Rigid Or Semirigid Preshaped Panel Patents (Class 297/452.36)
  • Patent number: 11672358
    Abstract: A holder includes a vertical holding part configured to support an infant in a vertical posture so that the head is positioned vertically, in which the vertical holding part has a front pad part extending in a vertical direction and configured to support the infant from a front of the infant, at least from the abdomen to the chest of the infant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: AI-MET NEO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoya Watanabe, Akihiko Ishida, Yasuo Aihara
  • Patent number: 11247586
    Abstract: A seat support frame of a motor vehicle seat includes a seat frame which has left-hand and right-hand side parts, and a transverse tube connecting the two side parts to one another at the front. The seat support frame has a seat shell supported by the seat frame and composed of two sheet metal parts firmly connected to and arranged at a distance from one another, specifically upper and lower shells. The upper and lower shells form a channel running parallel to the transverse tube. The seat support frame includes an adjusting device which, on one side, is connected only, at a front region of one of the side parts and, on the other side, is connected in an articulated manner to the end region of the channel adjacent to the side part, and allows the distance of the seat shell relative to the transverse tube to be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: FISHER DYNAMICS GERMANY GMBH
    Inventor: Hans Burckhard Becker
  • Patent number: 9033411
    Abstract: A chair including a dynamically-flexible back and seat having a shape that adjusts to the movements of a user seated in the chair to enhance user comfort. Each of the back and seat has an air gap formed therewithin and a resilient frame or liner with a spring memory. The resilient liner is adapted to flex in response to compressive forces that are generated as the user slides his body back or from side-to-side in the chair. Accordingly, some of the chair back and some of the chair seat move into respective air gaps so that the shapes of the back and seat change to conform to the movements of the user. The air gaps also establish air flow ventilation channels which run laterally through the back and seat of the chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Inventor: Marcelo Mezzera
  • Patent number: 8985696
    Abstract: A vehicle seat comprising a fastened member and a fastening member. The fastened member comprising a fastened member-side base section formed from metal, and a fastened member-side reinforcement section formed from fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), laminated in a sheet thickness direction over the whole of the fastened member-side base section so as to reinforce the fastened member-side base section. The fastening member comprising a fastening member-side base section formed from metal, and a fastening member-side reinforcement section formed from FRP, laminated in a sheet thickness direction over the whole of the fastening member-side base section so as to reinforce the fastening member-side base section. The fastening member is fastened to the fastened member by bringing the fastening member-side base section into contact with the fastened member-side base section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenzo Yasuda, Ryosuke Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8936317
    Abstract: A waist receiving portion, which is provided at a support member, is curved to form a convex shape toward a front side in a seat front and rear direction in side view. Accordingly, when a waist portion of an occupant is pressed against the waist receiving portion, the change of the shape of lumbar vertebrae is suppressed. For this reason, since it is possible to reduce the difference between a timing when a head portion of the occupant is pressed against a headrest and a timing when a neck portion of the occupant is pressed against a neck receiving portion, it is possible to suppress swing of the head portion of the occupant about the neck portion as a fulcrum in the seat front and rear direction. Therefore, a burden to the neck portion of the occupant is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Yamaguchi, Makoto Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8881356
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a sitting orthosis, which is provided with a contact surface where the user of the sitting orthosis makes contact with the sitting orthosis, from a representation of the contact surface of the sitting orthosis. The method comprises of manufacturing a shell part on the basis of the representation of the contact surface by machining processable material under the control of the representation of the contact surface of the sitting orthosis; and arranging a covering layer on the thus obtained shell part. The invention also relates to a sitting orthosis. The sitting orthosis comprises a contact surface where the user of the sitting orthosis makes contact with the sitting orthosis, wherein the sitting orthosis is assembled from a shell part of a material processable by machining and wherein at least the contact surface is provided with a covering layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Perteon Seats B.V.
