Located At The Front Of The Seat Bottom Patents (Class 297/284.11)
  • Patent number: 11918124
    Abstract: An intelligent automated chair that is configured to have uploaded various operating models to run a sequence of patterns that cause the intelligent automated chair to alternate between various positions. An intelligent automated chair system configured to receive data from various inputs including user input, sensors, biosensors, historical usage, profile, and others to generate a recommended operating model for the intelligent automated chair. An intelligent automated chair system running an operating model that is interruptible manually by a user or as a result of sensed date, which can alter the pattern or parameters of the operating model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Inventors: Mark Kapij, Jose Chavarria
  • Patent number: 11890969
    Abstract: An extendable seat base for a seat of a vehicle is disclosed. The seat base includes an outer cushion, a cord, and a motor. The outer cushion forms a top of the seat base and extends, in one unitarily formed piece, down a front of the seat base and back underneath or within the seat base, such that excess material of the outer cushion is positioned underneath or within the seat base. The cord is connected to an end of the outer cushion at the excess material. The motor is adapted to pull the excess material underneath or within the seat base while the seat base is in a retracted position and to release the excess material while the seat base is in an extended position. At least a portion of the excess material is used to form part of an extended seat for a vehicle occupant while the seat base is in the extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Aicken
  • Patent number: 11865987
    Abstract: An occupant protecting device provided inside or below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat, including an airbag cushion, an inflator, and a cover that covers at least a portion of the airbag cushion and is capable of being cleaved opened by the expansion and deployment of the airbag cushion. The airbag cushion has front and rear attaching points attached to the vehicle seat side as well as an expanding and deploying part that at least expands and deploys between the front and rear attaching points. The cover has a weak portion that serves as a starting point when cleaved open by expansion and deployment of the airbag cushion and is arranged on a rearward side. The cover covers the front attaching points side of the expanding and deploying part and is attached to the vehicle seat on the front attaching points side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventor: Ryota Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 11820267
    Abstract: An assembly includes a seat bottom including a panel pivotable from a first position to a second position. The assembly includes a track supported by the seat bottom. The assembly includes a spring in the track and urging the panel toward the second position. The assembly includes a pyrotechnic actuator maintaining the spring in compression and actuatable to release the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mangesh Kadam, Yuqin Zhao, Srinivas Reddy Malapati
  • Patent number: 11744374
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reconfigurable apparatus that includes a backrest, a seat coupled with a column, a linkage statically attached to the backrest, a leaf spring in direct contact with the linkage, a first structure fixed to the column, and a second structure. The first and second structures each have one or more teeth. The chair is also configured such that when a weight is applied to the seat, the one or more teeth of the second structure move along the one or more teeth of the first structure to thereby shorten a working length of the leaf spring and provide an increased resistance to tilting of the backrest relative to the column. A process for assembling the reconfigurable apparatus is also described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Inventor: Aaron DeJule
  • Patent number: 11673672
    Abstract: An aircraft seat including: a seat chassis; a seat assembly including a seat pan and a seat back; the seat pan being mounted to the seat chassis by a first pivoting connection defining a seat pan pivot axis about which the seat pan pivots, the first pivoting connection being configured such that the seat pan can pivot about the seat pan pivot axis without undergoing a related translational movement; the second pivoting connection defining a seat back pivot axis about which the seat back pivots; at least one seat pan link for controlling pivoting of the seat pan about said seat pan pivot axis; wherein the at least one seat pan link is coupled to the seat pan in front of the seat pan pivot axis; and at least one recline link connected to the seat back and the at least one seat pan link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Ipeco Holdings Limited
    Inventors: Nicole Simpson, Jean Evans, Jeremy Smith, Brian Ward, Anthony Harcup, Richard Peter John Nicholas, Brad Becker
  • Patent number: 11654808
    Abstract: A seat assembly includes a frame, a seating base layer, a compression limiter layer, a load distribution layer, and an adjustment module. The seating base layer is arranged on the frame. The compression limiter layer is arranged adjacent to the seating base layer and comprises a wave portion forming a knee support. The load distribution layer is connected to the compression limiter layer. The adjustment module is movable between a rear position and a forward position and is configured to move the wave portion between a retracted position and an extended position. The wave portion has one of more first wave elements formed as springs and one or more second wave elements formed as springs. The first wave elements are offset from the second wave elements in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Craig M. Oomen
