherein the thermal device is configured to optionally provide a cold sensation and a warming sensation to an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat by moving heat between the heat-transfer station coupled to the cushion located in the seat pad and the occupant seated in the vehicle seat without convective heat transfer, and wherein the thermal device also includes a heat conductor, a portion of which is positioned to lie between an inner surface of the cushion cover and an outer surface of the cushion and in confronting relation with the cushion cover and wherein the heat conductor is coupled to the heat-transfer station to cause heat to flow between the occupant and the heat-transfer station.