US RE38128 · Granted 2003-06-03
The Seat That Heats and Cools Itself—Without Blasting Air
Imagine a car or office seat that can warm you up in winter or cool you down in summer using invisible heat-pumping chips called Peltier modules instead of fans blowing air everywhere. A smart controller monitors temperatures around you and automatically adjusts the seat to keep you comfortable while preventing damage if something goes wrong.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a climate control system built into a seat that uses Peltier thermoelectric modules to change the seat's temperature. What's protected here is the specific combination of heat pumps with temperature sensors, a main heat exchanger with a fan, manual controls (temperature and fan switches), and a smart controller that automatically regulates heating and cooling based on real-time temperature data. Someone copying this exact system without permission would infringe the patent.
Why it matters
Before this patent, keeping a seat comfortable meant using noisy fans or bulky heating elements. This invention lets manufacturers hide temperature control directly in the seat fabric using compact solid-state technology. The patent protects the idea of combining Peltier modules with automatic smart control—a key innovation for luxury car seats and office furniture where comfort and silence matter. Amerigon, the assignee, became a major supplier of heated and cooled seats to automakers using this technology.
Real-world use
The next time you sit in a high-end car with a heated or cooled seat that adjusts on its own, you're experiencing the result of this patent protecting the electronics quietly working inside the seat cushion.
Original USPTO abstract
A temperature climate control system comprises a variable temperature seat, at least one heat pump, at least one heat pump temperature sensor, and a controller. Each heat pump comprises a number of Peltier thermoelectric modules for temperature conditioning the air in a main heat exchanger and a main exchanger fan for passing the conditioned air from the main exchanger to the variable temperature seat. The Peltier modules and each main fan may be manually adjusted via a temperature switch and a fan switch, respectively. Additionally, the temperature climate control system may comprise a number of additional temperature sensors to monitor the temperature of the ambient air surrounding the occupant as well as the temperature of the conditioned air directed to the occupant. The controller is configured to automatically regulate the operation of the Peltier modules and/or each main fan according to a temperature climate control algorithm designed both to maximize occupant comfort during normal operation, and minimize possible equipment damage, occupant discomfort, or occupant injury in the event of a heat pump malfunction.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US RE38128
- Filing date
- 1998-06-11
- Grant date
- 2003-06-03
- Assignee
- Amerigon Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- GALLUP DAVID F., NOLES DAVID R., WILLIS RICHARD R.
- CPC class
- B60N2/5642
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