Massage device for a vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016200228-A1
Application number	US-201614991203-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 8, 2016
Priority date	Jan 8, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a massage device for a vehicle seat comprising: a linear sequence of inflatable massage cells which may be arranged in succession below a seat cover of the vehicle seat, supply lines and venting lines to and from the massage cells, a compressed air pump connected to the supply lines, a valve arrangement for the selective supply of massage cells with compressed air and for the selective venting of massage cells and a control unit controlling the compressed air pump and the valve arrangement, and that the massage cells are designed such that in the inflated state they are wedge-shaped in cross section in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction of the linear sequence of the massage cells, wherein the wedge shape of all of the massage cells in the linear sequence is oriented in the same direction.

First claim

1 . A massage device for a vehicle seat having a seat cover, said massage device comprising:
a linear sequence of inflatable massage cells arranged in succession and adapted to be disposed below the seat cover of the vehicle seat, supply lines and venting lines to and from the massage cells, a compressed air pump connected to the supply lines, a valve arrangement to selectively supply compressed air to the massage cells and to selectively vent the massage cells, and a control unit controlling the compressed air pump and the valve arrangement, wherein said control unit carries out massage functions by controlling the compressed air pump and the valve arrangement according to predetermined programs or programs set individually by the user to selectively supply and vent the linear sequence of massage cells wherein the massage cells are arranged in the linear sequence and are arranged so as to overlap with one another in a longitudinal direction such that in each pair of successive massage cells a following massage cell and a previous massage cell are partially covering each other, and wherein in an inflated state the massage cells have a wedge-shaped cross section in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction of the linear sequence of the massage cells, and the wedge shape of all of the massage cells in the linear sequence is oriented in the same direction.

2 . The massage device according to claim 1 , wherein the massage cells in the linear sequence have the same dimension in the longitudinal direction and an overlap of adjacent massage cells is 10-70% of the longitudinal dimension of the massage cells.

3 . The massage device according to claim 1 , wherein in the inflated state a first side of the wedge shape of the massage cells is at least double the height of an opposing lower side in the longitudinal direction.

4 . The massage device according to claim 1 , wherein the massage cells are designed in the manner of a folding bellows, wherein outer folds are connected together on one side of the folding bellows so that in the inflated state the connection of the outer folds form the lower side of the wedge shape.

5 . The massage device according to claim 4 , wherein the massage cells are formed by two superimposed folding bellows elements.

6 . The massage device according to claim 4 , wherein the massage cells are formed by three superimposed folding bellows elements.

7 . The massage device according to claim 3 , wherein the massage cells are designed in the manner of a folding bellows, wherein outer folds are connected together on one side of the folding bellows so that, in the inflated state the connection of the outer folds forms the lower side of the wedge shape.

8 . The massage device according to claim 1 , wherein the massage cells are formed by two superimposed folding bellows elements.

9 . The massage device according to claim 1 , wherein the massage cells are formed by three superimposed folding bellows elements.

Assignees

• Kongsberg Automotive Ab

Inventors

• Saren Jari
• Josefson Daniel

Classifications

• A61H2201/5002

  Means for controlling a set of similar massage devices acting in sequence at different locations on a patient · CPC title

• A61H2201/1633

  Seat (A61H2201/0149 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/976

  massaging systems · CPC title

• A61H2205/086

  Buttocks · CPC title

• A61H23/04 Primary

  with hydraulic or pneumatic drive {(hydraulic or Pneumatic massages, A61H9/00; underwater massages, A61H33/00)} · CPC title