Vehicle seat assembly and method for mounting a transducer

Abstract

The present disclosure provides "Vehicle seat assembly and method for mounting a transducer." A vehicle seat assembly has a seat back, a seat base, and a foam cushion disposed in at least one of the seat back and the seat base. The foam cushion has a first surface and a second surface and one or more pockets formed in the foam cushion. Each pocket is located proximate the first surface. One or more deformable channels extend from each of the one or more pockets to the second surface. A transducer is removably disposed in one of the one or more pockets. At least one of the one or more deformable channels is configured to deform in response to insertion or removal of the transducer into or from the one or more pockets through the second surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to vehicle seats, and more specifically to a vehicle seat assembly having a transducer mounted in a foam cushioning pad and a method of mounting the same. Background Technology

[0002] Motor vehicles are typically equipped with passenger seat assemblies, which generally include a seat base and a seat back, both of which typically have foam cushioning. Some vehicle seat assemblies also include seat actuators with transducers located within the foam cushioning for providing vibrations, such as for haptic feedback and massage functions. The transducers are typically mounted within the foam cushioning near the front cover that the occupant contacts. It is desirable to provide a vehicle seat assembly that allows efficient access to the transducers, such as during installation and replacement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle seat assembly has a seat back, a seat base, and a foam cushioning pad disposed in at least one of the seat back and the seat base. The foam cushioning pad has a first surface and a second surface, and one or more recesses formed in the foam cushioning pad. Each recess is located near the first surface. One or more deformable channels extend from each of the one or more recesses to the second surface. A transducer is removably disposed in one of the one or more recesses. At least one of the one or more deformable channels is configured to deform in response to insertion or removal of the transducer from the one or more recesses via the second surface.

[0004] Embodiments of the first aspect of this disclosure may include any one or a combination of the following features:

[0005] A seat cushion cover that covers the first surface of the foam cushioning pad;

[0006] One or more covers are removably attached to the second surface of the foam cushioning pad and substantially cover at least one of the one or more deformable channels;

[0007] The one or more cover components include a high-density foam material, the density of which is greater than the density of the foam cushioning pad;

[0008] The one or more covers are removably attached using a hook-and-loop fastening system;

[0009] One or more cables extend from each transducer through the one or more deformable channels;

[0010] The one or more cables are connected to the vehicle's power supply;

[0011] The controller is configured to receive input and, in response to the input, control one or more transducers to provide tactile feedback to an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat assembly; and

[0012] The foam cushioning pad includes a first foam cushioning pad disposed in the seat back and a second foam cushioning pad disposed in the seat base.

[0013] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle seat assembly includes: a seat back cushion pad including a front side and a back side; and a seat base cushion pad including a top side and a bottom side. One or more first recesses are formed in the seat back cushion pad, each first recess located near the front side. One or more first deformable channels extend from the one or more first recesses of the seat back cushion pad to the back side. One or more second recesses are formed in the seat base cushion pad, each second recess located near the top side. One or more second deformable channels extend from the one or more second recesses of the seat base cushion pad to the bottom side. A first transducer is removably disposed in one of the one or more first recesses of the seat back cushion pad. One of the one or more first deformable channels is configured to deform in response to insertion or removal of the first transducer from one of the one or more first recesses via the back side. A second transducer is removably disposed in one of the one or more second recesses of the seat base cushion pad. One of the one or more second deformable channels is configured to deform in response to inserting or removing the second transducer from one of the one or more second recesses via the bottom side.

