Patent ID: 7370911

Claim:
A ventilated seat for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle seat having a seat component and a backrest component, at least one of which is ventilated, each ventilated component having an air-permeable trim surface at the occupant contact areas of the seat and a cushion, wherein the cushion comprises at least one opening through the cushion; an insert located between the trim surface and the cushion of each ventilated component, wherein the insert comprises: i) forward barrier layer and a rearward barrier layer made of an air impermeable material where the barrier layers are sealed together along a peripheral edge, wherein the forward barrier comprises a plurality of ventilation holes and the rearward barrier comprises at least one port; and ii) a spacer material located between the barrier layers and defining an open space that permits fluid communication between the cushion and the trim surface of the ventilated component, wherein the spacer material is less than coextensive with the barrier layers; iii) a heater layer integrated into the insert, the heater layer including a laminate for attaching the heater layer to a layer of the insert; and a fan in fluid communication with the open space of the insert through the opening in the cushion, wherein the spacer material is a polymeric strand material.