Leggett & Platt Canada Co.

Schukra of North America

L&p Property Management Company

Schukra of North America Co.

Schukra North America

Horia Blendea

Robert J McMillen

Renato Colja

Paul Tindall

Wade O'Moore

Guilherme Hartenberg Watson

Joseph Benson

Robert Kopetzky

Jintao Liu

Milosz Niec

Ed Dornan

Xiao Ming Zhao

Maxime Samain

Xinde Liang

Stephen M Certossi

Iulian Mitea

John Knelsen

Alan C Prettyman

Yang Cao

Sigurd Sturm

Hans Kogel

Katherine Arthurs

Krzysztof Zulauf

Jianlin Zhang

Christian Fiedler

Martin Kalmutzki

Bradley Michael James Morris

Wade O'MOORE

A pump assembly includes a pneumatic pump with a pump body having a discharge passage. The pump is operable to discharge compressed air through the discharge passage. The pump assembly also includes a cap adjacent the pump body and at least partially enclosing a first volume in communication with the discharge passage, and a casing at least partially surrounding the pump. The pump assembly further includes a second volume defined between the casing and the cap, the second volume in fluid communication with the first volume via an opening in the cap, and a casing outlet in fluid communication with the second volume. The pump assembly is configured such that the compressed air flows through the first volume and the second volume before being discharged from the casing through the casing outlet.

Pump noise attenuator and method thereof

A pump assembly includes a pump with a pump body having a discharge passage, a motor operable to drive the pump to discharge compressed air through the discharge passage, a casing at least partially surrounding the pump and the motor, and a motor mount at least partially supporting the motor within the casing. The motor mount includes an outer axial wall, an inner axial wall, a radial wall extending between the outer axial wall and the inner axial wall, a first plurality of projections extending from the radial wall toward the motor, and a second plurality of projections extending from the radial wall away from the motor.

A pneumatic system includes a fluidic switching module, an air connection inlet configured for connection to a source of pressurized air, a plurality of air connection outlets each in fluid communication with the air connection inlet, a first cascading subsystem downstream from and in fluid communication with the air connection inlet and configured to receive a pressurized airflow from the air connection inlet, a second cascading subsystem downstream from and in fluid communication with the first cascading subsystem, and a third cascading subsystem downstream from and in fluid communication with the first cascading subsystem. The fluidic switching module is configured to cyclically and sequentially direct the pressurized airflow between the plurality of air connection outlets without any moving parts or external controls.

Pneumatic massage

A pneumatic massage system includes a source of pressurized air, a fluidic switching module in communication with the source of pressurized air, a first bladder in communication with the fluidic switching module, a second bladder in communication with the fluidic switching module, and a third bladder in communication with the fluidic switching module. The fluidic switching module is configured to direct air from the source of pressurized air to each of the first bladder, the second bladder, and the third bladder in a predefined sequence. The predefined sequence includes inflating the first bladder, inflating the second bladder while deflating the first bladder, and inflating the third bladder while deflating the second bladder.

Pneumatic massage system

A pneumatic module has an air passage formed therein, including an air inlet to receive a source of pressurized air, a first subsystem with an air splitter in fluid communication with the air inlet, a second subsystem, and a third subsystem. The air splitter is configured to create two unequal air pressure fields to deflect an airflow from the air inlet to the second subsystem. The second subsystem is configured to create two unequal air pressure fields to deflect the airflow toward a first air bladder to inflate the first air bladder, and when the first air bladder reaches a first threshold air pressure, a first backpressure from the first air bladder causes the second subsystem to switch and deflect the air flow to a second air bladder. A second backpressure causes the air splitter to switch and deflect the airflow from the second subsystem to the third subsystem.

A pneumatic system includes a passage to discharge compressed air and a sound attenuator including a first chamber in fluid communication with the passage and defined by a first wall through which the passage opens into the first chamber, a first surface of a second wall spaced from and opposite the first wall, and a sidewall extending between the first and second walls. The first chamber has a volume and includes a first opening in the sidewall. A second chamber is in fluid communication with the first opening and partially surrounds the first chamber. The second chamber is partially defined by a second surface of the second wall opposite the first surface and by the sidewall, and the second chamber has a volume and includes a second opening to exhaust air from the second chamber. The volume of the first chamber is less than that of the second chamber.

