US 5,002,336 · Granted 1991-03-26
The Climate-Controlled Car Seat That Keeps You Comfortable for Hours
Imagine a car seat that actively cools you down in summer or warms you up in winter. This patent describes a specially designed seat with temperature-controlled air flowing through hidden channels beneath the fabric, using layers of mesh, rubber, and special fabric to distribute that air evenly across your back and bottom.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a seat and backrest construction where temperature-conditioned air flows through a plenum (an air chamber) created by coil springs, then passes through a layered barrier made of metal mesh, an elastomer sheet with openings, and a breathable fabric. The elastomer layer is designed to absorb impact like a viscous liquid while still allowing air to pass through. An alternative version uses a fluid-filled bag with openings instead of the elastomer sheet. Anyone manufacturing a heated or cooled seat with this exact multi-layer air-distribution system would need permission.
Why it matters
This patent laid groundwork for comfort features that became increasingly common in premium vehicles. Heated and cooled seats went from luxury-only to mainstream in mid-range cars over the following decades. The innovation mattered because distributing temperature-conditioned air evenly across a large surface area (your entire back and seat) requires engineering—you can't just blow hot or cold air at someone. This patent's solution of using springs, mesh, elastomer, and fabric layers in combination created a durable, responsive system that could handle repeated use and mechanical stress.
Real-world use
When you sit in a luxury car on a scorching day and feel cool air gently flowing across your back through the seat fabric, or settle into a heated seat on a freezing morning, you're experiencing the principle this patent protects.
Original USPTO abstract
A seating construction with joined seat and backrest parts has a plenum into which is received temperature conditioned air. Coil springs define the plenum and a covering is secured over the springs consisting of, from the inside out, a metal mesh layer, an elastomer sheet with a number of openings, and an air permeable fabric layer. The elastomer sheet behaves as a viscous liquid when subjected to forces and shocks. An alternative to the elastomer sheet is a baglike layer filled with fluid with a number of openings provided to enable passage of conditioned air through the layer.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,002,336
- Filing date
- 1989-10-18
- Grant date
- 1991-03-26
- Assignee
- Steve Feher
- Inventor(s)
- FEHER; STEVE
- CPC class
- A47C7/748
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