US 7,320,223 B1
System for controlling child safety seat environment
Richard W. Dabney, Tanner, Ala. (US); and Susan V. Elrod, Huntsville, Ala. (US)
Assigned to United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C. (US)
Filed on Jan. 28, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/47,343.
Int. Cl. F25B 21/02 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 62—3.3  [62/3.61; 62/244; 62/261] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for controlling the environment experienced by a child in a child safety seat, comprising:
first thermoelectric means adapted to be positioned within seating confines of a child safety seat wherein a child sitting in the seating confines is positioned over said first thermoelectric means, said first thermoelectric means controllable to be one of heated and cooled relative to an ambient temperature based on a polarity of electrical energy applied thereto;
second thermoelectric means adapted to be coupled to the child safety seat and controllable to be one of heated and cooled relative to an ambient temperature based on a polarity of electrical energy applied thereto;
ventilator means adapted to be coupled to the child safety seat for moving air past said second thermoelectric means and for filtering said air moved therepast, wherein temperature of said air so-filtered is increased when said second thermoelectric means is heated and wherein temperature of said air so-filtered is decreased when said second thermoelectric means is cooled;
at least one jet coupled to said ventilator means for receiving said air so-filtered, each said jet adapted to be coupled to the child safety seat for directing said air so-filtered to the vicinity of the head of the child sitting in the seating confines of the child safety seat; and
controllable power means adapted to be coupled to the child safety seat and coupled to said first and second thermoelectric means for applying electrical energy of a desired polarity independently to each of said first thermoelectric means and said second thermoelectric means.