U.S. patent application number 11/723775 was filed with the patent office on 2007-10-04 for seating apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to RECARO Aircraft Seating GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Lena Fakler, Oliver Forgatsch, Hartmut Schurg.
Application Number | 20070228790 11/723775 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38055465 |
Filed Date | 2007-10-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070228790 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schurg; Hartmut ; et
al. |
October 4, 2007 |
Seating apparatus
Abstract
The invention is based on a seating apparatus with a settable
supporting unit which is provided for integration in a seat
component and has at least one pneumatic supporting means and at
least one adjustable, mechanical supporting means. The pneumatic
supporting means is coupled to the mechanical supporting means for
actuation of the mechanical supporting means.
Inventors: |
Schurg; Hartmut; (Schwabisch
Hall, DE) ; Fakler; Lena; (Tettnang, DE) ;
Forgatsch; Oliver; (Meersburg, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
POSZ LAW GROUP, PLC
12040 SOUTH LAKES DRIVE, SUITE 101
RESTON
VA
20191
US
|
Assignee: |
RECARO Aircraft Seating GmbH &
Co. KG
Schwabisch Hall
DE
|
Family ID: |
38055465 |
Appl. No.: |
11/723775 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/284.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 7/467 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/284.4 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/46 20060101
A47C007/46 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 31, 2006 |
DE |
10 2006 015 523.8 |
Claims
1. A seating apparatus with a settable supporting unit which is
provided for integration in a seat component and has at least one
pneumatic supporting means, wherein the supporting unit has at
least one adjustable, mechanical supporting means.
2. A seating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical
supporting means is formed by a pivotably mounted flap.
3. A seating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pneumatic
supporting means is coupled to the mechanical supporting means and
is provided for actuation of the mechanical supporting means.
4. A seating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical
supporting means has a changing rigidity in the direction of at
least one surface extent.
5. A seating apparatus with a settable supporting unit which is
provided for integration in a seat component and has at least one
adjustable, mechanical supporting means, wherein by a setting unit
which is provided for setting the supporting unit in an at least
partially automated manner as a function of at least one
characteristic variable.
6. A seating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the setting
unit is provided for setting the supporting unit at least as a
function of a position of the seat component.
7. A seating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the setting
unit is provided for setting the supporting unit as a function of a
position of the backrest.
8. A seating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the supporting
unit forms a settable lordosis support.
9. A seating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a
setting unit for setting the supporting unit in an at least
partially automated manner as a function of at least one
characteristic variable, the supporting unit having at least two
pneumatic supporting means for obtaining different settings.
10. A seating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pneumatic
supporting means have coupling points to the mechanical supporting
means, which coupling points are spaced apart at different
distances from a pivot axis of the mechanical supporting means.
11. A seating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the setting
unit comprises a valve unit.
12. A seating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the setting
unit is provided for venting at least one pneumatic supporting
means from a certain position of the seat component.
13. A method for setting a supporting unit which is provided for
integration in a seat component and has at least one mechanical
supporting means, wherein the supporting unit is set as a function
of at least one characteristic variable.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the supporting unit is
set as a function of a position of the seat component.
15. A seating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pneumatic
supporting means have coupling points to the mechanical supporting
means, the coupling points being spaced apart at different
distances from a pivot axis of the mechanical supporting means.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is based on, claims priority from,
and incorporates by reference German Patent Application No. DE 10
2006 015 523.8.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates generally to seating apparatuses, and
specifically to a seating apparatus with a settable supporting unit
that is provided for integration in a seat component.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A seating apparatus with a settable supporting unit, which
is provided for integration in a seat component formed by a
backrest and which includes a pneumatic, inflatable supporting
means, is known.
[0004] However, there is a need for a seating apparatus with a
settable supporting unit that is integrated in a seat component and
that has at least one pneumatic supporting means and at least one
mechanical supporting means, with the pneumatic supporting means
being coupled to the mechanical supporting means for actuation of
the mechanical supporting means.
SUMMARY
[0005] In view of the above, a seating apparatus is provided with a
settable supporting unit that is integrated in a seat component and
that has at least one pneumatic supporting means and at least one
mechanical supporting means. The pneumatic supporting means is
coupled to the mechanical supporting means and is provided for
actuation of the mechanical supporting means.
[0006] According to another exemplary embodiment, a seating
apparatus is provided with a settable supporting unit for
integration in a seat component. The settable supporting unit has
at least one adjustable, mechanical supporting means. A setting
unit is provided for setting the supporting unit in an at least
partially automated manner as a function of at least one
characteristic variable.
[0007] Another exemplary embodiment includes a method for setting a
supporting unit that is provided for integration in a seat
component and that has at least one mechanical supporting means.
