Lumbar support structure for vehicle seat

Abstract

A lumbar support structure (1) for a vehicle seat comprising a substantially flat central panel (2) defining a longitudinal axis configured to rest against a backrest of a seat and support a user's back. The central panel (2) has at least two layers (5, 6) of a first shock-absorbing material facing each other and coupled together to form a unitary assembly (7). At least one of the layers (5, 6) has receptacles (9) to contain a plurality of springs (10) covered by the other layer (6, 5). The central panel (2) is removably coupled to a pair of side panels (13) of a second shock-absorbing material each enclosed within a corresponding envelope (14).

Description

LUMBAR SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLE SEAT DESCRIPTIONField of the invention

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the technical field of personal well-being devices and it particularly relates to a lumbar support structure for a vehicle seat.Background art

[0002] The use of special ergonomic support structures to improve sitting comfort has long been known in the field of personal well-being devices.

[0003] Typical seats used on a daily basis are chairs, armchairs, sofas, benches, seats and the like.

[0004] One of the above seats most frequently used by many people for several hours a day is certainly that of a vehicle, in most cases the seat of a car, tractor, earthmover, or even a nautical or aircraft vehicle type.

[0005] Generally, vehicle seats have a supporting surface for the person with a central portion recessed in relation to the peripheral portion and inclined downwards in the direction of the backrest.

[0006] This configuration is typically chosen for reasons of safety and driving stability, at least partly neglecting user comfort.

[0007] Therefore, it is known that people who spend several hours a week driving often develop conditions such as back pain, shoulder and neck pain, leg pain and other similar and / or related physical problems.

[0008] In order to decrease the risk of such pathologies, or even just to increase driving comfort, support structures that can be coupled to a vehicle seat have been developed to increase personal well-being.

[0009] Generally, such support structures have at least a first shockabsorbing body suitably shaped to be removably coupled to the backrest of a seat and adapted to contact a user's back.

[0010] Other embodiments comprise a second shock-absorbing body, integral with the first, shaped to lie on the seat and support the buttocks and partially the thighs of the user.

[0011] Typically, shock-absorbing bodies are made of materials selectedfrom natural and / or synthetic wadding, polyurethane, foam rubber, latex and the like, in order to accommodate and support the user, while allowing the skin to breathe.

[0012] Still, other known forms of support structures that can be coupled to a seat consist of an essentially “C”-shaped cushion, in which the concave central portion is adapted to receive the user's back or lumbar region while the hips are wrapped around the ends of the “C”.

[0013] In these embodiments, the cushion may comprise means for anchoring to the seat, such as tapes or hooks, or it may have rough portions, e.g. rubberized studs, so that the cushion is firmly anchored to the seat substantially by friction.

[0014] A first drawback of these well-known solutions is that they cannot be adapted differently according to the area of the human body they come into contact with.

[0015] In fact, the back needs a different kind of support than the legs or shoulders.

[0016] Another drawback resides in that, in an attempt to improve a user's comfort, these well-known supports may have shapes that fit the human body quite easily but not so well on the vehicle seat, thus being uncomfortable and sometimes even unsafe while driving.

[0017] In conclusion, these well-known seat support structures are impractical and / or provide an insufficient level of comfort.Technical problem

[0018] In light of the prior art, the technical problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a support structure adapted to optimize the interface between the support and the seat and improving the user's driving comfort.Summary of the invention

[0019] The object of this invention is to solve the aforementioned problem by providing a suitable lumbar support structure for a vehicle seat that is highly efficient and remarkably economical.

[0020] A particular object of the present invention is to provide a lumbar support structure of the type indicated above that has different ergonomicsdepending on which areas of the user's body it comes into contact with.

[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide a lumbar support structure of the type indicated above that can be easily used on seats in various types of vehicles, such as cars, motor vehicles, boats, construction machinery, etc.

[0022] Another object of the present invention is to provide a lumbar support structure of the type indicated above that does not become irreversibly deformed as a result of its use.

[0023] A further object of the present invention is to provide a lumbar support structure of the type indicated above that is safe while driving.

[0024] The objects mentioned above, as well as others that will appear more clearly below, are achieved by a lumbar support structure for a vehicle seat, according to claim 1 .

[0025] In one embodiment, the lumbar support structure comprises a substantially flat central panel, defining a longitudinal axis, configured to rest against the backrest of the seat and support a user's back.

[0026] In addition, the central panel has at least two layers of a first shockabsorbing material facing each other and coupled to form a unitary assembly.

[0027] Appropriately, at least one of the layers has receptacles to contain a plurality of springs covered by the other layer.

[0028] According to a peculiar aspect of the invention, the central panel is removably coupled with a pair of side panels of a second shock-absorbing material each enclosed within a corresponding envelope.

[0029] Thanks to this configuration, when a user rests his back on the central panel, it will be properly supported by the plurality of springs.

[0030] In addition, the pair of side panels will support the user's hips.

