IP Library Granted Patent US 10,086,731
Granted Patent B2
US 10,086,731 · App. 15/386,215 · Granted Oct 2, 2018

Flexible vehicle seat

Inventors: Amber LaVerne Hall (Oak Park, MI); Michael Kolich (Windsor, CA); Keith Allen Godin (Dearborn, MI); Johnathan Andrew Line (Northville, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60N2/976A61H9/0078B60N2/42B60N2/914A61H2201/0149A61H2201/5007A61H2201/5046A61H2203/0431A61H2205/081A61H2205/086
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,086,731
App. No.
15/386,215
Granted
Oct 2, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for selecting and controlling massage functions of a motor vehicle seat having a control system comprising the steps of: switching the system to a selection mode and starting the selection mode; providing a menu list having options for querying the user's requirements during the massage; selection of an option by the user and providing predefined responses to the respective query and selection of the response by the user and if necessary repeating the steps for further queries; and terminating the selection mode and automatically determining suitable massage settings on the basis of the user's selection and controlling the massage actuators in the motor vehicle seat on the basis of determined massage settings to perform the massage function.

Claims (11)

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seat portion having a metal frame;

a plurality of air bladders disposed in the seat portion and operated via centrally bundled air passageways that extend vertically through the metal frame and into a central area of the seat portion;

a support plate supported on the plurality of air bladders; and

a controller configured to control an inflation level of the plurality of air bladders, wherein each air bladder of the plurality of air bladders is selectively and independently controlled by the controller and the air passageways to adjust a position of the support plate, the air passageways extending from the controller to the central area between the plurality of air bladders.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the support plate is a planar support plate.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 2 , wherein the support plate is supported on the plurality of air bladders between a forward tilt position, a rearward tilt position, a right tilt position and a left tilt position.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , including:

a plurality of air bladders disposed in a seatback portion.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 4 , wherein each air bladder of the plurality of air bladders disposed in the seat portion and the plurality of air bladders disposed in the seatback portion are separately controlled by the controller to inflate to a predetermined inflation level.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of air bladders disposed in the seat portion are configurable between a deflated level, a semi-inflated level and a fully-inflated level as determined by the controller.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2016
From: HALL, AMBER LAVERNE; KOLICH, MICHAEL; GODIN, KEITH ALLEN; LINE, JOHNATHAN ANDREW
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 041109/0013 →
Continuity (3)
Division 14598448 · Jan 16, 2015
Continuation In Part 13951174 · Jul 25, 2013
Related Publication 20170101038A1 · Apr 13, 2017
Cited By (2)
US 12,311,869 US 12,344,147