Patent Publication Number: US-2009230742-A1

Title: Pneumatic Vehicle Seat

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to pneumatic seats for vehicles, more preferably back seats for motor vehicles. 
     2. History of Related Art 
     Numerous pneumatic and adaptive solutions are known for driver&#39;s seats and seats of passengers sitting at the front, such as for example from DE 36 90 372. The back seats of motor vehicles, which are mostly also embodied capable of being folded down, however, have not been dealt with much with regard to pneumatic upholstery. Thus, the known solutions for driver&#39;s seats are generally not very suitable for rear seats because of their distinct contouring. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object which is to be solved with rear seats in the creation of pneumatic equipment more preferably consists in embodying both the seat and also the back rest and additional upholstered areas so that after the evacuation of the air cushion forming the upholstery a flat, low and preferably plane structure is created for and after the folding-down of the backrest. 
     The object additionally consists in embodying the back seats in such a manner that these can adapt to passengers of varying physique. The solution of the set object is reflected in the characterizing part of claim  1  in terms of the essential features and in the following claims in terms of additional advantageous embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete understanding of the lighter-than-air flying vehicle of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the following Detailed Description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a vertical section across the vehicle direction through a first exemplary embodiment of a back seat; 
         FIG. 2  is a horizontal section across the vehicle direction through a first exemplary embodiment of a back rest; 
         FIG. 3  is a vertical section in vehicle direction through a detail of a back seat; 
         FIG. 4  is a horizontal section through a second exemplary embodiment of a back rest; and 
         FIG. 5  is a horizontal section through a third exemplary embodiment of a backrest. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be constructed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, the embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
       FIG. 1  shows a first exemplary embodiment of a vehicle seat according to the invention. Vehicle back seats are—depending on manufacturer and model—constructed in a great variety. Depending on the manufacturer and model the mechanical construction of a back seat is based on a flat base plate or can also be constructed in a highly contoured manner. With the present invention it is possible—with appropriate adaptation—to take into account such different constructions.  FIG. 1  therefore shows the rear seat bench of a vehicle model having a flat base plate  1 . In the following, base plate  1  also means such contoured embodiments. In  FIG. 1  this base plate  1  is covered with a layer  2  of foam, which as a rule is glued onto the base plate  1 . On this layer  2 , a plurality, now pneumatic cushions, is arranged and joined with said layer in a suitable manner. Not shown is the textile covering and a possible foam layer inserted between said covering and the layer  2 . As pneumatic cushions are provided here: marginal cushions  3 , lateral cushions  4  and a seat cushion. The marginal cushions  3  are manufactured for example of a plurality of bladders  6  stacked on top of one another in a textile covering  7 ; the lateral cushions consist for example of four bladders  8 , which are joined with one another at the long sides and are likewise provided with a textile covering. These textile coverings  7  are preferably manufactured of a fabric with low stretch. The seat cushion is a pneumatic cushion  5  known per se with webs, for example a so-called web cushion. The two lateral cushions  4  shown here are joined with each other by way of a tube  9  in which a spring element  10  is inserted. This spring element  10 , for example an elastic, brings about rapid evacuation of the lateral cushions  4 . Instead of the layer  2  of foam, a flat, for example a so-called web cushion, can also be inserted throughout the entire seat width. The seat cushion is then placed on said web cushion and fastened to it. When the pneumatic cushions  3 , 4 , 5  are evacuated, the layer  2  in the exemplary embodiment shown is flat. 
       FIG. 2  shows the backrest in the cross section analogue to  FIG. 1 . The backrest consists of a first back plate  11   a,  which takes up approximately ⅓ of the width and a second back plate  11   b.  The two back plates  11   a, b  together form the back plate  11 . Fitting the backrest with foam in a layer  12 , pneumatic marginal cushions  13 , lateral cushions  14  and the rest cushions  15  substantially corresponds to that of the seat. Owing to the ⅓-3 ⅔ division of the back plate  11  the tube corresponding to the tube  9  of the seat is divided into two tubes  19   a,    19   b,  likewise the inserted spring elements  18   a,    18   b,  which divert their tensile force in a suitable manner to the back plates  11   a, b.  Again, the layer  12  of foam can be replaced through a web cushion of the known type. 
