Pneumatic valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11635154-B2
Application number	US-201916588479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2019
Priority date	Oct 1, 2018
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

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

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 be connected to a fluid source;
a second valve chamber separate from the first valve chamber and configured to be connected to the fluid bladder;
a third valve chamber separate from the first valve chamber and the second valve chamber and configured to be connected to an environment of the pneumatic valve;
a fourth valve chamber separate from the first valve chamber, the second valve chamber and the 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 membrane 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 membrane element and configured to move the membrane element between a first position in which the first fluid passage is opened and the third fluid passage is closed, and a second position in which 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 is a shape memory alloy element configured to activate the membrane element when impinged with electric energy.

3. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the membrane element comprises a first sealing portion for fluidically sealing the first fluid passage and a second sealing portion for fluidically sealing the third fluid passage, and
wherein the membrane element in a region of at least one of the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion comprises a mechanical reinforcement portion for reinforcing the membrane element in mechanical terms.

4. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the membrane element defines a passage opening which in the second position of the membrane element is configured to fluidically connect the third fluid passage to the second fluid passage.

5. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a fluid passage area of the passage opening is at least as large as a fluid passage area of the third fluid passage.

6. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator unit comprises a coupling element which couples the membrane element to the actuator element.

7. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the coupling element extends through the third fluid passage.

8. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the coupling element is a tappet molded to the membrane element and extends from the membrane element in a direction toward the actuator element.

9. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the membrane element is shaped so that the membrane element is pretensioned to at least one of the first position and the second position.

10. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fourth valve chamber is defined by a pot-shaped base element and a cover element that covers the base element, and the membrane element comprises a clamping portion which is configured to clamp the membrane element between the base element and the cover element.

11. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the clamping portion comprises a material thickening configured to at least one of reinforce the membrane element in mechanical terms and equalize tolerances between the base element and the cover element.

12. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 1 , 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 a coupling element so that when activating the actuator element a movement of the lever element is converted to a movement of the coupling element.

13. The pneumatic valve as claimed in claim 12 , 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 which is larger than the first lever arm is formed between the second fastening portion and the linking region.

14. 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 , which is 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 be fluidically connected to the fluid source;
the second valve chamber of the first pneumatic valve is configured to be connected to the first fluid bladder;
the second valve chamber of the second pneumatic valve is configured to be connected 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 be connected to the environment.

15. 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 be connected to the fluid source;
the first valve chamber of the second pneumatic valve is configured to be connected 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 be connected to the environment.

16. 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 being fluidically connected to the fluid bladder.

Assignees

• Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Inventors

• Beuschel Michael
• Steinberger Johann
• Seltner Norbert

Classifications

• A61H9/005

  Pneumatic massage · CPC title

• B60N2/643

  shape of the back-rests (B60N2/66 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/025

  actuated by thermo-electric means · CPC title

• B60N2/22

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

• B60N2/665

  using inflatable bladders · CPC title