[0014] Embodiments of the second aspect of this disclosure may include any one or a combination of the following features:

[0015] A seat back cover and a seat base cover, the seat back cover covering the front side of the seat back cushion, and the seat base cover covering the top side of the seat base cushion;

[0016] One or more covers are removably attached to each of the back side of the seat back cushion and the bottom side of the seat base cushion, each cover substantially covering at least one of the one or more first and second deformable channels;

[0017] One or more cables extend from each of the first and second transducers through the one or more first and second deformable channels;

[0018] The controller is configured to receive input and, in response to the input, control the first and second transducers to provide tactile feedback to an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat assembly, wherein one or more cables are coupled to the vehicle power supply and communicate with the controller;

[0019] The one or more covers are removably attached using a hook-and-loop fastening system; and

[0020] The one or more covers include a high-density foam material, the density of which is greater than the density of the seat back cushion and the seat base cushion.

[0021] This disclosure also includes a method for mounting a transducer into a vehicle seat assembly. The method includes the steps of: providing a vehicle seat back and a vehicle seat base; providing a foam cushioning pad in at least one of the vehicle seat back and the vehicle seat base; forming one or more recesses in the foam cushioning pad, wherein the one or more recesses are adjacent to a first side of the foam cushioning pad; forming one or more deformable channels extending from the one or more recesses to a second side of the foam cushioning pad; and placing a transducer in one of the one or more recesses through the one or more deformable channels.

[0022] Embodiments of the third aspect of this disclosure may include any one or a combination of the following steps:

[0023] The cable is fed from the one or more transducer devices through the one or more deformable channels and out of the foam cushioning pad from the second side;

[0024] One or more covers are removably attached to the second side of the foam cushioning pad and substantially cover the one or more deformable channels with one or more covers having a high-density foam material with a density higher than that of the foam cushioning pad; and

[0025] The cover is installed on the first side of the foam cushioning pad.

[0026] These and other features, advantages and objectives of this disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reference to the following specification, claims and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0027] In the attached diagram:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a front upper perspective view of a motor vehicle having a seat assembly with multiple transducers according to one embodiment;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a front perspective view of the seat assembly, with the rear cover and a pair of transducers removed.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a rear perspective view of the seat assembly, with the rear cover and one of the transducers removed.

[0031] Figure 4 Is it through Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken from line IV-IV, showing the transducer in the fully assembled position;

[0032] Figure 5 Is it through Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV, showing the transducer in a partially assembled position; and

[0033] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view taken through a portion of the seat back, showing the recesses and channels of the foam cushioning. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Reference will now be made in detail to preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Where possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. In the drawings, structural elements are depicted not to scale, and some parts are enlarged relative to others for emphasis and understanding purposes.

[0035] Detailed embodiments of this disclosure are disclosed herein as needed; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of this disclosure and may be implemented in various alternative forms. The accompanying drawings are not necessarily detailed designs; some schematic diagrams may be enlarged or minimized to show a functional overview. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but rather serve only as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to employ this disclosure in different ways.

[0036] For descriptive purposes, the terms "up," "down," "right," "left," "back," "front," "vertical," "horizontal," and their derivatives should be used in this document. Figure 1 The concept of orientation is used. However, it should be understood that the concept may present various alternative orientations unless explicitly stated otherwise. It should also be understood that the specific apparatus and processes shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept defined in the appended claims. Therefore, unless otherwise expressly stated in the claims, the specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting.

[0037] The embodiments shown here primarily concern a combination of method steps and apparatus components related to a vehicle seat assembly having one or more transducers and a method for mounting the transducers into the vehicle seat assembly. Therefore, apparatus components and method steps have been indicated by conventional symbols in the accompanying drawings where appropriate, with only those specific details relevant to understanding embodiments of this disclosure shown so as not to obscure the disclosure in ways that would be obvious to those skilled in the art who benefit from the description herein. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same elements in the specification and drawings.

[0038] As used herein, the term "and / or" when used with two or more listed items means that any one of the listed items may be used alone, or any combination of two or more of the listed items may be used. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and / or C, the composition may contain: A only; B only; C only; a combination of A and B; a combination of A and C; a combination of B and C; or a combination of A, B, and C.

