Seat back cushion for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9327630-B1
Application number	US-201414525906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 28, 2014
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A seat back cushion for a vehicle includes a back surface including a plurality of indentations, the plurality of indentations including a plurality of generally vertical indentations and a plurality of generally horizontal indentations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:
a frame;
a seat back cushion supported by the frame, the seat back cushion defining a forward surface and a back surface, and having an H-point, a Th1-point and a lateral axis between the H-point and the Th1-point;
a headrest supported atop the seat back cushion; and
a system for facilitating controlled contact between an occupant's head and the headrest via controlled deformation of the seat back cushion when a force from the occupant is applied to the seat back cushion's forward surface, the system consisting essentially of:
a plurality of elongate generally vertical indentations defined at the seat back cushion's back surface across a lower area extending upward from the H-point and vertically centered about the lateral axis, and
a plurality of elongate generally horizontal indentations defined at the seat back cushion's back surface across an upper area extending downward from the Th1-point to the lower area.

2. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of generally vertical indentations and the plurality of generally horizontal indentations are located between the H-point and the Th1-point.

3. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of generally vertical indentations and the plurality of generally horizontal indentations form a “T” shape.

4. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 3 , wherein the plurality of generally vertical indentations includes a central vertical indentation along a central longitudinal axis that passes through the H-point.

5. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 4 , wherein the central vertical indentation is centered about the lateral axis, and the lateral axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

6. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 5 , wherein the lateral axis is at a distance of about 100-200 mm from the H-point.

7. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 5 , wherein the lateral axis is proximate to a lumbar apex.

8. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 4 , wherein the H-point is below the central vertical indentation.

9. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of generally horizontal indentations includes three horizontal indentations.

10. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of generally horizontal indentations is about 100 mm below the Th1-point.

11. The seat back cushion as recited in claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of generally horizontal indentations is about 100 mm below the Th1-point and about 520 mm above the H-point.

12. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lateral axis separates a thoracic spine area from a lumbar spine area.

13. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of generally vertical indentations is generally race track shaped.

14. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of generally horizontal indentations is generally race track shaped.

15. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of generally vertical indentations is about 20 mm wide by about 10 mm deep.

16. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of generally horizontal indentations is about 20 mm wide by about 10 mm deep.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Edgar Patrick J
• Sosnowski Yi-Ru C
• Hazlewood Robert J
• Toma Leon

Classifications

• B60N2/646 Primary

  shape of the cushion · CPC title

• B60N2/66 Primary

  Lumbar supports · CPC title

• B60N2/643

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