MULTILAYER SEAT

• US 20160288681A1
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ferretti, Daniel, Line, Johnathan Andrew, Kondrad, Marcos Silva, Jaranson, John W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,802,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/026 varying hardness or support of upholstery, e.g. for tuning seat comfort when driving curved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6009 covering more than only the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/64 Back-rests or cushions B60N2/2222 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/665 using inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6673 with motor driven adjustments
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7094 Upholstery springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/72 Attachment or adjustment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a lower seating structure and a raised seatback support, wherein one of either the lower seating structure or raised seatback support consists of a multilayer assembly. The multilayer assembly includes a flexible static layer, a flexible dynamic layer having an adjustable firmness, a suspension layer formed from tunable springs which support a flexible panel, and a frame supported carrier including a protective recess within which the suspension layer is cradled.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating assembly for a motor vehicle having a lower seating structure and a raised seatback support, wherein one of either the lower seating structure or the raised seatback support consists of a multilayer assembly comprising:

a flexible static layer;

a flexible dynamic layer having an adjustable firmness;

a suspension layer formed from tunable springs which support a flexible panel; and

a frame supported carrier within which the suspension layer is cradled.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible static layer is a thin foam layer.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the thin foam layer is covered by a flexible covering.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 3, wherein the flexible covering comprises any of a woven or nonwoven fabric, vinyl or leather.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the thin foam layer provides an interface between the vehicle seating assembly and a user.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 further comprising a user control operably coupled to the flexible dynamic layer and operational to move the dynamic layer between a first firmness level and a second firmness level by a pump, the first firmness level having a firmness higher than the second firmness level, which consequently adjusts the firmness of the multilayer seating assembly.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible dynamic layer provides an expandable layer that contours and cushions a user.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible dynamic layer comprises a bladder.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the frame supported carrier comprises a rigid support frame and a pair of laterally opposing interior trim panels.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein both of the lower seating structure and the raised seatback support comprise a multilayer assembly comprising:

a flexible static layer;

a flexible dynamic layer having an adjustable firmness;

a suspension layer formed from tunable springs which support a flexible panel; and

a frame supported carrier within which the suspension layer is cradled.

11. A vehicle seating assembly comprising a multilayer assembly further comprising a suspension layer having tunable springs, a flexible panel supported by the suspension layer, a bladder assembly disposed upon the flexible panel, a thin foam layer disposed above the bladder assembly, and a frame supported carrier within which the suspension layer is cradled.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the suspension layer is located in the lower seating structure and a lower lumbar area of the raised seatback support.

13. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the bladder assembly is operable between inflated and deflated conditions by a pump and the vehicle seating assembly further comprises a control operably coupled to the pump.

14. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the suspension layer is cradled within a protective recess provided on the frame supported carrier to create a cradling effect for a user occupying the vehicle seating assembly.

15. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 14, wherein the suspension layer and the flexible panel supported by the suspension layer is received within the protective recess provided on the frame supported carrier and the thin foam layer and the bladder assembly are not received within the protective recess of the frame supported carrier.

16. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 15, wherein the thin foam layer and the bladder assembly not received with the protective recess of the frame supported carrier form a first layer upon which the user is supported in the vehicle seat assembly and the flexible panel supported by the suspension layer received within the protective recess provided on the frame supported carrier form a second layer.

17. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 15, wherein the frame supported carrier is located in the raised seatback support and comprises a rigid support frame and a clam shell shaped back panel module, and wherein the raised seatback support includes a first periphery about the flexible static layer and a second periphery about the frame supported carrier to form an external peripheral gap between the first and the second periphery.

18. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11, wherein the frame supported carrier is located in the lower seating structure and comprises a rigid support frame and a pair of laterally opposed interior trim panels.

19. A method of assembling a vehicle seating assembly for a motor vehicle having a lower seating structure and a raised seatback support, wherein one of either the lower seating structure or the raised seatback support consists of a multilayer assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

attaching a flexible static layer over a flexible dynamic layer having an adjustable firmness;

attaching a suspension layer formed from tunable springs which support a flexible panel to the flexible dynamic layer;

attaching an interior trim panel to a seat frame; and

attaching the seat frame to the suspension layer such that the suspension layer is cradled within a protective recess of the seat frame to create a cradling effect for a user occupying the vehicle seating assembly.

20. The method of claim 19 where both of the lower seating structure and the raised seatback support comprise a multilayer assembly comprising:

a flexible static layer;

a flexible dynamic layer having an adjustable firmness;

a suspension layer formed from tunable springs which support a flexible panel; and

a carrier upon which the flexible static layer, the flexible dynamic layer, and the suspension layer are supported.