Manual lumbar pump assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9845035-B2
Application number	US-201615333969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A pump assembly for a vehicle seatback includes a plurality of air bladders defining a lumbar support. A valve body has an inlet and a plurality of outlets that are coupled with the associated plurality of air bladders. A selection device is operably coupled with the valve body for engaging a select one of the plurality of air bladders with the inlet. A manually compressible air chamber is coupled with the inlet for inflating the select one.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pump assembly for a vehicle seatback, comprising:
a plurality of air bladders defining a lumbar support;
a valve body having an inlet and a plurality of outlets coupled with the associated plurality of air bladders;
a selection device operably coupled with the valve body for engaging the inlet with a select one of the plurality of air bladders; and
a manually compressible air chamber including a resiliently-deformable bulb coupled with the inlet for inflating the select one of the plurality of air bladders;
a lever having a first lever arm pivotally coupled about a first pivot axis relative to the manually compressible air chamber and movable to compress an interior cavity of the manually compressible air chamber for dispensing air to the inlet, the lever comprising a second lever arm having an elongated projection extending from the first lever arm; and
a clamp defining a fixed base portion and a moveable clamp portion, the base portion and clamp portion being oppositely disposed on respective sides of an exterior of the resiliently-deformable bulb the elongated projection pivotally coupled about a second pivot axis on the moveable clamp portion to drive movement thereof to compress the compressible air chamber.

2. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the selection device includes a plurality of pushbuttons mounted with the valve body and individually associated with respective ones of the plurality of bladders for selecting the select one of the plurality of air bladders.

3. The pump assembly of claim 1 , further including
a release button operable to engage an outlet with the select one of the plurality of air bladders, the release button being axially disposed on the axis.

4. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the selection device includes:
a knob rotatable about the first pivot axis and operably coupled with the valve body for engaging the inlet with a select one of the plurality of air bladders; and
a shaft that is rotatably coupled with the valve body and is rotatable between a first position and a second position, the knob being fixedly coupled with the shaft, and wherein the first position engages a first one of the plurality of air bladders with the inlet and the second position engages a second one of the plurality of air bladders with the inlet.

5. The pump assembly of claim 4 , wherein:
the knob includes a retention feature and a plurality of circumferentially spaced detents with which a portion of the retention feature is releasably engageable; and
the retention feature and the detents are external to the assembly.

6. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the selection device includes:
a knob rotatable about the first pivot axis and operably coupled with the valve body for engaging the inlet with a select one of the plurality of air bladders; and
a shaft having a hollow interior fluidly coupled with the inlet and a flow aperture that rotates to align with a select outlet of the plurality of outlets, the knob being fixedly coupled with the shaft.

7. The pump assembly of claim 6 , wherein the shaft is axially depressible and includes an exhaust aperture that aligns with at least one of the plurality of outlets when the shaft is axially depressed to release air from a corresponding one of the plurality of air bladders.

8. The pump assembly of claim 6 , wherein the knob has a retention feature that releasably engages the valve body at circumferential positions of the shaft that correspond with the plurality of outlets, thereby resisting rotation of the shaft and holding the flow aperture in alignment with the select one of the plurality of outlets.

9. A lumbar pump assembly comprising:
first and second air bladders defining a lumbar support;
a valve body fluidly coupled with the first and second air bladders;
an air chamber including a resiliently-deformable bulb and having an exhaust port fluidly coupled with the valve body and configured to manually dispense air therefrom;
a lever having a first lever arm pivotally coupled about a first pivot axis relative to the air chamber and movable to compress an interior cavity of the air chamber for dispensing air to the valve body, the lever comprising a second lever arm having an elongated projection extending from the first lever arm;
a clamp defining a fixed base portion and a moveable clamp portion, the base portion and clamp portion being oppositely disposed on respective sides of an exterior of the resiliently-deformable bulb the elongated projection pivotally coupled about a second pivot axis on the moveable clamp portion to drive movement thereof to compress the air chamber; and
a selection device that selectively engages the exhaust port with the first and second air bladders.

10. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:
a seatback having the first and second air bladders disposed laterally across a back support surface of the seatback, wherein manual compression of the air chamber inflates the lumbar support to expand the back support surface forward.

11. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a release button operable to engage an outlet with the select one of the plurality of air bladders, the release button being axially disposed on the first pivot axis.

12. The pump assembly of claim 9 , wherein the selection device includes first and second pushbuttons mounted with the valve body and respectively associated with the first and second air bladders for selective engagement of the exhaust port with a selected one of the first and second air bladders.

13. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9 , wherein the selection device includes:
a knob rotatable about said first pivot axis between first and second positions that engage the exhaust port with the respective first and second air bladders; and
a hollow shaft that is rotatably coupled within the valve body and is rotatable between the first and second positions, the knob being fixedly coupled with the shaft.

14. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 13 , wherein the knob has a retention detent that releasably engages the valve body at circumferential positions of the shaft that correspond with the first and second air bladders, thereby resisting rotation of the hollow shaft and holding the selection device in the first or second position.

15. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 9 , wherein the valve body includes first and second outlets that couple respectively with the first and second air bladders, and wherein the selection device includes a shaft having a hollow interior fluidly coupled with the exhaust port and a flow aperture extending into the hollow interior that rotatably aligns with a select one of the first and second outlets.

16. The lumbar pump assembly of claim 15 , wherein the shaft is axially depressible and includes an exhaust aperture that aligns with at least one of the plurality of outlets when the shaft is axially depressed to release air from a corresponding one of the plurality of air bladders.

17. A lumbar pump assembly comprising:
a seatback having a plurality of air bladders disposed thereon to define a lumbar support;
an air chamber including a resiliently-deformable bulb and having an intake port for receiving ambient air and an exhaust port for dispensing air upon compression of the air chamber;
a lever having a first lever arm pivotally coupled about a first pivot axis relative to the chamber and movable for manually compressing the air chamber to compress an interior cavity of the air chamber for dispensing air from the exhaust port, the lever comprising a seco

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hosbach Christian J
• Sachs Adam
• Kondrad Marc
• Line Johnathan Andrew
• Nisbett Jason
• Sidhu Mandeep Singh

Classifications

• B60N2/914

  Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape · CPC title

• B60N2/665 Primary

  using inflatable bladders · 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

• B60N2/66 Primary

  Lumbar supports · CPC title

• A47C7/467

  adjustable by fluid means · CPC title