    Inventors: Kamiel Reinier Zale Geenen, Bernard Jan Kamp, Simon Alexander Verheul, Jeroen Gerard Theodor Jans
  • Patent number: 8827362
    Abstract: A seat back frame for the vehicle seat, includes a pair of side frames that are disposed on both sides in a seat width direction; and a supporting plate that has both ends connected to a bottom section of each of the side frames, wherein the supporting plate is at least disposed along an interval between a first height that corresponds to an upper part of a lumbar vertebra of an occupant seated in the seat and a second height that corresponds to a lower part of the lumbar vertebra, and curves in a manner such that, in a cross-section along with a vertical direction, the supporting plate bulges forward along a line from the first height to the second height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jogen Yamaki, Kenichi Saito, Takeshi Abe, Harutomi Nishide, Yozo Furuta, Yoshitomo Oka, Hisato Oku
  • Patent number: 8783780
    Abstract: A vehicle seat is formed by mounting cushion materials on a seat frame having a seat back frame and a seat cushion frame and covering the cushion materials with skin materials. At least one of the seat back frame and the seat cushion frame is provided with a first frame receiving a load of a passenger, and a second frame spaced from the first frame to face the first frame, and peripheral portions of the first frame and peripheral portions of the second frame are at least partially overlapped with each other to form overlapping portions, and fixed and jointed at a position away from the side where the load of the passenger is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayuki Hoshi
  • Patent number: 8251441
    Abstract: Disclosed is a chair comprising a seat, a base, a pair of parallel spaced apart uprights extending from the base positioned to opposed sides of the spine of a user seated on the chair, the uprights supporting the seat and a body support member extending from each upright in opposed directions, said body support members being substantially parallel to the back of said user. Each body support members may integrally formed with an upright with have an arcuate portion therebetween. The chair may further comprise first and second pairs of body support members and be rotatable between first and second orientations in which either the first or second body support members may form the seat or back support for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Inventor: Barbara Elisabeth Alink
  • Patent number: 8033613
    Abstract: A chair back has a shell and a cushion overlying the shell for a patient chair configured to move from a generally upright sitting position to a generally supine position. A patient contact surface is bounded in part by a top edge and an opposing bottom edge, and has resiliently deflectable opposed wing sections extending between the top edge and the bottom edge. A stiff support region is centrally positioned relative to and at least partially recessed from the outer wing sections. The support region is configured to support a patient's spine when the patient chair is positioned in a generally supine position. The opposed wing sections extend laterally outwardly of the support region and are configured to support the arms of the patient when the patient chair is positioned in the generally supine position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: A-dec, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl G. Nordstrom, Edward R. Jacobs, Mathew H. Parlier, Craig J. Beard, Kenneth E. Mattocks, Christopher C. Stone
  • Publication number: 20100127549
    Abstract: A chair back has a shell and a cushion overlying the shell for a patient chair configured to move from a generally upright sitting position to a generally supine position. A patient contact surface is bounded in part by a top edge and an opposing bottom edge, and has resiliently deflectable opposed wing sections extending between the top edge and the bottom edge. A stiff support region is centrally positioned relative to and at least partially recessed from the outer wing sections. The support region is configured to support a patient's spine when the patient chair is positioned in a generally supine position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Inventors: Carl G. Nordstrom, Edward R. Jacobs, Mathew H. Parlier, Craig J. Beard, Kenneth E. Mattocks, Christopher C. Stone
  • Patent number: 7677670
    Abstract: A back for a patient chair with which a patient may be moved from a generally upright sitting position to a generally supine position comprises a back shell and a cushion. The back shell has a front surface, a back surface, a top, a bottom, opposed first and second outer sides, a central section extending longitudinally from a region adjacent the top to a region adjacent the bottom and opposed side sections extending laterally outwardly from the central section toward the first and second outer sides. The cushion is attached to the back shell. The central section of the back shell comprises a plurality of stiffening elements that extend longitudinally of the back shell. A patient chair including the back is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: A-dec, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl G. Nordstrom, Edward R. Jacobs, Mathew H. Parlier, Craig J. Beard, Kenneth E. Mattocks, Christopher C. Stone
  • Patent number: 7673944
    Abstract: Rear backrest frame for a rear backrest component of a vehicle seat, with at least one main plate, one left and one right lateral hat-shaped section extending vertically, one upper and one lower hat-shaped section extending in a transverse direction, and the hat-shaped sections are welded to the front surface of the main plate. The rear backrest frame has cushion channels on its lateral edges and its upper and lower edges, for attachment of a cushion and/or cover. In order to enable a secure mounting of the backrest cushion and/or cover and a cost-effective, flexible production with a wide range of possible variants, it is provided that the hat-shaped sections are rectilinear in configuration, the lateral hat-shaped sections are welded to the hat-shaped sections that extend in a transverse direction, and the lateral cushion channels are formed on the lateral hat-shaped sections. Further, a corresponding production process is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Meinhard Behrens
  • Patent number: 7669935
    Abstract: There is provided a chair capable of providing protection to an occupant in the event of an explosion. The chair may provide a protective “cocoon” for an occupant and may intercept projectiles such as debris, fragments and glass shards. The chair may also reduce blast over-pressure acting on an occupant's ears, reduce shock levels acting on an occupant's lungs and provide protection against an occupant being unseated by an explosion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Inventors: Michael John Crossley, Kenneth Holt
  • Patent number: 7290836
    Abstract: A back for a patient chair having a back shell with a substantially rigid central S-shaped central portion and laterally extending wing portions which have sufficient flexibility to allow deflection in the direction of the front surface upon imposition of a force. The back consists of a formed back shell, a cushion layer laid thereover and an upholstery layer covering the cushion, with the upholstery layer adhered to the cushion and having edge margins wrapped around the outer edge margins of the cushion. The cushion and upholstery material are secured to the back shell through adhesive applied between the wrapped over edge margin portions of the upholstery material and the back shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: A-dec, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl G. Nordstrom, Edward R. Jacobs, Mathew H. Parlier, Craig J. Beard, Kenneth E. Mattocks, Christopher C. Stone
  • Patent number: 7273257
    Abstract: Mechanism for simultaneously turning up and stretching out an extension part (12,112) relative to a reference part (1,101),with a telescopic sliding profile element (10,110) connected to the reference part and to the extension part, The essentially fixed sliding profile element may be connected to said reference part via a pantograph framework The invention also relates to recliner chair constructions involving such mechanism for turning up and simultaneously stretching out a footrest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: TOMOH GmbH
    Inventor: Koen De Vroe
  • Patent number: 7040708
    Abstract: A vehicle seat has shoulder restraints extending forward from a backrest. The shoulder restraints may extend forward of a seated occupant's shoulder, providing effective restraint of lateral movement. The seat may also include head and thigh restraints and a beam running horizontally across the backrest. The beam stiffens the backrest and may also stiffen the shoulder restraints or provide attachment points for fixing the seat to a vehicle roll cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Racetech Manufacturing Ltd.
