Patent attributes
A vehicle seat includes a thermal comfort module installed in a recess of a foam cushion beneath a trim cover. The thermal comfort module includes an air duct, a thermoelectric device, a heat sink extending inside the air duct from the thermoelectric device, and an air mover that causes air to flow from the passenger cabin, through the seating surface, along the air duct and heat sink, and back out of the seat. In a seat cooling mode, the air flowing along air duct absorbs heat from one side of the thermoelectric device via the heat sink while the opposite side of the thermoelectric device absorbs heat from the trim cover via thermal conduction. The thickness of a foam cushion can be made greatest where most needed, such as at the rear portion of the seat bottom.