A backrest having a profile variable with pneumatic elements

Abstract: The backrest (2), particularly for a motor-vehicle seats includes padding (3) in which inflatable pneumatic elements (8, 10) are located in correspondence with the dorsal and sacral regions of the backrest respectively. The elements (8, 10) are adapted to make the front region (4) of the padding (3) assume a slightly curved vertical profile when they are inflated and an undulate vertical profile when they are deflated.

Description: The present invention relates to a backrest including padding, particularly for a motor-vehicle seat, as per the pre-characterizing part of claim 1 (see for example EP-A-0 312 506). From DE-A-3 735 428 another backrest for a motor-vehicle seat is known, which is adaptable by means of inflatable pneumatic elements located outside and behind the padding. The object of the present invention is to provide a backrest whose vertical profile can be adapted to the greater or lesser arcuate configurations of the vertebral columns of different users. This object is achieved by a backrest of the type indicated above, which further includes the technical features disclosed in the characterizing part of claim 1. An advantage offered by the backrest according to the invention consists of the fact that the configuration of the lumbar region, and hence its characteristics of transverse restraint, remain unaltered whatever the state of inflation of the pneumatic elements and it always provides correct support for the user's back. Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the detailed description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, provided by way of non-limiting example, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motor-vehicle seat provided with a backrest according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side elevation of the seat of Figure 1 in a different operative configuration, and Figure 3 is a schematic front view of some details of the seat shown in the previous drawings. With reference to the drawings, a backrest 2 of a front seat for a motor vehicle has padding 3 constituted by a rear layer 4 of foam plastics material which provides good load-bearing characteristics and a front layer 6, again of a foam plastics material but more yielding and deformable than the first layer 4. The rear region of the padding 3 has a curved profile 7 in correspondence with the lumbar region. Inflatable pneumatic elements 8, 10 are glued between the two layers 4, 6 in correspondence with the dorsal and sacral regions. These elements 8, 10 (Figure 3) are constituted by a plurality of intercommunicating tubes arranged horizontally and substantially parallel to each other. A known electrically- or mechanically-operated device, schematically indicated 12, enables the pneumatic elements 8, 10 to be inflated/deflated to assume a desired configuration. When the pneumatic elements 8, 10 are inflated, the vertical profile 14 of the front layer 6 of padding 3 assumes a slightly curved configuration (Figure 1). The deflation of the pneumatic elements 8, 10, to an extent which can be determined at will, on the other hand, causes the formation of undulations in the vertical profile 14 (Figure 2) which can house the back and glutei of a person 16 whose vertebral column is characterised, for example, by pronounced dorsal kyphosis or lumbar lordosis. In all conditions, the shape of the lumbar region 18 of the padding 3 remains unaltered and, by virtue of the curved profile 7 of the rear region, its characteristics of transverse restraint thus remain unchanged. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, not illustrated, the dorsal and sacral pneumatic elements are separate from each other. The respective inflation states can thus be adjusted independently providing an increased capacity for adaptation to different shapes of users' vertebral columns.

Claims: A backrest (2), particularly for a motor-vehicle seat, including padding (3) and adjustable elements (8, 10) within the padding (3), the elements being adapted to make the front region of the padding (3) assume a slightly curved vertical profile or alternatively an undulate vertical profile, characterised in that the padding (3) is constituted by at least a rear layer (4) and a front layer (6) of foam plastics material, the front layer (6) being softer than the rear layer (4), in that the adjustable elements (8, 10) are inflatable pneumatic elements, interposed between the two layers (4, 6) in correspondence with the dorsal region and the sacral region of the backrest (2) respectively, and in that the rear region of the padding (3) has a curved profile (7) in correspondence with the lumbar region, whereby its characteristics of transverse restrain remain unchanged in all situations. A backrest (2) according to Claim 1, characterised in that the inflatable pneumatic elements (8, 10) are constituted by a plurality of intercommunicating tubes arranged horizontally and substantially parallel to each other. A backrest (2) according to Claim 1, characterised in that the dorsal and sacral inflatable pneumatic elements (8, 10) are separated from each other. A backrest (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pneumatic elements (8, 10) are glued to the padding (3).

Inventors: DAL MONTE ANTONIO, DAL MONTE, ANTONIO
Applicants: FIAT AUTO SPA, FIAT AUTO S.P.A.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B60N2
IPC codes: A47C7, B60N2