Massage device for a motor vehicle seat

Abstract

A massage device for a motor vehicle seat comprising an arrangement of massage cells (A, B, ..., X) inflatable by compressed air, each of which is connected to a compressed air line (32, 34) connected to a compressed air source (30). The compressed air supply to each massage cell can be switched on and off by a pneumatically controlled AND gate (10) assigned to the respective massage cell, which is connected to the compressed air line assigned to the respective massage cell and has N ≥ 3 pneumatic control inputs and is designed to release the compressed air supply through the compressed air line to the respective massage cell when all N pneumatic control inputs of the AND gate assigned to the massage cell are simultaneously pneumatically controlled via pneumatic control lines (14) connected to the control inputs, and to keep them blocked otherwise. A control valve arrangement comprising electromechanical control valves (1, 2, ...), 8) is connected to the pneumatic control lines (14) of the AND gates (10) in such a way that a combination of N control valves (1, 2, ..., 8) is reversibly and uniquely assigned to each AND gate (10), which selectively supply the pneumatic control lines leading to this AND gate with compressed air, and with a control unit which is connected to the control valve arrangement and is designed to control it in such a way that stored sequences of massage cells are successively inflated by successive control of their AND gates.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a massage device for a motor vehicle seat having an arrangement of massage cells inflatable by compressed air, each of which is connected to a compressed air line connected to a compressed air source.

[0002] A massage device for a backrest of a motor vehicle seat is described, for example, in US 5 135 282 A. A row of inflatable massage cells is arranged close to the inner surface of the cover of the backrest of the motor vehicle seat. Several rows of massage cells can be installed in parallel next to one another in the backrest, which are then operated simultaneously to cause sequential inflation and deflation of the massage cells along the rows. Such sequential inflation and deflation of the massage cells along the rows causes a wave-like deformation in the backrest, which progresses, for example, from bottom to top through the backrest when the massage cells in a row are inflated starting at the bottom and progressively upwards.The known massage device has a supply line structure with a common compressed air line that connects consecutive massage cells in series. Furthermore, a vent line is provided that connects the sequence of consecutive massage cells in series. The vent line can be opened to the ambient atmosphere to vent massage cells. To generate a wave-like, spreading blowout along the row of massage cells and correspondingly cause a wave-like, progressive venting along the row, or to generate selective expansions of individual massage cells, a valve arrangement with a plurality of controllable valves and a control unit for these are provided.Specifically, there is a valve at the beginning of the compressed air line before the first massage cell, followed by a controllable valve between each pair of consecutive massage cells. The deflation line is equipped with controllable valves. To begin an inflation cycle, the valve in front of the massage cell in the row is opened first, thereby inflating the first massage cell with compressed air. After the first massage cell has been inflated, the control unit opens the valve to the second massage cell, and so on, until all massage cells are inflated. The massage cells can be deflated immediately after inflation or at a later time.

[0003] In addition, other structures of compressed air supply lines and valve arrangements are also known that allow each massage cell in an array of massage cells to be selectively inflated or deflated independently of all other massage cells. This means that the sequence of massage cells is not connected "in series," but rather there is a supply line from a compressed air line to each massage cell, controlled by a controllable valve. Such a structure of supply lines with associated valves allows for wave-like deformation to be created by inflation along the row of massage cells. Point-by-point inflation / deflation of individual massage cells is also possible.

[0004] Such massage devices for motor vehicle seats are very complicated due to the relatively large number of controllable valves, namely at least one valve per massage cell.

[0005] Therefore, there have already been attempts to control massage devices with a large number of massage cells using very few controllable valves, as demonstrated, for example, by the massage device described in WO 2015 / 039701 A1. In this case, a series connection of massage cells is provided, and the flow resistance generated along the row of massage cells by restrictors in the lines is adjusted so that the massage cells inflate with a time delay along the row of massage cells.

