Seat assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11292371-B2
Application number	US-202015930865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2020
Priority date	May 13, 2020
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A seat assembly may include a seat having a seat base and a seat back, a temperature control unit disposed at least partially in the seat back, and/or an ECU connected with the temperature control unit. The ECU may be configured to receive an input related to (i) a first state corresponding to symptoms and/or discomfort associated with dysmenorrhea and/or (ii) a second state corresponding to symptoms and/or discomfort associated with sciatica. The ECU may be configured to operate the seat assembly according, at least in part, to the input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seat assembly, including:
a seat having a seat base and a seat back;
a temperature control unit disposed at least partially in the seat back; and
an electronic control unit (ECU) connected with the temperature control unit;
wherein the ECU is configured to receive an input related to (i) a first state corresponding to symptoms and/or discomfort associated with dysmenorrhea and/or (ii) a second state corresponding to symptoms and/or discomfort associated with sciatica; and
the ECU is configured to operate the seat assembly according, at least in part, to the input.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ECU is configured to operate the temperature control unit at a temperature of at least about 37 degrees Celsius at a skin level.

3. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ECU is configured to operate the temperature control unit at a temperature range from about 37 degrees Celsius to about 43 degrees Celsius at a skin level.

4. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein in the first state, the ECU is configured to automatically activate an actuator to recline the seat back.

5. The seat assembly of claim 1 , including a bladder assembly disposed substantially in the seat back; and
wherein the ECU is configured to automatically provide a massaging effect to reduce discomfort via the bladder assembly when in the first state.

6. The seat assembly of claim 1 , including a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) coil assembly disposed at least partially in the seat back;
wherein the ECU is configured to automatically activate the PEMF coil assembly to reduce discomfort when in at least one of the first state and the second state; and
wherein the PEMF coil assembly is configured to provide PEMF therapy proximate a lumbar area and/or a sacral area of a user.

7. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ECU is connected with a remote server configured to provide the input; and
the input includes user information associated with the first state and/or the second state.

8. The seat assembly of claim 7 , wherein the user information associated with the first state and/or the second state includes at least one of a user's (i) recorded history of use and (ii) menstrual cycle tracking information.

9. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ECU is configured to monitor historic use of the temperature control unit by a user; and
the ECU is configured to automatically activate the temperature control unit according to the monitored historic use of the temperature control unit.

10. The seat assembly of claim 1 , including an additional temperature control unit;
wherein the ECU is configured to automatically operate a first actuator connected to the seat base, a second actuator connected to the seat back, the temperature control unit, and the additional temperature control unit to reduce discomfort when in the second state.

11. The seat assembly of claim 10 , wherein the ECU is configured to operate the temperature control unit and the additional temperature control unit to provide at least one of heating and cooling to reduce symptoms and/or discomfort associated with sciatica when in the second state.

12. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ECU is configured to receive a discomfort reduction seat position and a normal seat position from a user; and
the ECU is configured to automatically move the seat base and the seat back into the discomfort reduction seat position via a first actuator connected to the seat base and/or a second actuator connect to the seat back to reduce discomfort when in the second state.

13. A method of operating a seat assembly, the method including:
receiving information relating to whether a user is in (i) a first state corresponding to dysmenorrhea pain or discomfort, and/or (ii) a second state corresponding to sciatica pain or discomfort;
activating a temperature control unit of the seat assembly to reduce pain or discomfort when said user is in the first state and/or the second state; and
actuating a seat back of a seat of the seat assembly to reduce pain or discomfort when said user is in the first state and/or the second state.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein activating the temperature control unit includes operating the temperature control unit to provide a seat surface temperature of at least 37 degrees Celsius at a skin level of said user when in the first state to reduce the dysmenorrhea pain or discomfort.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein actuating the seat back includes automatically reclining the seat back when in the first state to reduce the dysmenorrhea pain or discomfort.

16. The method of claim 13 , including automatically activating a PEMF coil assembly when in the first state or the second state.

17. The method of claim 13 , including receiving a preferred seat position from said user; and
actuating a seat base and the seat back such that the seat is disposed in the preferred seat position to reduce compression in the second state;
wherein actuating the seat base and the seat back includes inducing said user to perform an anti-Lasegue maneuver.

18. The method of claim 17 , including receiving, from said user, a memory position for the seat when not in the first state or the second state.

19. The seat assembly of claim 1 , including:
a first actuator connected to the seat base and configured to rotate the seat base;
a second actuator connected to the seat back and configured to rotate the seat back; and
a third actuator connected to a leg support portion of the seat base and configured to rotate the leg support portion;
wherein the ECU is configured to automatically operate at least one of the first actuator, the second actuator, and the third actuator to induce a user to perform an anti-Lasegue maneuver.

20. A seat assembly, including:
a seat having a seat base and a seat back;
a temperature control unit disposed at least partially in the seat back;
a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) coil assembly disposed at least partially in the seat back; and
an electronic control unit (ECU) connected with the temperature control unit;
wherein the ECU is configured to receive an input related to (i) a first state corresponding to symptoms and/or discomfort associated with dysmenorrhea and/or (ii) a second state corresponding to symptoms and/or discomfort associated with sciatica;
the ECU is configured to operate the seat assembly according, at least in part, to the input; and
the ECU is configured to automatically activate the PEMF coil assembly to reduce discomfort when in at least one of the first state and the second state.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Gallagher David
• Migneco Francesco

Classifications

• B60N2210/30

  Temperature sensors · CPC title

• B60N2210/40

  Force or pressure sensors · CPC title

• B60N2/0273

  taking into account user data, e.g. knee height or physical state · CPC title

• B60N2/0023

  for detection of driver fatigue · CPC title

• B60N2/0022

  for sensing anthropometric parameters, e.g. heart rate or body temperature · CPC title