Chairs and seats – Bottom or back with means to alter contour – Providing support for lower back region
Patent
1999-05-11
2000-11-28
Cuomo, Peter M.
Chairs and seats
Bottom or back with means to alter contour
Providing support for lower back region
2972841, A47C 714
Patent
active
061525316
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention concerns an improved seat suspension arrangement of the kind enabling the contour of the support provided by a seat to be adjusted by the user. The arrangement is particularly intended for use in the backrest of a vehicle seat of the kind providing adjustable lumbar support, but it will be appreciated that the principle may be applied to any other arrangement wherein the contour of a seat cushion is desired to be adjusted, for example to a seat base having means for providing adjustable thigh support.
A seat arrangement in accordance with the invention comprises a seat frame and a platform element adapted to provide support for upholstery of the seat, the platform element being linked to the seat frame by link means extending between the frame and at least one margin of the platform element, the said platform element being so constructed that it is resiliently extensible in a direction towards said margin of said seat frame, means being provided for adjusting the effective length of said link means, the arrangement being such that with the link means in an extended condition at least one portion of the platform element is recessed relatively to a boundary of the seat frame forming an attachment for the link means, and said adjustable link means being supplemented by further non-adjustable link means for retaining the position of the margin of said platform element relatively to the seat frame whereby upon contraction of the adjustable link means said portion of the platform element is displaced towards said boundary in order to vary the contour of the said platform element.
Further preferred features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and any appended claims.
The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which;
FIG. 1 is a front view of a suspension platform for a seat back of a vehicle, shown in place in a vehicle seat frame indicated diagramatically, together with an associated adjusting arrangement,
FIG. 1A is a detailed plan view of a link 6 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on the line II--II of FIG. 1, showing the platform element in one stage of adjustment,
FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing the platform element in another state of adjustment,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line IV--IV of FIG. 1 showing the internal arrangement of the adjustment mechanism in the position shown in FIG. 2,
FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 but showing the adjustment mechanism in the position corresponding to that of FIG. 3 of the drawings,
FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing individual components of the adjusting mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5, and
FIGS. 7A-7C, 8A-8C, 9A-9B, and 10-11 are detailed views of individual components of the assembly shown in FIG. 6.
Referring to FIG. 1, a platform element for supporting the upholstery of a vehicle seat back comprises a pair of side rails 1 formed in known manner of paper wrapped or plastic coated steel wire, the side rails being angled at their lower ends and interconnected by means of a clip 2 to form a U-shaped outer boundary of the platform element.
Between the side rails 1 are provided a plurality of transverse supporting wires 3 that are angled at 3A so that they form sinuous wire springs allowing for limited transverse stretching of the platform element. The longitudinal pitch of the transverse supporting wires 3 is varied in accordance with the desired support to be provided by the platform element, in generally known manner, and the transverse supporting wires 3 are interconnected at their mid points by means of a central longitudinal cord 4 penetrated by the wires 3.
A seat frame is indicated diagramatically at 5 and the platform element is suspended in the seat frame by means of wire links 6 tensioned between the side rails 1 and the seat frame 5. The wire links 6 are also angled to allow limited resilient extension thereof, as shown in FIG. 1A which is a detailed plan view of a
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Cuomo Peter M.
White Rodney B.
Youngflex AG
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