  • Patent number: 11628749
    Abstract: A vehicle seat for a motor vehicle includes a seat bottom and a seatback displaceable relative to one another. A seat positioning system has an actuator for displacing one of the seat bottom and the seatback toward the other of the seat bottom and the seatback. The system further includes a position sensor for generating a seat position signal indicative of a position of one of the seat bottom and the seatback relative to the other of the seat bottom and the seatback. The system further includes a controller for generating an activation signal in response to the controller determining that the position is above the position threshold. The actuator displaces one of the seat bottom and the seatback toward the other of the seat bottom and the seatback in response to the actuator receiving the activation signal from the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jiri Kral, Lisa Furton
  • Patent number: 11565819
    Abstract: A dynamic electro-mechanical ottoman may include a rail assembly with one or more actuatable tracks coupled to one or more rails. The dynamic electro-mechanical ottoman may include a cushion assembly translatable via the one or more actuatable tracks between a first translation position and a second translation position. The cushion assembly may include one or more cross plates coupled to a pivot shaft and the one or more actuatable tracks, and a cushion sub-assembly. The cushion sub-assembly may include one or more support plates coupled to a cushion and the pivot shaft, and may be rotatable about an axis through the pivot shaft between a first rotation position and a second rotation position. A top surface of the cushion may at least partially face an aircraft seat when the cushion sub-assembly is in the second rotation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Mayne, Daniel Flashman, Aaron D. LaPrade
  • Patent number: 11472446
    Abstract: A rail vehicle is provided with an open passenger space equipped with a perch seat assembly. The perch seat assembly includes a perch seat, a table, and a transition portion joining the table to the perch seat. The table has a horizontal working surface which extends from a wall so that at least a portion of the table extends in front of the perch seat. The transition surface provides a continuous surface between the perch seat surface and the table surface so as to provide a smooth transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventor: Alexandre Giroux
  • Patent number: 11338715
    Abstract: An automotive head restraint apparatus includes a housing having a padded and upholstered exterior, the housing being rotatable about a lateral support tube that supports a lock plate having a lobe extending radially with a detent slot extending therein. A latch finger extends from a pivotable lock lever plate to releasably engage in the detent slot to latch the housing in the deployed position. A pull rod is secured to the lock lever plate, and is connected to a release lever arm at its other end. A shape memory alloy (SMA) wire loop is passed about a drive pulley that is supported by a reciprocally translatable slide. A drive arm extends from the slide to impinge on the release lever and raise the pull rod when the SMA wire loop is energized and contracted, thereby releasing the latch finger to rotate the housing to the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Inventors: Mark A. Gummin, Mark Leonard Little
  • Patent number: 11220342
    Abstract: An aircraft seat device for an aircraft seat includes at least one mounting unit, having at least one seat bottom which is coupled with the mounting unit and is configured to implement a seating region and to this end has at least one main unit and at least one sub-unit that in relation to the mounting unit is implemented so as to be adjustable between a stowage position and a use position. The at least one adjustable sub-unit is configured for enlarging the seating region in at least one position, and having at least one actuation mechanism by means of which the adjustable sub-unit of the seat bottom is adjustable between its stowage position and its use position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: RECARO Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Erb, Zoltan Jussli, Michael Horlacher, Javier Parrilla Calle, Jürgen Baumann, Andreas Itzinger
  • Patent number: 11130432
    Abstract: A seat of a vehicle seating assembly includes a seat carrier, a thigh tilt housing, a thigh extension housing, and an inflatable member. The thigh tilt housing is coupled to a forward region of the seat carrier. A recess is defined by the thigh tilt housing, with the recess being positioned in an upper surface of the thigh tilt housing. A motor is received within the recess. The thigh extension housing is coupled to the motor, with the thigh extension housing being movable in a fore-aft direction relative to the thigh tilt housing. A fastener couples the thigh tilt housing to the seat carrier in a manner that permits pivotable motion of the thigh tilt housing along a vertical plane. The inflatable member is positioned between the seat carrier and the thigh tilt housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Wayne Jaranson, Johnathan Andrew Line, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Patrick Maloney, Christian J. Hosbach, Sangram Tamhankar, Vishal Vinayak Nageshkar
  • Patent number: 11091060
