Automotive foamless seat made from flexible material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10899257-B2
Application number	US-201816166910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2018
Priority date	Oct 22, 2018
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A foamless seating assembly includes a frame having an inner support member and an outer support member. A first plurality of flexible straps extend about the inner support member of the frame. A second plurality of flexible straps extend about the outer support member of the frame. At least one flexible strap of the second plurality of flexible straps of the outer support member are adjacent to at least one flexible strap of the plurality of flexible straps of the inner support member. A tension assembly is operably coupled with the flexible straps and configured to apply tension to the straps simultaneously.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foamless seating assembly comprising:
a frame including an inner support member and an outer support member;
a first plurality of flexible straps extending about the inner support member of the frame;
a second plurality of flexible straps extending about the outer support member of the frame, wherein at least one flexible strap of the second plurality of flexible straps of the outer support member are adjacent to at least one flexible strap of the first plurality of flexible straps of the inner support member; and
a tension assembly operably coupled with the flexible straps and configured to apply tension to the straps simultaneously, wherein the tension assembly is disposed below a seat supported by the frame, the tension assembly including a horizontal shaft that extends rearwardly below the seat.

2. The foamless seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner support member is disposed at each side of the seat and the outer support member is disposed at outermost sides of seat side bolsters.

3. The foamless seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal shaft includes a first plurality of cams in engagement with the first plurality of flexible straps and a second plurality of cams in engagement with the second plurality of flexible straps.

4. The foamless vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vertical shaft extending upward from the seat and operably coupled with the horizontal shaft, the vertical shaft configured to apply or lessen tension on at least one of a third plurality of flexible straps and at least one of a fourth plurality of flexible straps, wherein the third plurality of flexible straps and fourth plurality of flexible straps are disposed in a seatback of said foamless seating assembly.

5. The foamless seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein rotation of the tension assembly results in the application of tension to the first plurality of flexible straps which stiffens the seat supported by the frame.

6. The foamless seating assembly of claim 2 , wherein rotation of the tension assembly results in the application of tension to the second plurality of flexible straps which stiffens the seat side bolsters supported by the frame.

7. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:
a frame defining a seat and a seatback, the frame including an inner support member and an outer support member;
a first plurality of flexible straps extending about the inner support member;
a second plurality of flexible straps extending about the outer support member of the frame and disposed adjacent one of the first plurality of flexible straps, wherein a horizontal shaft includes a first plurality of cams in engagement with the first plurality of flexible straps and a second plurality of cams in engagement with the second plurality of flexible straps; and
a tension assembly operably coupled with the first and second plurality of flexible straps.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7 , wherein the inner support member is disposed at each side of the seat and the outer support member is disposed at outermost sides of seat side bolsters.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7 , wherein the tension assembly is disposed below the seat, the tension assembly operably coupled with the horizontal shaft which extends rearwardly below the seat.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a vertical shaft extending upward from the seat and operably coupled with the horizontal shaft, the vertical shaft configured to apply or lessen tension on at least one of a third plurality of flexible straps and at least one of a fourth plurality of flexible straps, wherein the third plurality of flexible straps and the fourth plurality of flexible straps are disposed in the seatback of said vehicle seating assembly.

11. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7 , wherein rotation of the tension assembly results in the application of tension to the first plurality of flexible straps which stiffens the seat supported by the frame.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , wherein rotation of the tension assembly results in the application of tension to the second plurality of flexible straps which stiffens the seat side bolsters supported by the frame.

13. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:
a frame including an inner support member and an outer support member;
a first flexible strap extending about the inner support member;
a second flexible strap extending out the outer support member of the frame and disposed adjacent to the first flexible strap;
a tension assembly operably coupled with the first and second flexible straps and configured to apply and lessen tension to the first and second flexible straps; and
a vertical shaft extending upward from a seat of said vehicle seating assembly and operably coupled with a horizontal shaft, the vertical shaft configured to apply or lessen tension on at least one of a third flexible strap and at least one of a fourth flexible strap, wherein the third flexible strap and the fourth flexible strap are disposed in a seatback of said vehicle seating assembly.

14. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 13 , wherein the inner support member is disposed at each side of the seat and the outer support member is disposed at outermost sides of seat side bolsters.

15. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 13 , wherein the horizontal shaft includes a first cam in engagement with the first flexible strap and a second cam in engagement with the second flexible strap.

16. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 13 , wherein rotation of the tension assembly results in the application of tension to the first flexible strap which stiffens the seat.

17. The foamless vehicle seating assembly of claim 14 , wherein rotation of the tension assembly results in the application of tension to the second flexible strap which stiffens the seat side bolsters supported by the frame.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Nageshkar Vishal Vinayak
• Jaranson John Wayne
• Tamhankar Sangram Laxman
• Whitens Michael James

Classifications

• B60N2/7011 Primary

  of substantially two-dimensional shape, e.g. hammock-like, plastic shells, fabrics · CPC title

• B60N2/68 Primary

  Seat frames · CPC title

• B60N2/026

  varying hardness or support of upholstery, e.g. for tuning seat comfort when driving curved roads · CPC title

• B60N2/02246

  Electric motors therefor · CPC title