     If the pneumatic cushions  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15  are completely or partially evacuated, the backrest as a whole can be folded forward. If the back plate  11   a —corresponding to ⅓ of the entire seat width, is to be folded forward, it is sufficient to evacuate the pneumatic cushions  3 ,  4  and the pneumatic cushions  3 , 4  of the backrest on the same side. To this end, valves which are not shown are available and can, if applicable, be operated as a whole through a suitable control. 
     If the back seat described is to be utilized only by two persons, or is not to comprise a centre tray formed through the seat cushion  5 , the marginal cushions  3  located in the centre, the lateral cushions  4  and the seat cushion  5  can be evacuated. 
     Both the base plate  1  as well as the backrest  11  can be constructed of foam or pneumatic cushions of metal, plastic, textile material, lattices, braidings or combinations thereof for the support and fastening of layer  2 . Likewise the base plate  1  and the backrest for the holder, the ergonomics and/or the fastening of the pneumatic cushions, the foam and the textile coverings can be shaped in a suitable manner.  FIG. 3  shows a version of this as longitudinal section in direction of driving through the seat bench. The base plate  1  carries the layer  2 , which, here, does not cover the entire depth of the seat bench. In the knee region of the passenger the layer  2  is replaced with a web cushion  16 , which at the front edge additionally carries two fitted and suitably attached air cores  17 . These air cores  17  can also be designed differently to what is shown. Design requirements can thus be largely satisfied. When the back plate  11  is folded down the belt reels, which for example are fastened to the back plate  11 , often protrude to such an extent that the back plate  11  will not lie substantially flat. If however in the region of these belt reels the layer  2  is replaced with the pneumatic cushions  16 ,  17 , the mentioned belt reels can be folded into a depression which will be created upon evacuation of these mentioned cushions  16 ,  17 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the part of the back seat in the region of the first back plate  11   a  which can be folded down separately. Again, the back plate  11   a  is provided with a basic upholstery through a layer  2  of foam. Placed on this and suitably fastened is for example a pneumatic cushion designed in two pieces comprising a first part  20  of air cores  21  and a second part  22  of a web cushion  23 . The marginal cushion  13  is then fastened on the web cushion  23 . 
     The second back plate  11   b  is not shown here, however, is equipped identically in mirror image. If the back seat is occupied by three persons this equipment shown in  FIG. 1 ,  2 ,  4  in the state loaded with compressed air results in that the person sitting in the middle would be sitting slightly higher and slightly further forward than the persons sitting on the outside. These, in turn, through the arrangement of the cushion configuration shown in  FIG. 4 , would be sitting somewhat turned inward. In this way it is prevented that the three persons touch and crowd one another in the shoulder region. 
       FIG. 5  shows a third exemplary embodiment of the pneumatic equipment of the back seat in the view corresponding to  FIG. 4 . The construction of back plate  11   a  and layer  2  is the same as described for  FIG. 4 . Placed on layer  2  and suitably fastened to said layer is a further, now contoured layer  24  of foam. This is covered with a cushion  25  which preferentially is manufactured of air cores  21 . These air cores  21  are—corresponding to those of  FIG. 4 , manufactured with regard to their sizes in such a manner that in the state supplied with compressed air the contour shown is created. The marginal cushion  13  in this exemplary embodiment is also placed onto the cushion  25  and suitably fastened thereon. Not shown, but easily deducible from what has been shown and said so far, is the following embodiment version. If the dimensions of the vehicle seat are such that the back plates  11   a, b  each comprise a protrusion for the rear wheelhouses, the layer  24  can be placed on this protrusion. Then, the pneumatic equipment remains as shown in  FIG. 5 . Obviously it is possible to amend the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 4  and that of  FIG. 5  through a lateral cushion  13  according to  FIG. 2 . 
     Although various embodiments of the method and system of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth herein.