Patent Application
20100066142
This invention relates to improvements in seat assemblies, and more particularly to seat assemblies with tiltable components, providing what is sometimes referred to as adjustable seat rake.
Adjustable seat assemblies take on a variety of shapes and sizes depending upon the intended application. Some adjustable seat assemblies have pivotable portions allowing for comfort adjustment for a range of different occupants of the area of the seat assembly near the femur. Such adjustable seat assemblies can be particularly desirable where the occupant has to drive for extended periods, such as a bus or other mass transit driver.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,047 to Watanabe discloses a vehicle seat having an adjustable femur supporter comprising a curved plate which biases a front of a seat base and which is adjustable to one of a series of several discrete positions with the help of a rotatable cam. However, Watanabe uses a cam which limits adjustment to discrete positions, and in general focuses more on aesthetics of the front edge of the seat base rather than on comfort of the occupant. It would be desirable to provide an adjustable seat assembly which can be infinitely adjustable over a wide range of positions, which acts to provide active suspension for the upper leg by providing adjustable resistance to the thigh, and which can return to a predetermined position.
In accordance with a first aspect, a seat assembly comprises a seat back pivotably connected to a seat base, a tilt pan pivotably connected to the seat base, pivotable over a travel range between a lower position and a raised position, and a biasing device positioned between the tilt pan and the seat base, wherein the biasing device applies a biasing force to the tilt pan, biasing the tilt pan toward the raised position. The biasing device can comprise, for example, an inflatable air bag or an air spring.
From the foregoing disclosure and the following more detailed description of various preferred embodiments it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a significant advance in the technology of seat assemblies. Particularly significant in this regard is the potential the invention affords for providing a high quality, low cost, easy to adjust and easy to use seat assembly. Additional features and advantages of various preferred embodiments will be better understood in view of the detailed description provided below.
It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the seat assembly as disclosed here, including, for example, the specific range of cushion tilt, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. Certain features of the illustrated embodiments have been enlarged or distorted relative to others to improve visualization and clear understanding. In particular, thin features may be thickened, for example, for clarity of illustration. All references to direction and position, unless otherwise indicated, refer to the orientation illustrated in the drawings.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, to those who have knowledge or experience in this area of technology, that many uses and design variations are possible for the seat assembly disclosed here. The following detailed discussion of various alternative and preferred features and embodiments will illustrate the general principles of the invention with reference to a seat assembly suitable for use in a motorized vehicle. Other embodiments suitable for other applications will be apparent to those skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure.
Referring now to the drawings,
The tilt pan 20 can be provided with a downwardly extending flange 77 as shown in
As best shown in
As noted above, the seat back is pivotable with respect to the seat base about a first pivot axis 13. The tilt pan 20 is pivotable with respect to the seat base 14 about a second pivot axis 23. Preferably the first pivot axis 13 is separate from the second pivot axis 23. Also, the second pivot axis can be positioned closer to the back 90 than the front 80. See
Inflation of the air bag lifts the tilt pan 20, in effect adjusting a tilt or angle of the cushion positioned above the tilt pan for occupant comfort. Optionally, as noted above, an air spring can be provided instead of an air bag which compresses as load is transferred to the tilt pan, and recovers as the tilt pan returns to the lowered position.
Advantageously, the present invention provides the seat occupant with active suspension, in the sense that as the weight of the occupant pushes down on the seat assembly, the tilt pan will flex somewhat providing constant support of the occupant's thigh. This seat rake adjustment may be controlled with a remotely located switch to accommodate vehicle design constraints or space limitations, such as limited room between the side of the seat and a door panel, for example.
From the foregoing disclosure and detailed description of certain preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications, additions and other alternative embodiments are possible without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to use the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
This application claims priority benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/096,334 filed on Sep. 12, 2008.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61096334 | Sep 2008 | US |
