US5975637A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Adjustable vehicle seat
Assignee: Mercedes Benz Group AG
•
Filing: 1998-12-17
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Granted: 1999-11-02
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Expires: 2018-12-17
Abstract
Abstract A vehicle seat includes a seat part displaceable at least in the seat longitudinal direction; a back rest that is held on the seat part; and an adjustable head restraint held on the back rest and having a head cushion. For automatically adapting the head restraint correctly in terms of safety to seat adjustments carried out by a seat user, a medium reservoir of variable volume, communicating with a filling and discharge device, is integrated in the head cushion so that the cushion front face is shifted forwards during an increase in volume and is drawn back again as a result of a reduction in volume. The filling quantity introduced into the medium reservoir or drawn off from the medium reservoir is controlled depending on the seat setting by means of a control unit. The medium reservoir also may include a pressure limiter that allows a controlled outflow of the reservoir when a predetermined pressure value, caused by the impact of the head, is reached.
Inventors
- 👤 Hartwich Geuss
- 👤 Werner Reichelt
- 👤 Helge Schmidt-Spalding
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 02:33
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60N; B60N2/00; B60N2/80; B60N2/806; B60N2/838; B60N2/002; B60N2/0021; B60N2/0024; B60N2/0027; B60N2/0028; B60N2/003; B60N2/888; B60N2/90; B60N2/914; B60N2210/00; B60N2210/40; B60N2210/44; B60N2220/00; B60N2220/20; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S297/00; Y10S297/03
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A vehicle seat for motor vehicles, comprising: a seat part; a back rest connected to the seat part; a head restraint connected to the back rest comprising a head cushion and a flexible reservoir having a variable volume; a filling and discharge device operatively connected to the variable volume; and a control unit comprising a stored diagram related to positions of the seat part and back rest and a horizontal displacement of the head restraint; wherein the horizontal displacement of the head restraint is adjustable according to the diagram, thereby shifting a front face of the head cushion forwards as a result of an increase in the variable volume of the reservoir or backwards as a result of a reduction in the variable volume of the reservoir so that the head cushion is always at a distance from a seat user's head.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
A vehicle seat for motor vehicles, comprising: a seat part; a back rest connected to the seat part; a head restraint connected to the back rest comprising a head cushion and a flexible reservoir having a variable volume; a filling and discharge device operatively connected to the variable volume; and a control unit comprising a stored diagram related to positions of the seat part and back rest and a horizontal displacement of the head restraint; wherein the horizontal displacement of the head restraint is adjustable according to the diagram, thereby shifting a front face of the head cushion forwards as a result of an increase in the variable volume of the reservoir or backwards as a result of a reduction in the variable volume of the reservoir so that the head cushion is always at a distance from a seat user's head.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat part is displaceable in at least one of a vertical direction and a direction of inclination by a servomotor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a height of the head restraint by adjustments to the seat part and back rest and transmits a corresponding control signal to a motor-operated head restraint adjuster.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising a neck restraint on the cushion front face.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said seat part is displaceable at least in a longitudinal direction along a plurality of rails.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein an inclination of the back rest is adjustable relative to the seat part by an adjuster selected from the group consisting of a handwheel and an electromotive inclination adjuster.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the head restraint further comprises a pressure limiter that controls outflow from the reservoir at a predetermined pressure.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined pressure is due to restraining of the seat user's head due to an impact.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the variable volume of the reservoir by adjustments to the seat part and the back rest and transmits a corresponding control signal to the filling and discharge device.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 9, wherein sensors supply the adjustments of the seat part and back rest to the control unit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
A vehicle seat according claim 1, wherein the head cushion further comprises return means that are tensioned during an increase in the variable volume of the reservoir and that exert a return force during a decrease in the variable volume of the reservoir.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein the return means are spring elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the head cushion further comprises a sensor that detects movement of the cushion front face during a change in the variable volume of the reservoir and outputs a signal to the control unit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 13, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a pressure sensor and a displacement sensor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises at least one of an air hose and an air buffer; and the filling and discharge device comprises a pneumatic system feeding lower-back support in the back rest.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein at least one air hose or at least one air buffer is connected to the pneumatic system via a valve controlled by the control unit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises at least one of an air hose and an air buffer; and the filling and discharge device comprises a pneumatic system comprising at least one compressed-air source.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 17, further comprising a pressure-limiting valve connecting a conduit of an air buffer and the pneumatic system.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 17, wherein the compressed-air source comprises a compressed-air pump and a compressed-air reservoir.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 17, wherein the pneumatic system further comprises a switching valve connected on an input side to the compressed-air source and on an output side to the conduit.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
A vehicle seat according to claim 20, wherein the switching valve is a 3/3-way solenoid valve.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
134 words
A vehicle seat for motor vehicles, comprising: means for displacing a seat part at least in a longitudinal direction; means for adjusting a back rest connected to the seat part, wherein inclination of the back rest is adjustable relative to the seat part; a head restraint connected to the back rest comprising a head cushion and a flexible reservoir having a variable volume; a filling and discharge device operatively connected to the variable volume; means for adjusting the height of the head restraint; and means for adjusting the horizontal displacement of the head restraint, so that a front face of the head cushion shifts forward as a result of an increase in the variable volume of the reservoir or shifts backward as a result of a reduction in the variable volume of the reservoir.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
134 words
A vehicle seat for motor vehicles, comprising: means for displacing a seat part at least in a longitudinal direction; means for adjusting a back rest connected to the seat part, wherein inclination of the back rest is adjustable relative to the seat part; a head restraint connected to the back rest comprising a head cushion and a flexible reservoir having a variable volume; a filling and discharge device operatively connected to the variable volume; means for adjusting the height of the head restraint; and means for adjusting the horizontal displacement of the head restraint, so that a front face of the head cushion shifts forward as a result of an increase in the variable volume of the reservoir or shifts backward as a result of a reduction in the variable volume of the reservoir.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-11-01 | 2003-05-03 | 2003-11-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-11-01 | 2007-05-03 | 2007-11-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-11-01 | 2011-05-03 | 2011-11-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |