Lear Corporation

Zouzal, Winsen C.

Winsen C Zouzal

Ashford Allen Galbreath

Gerald Patrick

Michelle A Pereny

Walter T Cichocki

Thomas S Hicks

Gerald Steven Locke

Asad S Ali

Terry R O'Bannon

Jennifer Badgley

Richard L Harbaugh

Samuel R Hanlon

Ted Smith

Karl Henn

Mark Weaver

Kim Krulek

Aisha Enid Johnson

A seatback assembly is provided having a thoracic support structure. The thoracic support structure includes a center portion extending in an upright direction and is adapted to be positioned adjacent the seatback to align adjacent a thoracic region a user's spine. The center portion is formed of a first foam material having a first hardness. A pair of side portions are disposed adjacent to and connected with the center portion. The side portions are formed of a second foam material having a second hardness. The first hardness is greater than the second hardness for providing support to the user's spine. An adjustment mechanism is connected to the thoracic support structure for positioning the support structure along the seatback so that the center portion provides support to at least a portion of the thoracic region of the user's spine.

Thoracic region comfort seating system

A seat air bladder assembly is provided with at least one central air bladder region having a support surface. At least one pair of lateral air bladder regions extend from opposed sides of the at least one central bladder region. The at least one pair of lateral air bladder regions are oriented at a non-zero angle to incline laterally and support a thoracic region of a seat occupant. A seat assembly is provided with a seat back with a contact surface with a thoracic region. An air bladder assembly is oriented within the thoracic region of the seat back with a support surface that is reclined relative to the contact surface to provide support, and wedge-shaped so that during inflation the air bladder assembly inflates in an upward and forward direction relative to the seat back.

Thoracic air bladder assembly

A thoracic support for a seat back of a seat is provided. The thoracic support structure is pivotally attached to the seat back and pivots between a first position and a second position. In the second position the support structure supports at least a portion of the thoracic region of the user's spine. An actuator disposed between a support surface and the support structure pivots the support structure from the first position to the second position upon actuation.

A vehicle seat is provided, in at least one embodiment, comprising a seatback comprising a cushion having a first hardness, and a pneumatic thoracic support structure positioned adjacent the cushion. In at least one embodiment, the pneumatic thoracic support structure comprises a first bladder selectively inflatable to provide a first area having a second hardness higher than the first hardness, with the first area being disposed along a thoracic region of a user's spine when a user is seated in the seat to provide support to at least a portion of the thoracic region of the user's spine.

Thoracic region comfort vehicle seating system with pneumatic adjustment

A thoracic support for a seatback of a seat is provided. The thoracic support has a center portion extending in an upright direction and adapted to be positioned adjacent the seatback to align adjacent a thoracic region a user's spine and having a first hardness. A pair of side portions are each disposed on opposing lateral sides of the center portion. The side portions have a second hardness less than the first hardness of the center portion. The pair of side portions and the center portion to define a smooth forward support surface.

A seat assembly is provided with a seat bottom and a seat back mounted adjacent the bottom. The seat back and seat bottom are provided with an occupant seating surface. At least one air bladder is oriented in a sacral region the seat bottom or the seat back. The air bladder has a support surface defined by a enlarged width portion and extends to an elongated tapered portion. When the air bladder is inflated, the support surface is inclined from the taper portion to the enlarged width portion relative to the seating surface.

Sacral air bladder assembly

A seat assembly is provided with a seat cushion and a pivotal seat back. Sensors are connected to the seat cushion and/or the seat back to detect a seating position. An actuator is connected to the seat cushion and/or the seat back for adjustment. A controller is configured to receive data from the plurality sensors, compare the data to determine if the occupant is seated evenly, and adjust the actuator to balance the occupant posture seating position. The controller is in electrical communication with an inflation device to inflate a first air bladder assembly in a thoracic region of the seat back. A second air bladder assembly oriented in a lumbar region, a sacrum region, and/or a scapular region of the seat back is inflated after initiating inflation of the first air bladder assembly for sequential posture alignment.

Adjustable seat assembly

An air bladder assembly for a seat comprising is provided. A central sacral bladder has a support surface defined by an enlarged width portion connected to an elongated tapered portion, wherein the tapered portion is defined by elongated lateral sides. A pair of side iliac bladders is provided so that one of the side bladders is positioned adjacent each of the elongated sides of the central bladder. A support surface of the central air bladder is not parallel to a support surface of the side air bladders when the air bladder assembly is inflated.

Pelvic and sacral bladder assembly

A vehicle seating assembly is provided. The seat assembly includes a front seat assembly having a front seat bottom adapted to be mounted to the vehicle body and a front seat back adapted to be mounted to the vehicle body adjacent to the front seat bottom. A sensor cooperates with at least one of the front seat bottom and the front seat back. An actuator is disposed on at least one of the seat bottom and seat back. The seat assembly includes a rear seat assembly behind the front seat assembly. A vehicle seat controller receives an input indicative of a rear occupant seated information and convey a signal to an actuator to move a front seat assembly to an accommodation position in response to the input.

Vehicle seat assembly and method of occupant accommodation

A thoracic support for a seatback of a seat is provided. The thoracic support includes a center portion extending in an upright direction and adapted to be positioned adjacent the seatback to align adjacent a thoracic region a user's spine. The center portion is formed of a first foam material having a first hardness. A pair of side portions each disposed adjacent to and are connected with the center portion. The side portions are formed of a second foam material having a second hardness. The first hardness is greater than the second hardness so that the center portion provides support to at least a portion of the thoracic region of the user's spine.

A seat assembly is provided with a seat bottom and a seat back mounted adjacent the bottom. A first actuator is operably connected to the seat back for applying a first pressure to a seated occupant at a first height. A second actuator is laterally offset from the first actuator and operably connected to the seat back for applying a second pressure to the occupant at a second height. The first and second actuators are operable to provide an asymmetric comfort position to the occupant. The asymmetric comfort position may set the first pressure different than the second pressure or set the first height different than the second height.

An air bladder system is provided with a pair of lateral spaced apart air bladder assemblies, each provided with a primary region received in a seat bottom of a seat assembly. The primary region is expandable in a height direction to support a pelvis of an occupant. A secondary region extends from the primary region and is expandable for angular adjustment relative to the primary region to support a femur of the occupant. A plurality of sensors detects a seating position of an occupant. A controller is in electrical communication with the sensors and the air bladder assemblies. The controller is configured to receive data from the plurality of sensors. The data is compared to determine if the occupant is seated evenly. At least one of the air bladder assemblies is adjusted to balance an uneven left-to-right occupant seating position.

Air bladder assembly for seat bottoms of seat assemblies

A thoracic support assembly for a seat back of a seat assembly. The thoracic support assembly may include a cover and a thoracic support pad. The thoracic support pad may be movable with respect to the cover and may be configured to support at least a portion of a thoracic region of a user's spine.

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Detroit, MI, United States of America

Winsen C Zouzal