FR2994073A1 - Cushion for seat e.g. folding seat, of automobile, has deformable envelope containing air, and actuators intended to move support elements relative to envelope, where support elements exert pressure on envelope - Google Patents

Abstract

The cushion (12) has a deformable envelope (22) containing a fluid i.e. air (24), and actuators (34, 36, 38, 40) intended to move support elements relative to the envelope, where the support elements exert a pressure on the envelope. The envelope is closed and sealed, where the support elements include rods (30, 32) movable in translation relative to the envelope. The envelope rests against a rigid support (26), where a portion of the envelope is sandwiched between the rigid support and the support elements. An independent claim is also included for a method for controlling the cushion.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cushion, in particular a motor vehicle seat cushion, comprising a device for improving the comfort of the person sitting on the cushion. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART There are seat cushions comprising devices for reducing the fatigue of the person occupying the seat. For example, US 5 155 685 discloses a seat comprising pockets distributed in the seat and the seat back. These pockets may be more or less inflated to change the shape of the seat according to the morphology of the person occupying the seat. In addition, the inflatable bags can be inflated and deflated cyclically to achieve a massage effect of the person occupying the seat. A disadvantage of the device described in US 5 155 685 is that the position of the inflatable pockets in the seat or seat back is fixed. As a result, the possibilities of modifying the shape of the seat or the backrest of the seat are limited by the provision of the inflatable pockets. In addition, massage movements can be obtained only by the inflating and deflating repeated and synchronized several inflatable pockets. The control of the inflating and deflating means of the pockets thus becomes complex as soon as several inflatable pockets participate in the massage movements.

Summary An object of an embodiment according to the invention of a cushion, in particular a seat cushion, comprising a device for improving the comfort, also called a relaxation device, of the person seated on the cushion is to overcome the less in part the disadvantages of the cushions described above. According to another object of an embodiment of a cushion according to the invention, the shape of the cushion can be adapted precisely to the morphology of the person sitting on the cushion. According to another object of a cushion embodiment according to the invention, an adjustable intensity massage of the person sitting on the cushion can be obtained. According to another object of a cushion embodiment according to the invention, the comfort enhancing device has a simple structure. For this purpose, an embodiment of the present invention provides a cushion incorporating a deformable casing containing a fluid and at least one actuator adapted to move a bearing member relative to the casing. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the support element exerts a pressure on the envelope. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the envelope is closed and sealed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the support member comprises a rod movable relative to the envelope. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the rod is movable in translation relative to the casing.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cushion further comprises an additional support element delimiting, with the support element, a convex portion of the envelope.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cushion further comprises an additional actuator adapted to move the additional support member relative to the envelope. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cushion further comprises an inflatable pocket. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cushion further comprises a rigid support, the envelope being in abutment against the rigid support, a portion of the envelope being sandwiched between the rigid support and the support. support element. Another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a seat comprising a cushion as defined above. Another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a cushion control method as hereinbefore defined, including operating the actuator to move the bearing member relative to the casing. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the support member is moved in a repetition of a succession of motions. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the casing is disposed in a seat seat and the convex portion is repeatedly moved between the front and rear 30 of the seat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects, features, and advantages will be set forth in detail in the following description of particular embodiments in a nonlimiting manner in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: FIGS. 1 and 2 are two perspective views, partial and schematic, of two embodiments of a seat comprising a relaxation device according to the invention; Figures 3, 4 and 5 are perspective views 5 with sectional, partial and schematic views of the relaxation device shown in Figure 1 in three operating configurations; and FIGS. 6 and 7 are partial sectional and diagrammatic views of the relaxation device shown in FIG. 1 at two different positions during a massage operation of the person occupying the seat. For the sake of clarity, the same elements have been designated by the same references in the various figures and, in addition, the various figures are not drawn to scale. Detailed Description In the rest of the description, the terms "substantially", "about" and "of the order of" mean "to within 10%". In addition, only the elements necessary for understanding the invention will be described and shown in the figures. In particular, the frame and seat trim have not been shown in detail. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a seat 10 according to the invention, in particular a motor vehicle seat comprising a seat cushion 12 and a backrest cushion 14, the backrest being able to be articulated with respect to the seat . The contours of the cushions 12, 14 of the seat and back are shown in dashed lines in Figures 1 and 2. In known manner, the seat and the backrest may comprise an armature and one or more cushions. For example, each cushion comprises a padding at least partially covering the frame and a cap covering at least partially the padding and in contact with the person occupying the seat 10. The seat 10 comprises a device 16 for relaxation of the person occupying the seat 10. The device 16 35 comprises a first device 18 for modifying the shape of the seat 10 and a second device 20 for modifying the shape of the seat 10. In the present embodiment, the first device 18 is arranged in the cushion 12 of the seat and the second device 20 is disposed in the cushion 14 of the folder. Alternatively, device 20 may not be present. The device 18 comprises a sealed envelope 22, substantially sealed, containing a non-zero volume of a fluid 24. The envelope 22 may be at least partly covered by the padding and the cap of the cushion 12 of the seat or be directly in contact with the cap of the cushion 12 of the seat. The envelope 22 is made of a flexible material so that it can be deformed. In addition, the material constituting the envelope 22 is preferably elastic. By way of example, the envelope 22 is made of a plastic material, for example polyurethane. The fluid may be in the form of gas, liquid, or gel. Preferably, the fluid is in the form of gas. As a preferred example, the fluid is air. Preferably, the volume of fluid 24 in the envelope 22 is substantially constant.

