Chairs and seats – Bottom or back with means to alter contour – Providing support for lower back region
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-25
2001-10-09
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Bottom or back with means to alter contour
Providing support for lower back region
C297SDIG003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299250
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a contour-adjustable seat, in particular a vehicle seat.
2. Description of Related Art
A known vehicle seat of this general type is disclosed in German DE 195 34 660 C1 in which three air cushions in the seat's lordosis region of the backrest are arranged one above another. The three air cushions are activated separately by an operating control device in order to provide a desired seat contour in the backrest region. The operating control device has: a first button for increasing air pressure; a second button for decreasing air pressure; and a switch for selecting a region or one of the air cushions to be adjusted. Also, a pair of air cushions in the shoulder region of the backrest can be selected in addition to one of the three air cushions in the backrest. In order to produce a desired seat contour in the lordosis region, the pressure in the air cushions is changed cyclically, in a time-shifting process, in accordance with a specified pressure characteristic running periodically between a maximum pressure and a minimum pressure. In other words, pressure activation of the next adjacent air cushion begins at or before the minimum pressure is reached in the adjacent preceding air cushion.
Another known vehicle seat of this general type is disclosed in German DE 43 31 663 C1 in which the operating control device utilizes a pressure-selecting rocker switch and a continuous-flow type switch. The continuous-flow type switch is used to select that seat region in which a contour adjustment is desired. By pressing the rocker switch into one of two directions, the air pressure in the selected cushion is increased or decreased. Accordingly, the seat cushion is altered so the seatback contour and the seat support is changed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a simple contour-adjustment in the lordosis region of the backrest by a logical operation of the operating control device.
An advantageous feature is that the user of the control device has an option of using one pair of buttons to preselect a desired distribution of air pressure into any number of the separate air cushions within the lordosis region of the backrest to set a desired lordosis contour thereof. The user may then operate a second pair of buttons to change the intensity of the backrest's degree of curvature. During this distribution of pressure to the air cushions, the filling pressure directed to the air cushions is not provided at a maximum filling pressure, but is only provided to an extent sufficient to make the user or person sitting in the seat aware of a point of pressure exerted at a particular desired position. This individual point of pressure or “detected” contour can then be adjusted or fine tuned by pressing the other pair of instruction buttons which either increases or decreases cushion pressure. In this manner, the exact degree of curvature of the contour profile is increased or reduced but the previously set contour profile is not changed. According to the invention, a very simple and yet orthopedically effective change in contour distribution can be achieved without the user having to perform a multiplicity of adjustments of the operating control device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4655505 (1987-04-01), Kashiwamura et al.
patent: 5005904 (1991-04-01), Clemens et al.
patent: 5152579 (1992-10-01), Bishai
patent: 5678891 (1997-10-01), O'Neill et al.
patent: 5893609 (1999-04-01), Schmidt
Orizaris Vasilios
Schrader Jurgen
Schröder Wolfram
Crowell & Moring LLP
Daimler-Chrysler AG
Jr. Milton Nelson
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