Seat assembly with adjustable height

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018043802-A1
Application number	US-201715610061-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	Aug 15, 2016
Publication date	Feb 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A seat assembly is provided with a seat bottom having a seat frame. An air bladder is mounted to the frame. A seat cushion is spaced vertically from the seat frame by the air bladder at height-adjustment distance being variable. The cushion defines a seating surface. A height-adjustment distance between the frame and the seating surface is increased as the air bladder is inflated, thereby adjusting a height of the seating surface without adjusting the frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A seat assembly comprising:
a seat bottom having a seat frame; an air bladder mounted to the frame; and a seat cushion spaced vertically from the seat frame by the air bladder at height-adjustment distance being variable, the cushion defining a seating surface; wherein a height-adjustment distance between the frame and the seating surface is increased as the air bladder is inflated, thereby adjusting a height of the seating surface without adjusting the frame.

2 . The seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising a rigid reaction plate positioned between the air bladder and the seat cushion, wherein the reaction plate is displaced the height-adjustment distance as the air bladder is inflated.

3 . The seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the reaction plate extends a length distance being generally equal to a length of the cushion.

4 . The seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the reaction plate integrally formed along a lower surface of the cushion.

5 . The seat assembly of claim 3 wherein the air bladder extends the length distance.

6 . The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the cushion is moved away from the frame by the height-adjustment distance along a length of the cushion extending from a forward edge to a rearward edge.

7 . The seat assembly of claim 6 wherein the air bladder has a wedge shape such that a first portion of the bladder adjacent the rearward edge of the cushion inflates the height-adjustment distance and a second portion of the bladder inflates a second distance being less than the height-adjustment distance.

8 . The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the height-adjustment distance varies by at least twenty millimeters.

9 . The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the height-adjustment distance extends in the range of twenty-five to fifty millimeters.

10 . The seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising a seat back pivotally attached to the seat bottom, wherein the seat back is moved with the seat cushion by the adjustment distance when the air bladder is inflated.

11 . A height adjustment assembly for a seat comprising:
an air bladder for mounting to a seat frame along a bottom surface; and a rigid reaction plate positioned along a top surface of the air bladder for mounting along a seat cushion; wherein the reaction plate is displaced an adjustment distance between the bottom surface and the top surface as the air bladder is inflated.

12 . The height adjustment assembly of claim 11 wherein the reaction plate is displaced the adjustment distance being at least twenty-five millimeters.

13 . The height adjustment assembly of claim 12 wherein the reaction plate is displaced the adjustment distance being in the range of twenty-five to fifty millimeters.

14 . The height adjustment assembly of claim 11 wherein the reaction plate is welded to the top surface of the air bladder.

15 . The height adjustment assembly of claim 11 wherein the air bladder comprises a multi-stage bladder having multiple chambers in fluid communication for varying the adjustment distance.

16 . The height adjustment assembly of claim 11 wherein the air bladder has a wedge shape such that a first portion of the bladder inflates the adjustment distance and a second portion inflates a second distance being less than the adjustment distance.

17 . A seat assembly comprising:
a seat frame; an air bladder mounted to the frame along a lower surface; a seat cushion positioned on the air bladder along a lower reaction surface being generally rigid, the cushion defining a seating surface opposite the reaction surface; and wherein an adjustment distance between the frame and reaction surface is increased as the air bladder is inflated, thereby adjusting the position of the seating surface without adjusting the frame.

18 . The seat assembly of claim 17 further comprising:
a compressor in fluid communication with the air bladder; and
a controller in electrical communication with the compressor and programed to inflate and deflate the air bladder based on a signal to change the position of the seating surface.

19 . The seat assembly of claim 17 wherein the seat frame includes a seat bottom.

20 . The seat assembly of claim 17 wherein the seat frame includes a seat back.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Brines Eric
• Webster William

Classifications

• B60N2/4415 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60N2/02

  the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable (adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806) · CPC title

• B60N2/914 Primary

  Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape · CPC title

• B60N2/643

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

• B60N2/665

  using inflatable bladders · CPC title