Variable-sized occupant support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10045623-B2
Application number	US-201615019580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2016
Priority date	Feb 9, 2015
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

An occupant-support base includes a stationary seat pan and a pad coupled to the seat pan. The pad is coupled to the seat pan and configured to provide comfort to an occupant resting on the occupant-support base and provide a pleasing aesthetic to the occupant.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An occupant-support base comprises
a seat pan including an outer surface adapted to face toward an occupant supported by the occupant-support base, an inner surface arranged to face opposite the outer surface away from the occupant, and a perimeter surface arranged to extend between and interconnect the inner and outer surfaces of the seat pan,
a pad coupled to the seat pan and adapted to be located between the seat pan and the occupant, the pad including an outer pad surface arranged to face away from the seat pan and an inner pad surface arranged to face toward the seat pan, and
a pad-extension system configured to provide means for moving a portion of the pad relative to the seat pan between a retracted configuration in which the pad has a first dimension as measured between a first point located on the pad and a second point located on the pad-extension system and an extended configuration in which the pad has a relatively greater second dimension as measured between the first point and the second point,
wherein the pad-extension system includes a pan mount coupled to the seat pan in a fixed position, a movable pad support coupled to the pan mount to pivot relative to the pan mount and the seat pan and coupled to the pad to cause a movable portion of the pad to move relative to the seat pan to cause the occupant-support base to move between the retracted and extended configurations, and a pad-support mover arranged to extend between and interconnect the pan mount and the movable pad support to cause the movable pad support to pivot relative to the pan mount.

2. The occupant-support base of claim 1 , wherein the pad-support mover is a pneumatic actuator.

3. The occupant-support base of claim 1 , wherein the pad includes a cushion cover located in spaced-apart relation to the seat pan and a cushion located between the cushion cover and the seat pan.

4. The occupant-support base of claim 3 , wherein the cushion cover includes a fixed end located in a fixed position relative to the seat pan and an adjustable end located in spaced-apart relation to the fixed end and configured to move in response to movement of the movable pad support.

5. The occupant-support base of claim 1 , wherein the first dimension is a depth dimension measured between an apex of the movable pad support and the perimeter surface of the seat pan.

6. The occupant-support base of claim 5 , wherein the difference between the first dimension and the second dimension is about 30 mm.

7. The occupant-support base of claim 1 , wherein the first dimension is a height dimension measured between the outer surface of the seat pan and an inner surface of the pad.

8. The occupant-support base of claim 1 , wherein the pad-support mover is an inflatable bladder located between the movable pad support and the pan mount.

9. The occupant-support base of claim 8 , wherein the pad-extension system further includes a bias unit coupled to the pan mount and arranged to interconnect the pan mount and the movable pad support to bias the movable pad support toward the pan mount in response to deflation of the inflatable bladder.

10. The occupant-support base of claim 8 , wherein the pad-extension system further includes a shaft, a first rear guide pin, and a second rear guide pin and the shaft and the first and second rear guide pins are arranged to interconnect the pan mount and the movable pad support as the inflatable bladder pushes the movable pad support away from the pan mount.

11. An occupant-support base comprises
a seat pan including an outer surface adapted to face toward an occupant supported by the occupant-support base, an inner surface arranged to face opposite the outer surface away from the occupant, and a perimeter surface arranged to extend between and interconnect the inner and outer surfaces of the seat pan,
a pad coupled to the seat pan and adapted to be located between the seat pan and the occupant, the pad including an outer pad surface arranged to face away from the seat pan and an inner pad surface arranged to face toward the seat pan, and
a pad-extension system configured to provide means for moving a portion of the pad relative to the seat pan between a retracted configuration in which the pad has a first dimension as measured between a first point located on the pad and a second point located on the pad-extension system and an extended configuration in which the pad has a relatively greater second dimension as measured between the first point and the second point,
wherein the pad-extension system includes a pan mount coupled to the seat pan in a fixed position, a movable pad support coupled to the pan mount to move relative to the pan mount and the seat pan and coupled to the pad to cause a movable portion of the pad to move relative to the seat pan to cause the occupant-support base to move between the retracted and extended configurations, and a pad-support mover arranged to extend between and interconnect the pan mount and the movable cushion support to cause the movable cushion support to move relative to the pan mount,
wherein the pad-support mover is an inflatable bladder located between the movable pad support and the pan mount,
wherein the pad-extension system further includes a shaft, a first rear guide pin, and a second rear guide pin and the shaft and the first and second rear guide pins are arranged to interconnect the pan mount and the movable pad support as the inflatable bladder pushes the movable pad support away from the pan mount,
wherein the pad-extension system further includes a first shaft-mount receiver and a second shaft-mount receiver located in spaced-apart lateral relation to the first shaft-mount receiver, the first and second shaft-mount receivers are coupled to the pan mount in a fixed position relative to the pan mount, and each of the first and second shaft-mount receivers is formed to include an elongated slot therein through which the shaft is arranged to extend therethrough.

12. The occupant-support base of claim 11 , wherein each shaft-mount slot is arranged to extend along an angled axis, each angled axis cooperates with a vertical reference line to establish an included angle therebetween, and the included angle is in a range of about 0 degrees to about 30 degrees.

13. The occupant-support base of claim 1 , wherein the pad-extension system further includes a rear guide pin coupled to the pan mount and to the movable pad support in rotative bearing engagement.

14. An occupant-support base comprises
a seat pan including an outer surface adapted to face toward an occupant supported by the occupant-support base, an inner surface arranged to face opposite the outer surface away from the occupant, and a perimeter surface arranged to extend between and interconnect the inner and outer surfaces of the seat pan,
a pad coupled to the seat pan and adapted to be located between the seat pan and the occupant, the pad including an outer pad surface arranged to face away from the seat pan and an inner pad surface arranged to face toward the seat pan, and
a pad-extension system configured to provide means for moving a portion of the pad relative to the seat pan between a retracted configuration in which the pad has a first dimension as measured between a first point located on the pad and a second point located on the pad-extension system and an extended configuration in which the pad has a relatively greater second dimension as measured between the first point and the second point,
wherein the pad-extension system includes a pan mount coupled to the seat pan in a fixed position, a movable pad support coupled to the

Assignees

• Faurecia Automotive Seating Llc

Inventors

• Bortolon Christopher A
• Newberry John D

Classifications

• B62J1/08

  Frames for saddles; Connections between saddle frames and seat pillars; Seat pillars (attaching seat pillars to cycle frames B62K19/36) · CPC title

• B60N2/0284

  Adjustable seat-cushion length (B60N2/0224 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/62

  Thigh-rests {(B60N2/914 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60N2/914

  Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape · CPC title

• A47C7/14 Primary

  of adjustable shape; elastically mounted {; adaptable to a user contour or ergonomic seating positions (movably-coupled seat and backrests with elastic adjustment means A47C1/03261)} · CPC title