Chairs and seats – Bottom or back with means to alter contour – Providing support for lower back region
Patent
1994-02-03
1995-11-21
Dorner, Kenneth J.
Chairs and seats
Bottom or back with means to alter contour
Providing support for lower back region
29745252, 297215, A47C 300
Patent
active
054680484
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a seat back with an adjustable support and in the preferred embodiment provides a seat back suitable for use in a vehicle seat in which the adjustable support is in the lumbar region.
2. The Prior Art
Within the automotive industry considerable effort has been expended in recent years in the improvement of the comfort of vehicle seats. Particular attention has been paid to providing support for the lower back (usually referred to as the "lumbar region") of the user. With a view to accommodating the requirements of a wide range of potential users of the vehicle seat, it has proved to be desirable to provide for adjustable lumbar support.
Adjustable lumbar supports presently available either involve the use of a selectively inflatable bladder incorporated within the seat back, or involve the use of some mechanical adjustment which is effective to thrust the seat back forward (i.e. towards the user) when firmer lumbar support is required. Although the systems utilizing inflatable bladders have been found to be very satisfactory, they are relatively expensive to provide and their use tends to be limited to relatively expensive vehicles. Existing mechanically adjustable lumbar supports which would be acceptable on a cost basis for less expensive vehicles are, however, less than satisfactory. In particular, in such designs some form of rigid bar or plate spans the width of the back support in the lumbar region. Increasing the degree of lumbar support thrusts this bar or plate forward, and whilst this does increase the pressure applied to the back of the user of the seat, the presence of an essentially rigid bar or plate has been found to be uncomfortable by users of the seat when the system is adjusted to provide a substantial degree of lumbar support.
The present invention provides a mechanically adjustable lumbar support which can be manufactured economically and which does not involve the use of any rigid bar or plate which is thrust forward to increase the degree of lumbar support provided by the seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a seat back including a rigid frame between the opposite sides of which is supported a flexible panel, the marginal regions of the panel adjacent the sides of the frame being provided with pockets in which are located the central regions of respective wire or strip springs, the end regions of each spring extending outwardly from its respective pocket and rearwardly of the seat in a curve; an upper cross member located rearwardly of the panel and interconnecting the upper curved regions of each spring; a lower cross member located rearwardly of the panel and interconnecting the lower curved regions of the springs; and means for forcing the cross members towards each other whereby the central regions of the springs are urged to bow towards the user of the seat and thereby increase the force which the panel located between the central regions of the springs applies to the back of the user.
In use of the invention, reducing the spacing between the cross members causes the springs to bow in the forward direction of the seat and increase the force which the panel applies (indirectly) to the back of the user. However, no bar or plate is utilized to force the padding material of the seat cover forwardly and accordingly there is no "hard" bar or plate which the user of the seat can feel.
The panel may be of any suitable material, for example of a rubber, or fabric, or of a rubber/fabric composite. In the particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the material is a rubber/fabric composite as described in our patent GB-A-1500725. This material has proved particularly comfortable in use.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention a single panel of material spans the full height of the seat back. The lower portion of the panel is provided with springs, etc., in accordance with the invention, whilst the upper portion of the panel is supported
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patent: 5335965 (1994-08-01), Sessni
Clemens Clive
Wain Robert E.
Barfield Anthony D.
Dorner Kenneth J.
Pirelli Tyres Limited
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