Automobile seat having adjustable thigh support

• US 4,775,185 A
• Filed: 04/02/1987
• Issued: 10/04/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: ITT Corporation (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scholin, Gilbert H., Fiorenzo, Busso
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US07/034,092
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 297/312, 297/284, 297/DIG. 3, 297/DIG. 8
• US Class Current: 297/284.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/62 Thigh-rests B60N2/914 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/03 Pneumatic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/08 Inflatable bellows

Abstract

An automobile seat having an infinitely adjustable thigh support is disclosed. The seat includes an air operated bladder mounted between a rigid extension on the seat bottom frame and a padded thigh support member pivotably mounted to the seat bottom frame at the thigh location of an occupant of the seat. The thigh support member is positionable at any of an infinite number of intermediate support positions with the thigh support cushion maintained in contact with the seat cushion at all positions of the thigh support.

Claims

1. An automobile seat comprising:

a seat frame including a back portion and a seat portion extending from said back portion;

adjustable thigh support means at the free end of said seat portion of said seat frame, said adjustable thigh support means comprising a rigid plate-like portion extending from the free end of said seat portion and supported intermediate its ends by a transverse member, and a support member pivotably mounted to said plate-like portion adjacent the free end of said seat portion of said seat frame for movement between a minimum support position and a maximum support position;

expandable-contractable air operated bladder means mounted on said rigid plate-like portion with an expandable-contractable portion thereof engaging said support member for selectively moving said support member to any of an infinite number of intermediate support positions between said minimum and maximum support positions; and

said back and seat portions including an upholstered padded back and seat cushion, respectively, and wherein said support plate includes a separate upholstered padded thigh support cushion, the adjacent upper edges of said seat and thigh cushions being in constant contact in all positions of said support member.