Manual lumbar pump assembly

• US 9,505,322 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hosbach, Christian J., Sachs, Adam, Kondrad, Marc, Line, Johnathan Andrew, Nisbett, Jason, Sidhu, Mandeep Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Allred, David E
• Application Number:
  US14/063,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20150115678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 297/284.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/467 adjustable by fluid means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02 the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806
• 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

Abstract

A pump assembly for a vehicle seatback includes a plurality of air bladders defining a lumbar support. A valve body has an inlet and a plurality of outlets that are coupled with the associated plurality of air bladders. A selection device is operably coupled with the valve body for engaging a select one of the plurality of air bladders with the inlet. A manually compressible air chamber is coupled with the inlet for inflating the select one.

Claims

1. A pump assembly for a vehicle seatback, comprising:

a plurality of air bladders defining a lumbar support;

a valve body having an inlet and a plurality of outlets coupled with the associated plurality of air bladders;

a selection device including a knob rotatable about an axis and operably coupled with the valve body for engaging the inlet with a select one of the plurality of air bladders;

a manually compressible air chamber coupled with the inlet for inflating the select one; and

a lever operably coupled with the manually compressible air chamber and rotatable about the axis to compress an interior cavity of the manually compressible air chamber for dispensing air to the inlet.

2. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the manually compressible air chamber includes a pneumatic cylinder that has a sealed head slidably disposed within a cylindrical cavity.

3. The pump assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the lever is operably coupled with the manually compressible air chamber by coupling with the sealed head for sliding the sealed head into the cylindrical cavity.

4. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the selection device includes a shaft that is rotatably coupled with the valve body and is rotatable between a first position and a second position, the knob being fixedly coupled with the shaft, and wherein the first position engages a first one of the plurality of air bladders with the inlet and the second position engages a second one of the plurality of air bladders with the inlet.

5. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the selection device includes a shaft having a hollow interior fluidly coupled with the inlet and a flow aperture that rotates to align with a select outlet of the plurality of outlets, the knob being fixedly coupled with the shaft.

6. The pump assembly of claim 5, wherein the shaft is axially depressible and includes an exhaust aperture that aligns with at least one of the plurality of outlets when the shaft is axially depressed to release air from a corresponding one of the plurality of air bladders.

7. The pump assembly of claim 5, wherein the knob has a retention feature that releasably engages the valve body at circumferential positions of the shaft that correspond with the plurality of outlets, thereby resisting rotation of the shaft and holding the flow aperture in alignment with the select one of the plurality of outlets.

8. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the knob includes a retention feature and a plurality of circumferentially spaced detents with which a portion of the retention feature is releasably engageable; and

the retention feature and the detents are external to the assembly.

9. A lumbar pump assembly comprising:

first and second air bladders defining a lumbar support;

a valve body fluidly coupled with the first and second air bladders;

an air chamber having an exhaust port fluidly coupled with the valve body and configured to manually dispense air therefrom;

a selection device including a knob rotatable about an axis between first and second positions that engage the exhaust port with the respective first and second air bladders; and

a lever operably coupled with the air chamber and rotatable about the axis to manually compress the air chamber for dispensing air to the valve body.

10. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9, wherein the compressible air chamber includes a pneumatic cylinder that has a piston head slidably disposed within a cylindrical cavity, and wherein the piston head is slidable into the cylindrical cavity to dispense air from the exhaust port and slidable out of the cylindrical cavity to draw ambient air into an intake port of the air chamber.

11. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9, further comprising:

a seatback having the first and second air bladders disposed laterally across a back support surface of the seatback, wherein manual compression of the air chamber inflates the lumbar support to expand the back support surface forward.

12. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9, wherein the selection device includes a hollow shaft that is rotatably coupled within the valve body and is rotatable between the first and second positions, the knob being fixedly coupled with the shaft.

13. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 12, wherein the knob has a retention detent that releasably engages the valve body at circumferential positions of the shaft that correspond with the first and second air bladders, thereby resisting rotation of the hollow shaft and holding the selection device in the first or second position.

14. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9, wherein the valve body includes first and second outlets that couple respectively with the first and second air bladders, and wherein the selection device includes a shaft having a hollow interior fluidly coupled with the exhaust port and a flow aperture extending into the hollow interior that rotatably aligns with a select one of the first and second outlets.

15. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 13, wherein the shaft is axially depressible and includes an exhaust aperture that aligns with at least one of the plurality of outlets when the shaft is axially depressed to release air from a corresponding one of the plurality of air bladders.

16. A lumbar pump assembly comprising:

a seatback having a plurality of air bladders disposed thereon to define a lumbar support;

an air chamber having an intake port for receiving ambient air and an exhaust port for dispensing air upon compression of the air chamber and further having a pneumatic cylinder that has a piston head slidably disposed within a cylindrical cavity;

a lever rotatable about an axis and coupled with the air chamber for manually compressing the air chamber by rotation of the lever, the lever being pivotally coupled with a link that extends into the cylindrical cavity to pivotally couple with the piston head for sliding the piston head within the cylindrical cavity to manually dispense air to the valve body by rotation of the lever;

a valve body having an inlet fluidly coupled with the exhaust port and a plurality of outlets coupled respectively with the plurality of air bladders; and

a selection device including a knob rotatable about the axis and coupled with the valve body for selectively engaging the inlet with a select one of the plurality of outlets for inflating the respective air bladder.

17. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 16, wherein the selection device includes a hollow shaft that is rotatably coupled within the valve body and is rotatable between a first position and a second position, and wherein a hollow interior of the hollow shaft is fluidly coupled with the inlet and a flow aperture extends through a circumferential wall of the hollow shaft and aligns with a select one of the plurality of outlets, the knob being fixedly coupled with the shaft.

18. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 17, wherein the hollow shaft is axially depressible and includes an exhaust aperture that aligns with at least one of the plurality of outlets when the shaft is axially depressed to release air from a corresponding one of the plurality of air bladders.