Patent Application
20090096264
The invention disclosed herein relates generally to orthotic devices for vehicles. More particularly, the invention disclosed herein relates to a system for a vehicle which provides a personalized orthotic device which can be inserted into a seat cover.
In the early days of automotive vehicles the vehicle seats provided little comfort to the vehicle occupant. Early vehicle seat backs, in fact, did not use seat springs, but instead were only piled material covered with leather. Later seat backs used springs, but for many years only the seat style and type of covering material changed, with coil springs being used in automotive applications for decades.
Recognizing that many drivers required back support to compensate for back pain brought on through disease, injury or age, some auto seat suppliers began to offer specific types of focused back relief in the form of supplemental lumbar support. Some supports were adjustable by the user. These types of lumbar support mechanisms are embodied in fluid bladders that are connected to fluid pumps. The seat occupant can manipulate an inflator button to adjust the volume of fluid in the bladder.
While such approaches are improvements over the early days of vehicle seat backs, they still lack the personalized form of support that is needed by many seat occupants. Such support, for example, may be in the form of lower, middle, or upper back support, choices which are unavailable to most seat users.
Accordingly, a need exists today for an improved system for providing the vehicle seat occupant for maximum personalized back support while seated in a vehicle seat.
A preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention is a thoracic-lumbar-sacral orthosis, or TLSO, for a vehicle seat. The TLSO provides personalized back support to the seat occupant. The TLSO represents a cast of the occupant's back. The device is placed within a pocket formed in the seat back cover. The original seat back cover is removed from the vehicle and is replaced with the seat back cover having the personalized TLSO built in. As an alternative, a vehicle seat back cover having a forward-facing pocket is provided by the manufacturer as original equipment. A seat occupant may optionally have an TLSO device prepared and may slip the device into the forward-facing pocket. However, the seat having the forward-facing pocket may be fully functional without a device being provided in the forward-facing pocket.
Other features of the invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and the appended claims.
For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be made to the embodiment illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of the invention wherein:
In the following figures, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components. In the following description, various operating parameters and components are described for one constructed embodiment. These specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting.
Referring to the drawings and in particular to
The TLSO 10 is the product of a positive mold being prepared from the cast made of the occupant's back. The orthotist then modifies the positive cast based on anatomical landmarks, supporting requirements and activity level. The TLSO 10 represents the posterior portion of the occupant's back. The TLSO 10 is then fitted to the occupant for a final fit.
As illustrated in
With reference to
Regardless of whether the pocket 28 is fitted to the inside or to the outside of the vehicle seat back cover 26, the seat back cover 26 is selected so that the model and trim style match the other vehicle seats and the vehicle interior. The front of the seat back cover 26 includes a slightly over-built area 30 on the A-surface for the TLSO to be installed.
With reference to
To minimize movement and shifting of the TLSO 10 within the pocket 28, padding is provided around the TLSO 10 to substantially or fully fill out the pocket 28. The padding is provided in the form of a front padding 32 and 32′ and in the form of a back padding 34. The shapes, placement and number of front and back paddings illustrated in
Illustrated in
With reference to
Once the selection of pocket seat back cover is made, the customer/occupant visits the orthotist with the seat back cover. This occurs at a second step, illustrated as 50 in
At a third step, illustrated as 60, the orthotist fits the TLSO 10 to the patient for a final fit. Once the proper fit is assured, the orthotist installs the orthosis in the pocket 28 of the seat back cover 26. This occurs at the fourth step, illustrated as 70. While it is possible for the TLSO 10 to be fitted by any number of specialists, it would be preferred to have the orthotist make the final insertion to guarantee a proper fit. The paddings 32, 32′ and 34 are also inserted at this time.
Thereafter, and at a fifth step, illustrated as 80 in
As an alternative to the above method, it would be possible for a seat back cover having a TLSO-receiving pocket to be provided by the original equipment provider as optional equipment. In this way the customer/occupant can still have a personalized TLSO prepared which can then be slipped into the pocket of the original seat cover without the need to have such a cover installed on the vehicle after production.
While the invention has been described in connection with one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that the specific mechanisms and techniques which have been described are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, numerous modifications may be made to the methods and apparatus described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
