Bladder system for vehicle seating assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9937826-B2
Application number	US-201514844679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Sep 3, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat. A seat bladder is disposed between a support and trim material face. The bladder is positively pressurized when the seat is unoccupied. An elastomeric reservoir is operably coupled with the seat bladder via a fluid line, wherein fluid moves to and pressurizes the reservoir when a passenger is seated on the seat. A rigid containment unit is configured to house the reservoir and limit expansion of the reservoir.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:
a seat;
a seat bladder disposed between a support and a seating surface, the bladder being positively pressurized when the seat is unoccupied;
an elastomeric reservoir operably coupled with the seat bladder via a fluid line, wherein fluid moves from the seat bladder to pressurize the reservoir when a passenger sits on the seat; and
a rigid containment unit configured to house the reservoir and limit expansion of the reservoir.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of shape retention baffles disposed around the seat bladder.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of shape retention baffles prevent full deflation of the seat bladder when a passenger is seated on the seat.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric reservoir is disposed under a forward portion of the seat.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seat bladder exhausts fluid via the fluid line into the elastomeric reservoir when a passenger is seated on the seat.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 5 , wherein the seat bladder deflates a predetermined volume of fluid to position a hip point of a passenger at an ideal collision height relative to the seat.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seat bladder, when fully pressurized applies an upward force to a coverstock of the seat.

8. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:
a seat;
a seat bladder disposed between a support and seating surface, wherein the bladder is positively pressurized when the seat is unoccupied; and
a reservoir bladder disposed within a forward rigid containment unit operably coupled with the seat bladder via a fluid line, wherein the reservoir bladder is pressurized against the rigid containment unit when a passenger is seated on the seat.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
a plurality of shape retention baffles disposed around the seat bladder.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of shape retention baffles prevent full deflation of the seat bladder when a passenger is seated on the seat.

11. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , wherein the reservoir bladder is disposed under a forward portion of the seat.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , wherein the seat bladder exhausts fluid via the fluid line into the reservoir bladder when a passenger is seated on the seat.

13. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
a rigid containment unit configured to house the reservoir bladder and limit expansion of the reservoir bladder.

14. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 12 , wherein the seat bladder deflates a predetermined volume of fluid to position a hip point of a passenger at an ideal collision height relative to the seat.

15. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , wherein the seat bladder, when fully pressurized applies an upward force to a coverstock of the seat.

16. A method of controlling a vehicle seating assembly comprising:
positioning shape retention baffles around a bladder disposed below a seating surface of a vehicle seat;
pressurizing the bladder with fluid from elastomeric reservoir;
after a predetermined time period following a passenger sitting on the vehicle seat, depressurizing the bladder and simultaneously pressuring the elastomeric reservoir in fluid communication with the bladder; and
repressurizing the bladder after the passenger has left the vehicle seat.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
positioning two baffles in the bladder that generally divide an internal volume of the bladder into thirds.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
positioning the elastomeric reservoir into a rigid containment unit.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
positioning the rigid containment unit under a front portion of the seat.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
constructing the bladder, fluid line, and reservoir as a closed system free of external pumps and valves.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dry Alan George

Classifications

• B60N2/914 Primary

  Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape · CPC title

• B60N2/206

  to a position in which it can be used as a support for objects, e.g. as a tray · CPC title

• B60N2/66

  Lumbar supports · CPC title

• B60N2/64

  Back-rests {or cushions (B60N2/2222 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60N2/42718

  with anti-submarining systems · CPC title