High comfort endurance haptic cushion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12208903-B2
Application number	US-202217900728-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2022
Priority date	Aug 31, 2022
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

An endurance haptic system is disclosed herein. The endurance haptic system includes a plurality of tactors, a plurality of air bladders, a tactor driver operably coupled to the plurality of tactors and configured to send vibration commands to the plurality of tactors in response to a first signal received from an aircraft controller, and an air bladder driver operably coupled to the plurality of air bladders and configured to inflate and deflate the plurality of air bladders in response to a second signal received from the aircraft controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An endurance haptic system, comprising:
a plurality of tactors;
a plurality of air bladders;
a tactor driver operably coupled to the plurality of tactors and configured to send vibration commands to the plurality of tactors in response to a first signal received from an aircraft controller;
an air bladder driver operably coupled to the plurality of air bladders and configured to inflate and deflate the plurality of air bladders in response to a second signal received from the aircraft controller; and
a seat cushion, wherein the plurality of air bladders includes a plurality of seat air bladders, the plurality of seat air bladders extending from a first edge of the seat cushion to an opposing second edge of the seat cushion, the plurality of seat air bladders being distributed along a length of the seat cushion.

2. The endurance haptic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tactors includes a plurality of left seat tactors located in the seat cushion and a plurality of right seat tactors located in the seat cushion, the plurality of left seat tactors being located between a midplane of the seat cushion and the first edge of the seat cushion, and the plurality of right seat tactors being located between the midplane of the seat cushion and a second edge of the seat cushion.

3. The endurance haptic system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a plurality of reliefs formed in the plurality of seat air bladders, each of the plurality of reliefs configured to receive one of the plurality of left seat tactors or the plurality of right seat tactors, the plurality of reliefs disposed between the plurality of seat air bladders and a top surface of the seat cushion.

4. The endurance haptic system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a seatback cushion, wherein the plurality of air bladders includes a plurality of seatback air bladders, the plurality of seatback air bladders extending from a first edge of the seatback cushion to an opposing second edge of the seatback cushion, the plurality of seatback air bladders being distributed along a length of the seatback cushion.

5. The endurance haptic system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a plurality of reliefs formed in the plurality of seatback air bladders, each of the plurality of reliefs configured to receive one of a plurality of left seatback tactors or one of a plurality of right seatback tactors, the plurality of reliefs disposed between the plurality of seatback air bladders and a top surface of the seatback cushion.

6. The endurance haptic system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of tactors further includes a plurality of left seatback tactors located in the seatback cushion and a plurality of right seatback tactors located in the seatback cushion, the plurality of left seatback tactors being located between a midplane of the seatback cushion and the first edge of the seatback cushion, and the plurality of right seatback tactors being located between the midplane of the seatback cushion and a second edge of the seatback cushion.

7. An endurance haptic cushion system, comprising:
a plurality of tactors;
a plurality of air bladders extending in alternating directions around each of the plurality of tactors;
a tactor driver operably coupled to the plurality of tactors and configured to send vibration commands to the plurality of tactors in response to a first signal received from an aircraft controller;
an air bladder driver operably coupled to the plurality of air bladders and configured to inflate and deflate the plurality of air bladders in response to a second signal received from the aircraft controller; and
a seat cushion, wherein each of the plurality of air bladders extends from a first edge of the seat cushion to an opposing second edge of the seat cushion, a plurality of seat air bladders being distributed along a length of the seat cushion.

8. The endurance haptic cushion system of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of tactors is disposed adjacent an air bladder of the plurality of air bladders.

9. The endurance haptic cushion system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of tactors includes a plurality of left seat tactors located in the seat cushion and a plurality of right seat tactors located in the seat cushion, the plurality of left seat tactors being located between a midplane of the seat cushion and the first edge of the seat cushion, and the plurality of right seat tactors being located between the midplane of the seat cushion and a second edge of the seat cushion.

10. The endurance haptic cushion system of claim 7 , wherein the seat cushion is a seatback cushion, wherein each of the plurality of air bladders extends from a first edge of the seatback cushion to an opposing second edge of the seatback cushion, the plurality of air bladders being distributed along a length of the seatback cushion.

11. The endurance haptic cushion system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of tactors is disposed adjacent an air bladder of the plurality of air bladders.

12. The endurance haptic cushion system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of tactors further includes a plurality of left seatback tactors located in the seatback cushion and a plurality of right seatback tactors located in the seatback cushion, the plurality of left seatback tactors being located between a midplane of the seatback cushion and the first edge of the seatback cushion, and the plurality of right seatback tactors being located between the midplane of the seatback cushion and a second edge of the seatback cushion.

13. An endurance haptic cushion system, comprising:
a plurality of air bladders;
a plurality of tactors interspersed between the plurality of air bladders;
a tactor driver operably coupled to a plurality of tactors and configured to send vibration commands to the plurality of tactors in response to a first signal received from an aircraft controller;
an air bladder driver operably coupled to the plurality of air bladders and configured to inflate and deflate the plurality of air bladders in response to a second signal received from the aircraft controller; and
a seat cushion, wherein each of the plurality of air bladders extends from a first edge of the seat cushion to an opposing second edge of the seat cushion, a plurality of seat air bladders being distributed along a length of the seat cushion.

14. The endurance haptic cushion system of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of tactors is disposed adjacent an air bladder of the plurality of air bladders along the length of the seat cushion.

15. The endurance haptic cushion system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of tactors includes a plurality of left seat tactors located in the seat cushion and a plurality of right seat tactors located in the seat cushion, the plurality of left seat tactors being located between a midplane of the seat cushion and the first edge of the seat cushion, and the plurality of right seat tactors being located between the midplane of the seat cushion and a second edge of the seat cushion.

16. The endurance haptic cushion system of claim 13 , further comprising a seatback cushion, wherein each of the plurality of air bladders extends from a first edge of the seatback cushion to an opposing second edge of the seatback cushion, the plurality of air bladders being distributed along a length of the seatback cushion.

17. The endurance haptic cushion system of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of tactors is disposed adjacent an air bladder of the plurality of air bladders along the length of the seatback cushion, wherein

Assignees

• Rockwell Collins Inc

Inventors

• Carson Kassidy L
• Hampton John L
• Shaw Glen
• Tribble Daniel R
• Parker Larry
• Borchelt Donald
• Skola John R
• Womack James Donald

Classifications

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B60N2/976

  massaging systems · CPC title

• A61H23/02

  with electric or magnetic drive · CPC title

• B64D11/0689 Primary

  specially adapted for pilots · CPC title

• A61H9/0078 Primary

  with intermittent or alternately inflated bladders or cuffs (mattresses for preventing bed-sores with alternated pressurized chambers A61G7/05776) · CPC title