Vehicle seat configured to improve access

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9663000-B2
Application number	US-201514598410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 16, 2015
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

The present invention includes a vehicle seat having a seat portion and a seatback. The vehicle seat further includes a plurality of air bladders disposed in the seat portion and a plurality of air bladders disposed in the seatback. The air bladders are configurable between fully inflated condition, fully deflated condition, and plurality of semi-inflated conditions. A controller is configured to control air bladder inflation, wherein the air bladders deflate to the fully deflated condition in response to an access signal received by the controller. The controller is further configured to control the seat position with regards to vertical and horizontal positions to provide greater access to the vehicle interior when entering or exiting the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:
a track assembly and a seat height adjustment mechanism coupled to the vehicle seat;
a plurality of air bladders disposed in the vehicle seat, the plurality of air bladders being operable between fully deflated and customized support conditions;
a controller configured to control inflation of the air bladders and a seat position; and
wherein the air bladders deflate to the fully deflated condition from the customized support condition and the vehicle seat moves to a rearward-most and lower-most position in response to a single access signal received by the controller, and further wherein the air bladders inflate to the customized support condition when the access signal is terminated.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle seat includes a seat portion coupled to the track assembly and the seat height adjustment mechanism.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle seat includes a seatback operably coupled to the seat portion.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of air bladders includes a plurality of air bladders disposed in the seat portion.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of air bladders further includes a plurality of air bladders disposed in the seatback.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 5 , wherein each air bladder of the plurality of air bladders disposed in the seat portion and the plurality of air bladders disposed in the seatback are further configurable between a fully inflated condition and a plurality of semi-inflated conditions.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle seat is disposed in a motor vehicle having an ignition switch interfaced with the controller, and further wherein the access signal is received by the controller when the ignition switch is in an off condition.

8. A vehicle seat configuration system, comprising:
a vehicle seat operable between a support condition having a first vertical position and a first horizontal position, and an access condition having a second vertical position and a second horizontal position, wherein the second vertical position is spaced downwardly from the first vertical position, and further wherein the second horizontal position is spaced rearwardly from the first horizontal position;
a plurality of air bladders disposed in the vehicle seat, wherein the air bladders are configured to deflate to a fully deflated condition from a customized semi-filled condition when the vehicle seat is in the access condition; and
a controller configured to move the vehicle seat to the access condition from the support condition in response to a single access signal, and further wherein the controller is configured to inflate the air bladders to the customized semi-filled condition when the access signal is terminated.

9. The vehicle seat configuration system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle seat is disposed in a motor vehicle having an ignition switch interfaced with the controller, and further wherein the access signal is received by the controller when the ignition switch is in an off condition.

10. The vehicle seat configuration system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of air bladders is disposed in a seatback of the vehicle seat.

11. The vehicle seat configuration system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of air bladders is disposed in a seat portion of the vehicle seat.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kolich Michael
• Hall Amber Laverne

Classifications

• B60N2/067 Primary

  by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms · CPC title

• B60N2/16 Primary

  height-adjustable · CPC title

• B60N2/06 Primary

  slidable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2209} take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/1615

  Parallelogram-like structure · CPC title

• B60N2/02

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