SELECTIVELY ADJUSTABLE LUMBAR SUPPORT FOR AIRCRAFT SEATS AND THE LIKE

• US 3,770,315 A
• Filed: 12/18/1972
• Issued: 11/06/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PTC Aerospace Incorporated Bantam CT 06750 A Corporation
• Original Assignee: Asbjorn Karlsen, Darrell G. Smittle
• Inventors: Karlsen, Asbjorn, Smittle, Darrell G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, James C.
• Application Number:
  US05/316,053
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 297/DIG.1,284,384,DIG.3,354 5/348,338
• US Class Current: 297/284.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/467 adjustable by fluid means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7082 with air or fluid cushions B60N2/914 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/03 Pneumatic

Abstract

An aircraft seat is described having an adjustable support in the back opposite a seat occupant'"'"''"'"'s lumbar region. The adjustable support comprises an impermeable flexible bag filled with open cell, elastically resilient foam, and means for controlling the gas pressure within the flexible bag. Lumbar support is provided by the combined resilience of the foam and air pressure within the bag, and control of the air pressure by the seat occupant provides adjustable control of the degree of support provided the lumbar region of the back. Pressure above ambient is created by load of a seat occupant'"'"''"'"'s back against the bag and air is permitted to escape by way of a manually operated valve to obtain a selected condition. The bag is provided with an excess volume in order to prevent impact on the seat occupant'"'"''"'"'s back in case of rapid decompression of an aircraft cabin.

Claims

1. In a chair comprising a seat portion and a resilient adjustable chair back for tilting between an erect position and a reclined position, an improved adjustable lumbar support comprising:

a cavity in the chair back opposite the lumbar region of a chair occupant;

lumbar support means positioned in the cavity for engaging a chair occupant'"'"''"'"'s lumbar region comprising;

a flexible impermeable envelope having one face in the cavity and the other face approximately complementary to a person'"'"''"'"'s lumbar region; and

an open cell elastically resilient body of foam in the envelope, the body of foam extending forwardly from the cavity beyond the adjacent chair back; and

means for controlling gas pressure within the envelope for adjusting the firmness of the lumbar support means, said control means being mounted on the chair in a position accessible to a chair occupant.

2. In a chair as defined in cliam 1, an improved lumbar support wherein the body of foam occupies less than the entire interior volume of the envelope.

3. In a chair as defined in claim 2 an improved lumbar support wherein the body of foam has a resilience less than the resilience of the adjacent chair back.

4. In a chair as defined in claim 1 the improvement wherein the means for controlling pressure comprises a manual valve for selectively releasing gas from within the envelope and selectively preventing gas flow between the interior of the envelope and the ambient environment.

5. In a chair comprising a seat portion, and an adjustable chair back for tilting between an erect position and a reclined position, the improvement comprising:

lumbar support means on the chair back for engaging a chair occupant'"'"''"'"'s lumbar region comprising;

a flexible impermeable envelope having one face protruding from the adjacent chair back and approximately complementary to a person'"'"''"'"'s lumbar region, and an open cell, elastically resilient body of foam in the envelope; and

means for controlling gas pressure within the envelope for adjusting the firmness of the lumbar support means mounted on the chair in a position accessible to a chair occupant.

6. In an improved chair as defined in claim 5 the improvement wherein the body of foam occupies less then the entire interior volume of the envelope.

7. In an improved chair as defined in claim 5 the improvement wherein the chair back comprises a cavity and wherein the lumbar support means is partly recessed in the cavity.

8. In an improved chair as defined in claim 7 the improvement wherein the body of foam has a resilience less than the resilience of the adjacent chair back.