Apparatus and method for adjusting the position of a supporting element in a seat
First Claim
1. An apparatus for stimulating the muscles of a seat occupant, comprising:
- a flexible supporting element adapted to be coupled to a seat for movement relative thereto; and
driving means for automatically and repeatedly moving said flexible supporting element through an adjustment cycle that includes a plurality of first consecutive incremental movements in a first direction followed by a plurality of second consecutive incremental movements in a second direction, each of said first and second consecutive incremental movements separated by a first time interval.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The apparatus stimulates the muscles of the a seat occupant. The apparatus includes a flexible supporting element adapted to be coupled to a seat for movement relative thereto and driving means for automatically and repeatedly moving the flexible supporting element through an adjustment cycle. The adjustment cycle includes a plurality of first incremental movements in a first direction followed by a plurality of second incremental movements in a second direction. Each of the first and second incremental movements are separated by a first time interval. The method relieves muscle fatigue in a seat occupant by incrementally adjusting the curvature of the supporting element and generally includes the steps of placing a supporting element in a first position operatively engaging a muscle of the seat occupant wherein the first position defines a first degree of curvature of the supporting element. The method further includes automatically adjusting the curvature of the supporting element according to an adjustment cycle that includes maintaining the first degree of curvature for a first time period, increasing the degree of curvature a first amount after the first time period to define a second degree of curvature, maintaining the second degree of curvature for a second time period, and decreasing the degree of curvature of the supporting element a second amount after the second time period to define a third degree of curvature wherein the first time period is equal to the second time period.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for stimulating the muscles of a seat occupant, comprising:
-
a flexible supporting element adapted to be coupled to a seat for movement relative thereto; and driving means for automatically and repeatedly moving said flexible supporting element through an adjustment cycle that includes a plurality of first consecutive incremental movements in a first direction followed by a plurality of second consecutive incremental movements in a second direction, each of said first and second consecutive incremental movements separated by a first time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. An apparatus for automatically moving a supporting element in a seat in a first direction and a second direction according to an adjustment cycle, said apparatus comprising:
-
a driving assembly having an output movable in a first direction and a second direction, said output adapted to be connected to a supporting element in a seat; and a controller connectable to a power source and adapted to automatically communicate a pulse string of electric current to said driving apparatus to move said output in a plurality of consecutive incremental movements in said first direction and a plurality of consecutive incremental movements in said second direction according to an adjustment cycle, said controller including current regulating means communicable with a power source for generating said pulse string, and switching means for automatically establishing a first polarity connection and a second polarity connection between said current regulating means and said driving apparatus, said switching means communicating said string of electric pulses from said current regulating means to said driving apparatus through said first polarity and second polarity connections whereby said driving apparatus moves said output in said first direction and said second direction according to said adjustment cycle. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A vehicle seat comprising:
-
a frame; an elastically flexible supporting element coupled to said frame; and driving means for automatically and repeatedly moving said flexible supporting element through an adjustment cycle that includes a plurality of first consecutive incremental movements in a first direction followed by a plurality of second consecutive incremental movements in a second direction, each of said first and second consecutive incremental movements separated by a first time interval. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
-
21. A method for relieving muscle fatigue in a seat occupant by incrementally adjusting the curvature of a supporting element, said method comprising the steps of:
-
placing a supporting element in a first position and in operative engagement with a muscle of a seat occupant, said first position defining a first degree of curvature; automatically adjusting the curvature of said supporting element according to an adjustment cycle that includes maintaining said first degree of curvature for a first time period, increasing the degree of curvature of said supporting element a first amount after said first time period to define a second degree of curvature, maintaining said second degree of curvature for a second time period, and decreasing the degree of curvature of said supporting element a second amount after said second time period to define a third degree of curvature, said first time period being equal to said second time period. - View Dependent Claims (22)
-
Specification