Head restraint with a multi-cell bladder assembly

• US 9,340,131 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kolich, Michael, Hall, Amber LaVerne, Fannin, Sean David, Godin, Keith Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US14/534,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20160129815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.12, 297/284.6, 297/284.9, 297/452.41, 297391-410
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/865 providing a fore-and-aft movement with respect to the occupant's head
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly includes a pump and a headrest. The headrest has a support base, a flexible foam layer coupled with the support base, a flexible substrate overlying the foam layer and defining an outer surface, and an inflatable bladder assembly positioned between the base and the foam layer. The bladder assembly has a plurality of cells corresponding to respective regions of the outer surface that are independently operable between inflated and deflated conditions by the pump. The seating assembly further includes a control operably coupled to the pump.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating assembly, comprising:

a pump;

a headrest, including;

a support base including first and second support arms, the second support arm having a channel therethrough;

a flexible foam layer coupled with the support base;

a flexible substrate overlying the foam layer and defining an outer surface;

a fluid manifold between the base and the foam layer, the fluid manifold being coupled with the pump by an air supply line extending through the channel and including a plurality of values;

an inflatable bladder assembly positioned between one of the base and the foam layer or the foam layer and the substrate and having a plurality of cells corresponding to respective regions of the outer surface and coupled with the pump through the fluid manifold with the plurality of cells respectively associated with the plurality of valves to be independently operable between inflated and deflated conditions by the pump; and

a control operably coupled to the pump and the fluid manifold.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflatable bladder assembly includes a plurality of individual bladder units, each of the plurality of individual bladder units defining one of the plurality of cells.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflatable bladder assembly includes a single bladder unit defining the plurality of cells.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the control includes a user input.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein two of the plurality of cells are disposed on laterally opposite sides of the headrest.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein two of the plurality of cells are disposed on vertically opposite sides of the headrest.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of cells are radially disposed on the headrest.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the bladder assembly is a first bladder assembly

the assembly further includes a base and a seatback coupled therewith, a second bladder assembly being coupled with one of the seatback and the base;

the second bladder assembly defines at least one cell operable between inflated and deflated conditions by the pump; and

the headrest is coupled with the seatback.

9. A vehicle headrest assembly, comprising:

a support base including first and second support arms, the second support arm including a channel therethrough;

a flexible foam layer coupled with the support base;

a flexible substrate overlying the foam layer and defining an outer surface;

a fluid manifold positioned between the base and the foam layer, including a plurality of valves, and defining an input coupled with an air supply line extending through the channel;

an inflatable bladder assembly positioned between the base and the foam layer and including a plurality of cells corresponding to respective regions of the outer surface and coupled with the pump through the fluid manifold with the plurality of values being respectively associate with each of the cells such that the cells are independently operable between inflated and deflated conditions.

10. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of cells are operable between the inflated and deflated conditions to move portions of the outer surface of the substrate with the respective regions thereof alternately farther from and closer to the support base.

11. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 9, wherein the inflatable bladder assembly includes a plurality of individual bladder units, each of the plurality of individual bladder units defining one of the plurality of cells.

12. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 9, wherein the inflatable bladder assembly includes a single bladder unit defining the plurality of cells.

13. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 9, wherein two of the plurality of cells are disposed on laterally opposite sides of the headrest.

14. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 9, wherein two of the plurality of cells are disposed on vertically opposite sides of the headrest.

15. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 9, wherein at least two of the plurality of cells are radially disposed on the headrest.

16. A vehicle headrest assembly, comprising:

a flexible substrate defining an interior of the headrest assembly and an exterior surface,

an inflatable bladder assembly within the interior and having a plurality of cells independently operable between inflated and deflated conditions;

a fluid manifold within the interior and including a plurality of outlets respectively associated with ones of the plurality of cells and an inlet coupled with an air supply line;

a support base including first and second support arms, the second support arm including a channel therethrough and the air supply line extending through the channel.

17. The headrest assembly of claim 16, further including a flexible foam layer coupled with the support base with the inflatable bladder assembly positioned between the base and the foam layer and a flexible fabric layer overlying the foam layer and defining an outer surface, respective ones of the cells corresponding to regions of the outer surface.

18. The headrest assembly of claim 16, wherein the plurality of cells are arranged in a single unit and includes:

a first pair of laterally-extending cells being vertically arranged and positioned adjacent each other on opposite sides of a first seam in the unit that defines respective portions of each of the pair of laterally-extending cells;

a second pair of vertically-extending cells further extending along respective ends of the first pair of cells on opposite sides thereof; and

a second rectangular seam collectively surrounding the first pair of laterally-extending cells and the second pair of vertically-extending cells.