[0006] Another massage device, which is intended to keep the number of required controllable electromechanical valves to a minimum, is described in DE 10 2014 001 678 B3. The massage device comprises an arrangement of massage cells, each massage cell being assigned a pneumatic AND gate. Each AND gate has two inputs and one output leading to the assigned massage cell. The massage cells with their assigned AND gates are arranged in a kind of matrix arrangement, and at each matrix point, two compressed air lines lead to the respective AND gate. The two compressed air lines to each AND gate are each controlled by a controllable valve. In such an arrangement, for n 2Massage cells require 2n controllable valves in the compressed air lines to the AND gates to selectively control and inflate each desired massage cell by applying pressure to the corresponding compressed air lines to the respective AND gate. For example, 10 controllable valves are required to control a massage device with 25 massage cells. However, for larger or more finely segmented massage devices with more than 40 massage cells, at least 14 controllable valves are required.A disadvantage of the known massage device is that for each AND gate, the two lines leading thereto can function both as control lines and as a compressed air line for filling the massage cells. This means that the control line circuit must be supplied with the full air flow required to fill the massage cells, and the control valves must be sufficiently large to deliver the air flow necessary to inflate the massage cells. Furthermore, the complexity regarding the number of controllable valves is still quite high if the number of massage cells in the massage device exceeds a certain number, such as approximately 40 massage cells.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to design a massage device for a motor vehicle seat in such a way that its construction is uncomplicated and the effort required to operate it is low.

[0008] To achieve this object, a massage device having the features of patent claim 1 serves. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are listed in the subclaims.

[0009] According to the invention, a pneumatically controlled AND gate is assigned to the compressed air line to each massage cell, which can be pneumatically controlled to enable or disable the compressed air supply to the massage cell through the compressed air line. Each AND gate has N ≥ 3 pneumatic control inputs (N is a natural number and is at least 3) and is designed to enable the compressed air supply through the compressed air line to the respective massage cell when all N pneumatic control inputs of the AND gate assigned to the massage cell are pneumatically controlled simultaneously, and to keep it disabled otherwise.Furthermore, a control valve arrangement with electromechanical control valves is connected to the pneumatic control lines leading to the control inputs of the AND gates in such a way that each AND gate is reversibly and uniquely assigned a combination of N control valves, which control the pneumatic control lines belonging to the respective AND gate and are connected to them for this purpose. The control unit is configured to control the control valve arrangement in such a way that stored sequences of massage cells are successively inflated by successively controlling their AND gates.

[0010] This design makes it possible to control a massage device with a large number of massage cells using a reasonable number of control valves. For example, for a massage device with 56 massage cells, a control valve arrangement with eight electromechanical control valves is sufficient to selectively control each individual massage cell.

[0011] The relationship between the maximum number n of massage cells and the number K of control valves required for their selective control is given by the binomial coefficient if the number of control inputs N per AND gate is 3: n=(K3)=K!(K−3)!⋅3!

[0012] With K = 8, the maximum number of selectively controllable massage cells is 56. If, with K control valves, the number of massage cells in the massage device is smaller than the binomial coefficient specified above, it is also possible to inflate pairs of massage cells simultaneously by pneumatically controlling their two AND gates simultaneously. The possible addresses of pairs must be selected in such a way that, when they are selected simultaneously, no third address of an AND gate is covered. If the number of addresses determined by the binomial coefficient exceeds the number of massage cells to be controlled to a certain extent, there is sufficient flexibility to also provide free pairs of massage cells that can be inflated simultaneously.

[0013] In general, with K control valves and N pneumatic control inputs per AND gate, the following number n of massage cells can be selectively controlled: n=(K3)=K!(K−3)!⋅3!

[0014] This shows that with a larger number of massage cells to be controlled in the massage device, significantly fewer control valves are required than in the prior art with the present design of the massage device. For a massage device with, for example, 40 massage cells, with N=3 control inputs per AND grid, as explained, 8 control valves are sufficient, whereas the prior art according to DE 10 20 14 001 678 B3 would require 16 control valves.

[0015] A further advantage of the invention is that the control valves exclusively supply pneumatic control lines to the AND gates, while only the compressed air lines controlled by the AND gates need to be capable of operating at the high air flow required to inflate massage balls. Therefore, the control valves can be dimensioned with lower performance in relation to the air flow they are required to achieve. This, in turn, allows the control valves to be dimensioned smaller compared to DE 10 2014 001 678 B3, thus saving installation space for the control valve arrangement.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, each AND gate is provided with exactly three control inputs. This allows a relatively large number of massage cells to be individually inflated and deflated, even with a moderate number of control valves. For example, the control valve arrangement can have eight control valves, allowing 56 massage cells to be individually controlled.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, each AND gate consists of N, for example N = 3, gate elements connected in series, each having a pneumatic control input, wherein the gate elements allow the passage of compressed air through the compressed air line to the facing massage cell when each gate element of the AND gate is pressurized with compressed air at its pneumatic control input.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, each AND gate in each gate member has a shut-off device which is movable with respect to a passage in the gate member connected to the associated compressed air line and is pre-tensioned into a position in which it blocks the part of the passage through the AND gate associated with this gate member, and which is displaced counter to the pre-tension when pressure is applied to the control input in order to release the passage through the gate member.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, each AND gate has a vent opening in its gate element closest to the associated massage cell in the direction of compressed air flow during inflation. This vent connects the compressed air line to the massage cell to the ambient atmosphere when the gate element is moved to the off-position by removing the pneumatic control of its control input when the compressed air supply to the massage cell is terminated. In this way, the massage cell is automatically vented again after the inflation process is completed.

