US 3,681,797 · Granted 1972-08-08
The 1972 Air-Cooled Seat Patent That Tried to Reinvent Hot Summer Furniture
Imagine a chair that blows cool air on you while you sit. This patent describes a cushion cover with hidden air ducts built into it—you can pump in cold air or suck out hot air through tiny holes to keep you comfortable on a sweltering day.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a cover material for chairs, couches, or similar furniture with internal air ducts running through it. These ducts connect to either a pressurized air source or vacuum system, with small apertures (openings) on the surface that let air flow in and out. What's protected is this specific combination: the duct network embedded in the upholstery and how those apertures are positioned to cool the person sitting on the furniture.
Why it matters
In the early 1970s, air conditioning was expensive and not universally available, especially in cars and older furniture. A cooling seat could have been genuinely useful for hot climates or for disabled people who struggle with temperature regulation. This patent represents an early attempt to solve personal climate control through furniture itself, decades before modern heated and cooled car seats became standard features in luxury vehicles.
Real-world use
If you've ever sat in a high-end car with heated or cooled seats, you're using technology that evolved from this same idea—though modern versions are typically electric heating/cooling elements rather than air ducts.
Original USPTO abstract
A cover material for the body-supporting portion of a chair, couch, or the like is formed with a number of internal ducts connected either to a source of pressurized air or to a source of vacuum. Apertures extend between the surface of the cover and the ducts for the intake and discharge of air therefrom to cool the body of a person sitting in the chair.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 3,681,797
- Filing date
- 1970-06-29
- Grant date
- 1972-08-08
- Assignee
- Jacob Messner
- Inventor(s)
- JACOB MESSNER
- CPC class
- A47C21/046
Want to file your own patent?
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