    Abstract: A shape memory alloy (SMA) controlled hinge assembly is provided, including assemblies and combinations for adjusting a shape or position of an occupant support component, such as a vehicle seat support component or other seating component. The assembly includes an occupant support component and a hinge assembly configured to adjust a shape or position of at least a portion of the occupant support component. The hinge assembly includes a stationary plate and a movable plate rotatable relative to the base plate about a fixed axis of rotation. The hinge assembly includes a shape memory alloy wire coupling the stationary plate with the movable plate. An actuator is provided and configured to transform the phase of the shape memory alloy wire. In various aspects, the occupant support component is selected from one of a seat bottom; a seatback; a seat bolster; a seat head rest, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Miga Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brian J. Pinkelman, Umesh N. Gandhi, Ryohei Tsuruta, Mark A. Gummin
  • Patent number: 11059407
    Abstract: An occupant support having a seat cushion. The seat cushion includes a rear pad and a front pad selectively movable with respect to the rear pad between a retracted position and an extended position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC
    Inventor: Shaun D. Tait
  • Patent number: 10967976
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle seat (1) comprising a seat surface (2) and at last one backrest element (3, 13) which are pivotable about an axis (6) relative to the seat surface (2). The at least one backrest element (3, 13) is movable from a sitting position, in which the backrest element (3, 13) is positioned substantially at an angle (a) relative to the seat surface (2), into a reclined position, in which the seat surface (2) and the at least one backrest element (3, 13) form a substantially planar surface, and back again. The vehicle seat (1) has at least one pneumatic cushion (10; 10.1, 10.2) and a pneumatic unit (9), which is configured in such a way that the pneumatic unit substantially completely inflates the at least one pneumatic cushion (10; 10.1, 10.2) if the at least one backrest element (3, 13) is moved into the reclined position, and the at least one pneumatic cushion (10; 10.1, 10.2) is substantially completely emptied when the backrest element (3, 13) is moved into the sitting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: LANTAL TEXTILES AG
    Inventors: Manuela Glanzmann-Zaugg, Thomas Hertig, Andreas Guehmann
  • Patent number: 10940773
    Abstract: A vehicle seat is provided. The vehicle seat comprises construction elements that are movable relative to one another and at least one force transmission element which transmits activation forces and/or stress forces that result from the use of the vehicle seat from one construction element to the other. The force transmission element by way of at least one joint is connected to both construction elements, and conjointly with the at least one joint is an integral component part of at least one of the two construction elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Coburg
    Inventors: Bastian Erbacher, Jochen Hofmann, Christian Schnapp, Marcel Amstein, Stefan Henning, Enno Meyer
  • Patent number: 10899254
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat carrier defining a central opening. A seatback is pivotally coupled to the seat carrier. A seat flexmat is disposed in the central opening and operable between flexed and unflexed conditions. The vehicle seating assembly also includes a first thigh extension that is extendable and rotatable relative to the seat carrier and a second thigh extension that is extendable and rotatable relative to the seat carrier. The first thigh extension includes a first thigh flexmat operable between flexed and unflexed conditions. The second thigh extension includes a second thigh flexmat operable between flexed and unflexed conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Robert Damerow, Carol Diane Casey, Andrew Matusko, Spencer Robert Hoernke, S. M. Akbar Berry, Paul Iacoban
  • Patent number: 10759320
    Abstract: A vehicle seat is provided with a side support device configured to assist vehicle exit behavior of an occupant while stably securing a holding property for the sitting occupant. The vehicle seat includes a side support device configured to support a cushion side portion of a seat cushion to be switchable between a seating available position and a vehicle exit assist position, a lock device configured to lock the cushion side portion in the seating available position, and a lock release device configured to release a lock state of the lock device. The lock release device includes a first lever configured to detect sitting of the occupant on a cushion center portion and a second lever configured to detect sitting of the occupant on the cushion side portion. The lock state is released when the detection by the second lever occurs while the detection by the first lever continues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Haruki Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 10759310
    Abstract: A vehicle seat is configured to adjust a position of a seat cushion by a multi-bar link provided at each of both sides of the seat cushion, where the multi-bar link includes one seat cushion frame of a plurality of seat cushion frames forming both side frames of the seat cushion, and front and rear links pivotably connected to the respective front and rear of the one seat cushion frame. The vehicle seat includes a drive device configured to rotate the multi-bar link such that an end of the front link connected to the one seat cushion frame is lifted up and an end of the rear link connected to the one seat cushion frame is simultaneously moved down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Das Co., LTD
    Inventors: Ju-Yeol Kong, Gil-Ju Kim, Jung-Sang You, Byeong-Seon Son, Seon-Chae Na, Chan-Ho Jung, Dong-Hyun Kim, Jun-Sik Hwang, Hyoung-Jun Ham
