Pneumatic valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11077781-B2
Application number	US-201916588407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2019
Priority date	Oct 1, 2018
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A fluid bladder valve for a pneumatic vehicle seat adjustment device is disclosed. The valve comprises a first chamber configured to connect to a fluid source, a second chamber configured to connect to the fluid bladder, a third chamber configured to connect to an environment, a fourth chamber connected to the first chamber via a first fluid passage, connected to the second valve chamber via a second fluid passage, and connected to the third valve chamber via a third fluid passage; and an actuator comprising a blocking element disposed in the fourth chamber and an actuator element disposed in the third valve chamber and coupled to the blocking element and configured to move the blocking element between a first position wherein the first passage is opened and the third passage is closed, and a second position wherein the first passage is closed and the third passage is opened.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pneumatic valve for a fluid bladder of a pneumatic seat adjustment device of a vehicle seat, comprising:
a first valve chamber configured to connect to a fluid source;
a second valve chamber separate from the first valve chamber and configured to connect to the fluid bladder, the fluid bladder separate from the first valve chamber and the second valve chamber and configured to connect to an environment of the pneumatic valve;
a fourth valve chamber separate from the first valve chamber, the second valve chamber and a third valve chamber, and fluidically connected to the first valve chamber via a first fluid passage, fluidically connected to the second valve chamber via a second fluid passage, and fluidically connected to the third valve chamber via a third fluid passage; and
an actuator unit comprising a blocking element disposed in the fourth valve chamber and an actuator element disposed in the third valve chamber, wherein the actuator element is coupled to the blocking element and is configured to move the blocking element between a first position wherein the first fluid passage is opened and the third fluid passage is closed, and a second position wherein the first fluid passage is closed and the third fluid passage is opened.

2. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator element comprises a shape memory alloy element configured to activate the blocking element when impinged with electric energy.

3. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator unit further comprises a coupling element extending through the third fluid passage and coupling the blocking element to the actuator element.

4. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a sound absorption element disposed in the third valve chamber and configured to dampen flow noises.

5. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the sound absorption element defines a passage and the coupling element extends through the passage.

6. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the actuator unit further comprises a lever element disposed in the third valve chamber and movably connected to a housing of the pneumatic valve via a linking region, wherein a first fastening portion of the lever element is connected to the actuator element and a second fastening portion of the lever element is connected to the coupling element in-so that when activating the actuator element a movement of the lever element is converted to a movement of the coupling element.

7. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the actuator element is fastened to the first fastening portion so that a first lever arm is formed between the first fastening portion and the linking region, and the coupling element is fastened to the second fastening portion so that a second lever arm larger than the first lever arm is formed between the second fastening portion and the linking region.

8. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the actuator unit further comprises a restoring element connected to the housing and the lever element and configured to pretension the blocking element to the first position or to the second position without activating the actuator element.

9. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first fluid passage is disposed on a first side of the fourth valve chamber, and the third fluid passage is disposed on a second side, opposite the first side, of the fourth valve chamber, and the blocking element is movable between the first and the second side.

10. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first fluid passage extends along a first axis, and the third fluid passage extends along a second axis, and the first axis and the second axis are mutually coaxial.

11. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second fluid passage is disposed on the first side of the fourth valve chamber and has a predetermined spacing from the first fluid passage.

12. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the fourth valve chamber is defined by a first component, the first component defining the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage, and by a second component which is connected to the first component and defines the third fluid passage.

13. A valve assembly for two fluid bladders of an adjustment device of a vehicle seat, comprising:
a first pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , configured to at least one of fill and empty a first fluid bladder; and
a second pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , configured to at least one of fill and empty a second fluid bladder,
wherein:
the first valve chamber of the first pneumatic valve is fluidically connected to the first valve chamber of the second pneumatic valve;
at least one of the first valve chamber of the first pneumatic valve and the first valve chamber of the second pneumatic valve is configured to fluidically connect to the fluid source;
the second valve chamber of the first pneumatic valve is configured to connect to the first fluid bladder;
the second valve chamber of the second pneumatic valve is configured to connect to the second fluid bladder; and
the third valve chamber of the first pneumatic valve and the third valve chamber of the second pneumatic valve are configured to connect to the environment.

14. A valve assembly for a fluid bladder of an adjustment device of a vehicle seat, comprising:
a first pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 ; and
a second pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein:
the second valve chamber of the first pneumatic valve is fluidically connected to the second valve chamber of the second pneumatic valve;
the first valve chamber of the first pneumatic valve is configured to connect to the fluid source;
the first valve chamber of the second pneumatic valve is configured to connect to the fluid bladder; and
the third valve chamber of the first pneumatic valve and the third valve chamber of the second pneumatic valve are configured to connect to the environment.

15. An adjustment device for adjusting a contour of a seat bearing surface of a vehicle seat, comprising:
a fluid bladder for adjusting the contour of the seat bearing surface; and
a pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , the second valve chamber of said pneumatic valve fluidically connected to the fluid bladder.

Assignees

• Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Inventors

• Beuschel Michael
• Steinberger Johann
• Seltner Norbert
• Bauer Stefan

Classifications

• F03G7/06143

  Wires · CPC title

• B60N2/665

  using inflatable bladders · CPC title

• F16K31/1223

  one side of the piston being acted upon by the circulating fluid · CPC title

• B60N2/22

  the back-rest being adjustable {(B60N2/2878 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16K31/02

  electric {(F16K31/004 takes precedence)}; magnetic · CPC title