US 5,385,382 · Granted 1995-01-31
Ford's Ventilated Seat Frame: Comfort Meets Engineering
Ford invented a car seat frame that does double duty: it holds you up safely while also pumping cool air through the seat to keep you from getting sweaty on long drives. It's like combining a chair's skeleton with an invisible air conditioning system built right into the frame itself.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a seat frame structure for motor vehicles that integrates a sealed duct system capable of directing airflow while maintaining the structural integrity needed to support a passenger's weight. What's protected here is the specific design that allows air to flow through the frame without compromising the frame's ability to safely distribute loads — essentially, the engineering that lets cooling channels and load-bearing members coexist in one unified structure.
Why it matters
Ventilated seats were becoming a premium feature in higher-end vehicles during the 1990s, and Ford's approach of embedding the ventilation directly into the frame structure was an efficient way to achieve this comfort feature without requiring bulky add-on components. By patenting this integrated design, Ford protected its method of delivering climate control as a core structural element rather than an afterthought, giving the company a competitive edge in the luxury and comfort vehicle market.
Real-world use
When you slide into a high-end Ford sedan on a hot day and feel cool air gently flowing through the seat to prevent sweat buildup, you're experiencing the technology this patent describes.
Original USPTO abstract
A seat frame apparatus for a motor vehicle having a sealed duct capable of directing the flow of air while simultaneously supporting the structural loads imposed upon a conventional seat frame.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,385,382
- Filing date
- 1993-10-06
- Grant date
- 1995-01-31
- Assignee
- Ford Motor Company
- Inventor(s)
- SINGLE, II; ARTHUR W., STEINER; THOMAS J., CRISTIANO; JAMES J., MACEK; MATTHEW J., YEAGER; DEBRA, FARAH; RIAD A.
- CPC class
- A47C7/74
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