  • Patent number: 10759307
    Abstract: A seat assembly includes a seat frame, a sub frame, an electric motor, a transmission, and a flexible drive shaft. The seat frame includes a front support portion and supports a bottom cushion. The sub frame has a top plate and a base plate. The top plate supports a front cushion and rotatably supports a screw gear. The electric motor includes a first output member and is fixedly mounted to the front support portion of the seat frame. The transmission includes an input member and a second output member. The transmission is fixedly mounted to the base plate of the sub frame. The second output member of the transmission is drivingly connected to the screw gear of the sub frame. The flexible drive shaft is drivingly connecting the first output member of the electric motor to the input member of the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Edeena A. Reader
  • Patent number: 10736424
    Abstract: A mechanism for adjusting the seat of a chair as a result of changing the tilt of the backrest with respect to the seat is provided. The mechanism has a backrest frame and a base frame, as well as a covering element stably combined with the base frame and forming part of the seat. The backrest frame is rotatably constrained to the base frame around a respective rotation axis and tilting with respect to the seat between a position (P1) of minimum tilt and a position (P2) of maximum tilt. Advantageously, the covering element is partially elastically deformable, with the mechanism having deforming means operated by the backrest frame in order to reversibly deform, in the vertical direction, when the covering element as a function of the tilt angle with backrest frame has reached with respect to the position (P1) of minimum tilt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignees: DONATI S.P.A., ARPER S.P.A., LIEVORE ALTHERR MOLINA SL
    Inventors: Armando Donati, Alberto Lievore
  • Patent number: 10717372
    Abstract: In a vehicle seat, a movable frame provided at a front end portion of a stationary frame is slidable frontward and rearward, and an outer covering is provided to extend frontward from an upper side of the stationary frame and configured to wrap around a front end portion of the movable frame. Engageable members are provided to extend along the left and right end portions of the outer covering. The movable frame has grooves extending from an upper surface, through a front surface and to an undersurface thereof. The engageable members are engageable in the grooves. Each groove includes a first groove section, and a second groove section extending from the first groove section in a direction different from a direction in which the first groove section extends. Each engageable member includes a body portion extending from the outer covering and a claw portion extending from the body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: TS TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Okubo, Makoto Takeuchi, Tsutomu Matsuzaki, Tsuyoshi Komori
  • Patent number: 10696190
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle seat for use with an occupant classification system (OCS). The seat comprises: a seat base including a seat base support, and a cushion pan mounted on the seat base support and forwardly moveable on the support to extend the seat base. The seat further comprises an intermediate layer fixed with respect to the seat base support and adapted for fastening to a component of the OCS so that when the seat base is extended by the cushion pan moving forward with respect to the seat base support, the intermediate layer does not move forward with the cushion pan but remains substantially stationary. The relationship between the various OCS components can therefore be maintained irrespective of the extension of the seat base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventor: Graham Hunt
  • Patent number: 10640011
    Abstract: A seat assembly having an extendable thigh support. The extendable thigh support may include an attachment sled that may be moveably disposed on a lower guide and a seat cushion extension sled that may be moveably disposed on an upper guide. A linkage mechanism may operatively connect the attachment sled to the seat cushion extension sled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Anzenberger, Stefan Brunner, Hady Jabri, Michael Menges, Josef Widhopf
  • Patent number: 10640023
    Abstract: A thigh support, a seat and a vehicle are provided. The thigh support includes a thigh-support fixing portion, a thigh-support moving portion, a thigh-support driving portion, and a thigh-support bracing portion disposed to the thigh-support fixing portion and located at a rear side of the thigh-support moving portion, in which the rear edge of the thigh-support moving portion is provided with a rear edge recessed portion recessed forwards, a front edge of the thigh-support bracing portion is formed with a front edge protruding portion protruding forwards, and the front edge protruding portion matches the rear edge recessed portion in shape. The seat and the vehicle have the above thigh support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: GREAT WALL MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Yawei Zhang, Chuanqi Zheng, Xu Zhang, Pengfei Li, Jiashuo Tong, Yudong Zhai
  • Patent number: 10625646
    Abstract: A motor vehicle seating assembly comprises a seat frame, a cushion fixedly attached at a first end thereof to the seat frame, and a motor disposed on the seat frame and operably coupled with a displaceable second end of the cushion, wherein actuation of the motor operates the cushion between an extended position and a retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Marcos Silva Kondrad, Johnathan Andrew Line, Kevin Wayne Preuss, S. M. Akbar Berry