[0039] In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom are used individually to distinguish one entity or action from another, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus. Without further constraints, an element preceded by “comprising…” does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0040] As used herein, the term "about" means that a quantity, dimension, formulation, parameter, and other quantity and characteristic is not precise, nor is it required to be precise, but may be approximate and / or larger or smaller as needed to reflect tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement errors, and other factors known to those skilled in the art. When the term "about" is used to describe an endpoint of a value or range, this disclosure should be understood to include the specific value or the mentioned endpoint. Whether or not the endpoints of numerical values ​​or ranges in this specification are referred to as "about," the endpoints are intended to include two embodiments: one modified by "about" and one not modified by "about." It should also be understood that each endpoint of a range is significant both in relation to and independent of another endpoint.

[0041] As used herein, the terms “substantially,” “basically,” and variations thereof are intended to indicate that the described feature is equal to or approximately equal to a value or description. For example, a “substantially planar” surface is intended to indicate a planar or approximately planar surface. Additionally, “substantially” is intended to mean that two values ​​are equal or approximately equal. In some embodiments, “substantially” may indicate that the values ​​are within about 10% of each other, such as within about 5% of each other, or within about 2% of each other.

[0042] Unless explicitly indicated otherwise, as used herein, the terms “the,” “an,” or “a” mean “at least one” and should not be limited to “only one.” Thus, for example, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, references to “component” include embodiments having two or more such components.

[0043] refer to Figures 1 to 5 The vehicle seat assembly 20 is shown having a seat back 24, a seat base 22, and a foam cushioning pad 32 disposed in at least one of the seat back 24 and the seat base 22, wherein the foam cushioning pad 32 has a first surface 40 and a second surface 42. The vehicle seat assembly 20 has one or more recesses 34 formed in the foam cushioning pad 32, each recess 34 being located near the first surface 40. The vehicle seat assembly 20 also has one or more deformable channels 36 extending from each of the one or more recesses 34 to the second surface 42. The vehicle seat assembly 20 further includes a transducer 30 removably disposed in one of the one or more recesses 34, wherein at least one of the one or more deformable channels 36 is configured to deform in response to insertion into or removal from the one or more recesses 34 via the second surface 42.

[0044] For details, please refer to the following: Figure 1The diagram generally illustrates a motor vehicle 10, such as a wheeled motor vehicle, configured with passenger seating and accommodation space for transporting one or more passengers. The motor vehicle 10 has a body 12 that generally defines a passenger compartment interior 14. The passenger compartment interior 14 may contain seating accommodation space and vehicle controls, as well as various other features and trim components within the body 12. The passenger compartment interior 14 is shown having one or more passenger seats, including a seat assembly 20, which may be configured, for example, as captain's seats, arranged in a row. The motor vehicle 10 may include two or more front seats, two or more rear seats, and additional rows of seats for larger vehicles such as large SUVs, vans, and buses. It should be understood that the motor vehicle 10 may be a motor vehicle such as a wheeled car, truck, SUV, van, or bus, or an aircraft, train, ship, or other means of transport capable of transporting one or more passengers.

[0045] The vehicle seat assembly 20 may be configured in the interior of the passenger compartment 14 as a driver's seat assembly, typically located behind the steering wheel assembly and front dashboard of the motor vehicle 10, or it may be a front passenger seat assembly. The seat assembly 20 may be a second or further rear seat assembly located in the motor vehicle 10 for seating one or more passengers in the motor vehicle 10.

[0046] The seat assembly 20 is generally shown as being mounted and supported by the floor 16 of the interior of the vehicle compartment 14 via seat rails 18. The seat assembly 20 includes a seat base 22 and an upright seat back 24, the upright seat back including a headrest 26 at its top. The seat back 24 can be hinged or pivoted relative to the seat base 22 to switch between an upright position and a reclining sitting position.