A fluidic switching module body defining an inlet passage, a first nozzle in fluid communication with the inlet passage, an air splitter in fluid communication with the first nozzle, and a first transfer passage in fluid communication with a first side of the air splitter. A second transfer passage is in fluid communication with a second side of the air splitter, a second nozzle is in fluid communication with the first transfer passage, and a second air splitter is in fluid communication with the second nozzle. A first bladder passage is in fluid communication with a first side of the second air splitter, and a second bladder passage is in fluid communication with a second side of the second air splitter. A first vent passage is in fluid communication with the first bladder passage, and a second vent passage is in fluid communication with the second bladder passage.

A pneumatic system includes a fluidic switching module having an air passage and a vent in fluid communication with the air passage. The pneumatic system also includes a sound attenuator coupled to the fluidic switching module, the sound attenuator having a first chamber in fluid communication with the vent, a first orifice in fluid communication with the vent via the first chamber, a second chamber in fluid communication with the first chamber via the first orifice, and a second orifice in fluid communication with the first orifice via the second chamber.

A valve () includes a housing () and the fluid port (). A plunger () is configured to seal the fluid port () in a first position () and to unseal the fluid port () in a second position and to displace along a displacement direction () from its first position () towards its second position. The valve () also includes at least one shape memory alloy, SMA, actuator () extending along the displacement direction () for at least 50% of its length and configured to exert an actuation force () on the plunger () to displace the plunger () from the first position () towards the second position.

Valve with shape memory alloy wire

A lumbar support system for a seat backrest, the lumbar support system includes a carrier having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The carrier is movable with respect to the seat backrest in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction. The lumbar support system further includes a first bladder coupled to the first end of the carrier, a second bladder coupled to the second end of the carrier, and a third bladder coupled to the carrier. The third bladder has a contact surface and is configured to move with the carrier. The first bladder is inflatable to move the carrier in the first direction, and the second bladder is inflatable to move the carrier in the second direction. The third bladder is inflatable such that the contact surface is extendable in a third direction.

Pneumatic four way lumbar

A lumbar support system for a seat backrest includes a fixed frame and a flexmat coupled to the fixed frame. The flexmat includes first and second outer wires and a plurality of transverse wires extending between the outer wires. A support element is coupled to a lower portion of the flexmat below the plurality of transverse wires for concurrent movement with the flexmat from a first position to a second position. The support element is anatomically contoured for lumbar and pelvic support, and the support element is constructed of a more rigid material than the flexmat.

Lumbar support system

An actuator includes a motor, a gear assembly, a pulley selectively rotatable about an axis by the motor via the gear assembly, at least one biasing member, a first cable connected at one end to the pulley, and a second cable connected at one end to the pulley. The pulley is rotatable in a first pulley direction to a first actuation position to increase tension in the first cable and is rotatable in a second pulley direction opposite the first pulley direction to a second actuation position to increase tension in the second cable. The at least one biasing member is operable to bias the pulley in the second pulley direction when the pulley is in the first actuation position and to bias the pulley in the first pulley direction when in the pulley is the second actuation position.

Dual actuator

A method for configuring a controller to operate a motor to position a seat, in which the controller includes an integrated current sensor and the seat includes a latch operatively coupled to the motor, includes determining an operating profile of the motor under one or more operating conditions, wherein the operating profile represents motor current values during activation of the latch, and wherein the activation of the latch includes at least one latch pulling condition and one latch release condition. The method further includes analyzing the operating profile in order to correlate the profile to the position of the latch. The method also includes loading the controller with instructions to enable comparison of a real-time current measured by the integrated current sensor to the stored operating profile, wherein the analysis enables determination of the latch condition in real-time.

System and method for sensorless remote release actuating system

An adjustable support system for a seat having a fixed frame includes a support movable from a first position to a second position relative to the frame. An actuator is coupled to only the support and is configured to move the support between the first and second positions. A member is operatively associated with and movable by the actuator. A flexible cable has a first end coupled to the member for travel along the length of the member and a second end coupled to the fixed frame such that movement of the member by the actuator causes the flexible cable to move the support between the first position and the second position.

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LaSalle, Canada

Horia Blendea