  • Patent number: 10611277
    Abstract: A vehicle seat comprises a seat surface and a thigh support. The thigh support is adjustable and/or movable by use of a first adjustment device in or opposed to a first adjustment direction, which preferably runs substantially parallel to the seat surface, from an extended position into a retracted position. Furthermore, the thigh support is deflectable substantially vertically to the seat surface and/or to the underlying surface by use of a force which can be exerted by a vehicle occupant and is downwardly directed in the direction of a vehicle floor, wherein the thigh support has at least one second adjustment device for setting and/or defining a movement resistance with which the thigh support opposes the downwardly directed force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Julius Maximilian Engelke, Jessica Rebecca Rausch, Niels Pasligh, Markus Franzen, Carsten Starke, Philipp Wolf
  • Patent number: 10532669
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle seat that includes: a waist movement suppressing member that is disposed at a seat front side and a seat upper side of a seat cushion, and that extends in a seat width direction; movable members that support both end portions of the waist movement suppressing member movably in a seat vertical direction; urging members that urge the movable members toward a seat upper side; raising mechanisms that, at a time of sudden braking or at a time a collision is predicted, move the waist movement suppressing member toward the seat upper side; and stoppers that limit movement, toward a seat lower side, of the waist movement suppressing member that has been moved toward the seat upper side by the raising mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuichi Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 10434919
    Abstract: The seat cushion includes side frames and an ottoman support portion provided at front end portions of the side frames. The ottoman support portion is arranged between the side frames. The ottoman support portion includes an upper member, a lower member, and a mount connected to the lower member and provided with the ottoman. The upper member includes a first side portion connected to the side frame, a second side portion connected to the side frame, and a connection portion provided between the first side portion and the second side portion. The lower member includes a third side portion connected to the side frame, a fourth side portion connected to the side frame, and a connection portion provided between the third side portion and the fourth side portion. The connection portion of the upper member and the connection portion of the lower member are connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Kimura
  • Patent number: 10308143
    Abstract: In a vehicle seat including an adjustment device configured to move a front end of a seat cushion to adjust the length of the seat cushion in a front-to-back direction, the adjustment device has a support portion movable back and forth relative to a seat cushion frame, and a roller portion rotatably supported by the support portion and configured such that a pad material is wound around an outer peripheral portion at a front end portion of the seat cushion. The length of the seat cushion is adjustable by a change in an amount of winding of the pad material around the outer peripheral portion corresponding to a rotation of the roller portion during front-to-back movement of the support portion. The outer peripheral portion of the roller portion is made of a soft material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuzaburo Abe, Takayoshi Katori
  • Patent number: 10300824
    Abstract: A vehicle seat having a seating surface which has a front edge and a rear edge, and a backrest arranged at the rear edge and situated at an angle to the seating surface. The seating surface is divided into a main part and at least one front part. The main part and the at least one front part can be moved relative to one another by means of an adjusting device to enable a distance between the front edge and the rear edge of the seating surface to be adjusted dynamically. At least two inflatable chambers are arranged between the main part and the at least one front part, which chambers can be inflated and emptied in accordance with the distance of the front edge from the rear edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: LANTAL TEXTILES AG
    Inventors: Roland Von Ballmoos, Andreas Guehmann, Oliver Rohrbach
  • Patent number: 10266073
    Abstract: A seat base for a seating assembly includes a thigh-extension plate and an extension track engaged with the thigh-extension plate. A thigh-extension slider engages with the extension track. A plurality of stabilizer tabs are integrally formed with the thigh-extension slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Carol Casey, Rodney Charles Brinker
  • Patent number: 10232751
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing a support structure for the backrest of a motor vehicle seat. At least one extruded profile, which is elongated in a longitudinal direction, is prepared and separated transversely to the longitudinal direction into a plurality of extruded profile supports. At least two extruded profile supports are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction with respect to one another and connected to one another by at least one strut extending in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Christian Kuhley, Juergen Maier
  • Patent number: 10227022