[0047] Also refer to Figure 2 The seat back 24 of the seat assembly 20 is shown having a foam cushioning pad 32 covered by a seat cover 44. The seat cover 44 may include leather, fabric, vinyl, or other coverings and may include added foam or other cushioning fillers. The foam cushioning pad 32 is a low-density foam that typically provides cushioning. The seat assembly 20 is shown having multiple seat actuators in the seat back 24 in the form of transducers 30 located within the foam cushioning pad 32. In the example shown, six transducers 30 are located in the seat back 24, with three rows of two transducers 30 spaced apart from each other. The seat base 22 also has a low-density foam cushioning pad 32 typically covered by the seat cover 44, and is shown, according to one example, having four transducers 30 located within the seat cushioning pad, with two rows of two transducers 30 spaced apart throughout the seat base 22.

[0048] Transducer 30 is an electrically powered seat exciter integrated into the cushioning of the seat back 24 and seat base 22 to provide tactile sensations such as haptic feedback or vibration. Haptic / vibration feedback can be used as sensory feedback to enhance alertness, such as driver alerts and steering wheel takeover alerts, to further enhance enjoyment of music, or to provide a massage effect. Transducer 30 is electrically powered and can be controlled to activate together or individually to provide a desired effect. For example, lane-assist feedback can be provided by transducers 30 on the left or right side of the seat back 24 and seat base 22.

[0049] refer to Figures 2 to 4 An example is shown of a foam cushioning pad 32 disposed in a seat back 24. The foam cushioning pad 32 has a first surface 40 serving as a front A-level surface of the foam on the front side of the seat back 24, and also has a second surface 42 serving as a rear B-level surface of the foam on the rear side of the foam cushioning pad 32. One or more recesses 34 (also referred to as cavities) are formed in the foam cushioning pad 32. Each recess 34 is located near the first surface 40. In the example shown, six recesses 34 are formed in the front first surface 40 of the foam cushioning pad 32. Each of the recesses 34 is formed as a cavity extending inwardly from the first surface 40 of the foam cushioning pad 32 to a depth and width sufficient to hold a removable transducer 30. The recesses 34 may be circular and may have a size sufficient to hold the transducer 30.

[0050] One or more deformable channels 36 extend from each of one or more recesses 34 to the second surface 42 of the foam cushioning pad 32. In the example shown, each recess 34 has a deformable channel 36, such that in this example, six deformable channels 36 are shown in the seat back 24. The foam cushioning pad 32 is a deformable, soft, flexible, low-density foam cushioning pad 32. The deformable channels 36 can be configured as narrow horizontal slots 36 with a rectangular cross-sectional shape, such as... Figure 3 As shown, it may have a vertical or other angular orientation and other shapes. The deformable channel 36 is smaller than the recess 34 and can be sufficiently deformed to allow the removable transducer 30 to be inserted into and removed from the recess 34 through the deformable channel 36, so as to allow for the repair or replacement of the transducer 30.

[0051] like Figure 4As shown, with the transducer 30 fully assembled within the recess 34, the removable transducer 30 provides tactile feedback to a seated occupant on the cover 44. In this position, the transducer 30 is located near the cushion cover 44 to provide sensory coupling with the seated occupant. Each transducer 30 has a power cable 38 that can extend through the deformable channel 36 and be coupled to a controller 50, which in turn receives power from the vehicle power supply 52. ​​The controller 50 can activate individual transducers 30, or it can activate two or more or all of the transducers 30 to provide tactile / vibrational feedback. The controller 50 may be a seat controller and may be located on or separate from the seat assembly 20.

[0052] The seat backrest 24 is shown having one or more covers comprising high-density foam pads 46 located on the back side of a foam cushioning pad 32 near each pair of transducers 30. The high-density foam pads 46 have a higher density than the foam cushioning pad 32 and are incompressible or non-deformable. The high-density foam pads 46 can be connected to the rear side of the foam cushioning pad 32 via a connector 54. In one example, the connector may include a hook-and-loop connector, such as Velcro®, which may be removable to allow access to the deformable channel 36. A rear cover 48 is shown on the back side of the seat backrest 24 and can be used as a decorative element. This decorative element can be removed to allow access to the high-density foam pads 46 and further to the deformable channel 36 to enable servicing of the removable transducers 30. For example, the rear cover 48 may be a polymer decorative panel.