When a force is exerted on the envelope 22, it tends to deform as a whole by displacement of the fluid it contains. The device 18 further comprises a system 25 for deforming the envelope 22. The system 25 comprises a rigid support 26 against which the envelope 22 is held. The rigid support 26, shown schematically in FIG. correspond to a portion of the frame of the seat. The face of the support 26 against which the casing 22 is held may be flat or correspond to a curved surface. Preferably, it is a flat surface. Maintaining the envelope 22 against the support 26 is obtained by two parallel rods 30, 32 which also shape the envelope 22. Alternatively, the rods 30 and 32 may have a curved shape.

Each rod 30, 32 can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the seat, represented by a double-headed line 33 in FIG. 1, by means of actuators 34, 36, 38, 40. By way of example, the actuators 34 and 36 are attached to the ends of the rod 30 and the actuators 38 and 40 are attached to the ends of the rod 32. The parallel rods 30, 32 can be moved independently of one another. The actuators 34, 38 are adapted to slide on a rod 42 extending in the longitudinal direction of the seat 10 and the actuators 36, 40 are adapted to slide on a rod 44 parallel to the rod 42. The device 20 comprises pockets inflatable 46, 48, 50 located in the cushion 14 of the folder. For example, the inflatable pocket 46 is disposed in the region of the backrest 15 located at the cervical vertebrae of the person occupying the seat 10, the inflatable pocket 48 is disposed in the region of the folder located at the level of the dorsal vertebrae of the person occupying the seat 10 and the inflatable pocket 50 is disposed in the region of the backrest located at the lumbar vertebrae of the person occupying the seat 10. The device 20 comprises an inflation module 52, adapted to provide air each inflatable pocket 46, 48, 50 through lines 54, 56, 58. Valves 60, 62, 64 are arranged on the lines 54, 56, 58. It may be 25 variable flow valves . The relaxation device 16 comprises a control module 66, comprising for example a microcontroller, connected to the actuators 34, 36, 38 and 40 and the valves 60, 62, 64. The control module 66 can be housed at least partly in seat 10. The control module 66 is connected to a user interface 68. For example, the interface 68 includes switches that can be manipulated by the person occupying the seat 10. The interface 68 may be a voice-activated interface. In addition, the interface 68 may include a touch screen. The interface 68 may be housed at least in part in a not shown armrest of the seat 10. The module 66 is adapted to control the start and stop of each actuator 34, 36, 38, 40 and the opening and the closing of each valve 60, 62, 64. Depending on the signals transmitted by the control module 66, each rod 30, 32 can be moved in the longitudinal direction 33 of the seat 10 and the pockets 46, 48, 50 can be more or less swollen. Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the invention in which the device 18 is located at the cushion 14 of the backrest, while the inflatable pockets 48 and 50 are located at the cushion 12 of the seat. The rigid support 26 of the device 18 may correspond, in this case, to a portion of the frame of the folder. For example, the inflatable pocket 48 is disposed in the region of the seat located at the proximal portion of the thighs of the person occupying the seat 10 and the inflatable pocket 50 is disposed in the region of the seat located at the distal part of the thighs of the person occupying the seat 10.