[0020] The invention is described below using an embodiment in conjunction with the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a gate element of an AND gate, the part being in the locked state, Fig. 2 a cross-sectional view of the Fig. 1 shown gate element of the AND gate, wherein the part is in a passage-enabling, open state, Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the AND gate consisting of three gate elements as in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, which are connected in series, and Fig. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a section of a massage device illustrating an example of a compressed air supply to the massage cells with a control valve arrangement and control lines to the AND gates in front of the massage cells. Fig. Figure 3 shows a cross-section through an AND gate that can be used in a massage device according to the invention. The AND gate 10 consists of three gate elements 12 connected in series and connected to the compressed air line to a massage cell. The structure and operation of a gate element 12 are described in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shown.

[0021] In the Fig. The gate member shown in Figure 1 defines a passage 20, which is connected in flow communication in series with the compressed air line to the associated massage device. A shut-off element 16 is movably arranged in a cavity within the gate member 12. This shut-off element 16 is biased by a spring 18 into a rest position in which the shut-off element 16 blocks the passage 20 through the gate member 12. The gate member 12 further has a control input connected to the cavity in the gate member 12, to which a pneumatic control line 14 is connected.

[0022] If compressed air is supplied via the pneumatic control line 14, the pressure in the cavity between the pneumatic control input with the control line 14 and the end of the shut-off device 16 facing it increases. At this end, the shut-off device 16 is expanded to form a piston rod, which covers the cross-section of the cavity in the gate element 12. Due to the supply of compressed air through the pneumatic control line 14, the pressure in the cavity section between the pneumatic control input and the piston rod of the shut-off device 16 increases, so that the shut-off device 16 is displaced against the preload of the spring 18. In this Fig. In the displaced state of the shut-off device 18 shown in Figure 2, the shut-off device 16 releases the passage 20 through the gate member 12, since in the middle part of the cavity of the gate member 12 only a central piston pin of the shut-off device 16 is located, so that the passage through the gate member 12 is released. In the Fig. In the locked state of the gate member 12 shown in Figure 1, the shut-off device 16, which is pre-tensioned into the locked position by the spring 18, is located with two piston-like extensions, each covering the cross-section of the cavity in the gate member 12, behind the entrance of the passage 20, so that the passage is thereby blocked.

[0023] Fig. 3 now shows an AND gate 10, which is constructed from three such gate elements 12 connected in series, the series-connected passages 20 of which are in flow connection with the compressed air line to the associated massage cell.

[0024] In Fig. 3, only one of the three gate elements 12 is provided with a reference symbol. Fig. Figure 3 illustrates the operation of the three gate elements 12 connected in series. Due to the series connection of the three gate elements 12, the passage through the AND gate 10 remains blocked if at least one of the three gate elements 12 is blocked. Conversely, the passage through the AND gate 10 is only enabled when the pneumatic control lines 14 to all three gate elements 12 of the AND gate 10 are pressurized with compressed air. In this case, the passage through each of the three gate elements 12, and thus the passage through the series connection of the three gate elements 12, is enabled.

[0025] Fig. Figure 4 shows a block diagram of a section of a massage device according to the present invention with compressed air supply and pneumatic control lines to the individual massage cells, AND gates, and a control valve arrangement controlling the pneumatic control lines. In the illustration of Fig. 4, a branch from a line marked with a dot means that the branching line is in flow connection with the line from which it branches. The massage device comprises a compressed air pump 30, which feeds a compressed air line 32. Compressed air lines 34 (in Fig. 4, only one of the compressed air lines 34 shown is provided with this reference symbol), which are each connected via AND gates 10 to one of the massage cells A, B, C..., X. The reference symbols A, B, ..., X are symbolic and are not intended to imply that the number of massage cells in the Fig. 4 is limited to the number of letters between A and X.

[0026] Each of the AND gates 10 has three pneumatic control inputs that are connected to pneumatic control lines 14. In Fig. 4, for better clarity, only one control line originating from the control valve 4 and only one control line branching from this to one of the AND gates 10 is provided with the reference number 14. The AND gates 10 can, for example, Fig. 3 have the structure shown.