[0031] Thus, the central panel and the pair of side panels will accommodate the user by allowing him to assume an appropriate posture while avoiding possible limb-muscle pain.

[0032] In one embodiment, the central panel has a tapered plan shape with a narrowed portion configured to support the spine of a user in a sitting position, and a widened portion configured to support the user's lumbar area.

[0033] In one embodiment, the receptacles comprise a first set of springs distributed in the widened portion and a second set of springs distributed in the narrowed portion of the central panel.

[0034] Thanks to the distribution of said plurality of spring, the lumbar support structure will provide a relatively even support and a high level of comfort for the user.

[0035] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are attained according to the dependent claims.Brief description of the drawings

[0036] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent in the light of the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a lumbar support structure for a vehicle seat such as the one mentioned above, shown by way of non-limiting example with reference to the drawing below, wherein:FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lumbar support structure according to the invention;FIG. 2 is a side view of the support of Fig. 1 ;FIG. 3 is a top view of the support of Fig. 1 ;FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the lumbar support according to the invention;FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the support of Fig. 1 .Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

[0037] With particular reference to the figures, there is shown a lumbar structure for a vehicle seat, indicated in their entirety with reference numeral 1

[0038] In the following, the word “seat” will be used to mean the seat of any type of motorised vehicle, such as cars, buses, trains, earth-moving machinery, trucks, boats, etc., meaning both a driver's seat and a passenger seat.

[0039] As better shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, structure 1 comprises a central panel 2 substantially flat defining a longitudinal axis.

[0040] Appropriately, centre panel 2 is configured to rest against the backrestof a seat and support a user's back.

[0041] Obviously, the lumbar support structure 1 may also be used on other types of seats and the like, not belonging to vehicles, which are provided with a seat and a backrest to support the structure 1 itself, without thereby falling outside the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] In particular, the central panel 2 has a tapered plan shape, with a narrowed portion 3 configured to support the spinal column of the user in a sitting position, and a widened portion 4 configured to support the lumbar area.

[0043] Thus, a user will be able to position the structure 1 on the backrest of the seat in such a position that, once seated, the back is in contact with the narrowed portion 3 of the central panel 2, and the lumbar area is in contact with the widened portion 4.

[0044] Due to the fact that the central panel 2 is intended to support the user, it is preferably formed of at least two layers 5, 6 of a first shock-absorbing material, mutually facing each other and coupled to form a unitary assembly 7.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the first shock-absorbing material is polyurethane.

[0046] Furthermore, the unitary assembly 7 is housed within a laminar casing 8, so that it substantially forms a cushion.

[0047] Preferably, at least in the part that comes into contact with the user's body, the laminar casing 8 can be made of breathable anti-decubitus fabric.

[0048] In an alternative embodiment, in the part that comes into contact with the seat, the laminar casing 8 may have friction components, such as rubber or rough fabric, so as to improve the stability of the structure 1 resting on the seat by friction.

[0049] According to a peculiar aspect of the invention, at least one of the shock-absorbing layers 5, 6 has receptacles 9 adapted to contain a plurality of springs 10 and is covered by the other layer 6, 5.

[0050] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the receptacles 9 are formed in the layer 5, and comprise seats intended to accommodate a first group of springs 11 distributed in the widened portion 4 and a second group of springs 12 distributed in the narrowed portion 3 of the central panel 2.

[0051] Thanks to this arrangement, the first spring group 11 interacts with the user's lumbar region, while the second spring group 12 is adapted to interact with the back and spine, thus increasing the support function.

[0052] In particular, the function of the plurality of springs 10 is to push against the engaged parts of the user’s body, so as to move the back and the lumbar region away from the seat and simultaneously accompany the arching of the shoulders towards the seat, so as to impart a correct posture to the user.

[0053] Thanks to the support and guidance of structure 1 , the user will avoid sitting for long periods in awkward positions, preventing or at least limiting the onset of limb and muscle pain.

[0054] Appropriately, the springs of the first 11 and second group 12 are essentially cylindrical. Furthermore, the springs have an average diameter between 20 and 50 mm.

[0055] Advantageously, the springs of the first 11 and second group 12 can be selected with specific technical characteristics, such as spring constant, pitch, materials, etc., depending on the type of support structure 1 to be built.

[0056] In addition, the first 11 and the second group of springs 12 may also have springs with different characteristics.

[0057] On the other hand, in order to contain the plurality of springs 10, the receptacles 9 comprise circular seats with a diameter corresponding to that of the springs.

[0058] Thus, each spring is firmly seated in its respective receptacle 9, without the possibility of coming out due to continuous stress.

[0059] Therefore, possible interactions between the springs will be avoided, extending the life of the support structure 1.

[0060] In another peculiar aspect of the invention, the central panel 2 is removably coupled with a pair of side panels 13 of a second shock-absorbing material, each enclosed within a respective envelope 14.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, the second shock-absorbing material enclosed within the envelope is polyurethane.

[0062] As better seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, each side panel 13 has a plan extension smaller than the central panel 2 and a substantially prismatic andwedge-shape with a narrowing 15 close to an area 16 of coupling with the central panel 2.

