Adjustable comfort seat

• US 6,129,419 A
• Filed: 08/24/1999
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magna Imperio Systems Corp.
• Original Assignee: Magna Imperio Systems Corp.
• Inventors: Neale, Colin G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US09/379,771
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 297/284.4, 297/284.6, 297/284.1, 297/452.41
• US Class Current: 297/284.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings
• 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 vehicle seat has a seat back hingedly connected to a seat cushion. The seat back includes a frame, an actuator and a seat cover. The frame has a support member at a lower lumbar region thereof. The actuator is mounted on the support member. The seat cover envelopes the frame. The seat cover is made of a foam backed material and has a rigid orthotically shaped form. The foam backed material biases the form against the actuator. The actuator is expandable to effect a movement of the form. The form is movable relative to the actuator in response to pressure applied by an occupant of the vehicle seat.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising;

a seat back having first and second sides,

an actuator supported by said seat back,

a cover for covering said seat back,

a shaped form secured to said cover and held against said actuator by said cover,

a resilient frame supporting said actuator and movably secured to said seat back whereby the pressure of an occupant will effect reactionary movement to position the form in a comfortable position.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resilient frame includes at least one spring element connected to said seat back.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resilient frame is defined by a wire connected to said seat back.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator comprises an inflatable bladder supported by said frame.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said resilient frame includes a plurality of coil springs suspended from said seat back.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said frame includes stringers suspended by said coil springs and a plurality of wires attached between said stringers.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said frame further includes first and second frames with said first frame extending forwardly in a cantilevered fashion from said first side of said seat back and said second frame extends forwardly in a cantilevered fashion from said second side of said seat back, said actuator further including first and second actuators with said shaped form secured to said cover over said first actuator and a second shaped form secured to said cover over said second actuator, said first and second actuators being individually actuatable to effect a respective movement of said forms with each of said forms and said frames being independently movable in response to pressure applied by an occupant.