AIR-SUSPENDED SEAT SURFACES FOR FOLDING VEHICLE SEATS

• US 20160236597A1
• Filed: 02/17/2015
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2015
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,527,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/502 attached to the base of the seat B60N2/504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/525 using gas
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/665 using inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7082 with air or fluid cushions B60N2/914 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/363 characterised by provisions for enhancing the cargo floor surface, e.g. elements closing gaps or enlarging the back-rest surface

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a cushion having a coverstock defining a seat surface with a flexible central region and a flexible edge region. The vehicle seat further includes a compressible edge bladder beneath the coverstock edge region and a first compressible inflation bladder positioned beneath the coverstock central region and in fluidic communication with the edge bladder. A first fixed quantity of a flowable medium is contained in and partially transferrable between the edge bladder and the inflation bladder.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a cushion including;

a coverstock defining a seat surface with a flexible central region and a flexible edge region;

a compressible edge bladder beneath the coverstock edge region;

a first compressible inflation bladder positioned beneath the coverstock central region and in fluidic communication with the edge bladder; and

a first fixed quantity of a flowable medium contained in and partially transferrable between the edge bladder and the inflation bladder.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein:

the flexible edge region of the coverstock is moveable between a compressed position and an elevated position; and

the edge bladder is compressible to permit movement of the edge region into the compressed position.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 2, wherein the edge bladder is compressible by transfer of at least a portion of the first fixed quantity of the flowable medium from the edge bladder to the inflation bladder.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 2, wherein the edge bladder is inflatable by transfer of at least a portion of the first fixed quantity of the flowable medium from the inflation bladder to the edge bladder to provide a retention force to retain the edge region in the elevated position.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 1, further including a seatback rotatably coupled with the cushion and including a seatback coverstock defining a flexible upper region and a compressible upper bladder, wherein:

the first compressible inflation bladder is further in fluidic communication with the upper bladder; and

the first fixed quantity of the flowable medium is further contained within the upper bladder and is further partially transferrable between the first inflation bladder and the upper bladder.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 5, wherein the upper bladder is inflatable by transfer of at least a portion of the first fixed quantity of the flowable medium from the first inflation bladder to the upper bladder to provide a retention force on the upper region of the seatback to maintain the coverstock in an extended position.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 5, wherein:

the seatback is moveable with respect to the cushion, by being rotatably coupled therewith, between an open position and a closed position, the upper region of the seatback being positioned away from the edge region of the cushion when the seatback is in the open position, and the upper region being in contact with the edge region when the seatback is in the closed position; and

when in the closed position, the contact between the edge region and the upper region compresses the edge bladder and the upper bladder, thereby transferring portions of the first fixed quantity of the flowable medium respectively from the upper bladder and the edge bladder to the first inflation bladder.

8. The vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the cushion further includes a second compressible inflation bladder positioned beneath the coverstock central region, the vehicle seat further including:

a seatback rotatably coupled with the cushion and defining a flexible upper region and including a compressible upper bladder underlying the upper region and in fluidic communication with the second inflation bladder; and

a second fixed quantity of the flowable medium contained within and partially transferrable between the second inflation bladder and the upper bladder.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 8, wherein the cushion further includes a third compressible inflation bladder positioned beneath the coverstock central region and in fluidic communication with the edge bladder, the first and third compressible inflation bladders positioned on opposing sides of the second inflation bladder.

10. A vehicle seat cushion, comprising:

a coverstock defining a seat surface with a flexible central region and a flexible edge region;

a compressible edge bladder beneath the coverstock edge region;

a compressible inflation bladder beneath the coverstock central region and in fluidic communication with the edge bladder; and

a fixed quantity of a flowable medium contained in and partially transferrable between the edge bladder and the inflation bladder.

11. The seat cushion of claim 10, wherein:

the inflation bladder is compressible from a neutral state to a compressed state; and

when the inflation bladder is in the neutral state, the coverstock edge region is compressible from an elevated position to a compressed position by compression of the edge bladder causing at least partial transfer of the fixed quantity of flowable medium from the edge bladder to the inflation bladder.

12. The seat cushion of claim 11, wherein when the inflation bladder is in the compressed state, at least a portion of the fixed quantity of flowable medium flows from the inflation bladder to the edge bladder, thereby providing a supporting force within the edge bladder to maintain the edge region of the coverstock in the elevated position.

13. The seat cushion of claim 10, wherein the inflation bladder and the edge bladder are fluidically coupled by a tube in fluidic communication with the edge bladder at a first end thereof and the inflation bladder at a second end thereof.

14. (canceled)

15. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a cushion including an edge bladder within an edge region thereof and an inflation bladder within the cushion remote from the edge region; and

a seatback rotatably coupled with the cushion and including an upper bladder within an upper region thereof;

wherein the inflation bladder is in communication with the edge bladder and the upper bladder and defines a closed unit therewith containing a fixed quantity of a flowable medium.

16. The vehicle seat of claim 15, wherein the fixed quantity of the flowable medium is partially transferrable between the inflation bladder and the edge bladder and between the inflation bladder and the upper bladder.

17. The vehicle seat of claim 15, wherein:

the inflation bladder is compressible from a neutral state to a compressed state; and

when the inflation bladder is in the neutral state, the edge region of the cushion is compressible from an elevated position to a compressed position by compression of the edge bladder causing at least partial transfer of the fixed quantity of the flowable medium from the edge bladder to the inflation bladder.

18. The vehicle seat of claim 17, wherein when the inflation bladder is in the neutral state, the upper region of the seatback is compressible from an extended position to an inward position by compression of the upper bladder causing at least partial transfer of the fixed quantity of the flowable medium from the edge bladder to the inflation bladder.

19. The vehicle seat of claim 17, wherein when the inflation bladder is in the compressed state:

a first portion of the fixed quantity of the flowable medium flows from the inflation bladder to the edge bladder to support the edge region in the elevated position; and

a second portion of the fixed quantity of the flowable medium flows from the inflation bladder to the upper bladder to support the upper region in the extended position.

20. The vehicle seat of claim 15, wherein:

the seatback is moveable with respect to the cushion, by being rotatably coupled therewith, between an open position and a closed position, the upper region of the seatback being positioned away from the edge region of the cushion when the seatback is in the open position, and the upper region being in contact with the edge region when the seatback is in the closed position; and

when in the closed position, the contact between the edge region and the upper region compresses the edge bladder and the upper bladder, thereby transferring portions of the fixed quantity of the flowable medium respectively from the upper bladder and the edge bladder to the inflation bladder.