Alternatively, the device 16 according to the invention may comprise both a copy of the device 18 at the cushion 12 of the seat and a copy of the device 18 at the cushion 14 of the folder. Figure 3 is a perspective sectional view illustrating the operating principle of the device 18 according to one embodiment of the invention. In Figure 3, the actuators 34, 36, 38, 40 and the rods 42, 44 are not shown. Each rod 30, 32 presses locally on the envelope 22 and holds it locally in contact with the support 26. The support is exerted by each rod 30, 32 over the entire width of the envelope 22 so that the envelope 22 is continuously divided into three zones A, B and C. The zone A corresponds to the portion of the envelope 22 which extends between one end 72 of the envelope 22 and the rod 30. The zone B corresponds to the portion of the casing 22 extending between the rod 30 and the rod 32 and the zone C corresponds to the portion of the casing 22 which extends between the rod 32 and the opposite end 74 of the casing 22. lengths of the zones A, B, C, measured in the longitudinal direction 33 of the seat 10, vary according to the positions of the rods 30 and 32. The majority of the fluid 24 is confined in the zone B of the casing 22. The nipping exerted each rod 30, 32 is sufficient to substantially prevent the passage of fluid from zone B to zone A or to zone C. The envelope 22 thus comprises a convex portion 76 at the zone B. The convex portion 76 comprises a thickness E measured between the support 26 and the top 78 of the convex portion 76. The position of the vertex 78 with respect to the end 72 is indicated by the distance X. The distance X defines the "position" in the longitudinal direction 33 of the curved portion 76. By moving each rod 30, 32 in the longitudinal direction 33, the following effects can be obtained: displacement of the vertex 78 of the convex portion 76 in the longitudinal direction 33 of the seat 10, that is to say, modification of the position X of the convex portion 76; and / or modification of the thickness E of the curved portion 72. FIG. 4 is a figure similar to FIG. 3 when the rods 30 and 32 are spaced from each other from the positions shown in FIG. The thickness E 'of the curved portion 76 shown in FIG. 4 is smaller than the thickness E of the curved portion 76 shown in FIG. 3. In addition, if the spacing of the rods 30, 32 is substantially symmetrically formed, the position X of the convex portion 76 is substantially the same in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 5 is a figure similar to FIG. 3 when the stems 30 and 32 are brought closer to one another from the positions shown in FIG. 3. The thickness E "of the curved portion 76 shown in FIG. 5 is greater than the thickness E of the curved portion 76 shown in FIG.

In addition, if the approximation of the rods 30, 32 is made substantially symmetrically, the position X of the convex portion 76 is substantially the same in Figures 3 and 5. The modification of the thickness E of the curved portion 76 is translated by a perception more or less marked by the person occupying the seat 10 of a bump in the cushion 12 of the seat for the embodiment shown in Figure 1 or in the cushion 14 of the folder for the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and the modification of the position X of the convex portion 76 results in a modification of the position of the boss perceived by the person occupying the seat 10. When the two rods 30 and 32 are moved parallel to one another other in the same direction at the same speed, for example from the position shown in FIG. 3, this results in a modification of the position X of the convex portion 76, without the thickness E of the portion b ombée 76 is not modified. According to one embodiment of the invention, the person occupying the seat can choose, through the interface 68, the position and the thickness of the convex portion 76. Preferably, the person occupying the seat 10 can choose the position of the convex portion 76 and the thickness of the convex portion 76 independently of one another. The person occupying the seat can, in addition, through the interface 68, adjust the volume of the pockets 46, 48, 50, possibly independently of each other. According to another embodiment of the invention, the processing module 66 may comprise sequences of instructions stored in memory which correspond to control sequences of the device 18 and / or the device 20. For the device 20, a sequence can control a succession of inflation and deflation of one of the pockets 46, 48, 50 or more than one pocket 46, 48, 50. For the device 18, a sequence can control a succession of movements of the rods 30 , 32.

