Interactive, individually controlled, multiple bladder seating comfort adjustment system and method

• US 6,098,000 A
• Filed: 02/27/1997
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kongsberg Automotive Sp. Z O.O. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: McCord Winn Textron Incorporated
• Inventors: Castrigno, Steven, Long, Bruce T., Kackenmeister, Carl F., Dam, Tuan A., Haba, Anthony R. II, Finkelstein, Jeffrey I., Sardashti, Babak, Gattuso, David A, Lizotte, Donna L., Bissell, Alfred E. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US08/808,511
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 297/284.1, 297/284.4, 297/284.6, 297/330, 307/10.1, 307/10.6, 340/438, 180/268, 180/282
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/082 with non-manual inflation, e.g. with electric pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/083 with pressure control, e.g. with pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 27/10 with two or more independently-fillable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 4/54 Inflatable chairs connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/467 adjustable by fluid means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/62 Thigh-rests B60N2/914 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/66 Lumbar supports
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/665 using inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/99 adjustable

Abstract

A system of inflatable air cells is constructed and installed in a seat at locations that are strategic to the comfort of the user. The air cells are connected to a pump through a manifold which sequentially connects each cell independently to the pump. The manifold controls the flow of fluid in the air cell distribution system by means of a system of valves and senses the pressure in each cell by means of a transducer. A microcomputer is programmed with data representing a desired comfort level for each of the air cells. By sequentially activating individual manifold valves, a pressure signal from the transducer can be generated for each cell. The pressure signals are received by the microcomputer and are correlated with the predetermined comfort data to generate a control signal which activates the pump. In this manner each of the cells can be individually inflated or deflated to the desired pressure level. By varying the number and location of the cells the system becomes responsive to the localized pressures exerted on the body for a great variety of users.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of the seat comprising:

a. a plurality of inflatable air cells mounted in operative association with a seat contour;

b. a distribution system providing independent passages connected to each of the air cells;

c. a manifold connected to each passage of the distribution system through an individual output valve actuated by an electrical signal;

d. a source of pressurized fluid activated by an electrical signal and connected to the fluid distribution system through the manifold;

e. one or more pressure transducer(s) for sensing the pressure within said air cells when each of said individual output valves is actuated so as to communicate each of said air cells with said manifold;

said one or more pressure transducer(s) generating a pressure signal indicating the pressure within each of the air cells; and

f. a microcomputer including an analog to digital converter;

said microcomputer connected to transmit an actuation signal to each of the manifold valves;

to receive the signal from said one or more pressure transducer(s) via said analog to digital converter and to transmit an activation signal to the source of pressurized fluid in accordance with the signal from said pressure transducer;

said microcomputer being programmed to store data including a desired pressure to be maintained in each of said air cells;

to transmit actuation signals to each of the manifold valves;

to compare said force signal to the predetermined data;

to generate a valve activation signal relative to the comparison between said pressure signal and said comfort data and further programmed to transmit said activation signal to the source of pressurized fluid to adjust the pressure in each air cell to the desired pressure in each of said air cells the improvement comprising;

said computer being provided with comfort data established by measuring the of a seat in accordance with the pressure distribution thereon;

a vehicle ignition state monitor;

said microcomputer responsive to said ignition state monitor to produce a deflate all signal at the beginning of a control cycle;

said deflate all signal being directed to said computer and said computer being programmed so as to be operative to condition all of said valves to open to simultaneously produce atmospheric pressure within all of said air cells prior to any comparison of said pressure signals with said predetermined comfort data established by measuring the comfort of a seat in accordance with the pressure distribution thereon.

2. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a temperature monitor and said microcomputer responsive to either said temperature monitor and said vehicle ignition state monitor for producing said deflate all signal.

3. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an occupant seat sensor and said microcomputer responsive to either said occupant seat sensor and said vehicle ignition state monitor for producing said deflate all signal.

4. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as described in claim 1 wherein the pressure transducer is a single transducer operatively associated with the manifold to generate a signal indicative of the pressure in the manifold.

5. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as described in claim 1 wherein said pressure transducer conditions said microcomputer and said microcomputer is programmed to be responsive to such conditioning so as to be operative to produce a valve control signal that will automatically exhaust or fill an air cell to correct for pressure changes produced by occupant movement, temperature variation or to compensate for small leaks in order to maintain a desired target pressure within one or more of the air cells in a comfort controlled seating system.

6. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as described in claim 1 wherein the air cells are arranged in regional groups and the distribution system provides independent passages to connect each of the groups of air cells and wherein said microcomputer is programmed so as to be operative to isolate each of said groups as the pressure therein reaches its target pressure.

7. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as described in claim 6 further including a regional group of cells at a lumbar region;

a lumbar switch with an inflation and a deflation mode of operation for controlling pressure increase or decrease in said regional lumbar group and said microcomputer programmed so as to be operative to provide a selective control of said pump and said valves to provide an adjustment of the pressure in one or more of the cells in said lumbar region independently of pressures sensed by the transducer and further operative to utilize the adjustment to simultaneously up-date the comfort data by changing a target pressure for one or more of the cells in said lumbar region.

8. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as described in claim 1 further including a pump motor and a pump motor drive for providing the source of pressurized fluid;

said microcomputer programmed so as be operative to control said motor drive to produce energization of said drive motor as a pulse width modulation of the drive motor for controlling said source of pressurized fluid and wherein the duty cycle of energization of said drive motor is regulated in accordance with the number of open control valves.

9. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat to increase the comfort of the user as described in claim 1 wherein the manifold output valve comprises a valve element actuator that draws low power and has a high flow.

10. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat to increase the comfort of the user as described in claim 9 wherein the low power, high flow, manifold output valve includes a piezoelectric actuator element.

11. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat to increase the comfort of the user as described in claim 1 further comprising a bleed port communicating with the manifold and a bleed valve operatively associated with the bleed port to control the flow of fluid therefrom, said bleed valve being actuatable by a signal from the microcomputer to allow the selective release of fluid from the manifold.

12. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat to increase the comfort of the user as described in claim 1 further comprising an occupant seat monitor and microcomputer control system that is operable to detect a signature of occupant movement produced by wiggling movements of an occupant sensed by said occupant seat monitor and is programmed to produce output signals for controlling said valves to adjust the system in response to such signature to recycle the system to assure that initial target pressures are present therein.

13. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat to increase the comfort of the user as described in claim 1 wherein the actuation of the manifold output valves selectively isolates specific air cells with the manifold and wherein the sequential control of each of said air cells is either by a pressure pump inflation or by an exhaust valve deflation.

14. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat to increase the comfort of the user as described in claim 13 wherein said microcomputer is programmed so as to provide said pressure pump inflation or said exhaust valve deflation by establishing a pressure ε

range for the target pressure and is operative to conduct only a select number of trial adjustments before terminating a correction sequence for establishing a desired target pressure condition within said air cells.

15. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat to increase the comfort of the user as described in claim 6, a timer operative so as to cause isolation of each of the groups of air cells to be timed to allow settling of the pressure in the manifold.

16. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat to increase the comfort of the user as described in claim 6 wherein the sensor is operatively associated with the manifold to generate a signal indicative of the pressure in the manifold during such isolation.

17. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat to increase the comfort of the user as described in claim 1 further including a moveable seat pan and pressure controlled air cells on said seat pan;

said seat pan having fore and aft adjustment and a motor controlled by said microcomputer operative to control the seat pan position in accordance with pressures produced in said pressure controlled air cells on said seat pan.

18. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat to increase the comfort of the user as described in claim 1 wherein the air cells are arranged in regional groups and the distribution system provides independent passages to connect each of the groups of air cells and wherein said system further includes a moveable seat pan and pressure controlled air cells on said seat pan;

said seat pan having fore and aft adjustment and a motor controlled by said microcomputer operative to control the seat pan position in accordance with pressures produced in said pressure controlled air cells on said seat pan.

19. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as set-forth in claim 1 further comprising multiple pressure transducers and each of said multiple pressure transducer being operatively associated with one of said plurality of air cells to generate a signal indicative of the pressure in said one of said plurality of air cells.

20. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as set-forth in claim 2 further comprising multiple pressure transducers and each of said multiple pressure transducers being operatively associated with one of said plurality of air cells to generate a signal indicative of the pressure in said one of said plurality of air cells.

21. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as set-forth in claim 3 further comprising multiple pressure transducers and each of said multiple pressure transducers being operatively associated with one of said plurality of air cells to generate a signal indicative of the pressure in said one of said plurality of air cells.

22. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as set-forth in claim 5 further comprising multiple pressure transducers and each of said multiple pressure transducers being operatively associated with one of said plurality of air cells to generate a signal indicative of the pressure in said one of said plurality of air cells.

23. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as set-forth in claim 6 further comprising multiple pressure transducers and each of said multiple pressure transducers being operatively associated with one of said plurality of air cells to generate a signal indicative of the pressure in said one of said plurality of air cells.

24. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as set-forth in claim 7 further comprising multiple pressure transducers and each of said multiple pressure transducers being operatively associated with one of said plurality of air cells to generate a signal indicative of the pressure in said one of said plurality of air cells.

25. Apparatus for adjusting the contour of a seat by pneumatically controlling the comfort of a seat as set-forth in claim 1 including at least one of a motor driven mirror;

a motor driven operating pedal and a motor driven steering wheel;

a occupant assessor including an input to said microcontroller for adjusting the position of one of said motor driven mirror;

said motor driven operating pedal and said motor driven steering wheel.