[0027] Furthermore, a control valve arrangement with eight control valves 1 to 8 is provided. The control valves 1 to 8 are connected to the compressed air line 32. The control valve arrangement is controlled by a control unit (not shown) by means of electrical control signals, whereby desired combinations of control valves are opened and thus selected control lines 14 are selectively supplied with compressed air in order to control the AND gate assigned to the massage cell to be inflated to release the compressed air line to this massage cell.

[0028] With eight control valves and three control inputs per AND gate, the number of massage cells is a maximum of 56. In this case, each massage cell is reversibly and uniquely assigned a combination of three compressed air control lines 14 or three control valves, so that by opening each combination of three control valves 1 to 8, a specific massage cell is inflated by applying pressure to the associated AND gate 10 at all three control inputs with the pneumatic control lines 14 connected to it, thereby opening the passage through the relevant AND gate and thereby establishing a connection to the compressed air lines 32, 34. For example, the AND gate of massage cell C is connected to pneumatic control lines controlled by valves 1, 4 and 6. If the control unit opens control valves 1, 4 and 6, massage cell C is inflated.In a corresponding manner, each of the massage cells A, B, ..., X is reversibly and uniquely assigned a combination of three open control valves of the control valves 1 to 8, so that each of the massage cells A, B, ..., X can be supplied with compressed air by pneumatically applying all three control inputs of its AND gate in order to inflate them individually and selectively.

[0029] Are a massage device like the one in Fig.If, as shown in Figure 4, there are fewer massage cells than can be individually controlled with the given number of control valves, addresses can also be assigned to pairs of massage cells in the form of two combinations of three control valves, which, when opened simultaneously, then lead to the inflation of both massage cells. If only exactly the two massage cells of the pair of massage cells in question are to be inflated, care must be taken when assigning the addresses to ensure that the address of a third massage cell is not also covered by the combination of the two addresses of the massage cells in the pair.Of course, other patterns of simultaneously inflated massage cells can also be generated by the control unit opening more than three control valves simultaneously, whereby corresponding programs for the successive selection of control valves 1 to 8 to be opened can be stored in advance in the control unit, which can then be called up by a user as desired during operation.

Claims

[1] Massage device for a motor vehicle seat with an arrangement of compressed air inflatable massage cells (A, B, ..., X), each of which is connected to a compressed air line (32, 34) connected to a compressed air source (30), wherein the compressed air supply to each massage cell can be switched on and off by a pneumatically controlled AND gate (10) associated with the respective massage cell, which is connected to the compressed air line associated with the respective massage cell and has N ≥ 3 pneumatic control inputs and is configured to release the compressed air supply through the compressed air line to the respective massage cell when all N pneumatic control inputs of the AND gate associated with the massage cell are pneumatically actuated via pneumatic control lines (14) connected to the control inputs, and otherwise to keep it blocked, wherein a control valve arrangement with electromechanical control valves (1, 2, ..., 8) is connected to the pneumatic control lines (14) of the AND gates (10) such that each AND gate (10) is uniquely and reversibly assigned a combination of N control valves (1, 2, ..., 8) which selectively supply compressed air to the pneumatic control lines leading to this AND gate, and to a control unit which is connected to the control valve arrangement and is configured to control it in such a way that stored sequences of massage cells are successively inflated by successively actuating their AND gates. [2] Massage device according to claim 1, wherein each pneumatic AND gate (10) has three control inputs. [3] Massage device according to claim 2, wherein the control valve arrangement has eight control valves (1, 2, ..., 8) and the massage device has at most 56 massage cells. [4] Massage device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each AND gate N has gate elements (12) connected in series, each with a pneumatic control input that allows the passage of compressed air through the compressed air line to the associated massage cell when each gate element (12) of the AND gate (10) is supplied with compressed air at its pneumatic control input. [5] Massage device according to claim 4, wherein each AND gate (10) has in each gate member (12) a shut-off element (16) which is movable with respect to a passage through the gate member (12) connected to the associated compressed air line and is biased into a position in which it blocks the part of the passage through the AND gate associated with that gate member, and which is moved against the bias when the control input is pressurized in order to release the passage through the gate member. [6] Massage device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each AND gate (10) has in its gate member (12) which is closest to the associated massage cell in the direction of flow of the compressed air during inflation a vent opening which establishes a connection of the compressed air line to the massage cell with the ambient atmosphere when the gate member is brought into the blocked position by the cessation of the pneumatic actuation of its control input when the compressed air supply to the massage cell is terminated.

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