Claims:We Claim:
1. A vehicle seat assembly 300 having a seat back 100 and a seat pan 200, the vehicle seat assembly 300 comprising:
a seat cushion covering the seat back 100 and the seat pan 200, the seat cushion having an air-permeable surface allowing airflow inside the seat back 100 and the seat pan 200;
a fan 130 integrally arranged inside the seat back 100 and the seat pan 200;
wherein a plurality of grooves (150a, 150b…. 150n) are configured on an anterior surface of the seat cushion, the rotation of the fan 130 directs the air inside the seat assembly 300 through the anterior surface thereby circulating the air inside the seat assembly 300;
wherein the plurality of grooves (150a, 150b…. 150n) have a star shaped or asterisk shaped pattern for covering a larger surface area of the vehicle seat.

2. The vehicle seat assembly 300 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan 150 is arranged at a lower portion of the seat back 100 and centrally arranged on the seat pan 200.

3. The vehicle seat assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the groove 150a, 150b….150n are straight or curve grooves.

4. The vehicle seat assembly 300 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fan 130 is arranged at the centre of the grooves 150 to receive the directed air and channelize the air outwards through voids in the seat back 100 and the seat pan 200.

5. The vehicle seat assembly 300 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat cushion includes a reticulated foam 110 and a seat foam 120, the reticulated foam 110 is a porous foam with an air-permeable surface which covers the seat foam 120.

6. The vehicle seat assembly 300 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the groove 150 is provided with a 3-degree draft sideways to retain groove shape when the body of the occupant is leaned towards the seat back 100 or while resting on the seat pan 200.

7. The vehicle seat assembly 300 as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fan 130 is arranged adjacent to the reticulated foam 110 and is separated by a spacer fabric 110a.
, Description:Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vehicle seat assembly inside a vehicle interior.

Background of the Invention

[0002] Travelling inside a vehicle in a hot environment may lead to excessive sweating on an occupant’s body, mainly the back and lower portions which are in contact with the vehicle seat. This is because of the lack of ventilation on the vehicle. There are methods to reduce sweating and related effects. For example, use of air conditioning allowing the circulation of cool air inside the vehicle interior, or connecting the air-conditioning duct on a ventilated seat and the like. Air conditioning may not have an immediate effect on the back and lower portions of the occupant. If the vehicle is parked in summer, the cabin temperature may go around 50deg to 60deg. Even if the AC is ON, it takes some time to cool the cabin but doesn’t cool the seat. Also, a ventilated seat connected with the air conditioning duct is a complex mechanism which is not easily serviceable.

[0003] Further, the usage of fancy materials on seat pads with design frameworks thereon increases the chance of sweating. These seat pads are only for showcase and don't benefit in the actual case.
[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a vehicle seat assembly, which overcomes few or all of the drawbacks of the existing vehicle seat assembly.

Objects of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat assembly.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat assembly, which reduces the heating of seat and thereby sweating of the occupant.

[0007] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat assembly, which has a reduced complexity in construction.

[0008] One more object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat assembly, which is robust in construction.

Summary of the invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a vehicle seat assembly in accordance with the present invention is provided. The vehicle seat assembly includes a seat back and a seat pan. The seat back and the seat pan includes a seat cushion having a reticulated foam and a seat foam. The reticulated foam is a porous foam with an air-permeable surface which covers the seat foam. The reticulated foam allows airflow inside the seat back and the seat pan. The reticulated foam is specifically configured on the anterior side of the seat back and the seat pan which has the contact area of the occupant.

[0010] Further, a fan is integrally arranged on the seat back and the seat pan, specifically inside the seat foam. The fan is arranged adjacent to the reticulated foam and is separated by a spacer fabric. In an embodiment, the fan is arranged on a lower side of the seat back and is positioned centrally in the seat pan. The fan is operable by an electronic switch. The fan is rotated in such a way that the rotation of the blades allows air to flow towards the fan and not away from the fan. The fan is securely arranged inside a casing.

[0011] Further, the seat foam is provided with a plurality of grooves. Specifically, the grooves are shaped in a star pattern or asterisk shaped pattern for covering a larger surface area of the vehicle seat. The grooves form duct for the airflow towards the fan. The fan is arranged at the centre of the grooves to receive the directed air and channelize the air outwards through voids in the seat back and the seat pan. The reticulated foam facilitates to absorb the air and is channelized through the grooves towards the fan inside the seatback.

[0012] The groove is provided with a 3-degree draft sideways to retain groove shape when the body of the occupant is leaned towards the seat back and the seat pan. In an embodiment, the grooves are conical in shape towards the fan, which reduces the temperature of the inlet air.

[0013] Specifically, when an occupant is seated on the vehicle seat assembly, the air in contact with the body surface of the occupant is circulated to the seat back and the seat pan, which reduces the possibility of sweating of back portion of the occupant.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] The advantages and features of the present invention will be understood better with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:

[0015] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic representation of a vehicle seat assembly in accordance with the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the vehicle seat assembly;

[0017] Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the vehicle seat assembly;

[0018] Figure 4 illustrates an upper casing of the fan in accordance with the present invention;

[0019] Figure 5 illustrates a lower casing of the fan; and

[0020] Figure 6 illustrates a back side sectional view of the seatback in accordance with the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7a and 7b illustrates different patterns of the grooves in the vehicle seat assembly.