    Abstract: Provided is a tilt arm for a seat that is applied to a vehicle seat and that moves in a pivoting manner when changing an angle of inclination of a front end portion of a cushion pad. The tilt arm includes a coupling arm portion pivotably coupled to a side frame of a cushion frame, and a leading-end-side arm portion coupled and fixed to a leading end portion of the coupling arm portion. A sectional shape of a fixed portion, where the coupling arm portion and the leading-end-side arm portion are coupled and fixed to each other, is a closed sectional shape formed by a closed curve. A sectional shape of the coupling arm portion at the fixed portion and a sectional shape of the leading-end-side arm portion at the fixed portion are each an open sectional shape that is partially opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahide Kimura, Yushi Shinozaki, Shota Nonoyama
  • Patent number: 10220750
    Abstract: A motor vehicle a motor vehicle seating assembly for a motor vehicle has a lower seat assembly and an upwardly extending seat back assembly. The upwardly extending seat back assembly comprises a head restraint having a head restraint pad and a head restraint mounting post depending therefrom, a seat back frame having a vertically oriented frame opening in an upper portion thereof, a seat back and suspension module having an upper portion and a vertically oriented module opening in the upper portion, the frame opening and the module opening being in vertical alignment one with the other, and a head restraint guide sleeve vertically received and retained within the frame opening and the module opening, wherein the head restraint mounting post is received and retained within the head restraint guide sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Christian J. Hosbach, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Rodney Charles Brinker, Nicholas Alphonse Billardello
  • Patent number: 10166901
    Abstract: A seat includes a back part and a seat part having a seat cover, padding, and a support structure. The seat cover delimits a seat area, which is divided into a central bearing area and two side support areas. An air bladder is located in each of the side support areas. The air bladders can be inflated or deflated for changing the vertical position of the seat area on the side support areas. A bearing part is arranged between the support structure and the air bladder. A fastener constructed as a latching connection is configured to fix the bearing part on the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Widera, Meik Daumeyer
  • Patent number: 10081279
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat frame, a first extendable member disposed on a forward portion of the seat frame and operable between an extended position and a retracted position. Each of the first and second extendable members comprises a movable housing, a trim cover stock disposed above an upper surface of housing and having a first fixed upper edge, an integrated track disposed on a lower surface of the housing, a trim payout slider operably coupled with the integrated track, a trim payout attachment operably coupled with the trim payout slider and operably coupled with a second lower movable edge of the trim cover stock, and a linkage system operatively coupling the movable housing to the trim payout attachment to maintain tension on the trim cover stock as either of the first and second extendable members is operated between the extended and retracted positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Marcus Silva Kondrad, John Wayne Jaranson, Carol Casey, Rodney Charles Brinker
  • Patent number: 10045623
    Abstract: An occupant-support base includes a stationary seat pan and a pad coupled to the seat pan. The pad is coupled to the seat pan and configured to provide comfort to an occupant resting on the occupant-support base and provide a pleasing aesthetic to the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher A Bortolon, John D Newberry
  • Patent number: 10046681
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat frame seat frame having a seat frame, a first and second extendable members disposed on a forward portion of the seat frame and operable between an extended position and a retracted position. Each of the first and second extendable members comprises a movable housing, a support base attached to the seat frame and slidably coupled to the movable housing, a trim cover stock partially disposed above an upper surface of the movable housing and having a first fixed upper edge and a second movable lower edge, and a linkage system operatively coupling the movable housing to the second movable lower edge of the trim cover stock to maintain tension on the trim cover stock as either of the first and second extendable members is operated between the extended and retracted positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Carol Casey, Rodney Charles Brinker
  • Patent number: 10017079
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a body, a drive motor, at least one seat with a retaining structure, a first connecting element, a second connecting element, and at least one fastening device with which the seat is attached to the body. The first connecting element is used to attach the fastening device to the retaining structure in a positive and/or non-positive connecting manner. The second connecting element is used to attach the fastening device to the body in a positive and/or non-positive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Andrzej Pleskot
  • Patent number: 9981582
    Abstract: A thigh-extension for a vehicle seat includes a metallic thigh-extension plate, an extension track defined by a low-friction resin overmolded onto the thigh-extension plate and a thigh-extension slider having an integral groove slidably engaged with the extension track to define a plurality of thigh-extension positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Marcos Silva Kondrad, Carol Casey, Rodney Charles Brinker
