1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lumbar supports for seats, and more particularly to seats having a belt-type lumbar support.
2. Related Art
Many different types of strap lumbar supports have been used in seating systems. Strap or belt-type lumbar supports can be any type of strap, including a belt or wire, and are known to be supported in the seat frame by various means, including springs, hooks, brackets, clips, and wires. Strap lumbar supports are also known to be operated using a number of different actuation devices. An example of a prior art belt lumbar support is shown in
Strap lumbar devices can usually be distinguished from arching lumbar devices, such as described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,941 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,294, based on the difference between their respective tensioning elements. The strap lumbar is connected to the seat frame in a manner that the tensioning element must be pulled taut to increase support, and the tensioning element can be the strap itself, as with the belts in U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,592, or another structure, as with the Bowden cable in EP 0296938, or a combination thereof as with support and cables in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,531. In comparison, the tensioning element in the arching lumbar is stiff and can be rotated, pushed or bowed to increase support. As particularly illustrated in
In belt lumbar devices, there are a number of different designs for the support elements and their cooperative relationship with the tensioning elements. Many strap lumbar supports are more flexible than the belt lumbar supports. Some supports form a part of the tensioning element and are themselves pulled taut between the seat frame, whereas other supports are merely pressed forward into the seat as the tensioning element is pulled taut.
Modular seat assembly techniques require components to be designed for ease and speed of assembly. Accordingly, along with the need for strong, economical, compact components in seat design, there is a continuing need in seat assembly procedures to increase the economy, speed and efficiency of component assembly and shipping. Furthermore, as described in US Pub. No. 2004/0108760 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,919, there is a benefit for providing spinal relief when supporting the spine or for using a shaped pad to provide comfort. It is preferable to apply lumbar supporting pressure bilaterally adjacent to the spinal column, while maintaining a vertical recess or channel to accommodate the vertebrae, because the bony vertebrae of the spine may become uncomfortable if direct pressure is applied to them by a lumbar support pressure surface.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a seat support includes a panel that is connected to opposite sides of the seat through a pair of fixtures and is operated by an actuator that is connected to at least one of the fixtures. The panel includes a recessed center channel that is bounded by planar side plates. The panel can also include extensions at the top and bottom.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like elements,
The panel 12 includes a recessed center channel 18 that is bounded by planar side plates 20 and may include apertures 22 extending across the channel. The recessed center channel 18 has a bottom trough 24 between a pair of sloping, faceted sides 26, and can be formed by concave ribs 30 that extend between the pair of side plates 20, i.e. extending transverse to the recessed center channel 18 and separated by the apertures 22 in a spaced relationship. As particularly illustrated in
The faceted sides 26 of the recessed center channel 18 are separated by a distance D. In the depicted embodiment, the faceted sides 26 are preferably separated by at least 30 mm. The side plates 20 extend transversely on either side of the recessed center channel 18 in an elongated manner, i.e. the side plates 20 are more than twice as wide in comparison to the recessed center channel 18 or more than twice as wide as the distance D.
The size of the ridges 28 can be changed, increased or decreased, to vary the stiffness of the panel 12 in the direction transverse to the channel 18. The size of the apertures 22, i.e. width and spacing of the ribs 30, can also be varied to alter the stiffness of the panel 12 along the axis of the channel 18. It will also be appreciated that the number and size of the finger extensions 32 can also be varied to change the size of the support region. Generally, the side panels are more stiff or rigid in comparison with the channel 18.
The recessed center channel 18 preferably extends entirely along the length of the panel's centerline, from a top edge 34 to a bottom edge 36 shown in each of the preferred embodiments, as particularly illustrated in
It will be appreciated that the panel 12 can be attached to a seat frame (not shown) through springs, hooks, brackets, clips, wires, and any other equivalent fastener or connector hardware. In the preferred embodiment, the tensioning element of the actuator 16 is a Bowden cable 50 which has a sheath 52 surrounding an inner wire core 54 that can slide within the sheath 52. The actuator 16 can be operated by a manual device, such as a hand wheel or lever, or by a powered device, such as an electric motor and gear assembly. The sheath 52 is attached to the panel 12 by a clip 60 and the wire core 54 extends to the connector 14.
From the prior art devices, it will be appreciated that there are a number of ways to connect the panel 12 to the seat frame 6 and provide tension thereto by one or more actuators 16. For example, as with U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,531, the panel may be mounted to the frame through springs or other brackets and may have a tensioning element on each side of the panel. Alternatively, the Bowden cable may extend behind the panel from one side to the other, such as in EP 0296938. For the embodiments described above, it will be particularly noted that there is a clip 60 on each side of the panel 12 which can accommodate the sheath 52 for a Bowden cable that extends behind the panel 12 or for an actuator 16 on each side of the panel 12.
As illustrated in
As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
This application claims priority to U.S. App. No. 60/632,841, filed on Dec. 3, 2004 which is herein incorporated by reference.
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