Manual lumbar pump assembly

• US 10,351,031 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hosbach, Christian J., Sachs, Adam, Kondrad, Marc, Line, Johnathan Andrew, Nisbett, Jason, Sidhu, Mandeep Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Allred, David E
• Application Number:
  US15/806,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20180065528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 2972846
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/467 adjustable by fluid means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02 the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/66 Lumbar supports
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/665 using inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape

Abstract

A pump assembly for a vehicle seatback includes a plurality of air bladders defining a lumbar support and a pneumatic cylinder that has a sealed head slidably disposed within a cylindrical cavity coupled defining an outlet. A selection device operably engages the outlet with a select one of the plurality of air bladders for inflating the select one of the plurality of air bladders.

Claims

1. A pump assembly for a vehicle seatback, comprising:

a plurality of air bladders defining a lumbar support;

a pneumatic cylinder having a sealed head slidably disposed within a cylindrical cavity defining an outlet wherein the pneumatic cylinder is movably connected to the valve body;

a lever defining a first body rotatable about an axis extending through the first body;

a projection defining a second body fixed with the first body of the lever and extending from the axis away from the lever;

a link having a first end connected with the pneumatic cylinder and a second end connected with the projection; and

a valve body incorporating a selection device, the selection device operably engaging the outlet with a select one of the plurality of air bladders for inflating the select one of the plurality of air bladders, the lever being mounted to the valve body with the axis in a fixed position relative to the valve body.

2. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the lever is operably coupled with the sealed head for sliding the sealed head into the cylindrical cavity to compress a compressible air chamber defined by the cylindrical cavity and the sealed head and dispense air to an inlet of the selection device.

3. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the selection device includes a plurality of pushbuttons mounted with the selection device for respectively selecting the select one of the plurality of air bladders.

4. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve body is fluidically engaged between the outlet and the plurality of air bladders, the selection device being coupled with the valve body and operably engaging the outlet with the select one of the plurality of air bladders by operation of the valve body.

5. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the pneumatic cylinder is external to the valve body.

6. The pump assembly of claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of pushbuttons are disposed along a face of the valve body; and

the lever is mounted to the valve body along the face with the axis positioned normal thereto.

7. The pump assembly of claim 6, wherein the lever is spaced from the face in an axial direction with respect to the axis.

8. The pump assembly of claim 7, wherein the projection is positioned axially between the face of the valve body and the lever with respect to the axis.

9. A lumbar pump assembly comprising:

first and second air bladders defining a lumbar support;

a valve body fluidly coupled with the first and second air bladders;

a pneumatic cylinder that has a piston head slidably disposed within a cylindrical cavity and an exhaust port fluidly coupled with the valve body, wherein the pneumatic cylinder is movably connected to the valve body;

a lever defining a first body rotatable about an axis extending through the body;

a projection defining a second body fixed with the first body of the lever and extending from the axis away from the lever;

a link having a first end coupled with the pneumatic cylinder and a second end coupled with the projection such that rotation of the lever about the axis dispenses air from the pneumatic cylinder; and

a valve body incorporating a selection device that selectively fluidly connects the exhaust port with the first and second air bladders, the lever being mounted to the valve body with the axis is a fixed position relative to the valve body.

10. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9, wherein the piston head is slidable into the cylindrical cavity to dispense air from the exhaust port and slidable out of the cylindrical cavity to draw ambient air into the cylindrical cavity.

11. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9, wherein the lever arm is operably coupled with the piston head to drive movement thereof to compress a compressible air chamber defined by the cylindrical cavity and the piston head by rotation of the lever about the axis.

12. The pump assembly of claim 9, wherein the selection device includes first and second pushbuttons mounted to the valve body to selectively fluidly connect the exhaust port with a respective one of the first and second air bladders.

13. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9, wherein the pneumatic cylinder is external to the valve body.

14. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 12, wherein:

the plurality of pushbuttons are disposed along a face of the valve body; and

the lever is mounted to the valve body along the face with the axis positioned normal thereto, the lever being spaced from the face in an axial direction with respect to the axis.

15. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 14, wherein the projection is positioned axially between the face of the valve body and the lever with respect to the axis.

16. A lumbar pump assembly, comprising:

a seatback having a plurality of air bladders disposed thereon to define a lumbar support;

a pneumatic cylinder defining a cylindrical cavity having a longitudinal axis, the pneumatic cylinder having a piston head slidably disposed within the cylindrical cavity along the longitudinal axis, the pneumatic cylinder configured for receiving ambient air and having an exhaust port for dispensing air from the cylindrical cavity;

a lever defining a first body rotatable about a first pivot axis extending through the first body;

a projection defining a second body fixed with the first body of the lever and extending from the axis away from the lever, the second body being coupled with the piston head for manually compressing an air chamber defined by the cylindrical cavity and the piston head;

a valve body having an inlet fluidly coupled with the exhaust port and a plurality of outlets coupled respectively with the plurality of air bladders, the lever being mounted with the valve body with the axis in a fixed position relative to the valve body and the lever being spaced apart from the valve body in an axial direction with respect to the axis; and

a selection device mounted within the valve body for selectively fluidly connecting the inlet with a select one of the plurality of outlets for inflating a respective one of the plurality of air bladders.

17. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 16, wherein the projection is pivotally coupled with a link that extends into the cylindrical cavity to pivotally couple with the piston head for sliding the piston head within the cylindrical cavity to manually dispense air to the valve body, and the projection is positioned axially between the valve body and the lever with respect to the axis.

18. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 16, wherein the selection device includes a plurality of pushbuttons mounted to the valve body for respectively selecting the select one of the plurality of air bladders.

19. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 16, wherein the pneumatic cylinder is external to the valve body.

20. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 16, wherein the lever defines a body that is mounted to the valve body with the first pivot axis in a fixed position relative to the valve body and extending through the body of the lever.