[0063] In particular, each side panel 13 comprises at one end a wedge- shaped body 17 made from the second shock-absorbing material enclosed within the envelope 14, and at the opposite end has the narrowing 15 with the coupling area 16 with the central panel 2.

[0064] In the coupling area 16 there are releasable coupling means 18 for coupling the respective side panel 13 with the central panel 2.

[0065] Specifically, the releasable coupling means 18 comprise a first end 19 fixed to the envelope 14 at the coupling area 16 and a second end 20 fixed to the central panel 2 at its widened portion 4.

[0066] In other words, each side panel 13 is removably coupled to the central panel 2 at the widened portion 4 of the latter by means of coupling means 18.

[0067] Therefore, depending on the needs of a user, the side panels 13 can be individually applied or removed from the central panel 2 for each use.

[0068] Preferably, the releasable coupling media 18 are selected from the group comprising hook-and-loop fasteners (such as Velcro®), snap buttons, adhesive fabric or equivalent.

[0069] The purpose of the side panels 13 is to contain the user's hips, enveloping them, and thus supporting the entire torso while the user remains seated.

[0070] In fact, once the side panels 13 have been coupled to the centre panel 2 and the support structure 1 has been placed on a seat, a sitting user will be able to bend the flexible narrowing 15 of each side panel 13 so as to wrap his hips with the wedge-shaped bodies 17.

[0071] The wedge-shaped bodies 17 will then support the user's hips and torso.

[0072] Another advantage of this configuration is that the first end 19 fixed to the envelope 14 can be coupled at any point to the second end 20 fixed to the central panel 2.

[0073] Thus, based on his body type, a user can couple the side panel 13 to centre panel 2 in such a way as to be able to comfortably wrap his hips.

[0074] Therefore, being adjustable, the support structure 1 will be suitable for different body sizes.

[0075] In the light of the description above, it is clear that the lumbar support structure according to the invention achieves the pre-established objects and in particular ensures a correct posture during its use, thus avoiding possible muscular-limb pain.

[0076] In addition, the lumbar support structure according to the invention can be suitably adjusted to the user's body type.

[0077] The support structure according to the invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations all falling within the inventive concept expressed in the attached claims.

[0078] Although the support structure has been described with particular reference to the attached figures, the reference numbers used in the description and in the claims are meant for improving the intelligibility of the invention and they do not limit the claimed scope of protection in any manner whatsoever.

[0079] Throughout the description, reference to "an embodiment" or "the embodiment" or "some embodiments" indicates that a particular characteristic, structure or element described is comprised in at least one embodiment of the object of the invention.

[0080] Furthermore, the particular characteristics, structures or elements may be combined in any appropriate way in one or more embodiments.Industrial applicability

[0081] The present invention can be applied at industrial level because it can be manufactured on industrial scale by industries belonging to the field of personal ergonomic devices, in particular cushions.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A lumbar support structure (1) for a vehicle seat, comprising a substantially flat central panel (2) defining a longitudinal axis, said central panel (2) being configured to rest against the backrest of the seat and support the back of a user and having at least two layers (5, 6) of a first shockabsorbing material facing each other and coupled so as to form a unitary assembly (7); characterised in that at least one of said layers (5, 6) has receptacles (9) adapted to contain a plurality of springs (10) covered by the other of said layers (6, 5), said central panel (2) being removably coupled to a pair of side panels (13) of a second shock-absorbing material each enclosed within a corresponding envelope (14).

2. Structure as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that said central panel (2) has a tapered plan shape with a narrowed portion (3) configured to support the spinal column of a user in a sitting position, and a widened portion (4) configured to support the lumbar region of said user in a sitting position.

3. Structure as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that said unitary assembly (7) is housed within a laminar casing (8), to substantially form a cushion.

4. Structure as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said receptacles (9) are adapted to house a first group of springs (11) distributed in said widened portion (4) and a second group of springs (12) distributed in said narrowed portion (3) of said central panel (2).

5. Structure as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that said springs are substantially cylindrical, said receptacles (9) being circular seats with a diameter corresponding to that of said springs.

6. Structure as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that said springs have an average diameter between 20 and 50 mm.

7. Structure as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that each side panel (13) has a plan extension smaller than that of said central panel (2) and a substantially prismatic and wedge-shape with a narrowing (15) close to an area (16) of coupling with said central panel (2).

8. Structure as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that each side panel (13) is removably coupled to said central panel (2) at the widened portion (4) thereof.

9. Structure as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that each of said side panels (13) is removably coupled to said centre panel (2) by means of releasable coupling means (18).

10. Structure as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that said releasable coupling means (18) comprise a first end (19) fixed to said envelope (14) and a second end (20) fixed to said central panel (2) in correspondence of its widened portion (4).11 . Structure as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that said releasable coupling means (18) are selected from the group comprising hook-and-loop fasteners (such as Velcro®), snap buttons, adhesive fabric, or equivalent.

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