Detailed Description of the Invention
[0022] An embodiment of this invention, illustrating its features, will now be described in detail. The words "comprising, "having, "containing," and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open-ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.

[0023] The terms “first,” “second,” and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms “an” and “a” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.
[0024] The disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms.

[0025] Referring to figure 1, a vehicle seat assembly 300 in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The vehicle seat assembly 300 can be established in all the vehicle seats positioned accordingly such as a front seat, a middle seat or a rear seat and the like. The vehicle seat assembly 300 includes a seat back 100 and a seat pan 200. The seat back 100 is the seating area in which the occupant’s lumbar and back regions are rested and the seat pan 200 being the surface in which the occupant is seated. In both the seat back 100 and the seat pan 200, the probability of getting the sweat is more as the body is always rested against the seat.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the seat back 100 includes a seat cushion having a reticulated foam 110 and a seat foam 120, as shown in figure 2. The reticulated foam 110 is a porous foam with an air-permeable surface which covers the seat foam 120. The reticulated foam 110 allows airflow inside the seat back 100. The reticulated foam 110 is specifically configured on the anterior side of the seat back 100 which has the contact area of the occupant. Similarly, the seat pan 200 also includes a reticulated foam (not shown) and a seat foam (not shown) configured as in the seat back 100.

[0027] Further referring to figure 3, a fan 130 is integrally arranged on the seat back 100, specifically inside the seat foam 120 of the seat back 100. The fan 130 is arranged adjacent to the reticulated foam 110 and is separated by a spacer fabric 110a, as shown in figure 2. In this embodiment, the fan 130 is arranged on a lower side of the seat back 100, as shown in figure 3. The fan 130 is operable by an electronic switch. The fan 130 is rotated in such a way that the rotation of the blades allows air to flow towards the fan 130 and not away from the fan 130. The fan 130 is secured inside a casing 140, specifically, in between an upper casing 140a and a lower casing 140b as shown in figure 4 and 5.
[0028] Similarly, a fan 130 is arranged inside the seat pan 200. In this embodiment, the fan 130 is positioned centrally in the seat pan 200. It may be obvious to a person skilled in the art to configure the fan in any other positions on the seat back 100 and the seat pan 200.

[0029] Further, the seat foam 120 of the seat back 100 and the seat pan 200 has a plurality of grooves 150a, 150b…. 150n as shown in figures 1 and 3. Specifically, the grooves 150a, 150b…. 150n are arranged in a star-shaped pattern or asterisk shaped pattern for covering a larger surface area of the vehicle seat. . The star-shaped pattern of the grooves 150a, 150b…. 150n gives an advantage of covering more contact area of the occupant. The plurality of grooves 150a, 150b…. 150n may be straight or curve grooves in design as shown in figures 7a and 7b. The grooves 150a, 150b…. 150n resembles as a duct for the air to flow towards the fan 130. The fan 130 is arranged at the centre of the grooves 150a, 150b…. 150n to receive the directed air and channelize the air outwards through voids in the seat back 100 and the seat pan 200. When the occupant is rest against the vehicle seat, the reticulated foam 110 absorb the air nearby and is channelized through the grooves 150a, 150b…. 150n towards the fan 130 inside the seat back 100 and the seat pan 200.

[0030] The groove 150a, 150b…. 150n is provided with a 3-degree draft sideways to retain groove shape when the body of the occupant is leaned towards the seat back 100 or while resting on the seat pan 200. In this embodiment, the grooves 150a, 150b…. 150n are conical in shape towards the fan 130, which reduces the temperature of the inlet air. The grooves 150a, 150b…. 150n are almost 10 to 15 mm in length. It may be obvious to a person skilled in the art to use any other shaped patterns to direct the airflow towards the fan 130.

[0031] Specifically, when an occupant is seated on the vehicle seat, the air in contact with the body surface of the occupant is circulated to the seat back 100 and the seat pan 200, which reduces the possibility of sweating of back portion of the occupant. Further, in another embodiment, the reticulated foam 110 may be covered by a leather fabric 110b or similar fabrics for aesthetical appealing of the vehicle seat.

[0032] Further, the upper casing 140a of the fan 140 is over-moulded with seat foam 120, as shown in figure 6. The upper casing 140a does not have any wired means so that the mounting of the upper casing 140a at the time of moulding the seat foam 120 is possible. However, the lower casing 140b and the fan 130 is not over-moulded with the seat foam 120.

[0033] Therefore the present invention has the advantage of providing a vehicle seat assembly 300, which reduces the heating of seat and thereby sweating of the occupant. Further, the vehicle seat assembly 300 has a reduced complexity in construction and also it is robust in construction

[0034] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, but such omissions and substitutions are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.