    Inventor: David Richmond Black
  • Patent number: 7040709
    Abstract: A back construction includes an inverted U-shaped back frame and a back shell supported on the back frame and having stiff thoracic and pelvic regions connected by a flexible lumbar region in a manner adapted to ergonomically support a seated user. The lumber section includes a plurality of vertically spaced slots to increase its flexibility. The back shell has a complex curved shape that is forwardly concave in horizontal cross section and forwardly convex in vertical cross section. A force-generating mechanism biases the lumber section forwardly for lumbar support to a seated user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Daryl Knoblock, legal representative, Arnold B. Dammermann, Larry DeKraker, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Charles P. Roossien, David S. Teppo, Glenn A. Knoblock, deceased
  • Patent number: 6991291
    Abstract: A back construction includes a back shell having stiff thoracic and pelvic regions connected by a flexible lumbar region in a manner adapted to ergonomically support a seated user. The back shell includes springs that press on a rear surface of the back shell to bias the flexible lumbar region forwardly so as to support a seated user, thus biasing the lumbar region of the back shell forwardly in a manner distributing stress applied to the lumbar region by the seated user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Daryl Knoblock, legal representative, Arnold B. Dammermann, Larry DeKraker, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Charles P. Roossien, David S. Teppo, Glenn A. Knoblock, deceased
  • Publication number: 20040100139
    Abstract: The core (1) of a seat back, which will be upholstered to form the complete back, is a moulded plastics sheet bowed forwardly and with attachment points (12) near top and bottom for securing to a rigid support. The sheet is constructed to be stiffer over its upper portion then over the lower and, when secured, to be able to ripple or alter its curvature between the attachment points. It may have wings (2) inclining forwardly at each side with closed end slots (3) between the wings (2) and the central zone (8) of the core. The wings can be divided into generally horizontal sections carried by integrally moulded transverse ribs (4) spanning the slots (3), the division between sections being by slots (13) or narrow membranes (6). The top of the core may also be divided into side-by-sections, the division being by slots (14) or narrow membranes (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2004
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventor: David Nicholas Lewis Williams
  • Publication number: 20040084950
    Abstract: The invention relates to a seat shell which is especially designed to be mounted on the chassis of a wheel chair or a stroller, and that comprises adjustable support elements (34) for supporting the person seated in said seat shell. The aim of the invention is to provide a seat shell with which the position of the seated person on the seat can be fixed by easily adjustable and reliably fixable support elements. To this end, the support elements (34) are disposed above the two lateral edges of the seat (2) and their distance to each other in the transverse direction of the seat (2) is adjustable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Inventor: Michael Markwald
  • Publication number: 20040012239
    Abstract: An expanded propylene vehicle passenger restraint. The restraint includes a back portion, seat portion and side portions integrally joined together. A removable back insert is mounted to the back portion and a leg separator is mounted to the seat portion. The method of producing the restraint includes the step of scanning the configuration of the restraint into a router for shaping a solid plastic piece in accordance with the configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Inventor: Alan R. Lewis
  • Patent number: 6626497
    Abstract: The backrest of a chair comprises an inner low rigidity flexible back-receiving portion and an outer high-rigidity side frame spaced from the back-receiving portion via a slit. The backrest is integrally molded by synthetic resin, thereby shortening manufacturing process and reducing its cost. Comfort of a sitting person is also attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Okamura Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nagamitsu, Hiroshi Masunaga
  • Patent number: 6250718
    Abstract: A chair including a seat, a support member, an outwardly extending projection and a chair back. A support member extends upward adjacent a rear portion of the seat. An outwardly extending projection is attached the support member. The chair back includes front, back, top and bottom surfaces. The chair back has a cavity opening downwardly toward the bottom surface and an aperture is the back surface. The aperture extends in a direction from the cavity to the back surface and communicates with the cavity. The top portion of the support member extends into the cavity and the projection extends into the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Herman Miller Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Newhouse, Marc A. Gierz