  • Patent number: 9981588
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a sealed inflation system having first and second inflation bladders interconnected by first and second supply lines for exchanging an inflation medium therebetween. Each inflation bladder includes one or more outwardly extending pilot stems. A first valve assembly is operably coupled to the pilot stems and first the supply line. Compression of the second inflation bladder opens the first valve assembly, and compression of the first inflation bladder closes the first valve assembly. A second valve assembly is disposed on the second supply and is configured to open and close as a seatback of the vehicle seat moves from a folded position to an upright position. The first and second valve assemblies are external components to the sealed inflation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Joseph S. Talamonti
  • Patent number: 9896009
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a seat cushion of a vehicle, the seat cushion including: a body coupled to a seat cushion; an extension disposed ahead of the body and being movable forward and backward; and an elastic member disposed in a space between the body and the extension and filling in the space between the body and the extension when the extension moves forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI DYMOS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sung Chol An, Jin Ho Seo, Chan Uk Park, Myeong Sub Kim, Yun Ho Kim, Dong Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 9884574
    Abstract: A seating posture is stabilized for the shoulders of a passenger seated on a vehicle seat. A vehicle seat is provided with a seat back configured to support the seated person from the rear. A shoulder support portion of the seat back configured to support a corresponding one of the shoulders of the seated passenger includes an air cell configured to expand when air is supplied. When the air cell expands, one end portion of the shoulder support portion on the outside in the width direction of the vehicle seat moves more forward than the other end portion of the shoulder support portion on the inside in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensuke Mizoi, Ryuzaburo Abe, Kenichi Niitsuma, Soichiro Tanaka, Chihiro Muto, Takeshi Ito, Ai Furuta
  • Patent number: 9848705
    Abstract: An office chair including a base, a seat, a chair column that extends in the vertical direction between the base and the seat, and a backrest, further comprising an electric drive unit that comprises an electric motor and a change gear, the change gear being designed to input the rotational force of the electric motor into a first adjustment device for adjusting a seat height of the seat and converting said force in a second adjustment device for adjusting a tilt of the seat or the backrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Stabilus GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Probst, Lars Löhken, Raphael Piroth, Markus Müller
  • Patent number: 9815391
    Abstract: A vehicle seat with a backrest-side and/or a seat part-side base structure which comprises at least one movable sidepiece structure. At least the sidepiece structure of the base structure is made of at least one framework structure. The at least one sidepiece framework structure has flexurally elastic flanks and deflectable transverse braces which lie between the flanks and which are arranged on the flanks via elastic connecting element, whereby a force pulse that acts on the transverse braces of the at least one sidepiece framework structure from one direction via a flexurally elastic flank causes a compensating autoreactive deformation of the at least one sidepiece framework structure in the opposite direction at another point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: SITECH SITZTECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Buchenberger, Jens Baumgarten
  • Patent number: 9809132
    Abstract: A pad is adapted to set on a seat pan included in a vehicle seat. The pad includes a cushion on the seat pan and a cushion cover on the cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher A. Bortolon, John M. Perraut, Laurent Jaillet, Sang-Nyeong Yun
  • Patent number: 9776543
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly has a seat having a lower seat and a seatback extending upwardly from the lower seat. The lower seat comprises a cushion frame assembly connected to a vehicle floor and a cushion leg jounce bracket comprising a base and a paddle connected with the cushion frame assembly. The paddle extends upwardly and forwardly to form a vertical gap between a distal end of the paddle and a forward portion of the cushion frame assembly to provide independent and resilient support for an occupant's thighs. A cushion foam assembly is disposed above and is attached to the cushion frame, a forward portion of the cushion foam assembly being supported by the paddle of the cushion leg jounce bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Johnathan Andrew Line, Marcos Silva Kondrad, David Frederick Lyons, Kevin Preuss, Daniel Ferretti, Christian J. Hosbach
  • Patent number: 9751440
    Abstract: A vehicle seating assembly includes a seating frame. A plurality of cellular supports include multiple base cells and multiple support cells. The multiple support cells are disposed directly above and include a different air pressure than the base cells. A diaphragm is proximate the base cells and the support cells. An air passage is defined through the diaphragm between adjacent cellular supports. An open air distribution layer extends over the cellular supports. A breathable coverstock extends over the distribution layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alan George Dry, Joseph S. Talamonti