Vehicle seating system and method for reducing fatigue

• US 20070132289A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Biomechanical Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Innovative Biomechanical Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Phipps, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,422,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/217.300
• 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 adjustment actuators, and an electrical controller. The actuators are moveable to alter the seating position formed by the seat, thereby reducing fatigue experienced by a vehicle traveler.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating system for reducing user fatigue, comprising:

a seat mountable in a vehicle;

at least two powered seat adjustment actuators, each movable between a respective first position and a respective second position, for altering the seating position formed by said seat to reduce positional fatigue;

wherein said powered seat adjustment actuators reposition said seat to different seating positions with a slow movement average of less than about 10 centimeters per second between said first positions and said second positions; and

an electrical controller for activating movement of said powered seat adjustment actuators, said electrical controller having a control period and having, within said control period, at least one fatigue period of at least ten minutes;

wherein said controller automatically activates said slow movement average of said powered seat adjustment actuators between said first and said second positions at least once both before and after a fatigue period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said different seating positions is predetermined.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a transition time for each of said powered seat adjustment actuators to move from said first position to said second position is in the range of about 20 to about 40 seconds.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein selection of said different seating positions by the system is random.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said powered seat adjustment actuators include a first actuator to control horizontal movement of said seat, a second actuator to control inclining of a back portion of said seat, a third actuator to control lumbar movement of said back portion of said seat, a fourth actuator to control vertical movement of said seat, and a fifth actuator to control tilt of a bottom portion of said seat.

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

7. The system of claim 1, wherein after a first stationary time period, said actuators reposition said seat to said different seating positions, with a second stationary time period occurring after reaching each of said different seating positions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein after a first stationary time period, said actuators continually cycle through said different seating positions.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein after a first stationary time period, said actuators cycle through said different seating positions, with a second stationary time period occurring when said actuators return to a first seating position.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein after a first stationary time period, the system cycles separately through each of said powered seat adjustment actuators.

11. A vehicle seating system for reducing user fatigue, comprising:

a seat mountable in a vehicle;

at least two powered seat adjustment actuators, each movable independently of each other between a respective first position and a respective second position for altering the seating position formed by said seat to reduce positional fatigue;

wherein said powered seat adjustment actuators reposition said seat to different seating positions between said first positions and said second positions; and

an electrical controller for activating movement of said powered seat adjustment actuators, said electrical controller having a control period including at least one movement period and at least one stationary period.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said control period includes a first stationary period at the beginning of said control period, wherein said stationary period includes static positioning of said actuators.

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

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said control period alternates between movement periods and stationary periods, said movement periods including movement between at least two different seating positions and returning to a first seating position.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said control period includes one movement period, said one movement period including movement to continually reposition said seat.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said control period alternates between movement periods and stationary periods, said movement periods including movement between at least two different seating positions, wherein for at least one movement period, the seating position at the beginning of the at least one movement period is different than the seating position reached at the end of the at least one movement period.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said control period includes at least two movement periods, each movement period including movement of one of said powered seat adjustment actuators, wherein a first movement period includes movement of a first actuator and a second movement period includes movement of a second actuator.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said control period includes a stationary period occurring between each of said at least two movement periods.

19. A method for reducing vehicle user fatigue, comprising:

providing a seat mountable in a vehicle;

providing at least two powered seat adjustment actuators, each movable between a respective first position and a respective second position for altering the seating position formed by said seat to reduce positional fatigue;

activating movement of said powered seat adjustment actuators with an electrical controller having a control period including at least one movement period; and

said activating movement including activating at least one of said powered seat adjustment actuators to reposition said seat to different seating positions during said at least one movement period, wherein movement of said powered seat adjustment actuators includes a slow movement average of less than about ten centimeters per second from said first position to said second position.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said control period includes at least one stationary period of at least 5 minutes.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising said controller alternating between said movement periods and said stationary periods, said control period including at least two movement periods.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the system automatically activates at least one of said powered seat adjustment actuators after a first stationary time period.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of said different seating positions is predetermined.