Air lumbar support

• US 4,467,426 A
• Filed: 07/01/1981
• Issued: 08/21/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Hida, Takashi, Kuwana, Kazutaka, Takayama, Katsuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US06/279,419
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/425, 296/65 R, 297/346, 248/560, 248/566, 248/575, 318/466, 318/467, 200/1 R, 200/153 R, 200/153 A, 200/153 L, 200/153 P
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/467 adjustable by fluid means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/665 using inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4142 characterised by the use of a microprocessor G05B19/4141 takes precedence

Abstract

An air lumbar support is provided for establishing a desired attitude of a driver'"'"'s seat of a vehicle, and is associated with an attitude control system. A pad of a seat back is supported by a plurality of air bags, each of which is connected with a solenoid valve, which when open, permits the air to be discharged into the atmosphere from the air bag. When a desired attitude is to be established, air under pressure is fed to the air bags. Attitude establishing data is in the form of a number of times the solenoid valves are energized for opening for short intervals, and is stored in a non-volatile semiconductor read-write memory if the attitude is to be registered. In response to a key operation, a microprocessor reads registered data automatically, initially driving an air pump, followed by opening the solenoid valves a number of times indicated by the data, thus establishing a desired air pressure in the air bag. In another embodiment, the solenoid valves are interposed between the air pump and the air bags.

Claims

1. An air lumbar support for a vehicle seat comprising:

air bag means mounted in the lower portion of a seat back to vary the contour thereof;

air pump means connected to the air bag means for supplying air to the air bag means;

valve means coupled to the air pump means for controlling air flow from the pump means to the air bag means;

solenoid valve means coupled to the air bag means for controlling air pressure in the air bag means; and

an electronic control means comprising electronic processor means, key switch means and memory means storing standard attitude establishing data which indicates the timed energization of the solenoid valve means,

said electronic control means being responsive to standard attitude establishing data upon actuation of selected key switch means by reading standard attitude establishing data and controlling the energization of the air pump means and the timed energization of the solenoid valve means for establishing an air pressure in the air bag means corresponding to the standard attitude establishing data.

2. An air lumbar support according to claim 1, wherein said valve means coupled to the air pump means comprises a check valve disposed between the air pump means and the air bag means for allowing an air flow from the air pump means to the air bag means while inhibiting an air flow from the air bag means to the air pump means, and wherein said solenoid valve means, when energized, allows discharge of air in the air bag means and interrupts the discharge when deenergized.

3. An air lumbar support according to claim 2, wherein said electronic control means, for establishing an air pressure in the air bag means corresponding to the standard attitude establishing data, at first energizes the air pump means for supplying air to the air bag means up to a predetermined pressure, and then energizes the solenoid valve means in accordance with establishing data.

4. An air lumbar support for a vehicle seat comprising:

air bag means adapted to be mounted in the lower portion of a seat back to vary the contour thereof;

air pump means adapted to supply air to the air bag means;

valve means coupled to the air pump means for controlling air flow from the pump means to the air bag means;

solenoid valve means coupled to the air bag means for controlling air pressure in the air bag means; and

an electronic control means comprising electronic processor means, key switch means and memory means,

said electronic control means being responsive to actuation of said key switch means for changing air pressure in the air bag means by controlling the energization of the air pump means and the timed energization of the solenoid valve means,

said electronic control means, after the energization of the solenoid valve means, forming actual attitude data which indicates the timed energization of the solenoid valve means, and memory means for storing the actual attitude data upon actuation of a selected key switch means at a predetermined address;

and

said electronic control means being responsive to the actuation of a selected key switch means for reading the actual attitude data at the predetermined address of the memory means and controlling the energization of the air pump means and the the timed energization of the solenoid valve means for establishing an air pressure corresponding to the actual attitude data in the air bag means.

5. An air lumbar support according to claim 4, wherein said valve means coupled to the air pump means comprises check valve means disposed between the air pump means and the air bag means for allowing an air flow from the air pump means to the air bag means while inhibiting an air flow from the air bag means to the air pump means, and wherein said solenoid valve means, when energized, allows discharge of air in the air bag means and interrupts the discharge when deenergized.

6. An air lumbar support according to claim 5, wherein said electronic control means, for establishing an air pressure corresponding to the actual attitude data in the memory means, at first energizes said air pump means for supplying air to said air bag means up to a predetermined pressure, and then energizes said solenoid valve means in accordance with the actual data.

7. An air lumbar support for a vehicle seat comprising:

air bag means adapted to be mounted in the lower portion of a seat back to vary the contour thereof;

air pump means adapted to supply air to the air bag means;

valve means coupled to the air pump means for controlling air flow from the pump means to the air bag means; and

an electronic control means comprising electronic processor means, key switch means and memory means storing standard attitude establishing data which indicates timed energization of the solenoid valve means,

said electronic control means being responsive to standard attitude establishing data upon actuation of the selected key switch means by reading standard attitude establishing data and controlling the energization of the air pump means and the timed energization of the solenoid valve means for establishing an air pressure in the air bag means corresponding to the standard attitude establishing data,

said electronic control means being responsive to adjusting air pressure in the air bag means by controlling the energization of the air pump means and the timed energization of the solenoid valve means upon actuation of selected key switch means,

said electronic control means, after adjusting the air pressure by energization of the solenoid valve means, forming actual attitutde data which indicates timed energization of the solenoid valve means and memory means for storing the actual attitude data upon actuation of selected key switch means at a predetermin-d address, and

said electronic control means being responsive to actuation of selected key switch means for reading the actual attitude data at the predetermined address of the memory means and controlling the energization of the air pump means and the timed energization of the solenoid valve means for establishing an air pressure corresponding to the actual attitude data in the air bag means.

8. An air lumbar support according to claim 7, wherein said valve means coupled to the air pump means comprises check valve means disposed between the air pump means and the air bag means for allowing an air flow from the air pump means to the air bag means while inhibiting an air flow from the air bag means to the air pump means, and wherein the solenoid valve means, when energized, allows discharge of air from the air bag means and interrupts the discharge when deenergized.

9. An air lumbar support according to claim 8, wherein said electronic control means, for establishing an air pressure in the air bag means corresponding to the standard attitude establishing data, at first energizes the air pump means for supplying air to the air bag means up to a predetermined pressure, and then energizes the solenoid valve means in accordance with the standard attitude establishing data, and wherein

said electronic control means, for establishing an air pressure corresponding to the actual attitude data in said memory means, at first energizes the air pump means for supplying air to the air bag means up to a predetermined pressure, and then energizes the solenoid valve means in accordance with the actual attitude data.