[0053] The removable transducer 30 can be assembled into or removed from the vehicle seat back 24, such as Figure 5 As shown, this is achieved by removing the cover, including the rear cover 44 and the high-density foam pad 46, to allow access to the rear side of the deformable channel 36. The removable transducer 30 can be inserted into or removed from the foam pad 32 through the deformable channel 36 by applying force to deform the foam pad 32 near the deformable channel 36, such as... Figure 5 As shown. Therefore, the user can insert or remove the removable transducer 30 through the back of the seat back 24 without having to remove the cushion cover 44 on the front. Figure 6 As shown, when the removable transducer 30 is removed from the foam cushioning pad 32, the deformable channel 36 returns to its original shape due to memory.

[0054] It should be understood that the vehicle seat assembly 20 advantageously allows for the repair or replacement of transducers 30 in seat components such as the seat back 24 shown and described herein. However, it should also be understood that the seat base 22 can similarly be configured to include deformable channels 36 in its underside and a high-density foam pad 46 covering the deformable channels 36 on its underside, as well as another cover located beneath the high-density foam pad 46. Thus, according to another example, one or more recesses 34, along with one or more deformable channels 36 and transducers 30, can be used on either the seat back 24 and the seat base 22, and can further be used on the headrest 26.

[0055] It should be understood that changes and modifications may be made to the foregoing structures without departing from the concept of this disclosure, and it should also be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless otherwise expressly stated in their language.

[0056] According to the present invention, a vehicle seat assembly is provided, comprising: a seat back; a seat base; a foam cushioning pad disposed in at least one of the seat back and the seat base, the foam cushioning pad having a first surface and a second surface; one or more recesses formed in the foam cushioning pad, each recess located near the first surface; one or more deformable channels extending from each of the one or more recesses to the second surface; and a transducer removably disposed in one of the one or more recesses, wherein at least one of the one or more deformable channels is configured to deform in response to insertion into or removal from the one or more recesses via the second surface.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by a seat cushion cover that covers the first surface of the foam cushioning pad.

[0058] According to one embodiment, one or more covers are removably attached to the second surface of the foam cushioning pad and substantially cover at least one of the one or more deformable channels.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the one or more covers include a high-density foam material, the density of which is greater than the density of the foam cushioning pad.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the one or more cover elements are removably attached using a hook-and-loop fastening system.

[0061] According to one embodiment, one or more cables extend from each transducer through the one or more deformable channels.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the one or more cables are connected to the vehicle's power supply.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by a controller configured to receive input and, in response to the input, control the one or more transducers to provide tactile feedback to an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat assembly.

[0064] According to one embodiment, the foam cushioning pad includes a first foam cushioning pad disposed in the seat back and a second foam cushioning pad disposed in the seat base.

[0065] According to the present invention, a vehicle seat assembly is provided, comprising: a seat back cushion including a front side and a back side; a seat base cushion including a top side and a bottom side; one or more first recesses formed in the seat back cushion, each first recess located near the front side, wherein one or more first deformable channels extend from the one or more first recesses of the seat back cushion to the back side; and one or more second recesses formed in the seat base cushion, each second recess located near the top side, wherein one or more second deformable channels extend from the one or more first recesses of the seat base cushion to the back side. A second recess extends to the bottom side; a first transducer, removably disposed in one of the one or more first recesses of the seat back cushion, wherein one of the one or more first deformable channels is configured to deform in response to insertion or removal of the first transducer into or from one of the one or more first recesses via the back side; and a second transducer, removably disposed in one of the one or more second recesses of the seat base cushion, wherein one of the one or more second deformable channels is configured to deform in response to insertion or removal of the second transducer into or from one of the one or more second recesses via the bottom side.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by a seat back cover and a seat base cover, the seat back cover covering the front side of the seat back cushion and the seat base cover covering the top side of the seat base cushion.

