Apparatus and method for adjusting the position of a supporting element in a seat

• US 6,007,151 A
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schukra North America Limited (Schukra)
• Original Assignee: Schukra North America Limited (Schukra)
• Inventors: Benson, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/165,889
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 297/283.4, 297/284.1, 297/284.3, 297/284.7
• US Class Current: 297/284.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6671 with cable actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6673 with motor driven adjustments

Abstract

The apparatus stimulates the muscles of 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.

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 incremental movements in an opposite direction, each of said first and second incremental movements separated by a first time interval.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first time interval is within the range of about five seconds to about twenty five seconds.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first time interval is about fifteen seconds.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first time interval is fifteen seconds.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said driving means includes an electric motor and a controller, said electric motor coupled to said supporting element, said controller coupled to said electric motor and electrically connectable to a power source, said electric motor adapted to move said supporting element in said first direction when provided with an electric current of a first polarity and to move said supporting element in said second direction when provided with an electric current of a second polarity.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said controller is adapted to automatically communicate a string of electric pulses to said electric motor whereby said electric motor moves said supporting element through said adjustment cycle, said string of electric pulses including a first pulse section and a second pulse section, said first pulse section including a plurality of first pulse segments having a rest period followed by a pulse of electric current, said second pulse section including a plurality of second pulse segments having a rest period followed by a pulse of electric current, said controller further including polarity switching means for providing a first polarity connection between said controller and said motor when said controller communicates said first pulse section to said motor and for providing a second polarity connection between said controller and said motor when said controller communicates said second pulse section to said motor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of said pulses of electric current occur during an interval of not less than about one second and not more than about one and one-half seconds.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said pulses of electric current occur during an interval of about one and one-tenth seconds.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said driving means is adapted to bow said flexible supporting element thereby forming a curvature having an apex, each of said first incremental movements increasing said curvature and moving said apex in said first direction, each of said second incremental movements decreasing said curvature and moving said apex in said second direction.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of said first and second incremental movements of said apex does not exceed about ten (10) millimeters.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of said first and second incremental movements of said apex is within a range of about six (6) millimeters to about ten (10) millimeters.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said adjustment cycle includes four (4) to six (6) first incremental movements and four (4) to six (6) second incremental movements.

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 a first direction and a plurality of consecutive incremental movements in an opposite 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.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said driving apparatus includes input terminals, wherein said controller further includes output terminals, and wherein said switching means communicates with said output terminals to automatically couple said output terminals to said input terminals in one of said first polarity and second polarity connections according to said adjustment cycle.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said switching means includes a stall sensor communicating with said controller.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said current regulating means is positionable in a first position wherein said current regulating means generates said pulse string and a second position wherein said current regulating means does not generate said pulse string, said apparatus further including activating means for placing said current regulating means in one of said first position to initiate said adjustment cycle and said second position to cancel said adjustment cycle.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said controller further includes a position indicator and a memory, said position indicator communicating with said driving means and said memory, said drive assembly defining an initial position when said adjustment cycle is initiated, said position indicator adapted to communicate said initial position to said memory when said adjustment cycle is initiated, said memory storing said initial position, said controller adapted to retrieve said initial position from said memory and return said driving assembly to said initial position when said adjustment cycle is cancelled.

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 incremental movements in an opposite direction, each of said first and second incremental movements separated by a first time interval.

19. The vehicle seat of claim 18 wherein said frame includes a bottom and a back, said supporting element coupled to said back in a position to impact a lumbar region of a seat occupant.

20. The vehicle seat of claim 18 wherein said supporting element includes a body interconnecting an upper portion and a lower portion, said body adapted to bow upon displacement of said upper and lower portions toward one another.

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.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of automatically adjusting the curvature of said supporting element includes communicating a string of electric pulses to a drive assembly coupled to said supporting element, said drive assembly adapted to adjust the curvature of said supporting element according to said adjustment cycle in response to said string of electric pulses.