Padding for a vehicle seat

• US 6,206,474 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Geib, Willi, Schiefer, Ulrich, Kruse, Klaudia
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/341,847
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 297/452.41, 297/284.6, 297/216.13, 297/284.3, 565/55, 564/4, 565/4, 568/2, 571/2
• US Class Current: 297/452.41
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42718 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/976 massaging systems

Abstract

A car seat is provided with upholstery with liquid-filled chambers in which the liquid also has elastic bodies. The chambers are connected to one another through passages, so that a liquid exchange can take place among the individual chambers. The damping and resilience properties of the upholstery can be influenced by liquids of different viscosity and/or passages of different shape and size. The upholstery can be used over the full surface of a car seat or selectively in certain areas thereof.

Claims

1. Upholstery for a vehicle seat, comprising a plurality of liquid-filled chambers operatively connected at least partially by passages, wherein at least one of viscosity of liquid in the chambers and the shape and size of the passages being so that, as viewed through a surface of contact with vehicle occupants, provide different damping and resilience properties appropriate to stresses placed thereon by the vehicle occupants with the liquid.

5. The upholstery according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of separate cushions are disposed on the vehicle seat (11).

6. The upholstery according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of independently operating cushions are combined together along marginal seams (10) thereof to form an integral structure wherein the liquid-filled chambers (4) of the cushions (1) are out of communication with one another.

7. The upholstery according to claim 1, wherein the upholstery (1) has a top and a bottom of synthetic material films (2, 7) welded to one another in a liquid-tight manner to form the chambers (1).

8. The upholstery according to claim 7, wherein weld seams (3) are at least partially perforated between the chambers (1).

9. The upholstery according to claim 7, wherein at least the upper-top film material (2) is at least one of transparent and colored.

10. The upholstery according to claim 1, wherein the chambers (4) are filled with a colored liquid (6).

11. The upholstery according to claim 1, wherein the chambers (4) contain at least one solid body insert.

12. The upholstery according to claim 11, wherein the insert is a plurality of bodies (9) of at least one of different size and hardness.

2. Upholstery (1) for a car seat (11), comprising at least one liquid-filled chamber (4) operatively disposed at a specific, limited area of a contact surface of the car seat (11) with an occupant of the vehicle to selectively support involved body parts of the occupant.

3. The upholstery according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of separate cushions are disposed on the car seat.

4. The upholstery according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of independently operating cushions are combined together along marginal seams thereof to form an integral structure wherein the liquid-filled chambers of the cushions are out of communication with one another.

13. Upholstery for a car seat, comprising at least one liquid-filled chamber, a pressure-producing system for varying the pressure in the chamber, and a control system cooperating with the pressure-producing system such that, upon introduction of vibrations into the upholstery, a pressure curve can be produced in the at least one chamber opposite in phase to the vibrations.

22. The upholstery according to claim 13, wherein the upholstery consists at least partially of a material in which at least one sensor is integrated for detecting pressure exerted by at least one occupant and the pressure in the chamber.

14. Upholstery for a car seat, comprising at least one liquid-filled chamber, a control system, and a pressure-producing system for varying the pressure in the chamber, the pressure-producing system cooperating with the control system such that the pressure in the at least one chamber is adjustable according to a pattern set by occupants of the car.

15. The upholstery according to claim 14, wherein the upholstery consists of at least partially of a material in which at least one sensor is integrated for detecting pressure exerted by at least one of occupants and the pressure in the chamber.

16. Upholstery for a car seat, comprising at least one liquid-filled chamber, a control system, and a pressure-producing system for varying the pressure in the chamber, the pressure-producing system cooperating with the control system such that, upon detection of a collision pressure in the at least one chamber is abruptly increasable.

17. The upholstery according to claim 16, wherein the upholstery consists of at least partially of a sheet-like material in which at least one sensor is integrated for detecting pressure exerted by at least one of occupants and the pressure in the chamber.

18. Upholstery for a car seat, comprising at least one liquid-filled chamber, a sensor-based control system, and a pressure-producing system for varying the pressure in the chamber based upon sensor input, the pressure-producing system cooperating with the control system such that pressure variations are automatically producible in the at least one chamber to provide a massaging effect.

19. The upholstery according to claim 18, wherein the upholstery consists of at least partially of a material in which at least one sensor is integrated for detecting pressure exerted by at least one of occupants and the pressure in the chamber.

20. Upholstery for a car seat, comprising a plurality of liquid-filled chambers operatively connected at least partially by passages, with viscosity of at least one of a liquid in the chambers and shape and size of the passages being such that, over a surface of contact with at least one occupant a constant surface pressure is produced.

21. The upholstery according to claim 20, wherein the upholstery consists of at least partially of a material in which at least one sensor is integrated for detecting pressure exerted by at least one of occupants and the pressure in the chamber.

23. A car seat (11) with at least one cushion (1), comprising a plurality of liquid-filled chambers (4) operatively connected at least partially by passages (5), wherein at least one of viscosity of liquid (6) in the chambers (4) and the shape and size of the passages (5) being so sized that, as viewed through a surface of contact with vehicle occupants, areas of different damping and resilience properties are formed which are appropriate to stresses placed thereon by the vehicle occupants.

24. A vehicle seat base, comprising an adjusting device, at least one fluid-filled chamber, and a pressure-generating device for changing pressure in the fluid-filled chamber, wherein the pressure-generating device operatively cooperates with the adjusting device such that, when vibrations are introduced into the base, a pressure flow of opposite phase to the vibrations are generatable in the fluid-filled chamber.

25. A vehicle seat base, comprising an adjusting device, at least one fluid-filled chamber and a pressure-generating device for changing pressure in the fluid-filled chamber, wherein the pressure-generating device operatively cooperates with one of a control and the adjusting device so that the pressure in the fluid-filled chamber is abruptly increasable when a vehicle collision is detected.

27. The vehicle seat base according to claim 25, wherein the pressure-generating device cooperates with the control device such that the pressure in the fluid-filled chamber is adjustable as specified by a vehicle occupant.

28. The vehicle seat base according to claim 25, wherein the pressure-generating device cooperates such that pressure fluctuations are producable to provide a massaging effect in the fluid-filled chamber.

26. A vehicle seat base, comprising a plurality of fluid-filled chambers at least partially connected with one another by channels, wherein at least one of viscosity of fluid is the fluid filled-chamber shape and size of the channels are individually dimensioned such that a constant pressure per unit area is produced over an area in contact with a vehicle occupant.