A sequence may comprise the repetition of commands, for example the periodic inflation and deflation of at least one pocket 46, 48, 50 and / or at least one rod 30, 32. FIGS. In the diagrammatic figures, a part a movement of and return from to and 7 illustrate an example of sequence 30, 32 of the device 18 shown at 6 and 7, there is shown, in Figure 80, the basin 82 part of the femur 84 and part of the vertebral column 86 of the person occupying the seat 10. Diagram 87 of the cushion 12 of the seat cushion and a portion of the padding 88 of the cushion have also been shown schematically. 12 of the seat covering the envelope 22. According to this example sequence, each rod 30 and 32 is moved in a back and forth motion. The two rods 30 and 32 are permanently moved in the same direction. The displacement of the convex portion 76 is thus obtained between a first extreme rear position, represented in FIG. 6, and an extreme forward position, represented in FIG. 7. By way of example, the distance between the rods 30 and 32 is maintained 20 substantially constant during the displacement of the rods 30, 32 so that the thickness E of the curved portion 76 remains substantially constant. When the convex portion 76 is in the extreme rear position, this promotes anteversion movement of the pelvis 82 of the person occupying the seat 10, as represented by the arrows 89 in FIG. 6. When the convex portion 76 is brought into extreme front position, this favors a retroversion movement of the pelvis 82, as represented by the arrows 90 in FIG. 7. The alternating displacement of the convex portion 76 between the extreme rear position and the extreme front position results in an alternation This movement promotes the relaxation of the person occupying the seat 10, in particular by improving his breathing capacity blood circulation. In addition, the inflation of the pockets 46, 48, 50 can be adapted to the position of the convex portion 76. By way of example, the volume of the pocket 46, situated for example at the level of the cervical vertebrae of the person occupying the seat 10, can remain substantially constant. The volume of the pocket 48, situated for example at the level of the dorsal vertebrae of the person occupying the seat, can vary between a minimum volume when the convex portion 76 is in extreme rear position and a maximum volume when the convex portion 76 is in position extreme before. The volume of the pocket 50, situated for example at the level of the lumbar vertebrae of the person occupying the seat 10, can vary between a maximum volume when the convex portion 76 is in extreme rear position and a minimum volume when the convex portion 76 is in extreme forward position. This further promotes the movement of the pelvis 82 of the person occupying the seat 10. Particular embodiments of the present invention have been described. Various variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In particular, although embodiments have been described in which the shaping device 18 is located in a cushion in the central position of the seat or the back of a seat, it is clear that the present invention can be implementation for any type of seat cushion, including a cushion in the lateral position of the seat or the backrest of a seat or a cushion headrest. In addition, although embodiments have been described in the context of a motor vehicle seat comprising a seat and a backrest, it is clear that the present invention can be implemented for any type of seat, including a stool or a jump seat. In addition, although embodiments have been described in the case where the envelope 22 is oriented in the longitudinal direction of the seat, it is clear that the envelope 22 may be oriented in another direction, for example the transverse direction from the headquarters. Various embodiments with various variants have been described above. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art may combine various elements of these various embodiments and variants without demonstrating inventive step.

Claims (14)

REVENDICATIONS1. Cushion (12, 14) incorporating a deformable envelope (22) containing a fluid (24) and at least one actuator (34, 36, 38, 40) adapted to move a bearing member (30, 32) relative to the 'envelope. 2. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the support member (30, 32) exerts pressure on the casing (22). 3. Cushion according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the casing (22) is closed and sealed. 4. A cushion according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support member (30, 32) comprises a rod movable relative to the casing (22). 5. A cushion according to claim 4, wherein the shank (30, 32) is translatable relative to the casing (22). Cushion according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an additional support element (32) delimiting, with the support element (30), a convex portion (76) of the envelope. 20 The cushion of claim 6, further comprising an additional actuator (38, 40) adapted to move the additional support member (32) relative to the envelope (22). The cushion of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an inflatable pocket (46, 48, 50). 9. Cushion according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a support (26) rigid, the casing (22) being in abutment against the rigid support, a portion of the envelope being sandwiched between the rigid support and the support element. Seat (10) comprising a cushion (12, 14) according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The method of controlling the cushion (12, 14) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising actuating the actuator (34, 36, 38, 40) to displace the bearing member (30). 32) relative to the envelope (22). A control method according to claim 11, wherein the support member (30,32) is moved in a repetition of a succession of motions. 13. Control method according to claim 11 or 12 of the cushion (12, 14) in its connection to claim 6, wherein the envelope (22) is disposed in a seat cushion (10) and wherein the curved portion (76) is repeatedly moved between the front and the back of the seat.