Elastic membrane seat with fluidic bladder tensioning method

• US 4,885,827 A
• Filed: 09/16/1988
• Issued: 12/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Williams, Jerry K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eley, Timothy V.
• Application Number:
  US07/245,238
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 29/91.1, 29/91.5, 29/448, 29/454, 297/284, 297/452, 297/458, 297/459, 297/460, 297/DIG. 3, 5/446, 5/447
• US Class Current: 29/91.1
• 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 2/7094 Upholstery springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/72 Attachment or adjustment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/486 Cover stretching

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle seat with an elastic membrane which may be selectively tensioned by a bladder. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the frequency of the seat may be selectively modified by selective inflation of the bladder. The bladder also allows the membrane to be wrapped to a frame of the seat in such a manner to increase the predicted life cycle of the seat membrane utilized.

Claims

1. A method of varying the frequency response of a vehicle seat with spaced frame members, said method in combination comprising:

elastically spanning said spaced frame members with a membrane having at least one side portion partially wrapped around at least one of said frame members to provide a support surface for said seat;

connecting to said membrane and to at least one of said frame members a selectively inflatable fluid bladder contacting said membrane beyond said support surface;

selectively inflating said fluid bladder whereby the tension of said membrane is varied.