General Motors Invents Heated And Ventilated Seatbelts

General Motors has filed a patent to make heated and ventilated seatbelts a reality by using the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) method. Ownership of this new concept was filed with the German Patent and Trademark Office.

Heated seatbelts are by no means a new concept, and our research shows that Ford was actually the first to file a patent application for heated belts using heating elements woven into the fabric. A year later, Tesla filed an application for a heated liquid that could be pumped into any shape vessel, including a belt. Earlier this year, ZF showcased its Heat Belt, based on the same basic principle as Ford's patent.

GM's patent mentions that heating elements can also be used, but it has a far simpler, more elegant solution.

GM wants to use the car's existing air-conditioning or climate control system to create what it calls a desirable passenger thermal comfort system, which is fancy legal jargon for a comfortable interior. According to the patent filing, vehicles operate in temperatures ranging from 0°F to over 100°F, which is why thermal management is so important.

GM's complete thermal solution will consist of a climate control system as we know it and seatbelts with a porous sleeve connected to said system. To get the full effect, GM also mentions including heated/ventilated seat bottoms and seatbacks.

Whatever temperature the occupant chooses will be fed to the porous sleeve via the climate control system. So not only will it keep the interior at a set temperature, but you'll have a toasty or icy cold seatbelt in direct contact with your body.

The porous sleeve also takes care of the criticisms leveled against previous inventions wanting to use heating elements or heated liquid. These belts would only heat the parts of your chest and lap covered by the belt. The heated air from the porous sleeve will cover a larger body area. These previous patents were also limited to heating, while GM's system can just as easily feed cool air to the body.

As you can see on the patent sketches, the climate control is permanently connected to the porous sleeve and doesn't interfere with the buckle. The most challenging part of implementing this would be finding a supplier willing to make these new porous seatbelts in bulk.

Or GM could do it in-house, but only for high-end models like the Cadillac Escalade and its upcoming expensive Rolls-Royce rival, the Celestiq.