Seat back cushion for a vehicle

• US 9,327,630 B1
• Filed: 10/28/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Edgar, Patrick J., Sosnowski, Yi-Ru C., Hazlewood, Robert J., Toma, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US14/525,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20160114710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 297/452.32, 297/452.48
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/643 shape of the back-rests B60N2/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/66 Lumbar supports

Abstract

A seat back cushion for a vehicle includes a back surface including a plurality of indentations, the plurality of indentations including a plurality of generally vertical indentations and a plurality of generally horizontal indentations.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a frame;

a seat back cushion supported by the frame, the seat back cushion defining a forward surface and a back surface, and having an H-point, a Th1-point and a lateral axis between the H-point and the Th1-point;

a headrest supported atop the seat back cushion; and

a system for facilitating controlled contact between an occupant'"'"'s head and the headrest via controlled deformation of the seat back cushion when a force from the occupant is applied to the seat back cushion'"'"'s forward surface, the system consisting essentially of;

a plurality of elongate generally vertical indentations defined at the seat back cushion'"'"'s back surface across a lower area extending upward from the H-point and vertically centered about the lateral axis, and

a plurality of elongate generally horizontal indentations defined at the seat back cushion'"'"'s back surface across an upper area extending downward from the Th1-point to the lower area.

2. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of generally vertical indentations and the plurality of generally horizontal indentations are located between the H-point and the Th1-point.

3. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of generally vertical indentations and the plurality of generally horizontal indentations form a “

T”

shape.

4. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of generally vertical indentations includes a central vertical indentation along a central longitudinal axis that passes through the H-point.

5. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 4, wherein the central vertical indentation is centered about the lateral axis, and the lateral axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

6. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 5, wherein the lateral axis is at a distance of about 100-200 mm from the H-point.

7. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 5, wherein the lateral axis is proximate to a lumbar apex.

8. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 4, wherein the H-point is below the central vertical indentation.

9. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of generally horizontal indentations includes three horizontal indentations.

10. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of generally horizontal indentations is about 100 mm below the Th1-point.

11. The seat back cushion as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of generally horizontal indentations is about 100 mm below the Th1-point and about 520 mm above the H-point.

12. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1, wherein the lateral axis separates a thoracic spine area from a lumbar spine area.

13. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of generally vertical indentations is generally race track shaped.

14. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of generally horizontal indentations is generally race track shaped.

15. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of generally vertical indentations is about 20 mm wide by about 10 mm deep.

16. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of generally horizontal indentations is about 20 mm wide by about 10 mm deep.