Chairs and seats – Bottom or back with means to alter contour – Providing support for the sides of a seated occupant
Patent
1998-04-06
1999-11-02
Nelson, Jr., Milton
Chairs and seats
Bottom or back with means to alter contour
Providing support for the sides of a seated occupant
2972841, A47C 3025
Patent
active
059756330
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a motor vehicle seat with side supports of seat components which are arranged so as to be movable relative to one another and which are adjustable by means of an adjusting device. These components form adjustable seat contours.
Known seats have a number of static adjusting capabilities in order to adapt the seat position and the seat contour to the individual dimensions of the occupant's body. Adjustable shoulder supports in the shoulder region are known which permit the shoulder region to be turned around the transverse axis of the vehicle.
If the vehicle is driven through a curve, the occupant is urged out of the seat away from the curve midpoint. Known solutions to this problem provide, as auxiliary support, side supports in the lower region of the seatrest but these cannot effectively support the relatively large masses of the occupant's upper body and head. In addition to this, with these known embodiments, high local pressure occurs on the side support because the contour of the occupant's back and the contour of the seatrest when loaded transversely to the direction of movement are very different from one another. An additional problem for the driver is that, when driving round a curve, he loses the contact with the shoulder region of the seat on the side away from the curve midpoint because of the steering motion, whilst on the other side of the seat-rest movement is restricted because the shoulder region hampers backwards movement of the shoulder and elbow region.
Proceeding from this state of the art, the object under-lying the invention is to provide a motor vehicle seat which, in dependence on the respective state of motion and acceleration permits dynamic adaptation of the seat for the seat user and therefore alleviates the load on him. An object along these lines is achieved by a motor vehicle seat comprising the features of claim 1.
Because of the fact that, according to the characterising part of claim 1, the state of motion of the vehicle may be detected by means of a detection device which causes the adjusting device to control at least one side support, via at least one actuator, in such a way that, when there is transverse acceleration during the driving process, the load on the seat user is alleviated, a motor vehicle seat is provided which, in dependence on the state of side acceleration, permits dynamic adaptation of the respective side support, especially of a shoulder support surface for the seat user and alleviates the load on him.
Thus it is possible for the contact area of the occupant's shoulders to follow the occupant's body and steering motion when driving round curves, an additional support being possible in the lower region of the seat-rest during side acceleration. In addition, it is possible to create additional movement space for the driver when driving round curves by turning away the shoulder rest on the side of the seat facing the curve midpoint.
Further advantageous embodiments of the motor vehicle seat according to the invention are the subject matter of the subclaims.
The dynamic adjusting device described in greater detail below is suitable not only for the backrest of a motor vehicle seat but, rather, can also be used additionally or alternatively for the seat portion or the headrest.
An embodiment of the motor vehicle seat with adjusting device is described in greater detail below with reference to a backrest according to the drawing.
The figures show, in schematic view and not to scale:
FIG. 1 a front view of a backrest,
FIG. 2 a section along line II--II in FIG. 1, enlarged;
FIG. 3 a section along line III--III in FIG. 1, enlarged;
FIG. 4 a section along line IV--IV in FIG. 1, enlarged.
In FIG. 1 a backrest 10 of a motor vehicle seat, not shown in greater detail, is shown in a basic schematic view, seen from the front. The backrest can have centrally a rigid or movable backrest region 12 as well as a side support 14 on each side at the edge. To adjust the side support 14, there is provided in each case, in the region of the backrest 12
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Groche Peter
Walk Hansjorg
Jr. Milton Nelson
Lear Corporation
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