Bladder system for vehicle seating assembly

• US 9,937,826 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dry, Alan George
• Primary Examiner(s): A, Phi
• Application Number:
  US14/844,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20170066350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/206 to a position in which it can be used as a support for objects, e.g. as a tray
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42718 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42763 with anti-submarining systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/64 Back-rests or cushions B60N2/2222 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/646 shape of the cushion
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/66 Lumbar supports
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat. A seat bladder is disposed between a support and trim material face. The bladder is positively pressurized when the seat is unoccupied. An elastomeric reservoir is operably coupled with the seat bladder via a fluid line, wherein fluid moves to and pressurizes the reservoir when a passenger is seated on the seat. A rigid containment unit is configured to house the reservoir and limit expansion of the reservoir.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a seat;

a seat bladder disposed between a support and a seating surface, the bladder being positively pressurized when the seat is unoccupied;

an elastomeric reservoir operably coupled with the seat bladder via a fluid line, wherein fluid moves from the seat bladder to pressurize the reservoir when a passenger sits on the seat; and

a rigid containment unit configured to house the reservoir and limit expansion of the reservoir.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of shape retention baffles disposed around the seat bladder.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the plurality of shape retention baffles prevent full deflation of the seat bladder when a passenger is seated on the seat.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric reservoir is disposed under a forward portion of the seat.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the seat bladder exhausts fluid via the fluid line into the elastomeric reservoir when a passenger is seated on the seat.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 5, wherein the seat bladder deflates a predetermined volume of fluid to position a hip point of a passenger at an ideal collision height relative to the seat.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the seat bladder, when fully pressurized applies an upward force to a coverstock of the seat.

8. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a seat;

a seat bladder disposed between a support and seating surface, wherein the bladder is positively pressurized when the seat is unoccupied; and

a reservoir bladder disposed within a forward rigid containment unit operably coupled with the seat bladder via a fluid line, wherein the reservoir bladder is pressurized against the rigid containment unit when a passenger is seated on the seat.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of shape retention baffles disposed around the seat bladder.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the plurality of shape retention baffles prevent full deflation of the seat bladder when a passenger is seated on the seat.

11. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein the reservoir bladder is disposed under a forward portion of the seat.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein the seat bladder exhausts fluid via the fluid line into the reservoir bladder when a passenger is seated on the seat.

13. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 12, further comprising:

a rigid containment unit configured to house the reservoir bladder and limit expansion of the reservoir bladder.

14. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 12, wherein the seat bladder deflates a predetermined volume of fluid to position a hip point of a passenger at an ideal collision height relative to the seat.

15. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein the seat bladder, when fully pressurized applies an upward force to a coverstock of the seat.

16. A method of controlling a vehicle seating assembly comprising:

positioning shape retention baffles around a bladder disposed below a seating surface of a vehicle seat;

pressurizing the bladder with fluid from elastomeric reservoir;

after a predetermined time period following a passenger sitting on the vehicle seat, depressurizing the bladder and simultaneously pressuring the elastomeric reservoir in fluid communication with the bladder; and

repressurizing the bladder after the passenger has left the vehicle seat.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

positioning two baffles in the bladder that generally divide an internal volume of the bladder into thirds.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

positioning the elastomeric reservoir into a rigid containment unit.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

positioning the rigid containment unit under a front portion of the seat.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

constructing the bladder, fluid line, and reservoir as a closed system free of external pumps and valves.