VEHICLE SEATING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCING FATIGUE

• US 20070102969A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Biomechanical Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innovative Biomechanical Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Phipps, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,566,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/180.120
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/976 massaging systems

Abstract

A vehicle seating system can be used within a variety of vehicles to reduce positional fatigue and other effects of long distance traveling. Such a system includes a typical vehicle seat mountable in a vehicle, at least two powered seat energizer members, including at least one thermal energizer, and an electrical controller. The energizer members are activated to alter the seating condition created by the seat, thereby impacting circulation and reducing fatigue experienced by a vehicle traveler.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating system, comprising:

a seat mountable in a vehicle;

at least two powered seat energizer members, each transitionable between at least a respective first status and a respective second status, for shifting said seat through at least two different collective seating conditions, wherein at least one of said energizer members is a thermal energizer; and

an electrical controller for automatically activating said energizer members between said first and said second statuses, respectively, said electrical controller having a control period in which said automatic activation occurs, said control period having at least one hold period, wherein said electrical controller ceases activation of said energizer members during said hold period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one thermal energizer is selected from the group consisting of a heating energizer and a cooling energizer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said energizer members is a mechanical energizer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said at least one mechanical energizer includes a massaging energizer.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said at least one mechanical energizer includes a seat position actuator.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said seat position actuator transitions said seat to different seating conditions with a slow movement average of less than about 10 centimeters per second between said first status and said second status.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein a transition time for each of said seat position actuators to transition from said first status to said second status is in the range of about 20 to about 40 seconds.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said at least one seat position actuator includes a first position actuator to control horizontal movement of said seat, a second position actuator to control inclining of a back portion of said seat, a third position actuator to control lumbar movement of said back portion of said seat, a fourth position actuator to control vertical movement of said seat, and a fifth position actuator to control tilt of a bottom portion of said seat.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said electrical controller automatically activates said energizer members between said first and said second statuses in a predetermined routine.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said electrical controller automatically activates said energizer members between said first and said second statuses at random.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said electrical controller includes a computer chip to operate the system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein after a first hold period, said energizer members transition said seat to said different collective seating conditions, with a second hold period occurring after reaching each of said different collective seating conditions.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein after a first hold period, said energizer members continually cycle through said different collective seating conditions.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein after a first hold period, said energizer members cycle through said different collective seating conditions, with a second hold period occurring when said energizer members return to a first collective seating condition.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein after a first hold period, the system cycles separately through each of said energizer members.

16. A vehicle seating system, comprising:

a seat mountable in a vehicle;

at least two powered seat energizer members, each transitionable independently of each other between a respective first status and a respective second status;

wherein at least one of said energizer members is a temperature-adjustment energizer for altering the seating temperature, and wherein at least one of said energizer members is a position-adjustment adjustment actuator for altering the seating position formed by said seat to reduce positional fatigue; and

an electrical controller for automatically activating said energizer members according to at least two different cycles, said electrical controller having a control period including at least one activation period and at least one hold period.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said control period includes a first hold period at the beginning of said control period, wherein said electrical controller ceases activation of said energizer members during said hold period.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said temperature-adjustment energizer is a heating energizer.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said temperature-adjustment energizer is a cooling energizer.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said control period alternates between activation periods and hold periods, said activation periods including transition between at least two different seating conditions and returning to a first seating condition.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said control period includes at least two activation periods, each activation period including activation of one of said energizer members, wherein a first activation period includes activation of a first energizer member and a second activation period includes activation of a second energizer member.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein after a first hold period, said energizer members cycle through at least two different collective seating conditions including a first collective seating condition and a second collective seating condition, with a second hold period occurring when said controls return to said first collective seating condition.