Seat subportion adjustable in relative height and/or angle and backrest adjustable in shape based on user contact pressure

• US 20050264069A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ellis K. Nam, Fang Lin, Mohsen Makhsous
• Original Assignee: Ellis K. Nam, Fang Lin, Mohsen Makhsous
• Inventors: Lin, Fang, Nam, Ellis K., Makhsous, Mohsen
• Granted Patent: US 7,322,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/284.100
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/163 and a foot-rest
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1043 Cushions specially adapted for wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/665 using inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/948 the actuation of the positioning or locking mechanism for one seat part being dependent on the position of another seat part, e.g. the seats floor lock being unlocked when the back-rest is inclined or the backrest can be tilted only when the seat is in its rear position

Abstract

A seat of an apparatus in one example comprises a front subportion and a rear subportion that is adjustable in height and/or angle relative to the front subportion. A backrest of the apparatus in one example is adjustable in shape. Based on a user contact pressure against one or more portions of the seat and/or one or more portions of the backrest, the rear subportion of the seat and the backrest are adjustable between: a first height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat and a first shape of the backrest; and a second height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat and a second shape of the backrest.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a seat that comprises a front subportion and a rear subportion that is adjustable in height and/or angle relative to the front subportion; and

a backrest that is adjustable in shape;

wherein, based on a user contact pressure against one or more portions of the seat and/or one or more portions of the backrest, the rear subportion of the seat and the backrest are adjustable between;

a first height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat and a first shape of the backrest; and

a second height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat and a second shape of the backrest.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat and a corresponding height and/or angle of the front subportion of the seat comprise a substantially same height and/or angle;

wherein the second height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat is/are less than the corresponding height and/or angle of the front subportion of the seat.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, based on the user contact pressure against the one or more portions of the seat and/or the one or more portions of the backrest, the rear subportion of the seat is pivotally adjustable between:

the first angle of the rear subportion of the seat; and

the second angle of the rear subportion of the seat;

wherein, based on the user contact pressure against the one or more portions of the seat and/or the one or more portions of the backrest, backrest is adjustable between;

the first shape of the backrest; and

the second shape of the backrest.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rear subportion of the seat comprises one or more air bladders that are inflatable and/or deflatable to adjust between:

the first height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat; and

the second height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein relatively different sizes of the first and second shapes of the backrest serve to promote an increase in lumbar support for a user of the seat and/or backrest.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the backrest comprises one or more air bladders that are inflatable and/or deflatable to adjust between the first and second shapes of the backrest.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein one or more of the seat and/or the backrest comprise one or more side bolsters that serve to provide lateral support to the user of the seat and/or backrest.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control component that causes an adjustment of the rear subportion of the seat and/or the backrest between;

the first height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat and the first shape of the backrest; and

the second height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat and the second shape of the backrest.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control component employs one or more of a contact pressure sensors, air pressure sensors, temperature sensors, accelerometers, and/or clocks inputs to cause the adjustment of the rear subportion of the seat and/or the backrest between:

the first height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat and the first shape of the backrest; and

the second height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat and the second shape of the backrest.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control component employs the user contact pressure against the seat and the backrest to determine any one or more of:

the first height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat;

the first shape of the backrest;

the second height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat; and

/or

the second shape of the backrest.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control component employs one or more ratios between any two of:

a user contact pressure against the rear subportion of the seat;

a user contact pressure against the backrest; and

/or

a user contact pressure against the front subportion of the seat;

wherein the control component employs the one or more ratios to determine one or more of;

the first height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat;

the first shape of the backrest;

the second height and/or angle of the rear subportion of the seat, and/or

the second shape of the backrest.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control component determines a duration of time between adjustments based on one or more dermal temperatures of the user against the seat and/or the backrest;

wherein the control component adjusts the seat and/or the backrest upon an end of the duration of time between adjustments.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the control component makes a determination of an end of a pre-determined time interval;

wherein the control component adjusts the seat and/or the backrest upon the determination of the end of the pre-determined time interval.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the backrest comprises one or more suspension components that allow the backrest to oscillate in one or more directions to promote a reduction in movement of a user of the seat and/or backrest relative to the backrest.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a leg support that is adjustable in height and/or angle relative to the front subportion of the seat;

wherein, based on the user contact pressure against the one or more portions of the seat and the one or more portions of the backrest and a user contact pressure against one or more portions of the leg support, the leg support is adjustable between;

a first height and/or angle of the leg support that serves to support a knee of a user at a first angle;

a second height and/or angle of the leg support that serves to support the knee of the user at a second angle that is less than the first angle.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seat and backrest comprise one or more portions of a chair, wheelchair, and/or car seat.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the seat and/or backrest comprise a viscoelastic foam that promotes a reduction in whole body vibration of a user of the seat and/or backrest;

wherein one or more of the seat and/or backrest comprise a neoprene fabric that promotes a reduction in shear force between the user and the seat and/or backrest.

18. A method, comprising the steps of:

adjusting a backrest between a first shape and a second shape based on a user contact pressure against one or more portions of the backrest and/or one or more portions of a seat; and

adjusting a rear subportion of the seat between a first height and/or angle and a second height and/or angle relative to a front subportion of the seat based on the user contact pressure against the one or more portions of the backrest and/or the one or more portions of the seat.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

making a determination of an end of a pre-determined time interval; and

adjusting the backrest between the first shape and the second shape and adjusting the rear subportion of the seat between the first height and/or angle and the second height and/or angle upon the determination of the end of the pre-determined time interval.

20. An article, comprising:

one or more computer-readable signal-bearing media;

means in the one or more media for adjusting a backrest between a first shape and a second shape based on a user contact pressure against one or more portions of the backrest and/or one or more portions of a seat; and

means in the one or more media for adjusting a rear subportion of the seat between a first height and/or angle and a second height and/or angle relative to a front subportion of the seat based on the user contact pressure against the one or more portions of the backrest and/or the one or more portions of the seat.