[0067] According to one embodiment, one or more covers are removably attached to each of the back side of the seat back cushion and the bottom side of the seat base cushion, each cover substantially covering at least one of the one or more first and second deformable channels.

[0068] According to one embodiment, one or more cables extend from each of the first and second transducers through the one or more first and second deformable channels.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by a controller configured to receive input and, in response to the input, control the first and second transducers to provide tactile feedback to an occupant sitting in the vehicle seat assembly, wherein one or more cables are coupled to a vehicle power supply and communicate with the controller.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the one or more cover elements are removably attached using a hook-and-loop fastening system.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the one or more covers include a high-density foam material, the density of which is greater than the density of the seat back cushion and the seat base cushion.

[0072] According to the present invention, a method for mounting a transducer into a vehicle seat assembly includes: providing a vehicle seat back and a vehicle seat base; providing a foam cushioning pad in at least one of the vehicle seat back and the vehicle seat base; forming one or more recesses in the foam cushioning pad, wherein the one or more recesses are adjacent to a first side of the foam cushioning pad; forming one or more deformable channels extending from the one or more recesses to a second side of the foam cushioning pad; and placing a transducer in one of the one or more recesses through the one or more deformable channels.

[0073] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes the steps of: feeding a cable from the one or more transducer devices through the one or more deformable channels and from the foam cushioning pad from the second side.

[0074] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes the steps of: removably attaching one or more covers to the second side of the foam cushioning pad and substantially covering the one or more deformable channels with one or more covers having a high-density foam material having a density higher than that of the foam cushioning pad.

[0075] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes the step of: mounting a cover on the first side of the foam cushioning pad.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat assembly, comprising: Seat backrest; Seat base; A foam cushioning pad is disposed in at least one of the seat back and the seat base, the foam cushioning pad having a first surface and a second surface; One or more recesses are formed in the foam cushioning pad, each recess being located near the first surface; One or more deformable channels, the one or more deformable channels extending from each of the one or more recesses to the second surface; as well as A transducer removably disposed in one of the one or more recesses, wherein at least one of the one or more deformable channels is configured to deform in response to insertion of the transducer into or removal from the one or more recesses via the second surface.

2. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1, further comprising a seat cushion cover that covers the first surface of the foam cushioning pad.

3. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1, wherein one or more covers are removably attached to the second surface of the foam cushioning and substantially cover at least one of the one or more deformable channels.

4. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 3, wherein one or more covers comprise a high-density foam material having a density greater than that of the foam cushioning pad.

5. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 4, wherein the one or more covers are removably attached using a hook-and-loop fastening system.

6. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 5, wherein one or more cables extend from each transducer through the one or more deformable channels.

7. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 6, wherein one or more cables are connected to the vehicle power supply.

8. The vehicle seat assembly of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a controller configured to receive an input and, in response to the input, control the one or more transducers to provide tactile feedback to an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat assembly.

9. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the foam cushioning pad comprises a first foam cushioning pad disposed in the seat back and a second foam cushioning pad disposed in the seat base.

10. A method for mounting a transducer into a vehicle seat assembly, comprising: Provide vehicle seat backrests and vehicle seat bases; Foam cushioning pads are provided in at least one of the vehicle seat backrest and the vehicle seat base; One or more recesses are formed in the foam cushioning pad, wherein the one or more recesses are located on a first side of the foam cushioning pad; One or more deformable channels are formed, the one or more deformable channels extending from the one or more recesses to a second side of the foam cushioning pad; as well as The transducer is placed in one of the one or more recesses through the one or more deformable channels.

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