According to the method, the supporting unit is set as a function
of at least one characteristic variable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Further advantages emerge from the following description of
the drawings. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the
invention and, together with the description and the claims,
contain numerous features in combination. One skilled in the art
will also consider the features individually and put them together
to form meaningful further combinations.
[0009] In the drawings:
[0010] FIG. 1 shows an aircraft seat in a first position of the
backrest with a deactivated supporting unit,
[0011] FIG. 2 shows a cutout of the aircraft seat in the lower
region of a backrest without the fabric upholstery in a greater
degree of detail,
[0012] FIG. 3 shows the lower region of the backrest with the
mechanical supporting means illustrated transparently, in a front
view,
[0013] FIG. 4 shows the aircraft seat in the first position of the
backrest with the supporting unit activated, and
[0014] FIG. 5 shows the aircraft seat in a second position of the
backrest with the supporting unit activated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals
reference like parts, FIG. 1 shows an aircraft seat with a seating
apparatus that has a supporting unit 12. The supporting unit 12 is
integrated in a seat component 10, which is formed by a backrest,
and is designed as a lordosis support. The supporting unit 12,
which is arranged in the lower region of the backrest below an
upholstery 34 of the backrest, has three pneumatic supporting means
14, 16, 18 (FIG. 2) formed by airbags, and an adjustable,
mechanical supporting means 20, which is formed by an individual
flap mounted pivotably and is produced from a carbon fiber
composite material. The mechanical supporting means 20 extends
virtually over the entire width of the backrest, is mounted on a
backrest frame 28 in a manner such that it can pivot about a pivot
axis 26 in its upper edge region or its edge region facing away
from a seat base 36 and, for this purpose, has wings 30 extending
laterally over frame elements of the backrest frame 28 (FIG.
2).
[0016] As used throughout, "mechanical supporting means" is to be
understood, in particular, as meaning a means which is formed by a
body and, in particular in comparison to a flexurally soft
component, such as a flexurally soft casing of a pneumatic
supporting means and a flexurally soft fabric upholstery, is
suitable and, in particular, also provided for the purpose of
transmitting functional forces transversely with respect to a
surface extent. In this case, the means which is formed by the body
is advantageously designed such that it is flexurally rigid
transversely with respect to its surface extent and/or,
particularly preferably, such that it is elastically deformable, in
particular by more than one millimeter by the weight of a passenger
in the use situation. An elastic deformability enables advantageous
adaptations and transitions to be achieved.
[0017] The mechanical supporting means here can be produced from
various materials appearing expedient to a person skilled in the
art, such as, in particular, from composite materials, such as
carbon fiber materials, glass fiber materials, and/or also from one
or more plastics, for example by it being produced by
multi-component injection molding, etc. Furthermore, "provided" is
to be understood as meaning specially equipped and/or designed.
[0018] By means of a corresponding configuration according to the
invention, large adjustments can be realized in a simple manner
using small quantities of air, to be precise, in particular if the
mechanical supporting means is formed by a pivotably mounted flap.
Advantageous adaptations can be realized with little expenditure of
energy, within short periods of time. Furthermore, the pivotable
mounting enables advantageous transitions to be achieved. In
principle, however, mechanical supporting means guided movably in
an at least partially translatory manner would also be
conceivable.
[0019] The mechanical supporting means can be designed such that
they can be set manually and/or via additional actuators. However,
the pneumatic supporting means is particularly advantageously
coupled to the mechanical supporting means and is provided for
actuation of the mechanical supporting means, as a result of which
additional, in particular heavy actuators can be avoided.
[0020] In a further refinement, the mechanical supporting means may
have a changing rigidity, in particular flexural rigidity, in the
direction of at least one surface extent, thus enabling different
supporting effects to be obtained in a specific manner over the
surface extents.
[0021] Furthermore, a seating apparatus may comprise a settable
supporting unit which is provided for integration in a seat
component and comprises at least one adjustable mechanical
supporting means, the seating apparatus having a setting unit which
is provided for setting the supporting unit in an at least
partially automated manner as a function of a characteristic
variable. As a function of the characteristic variable, an
advantageous setting can be realized and the comfort can be
increased. By means of the combination of at least one mechanical
supporting means and at least one pneumatic supporting means,
various supporting effects can advantageously be obtained, and, in
particular, an advantageously large setting range can be achieved,
and therefore various settings can advantageously be realized as a
function of at least one characteristic variable.
[0022] In this case, the setting unit can set the supporting unit
as a function of various characteristic variables appearing
expedient to a person skilled in the art, but, particularly
advantageously, as a function of a position of the seat component
and, in particular, as a function of a position of the backrest.
Substantially changing demands imposed on the supporting unit can
therefore advantageously be taken into account by changing a
position of a seat component and, in particular, the position of a
backrest.
[0023] The supporting unit preferably forms a settable lordosis
support such that an advantageously large setting range, in
particular a setting range dependent on a characteristic variable,
can be achieved, in particular in the lower region of a
backrest.
[0024] In a further refinement, the supporting unit may have at
least two pneumatic supporting means for obtaining different
settings, thus making it possible, in a structurally simple manner,
to obtain different supporting effects, to be precise, in
particular if the pneumatic supporting means have coupling points
to the mechanical supporting means, which coupling points are
spaced apart at different distances from a pivot axis of the
mechanical supporting means.
[0025] Furthermore, the setting unit may comprise a valve unit,
thus making it possible, via the control and/or regulation of a
quantity of air in a pneumatic supporting means, to realize an
adjustment in a simple manner, to be precise, by air being supplied
via the valve unit and/or, in particular, by air being let out via
the valve unit from a certain position of the seat component or by
a pneumatic supporting means being vented.
[0026] Referring again to FIG. 1, a mechanical supporting means 20
which ends essentially directly above the seat base 36 is of curved
design about a longitudinal axis 38 of the backrest and about a
transverse axis 40 of the backrest, to be precise, the mechanical
supporting means 20 is designed such that it bulges about the
transverse axis 40 in the direction facing away from a backrest
fabric 32 arranged in the backrest frame 28 and is designed such
that it bulges about the longitudinal axis 38 in the direction of
the backrest fabric 32, as a result of which an advantageous,
ergonomic adaptation is achieved (FIGS. 2 and 3).
[0027] The three pneumatic supporting means 14, 16, 18 are arranged
between the backrest fabric 32 and the mechanical supporting means
20, are coupled to the mechanical supporting means 20 via a
respective coupling point and are provided for actuation of the
mechanical supporting means 20 (FIGS. 2 to 5). The pneumatic
supporting means 14, which is of tubular design, is arranged in the
upper region, i.e. in the region of the pivot axis 26, extends
parallel to the pivot axis 26 and, just below the pivot axis 26,
has a coupling point to the mechanical supporting means 20, which
coupling point extends parallel to the pivot axis 26.
[0028] The pneumatic supporting means 16, 18, which are of
kidney-shaped design, are arranged in a left and right region of
the backrest below the pneumatic supporting means 14, i.e. on a
side thereof which faces away from the pivot axis 26, and are
coupled in the lower region of the mechanical supporting means 20
to the same via coupling points. The coupling points of the
pneumatic supporting means 16, 18 are therefore spaced apart
further from the pivot axis 26 than the coupling point of the
pneumatic supporting means 14.
[0029] The mechanical supporting means 20 can be deformed
elastically transversely with respect to its main surface extent
and, in its surface extent 22, i.e. in the direction of the
longitudinal axis 38 of the backrest, has a continuously changing
flexural rigidity, to be precise, the flexural rigidity increases
continuously from the upper region of the mechanical supporting
means 20 in the direction of the lower region of the mechanical
supporting means 20, which region faces the seat base 36. For this
purpose, the mechanical supporting means 20 is designed to be
thinner-walled in the upper region or in the region of the pivot
axis 26 and therefore to have a lower flexural rigidity and to be
thicker-walled in the lower region or in the region facing away
from the pivot axis 26 and therefore to have greater flexural
rigidity, as a result of which particularly advantageous
adaptability can be achieved in the upper region of the mechanical
supporting means 20 and an advantageous transmission of force can
be achieved in the lower region of the supporting means 20.
[0030] Furthermore, the seating apparatus has a setting unit 24
with a valve unit 46 which is provided to set the supporting unit
12 in a partially automated manner as a function of a position of
the backrest.
[0031] If the backrest is in its upright position or in a position
associated with starting and landing of an aircraft, the pneumatic
supporting means 14 can be filled and also emptied by a passenger
via an operating unit (not illustrated specifically) by means of an
electric pump 42 via the valve unit 46 of the setting unit 24, and
therefore the mechanical supporting means 20 can be actuated (FIG.
4). Instead of or in addition to the electric pump 42, a hand pump
is also conceivable which may be integrated, for example as a unit,
in particular as a lever unit 48, in the region of the seat base 36
or else may be designed as a simple hand bellows 50, as indicated
by dashed lines in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5.
[0032] The relatively low inherent rigidity of the mechanical
supporting means 20 in the upper region means that, in the upper
region of the same, an advantageously extensive support of the
lordosis of the passenger is brought about. The pneumatic
supporting means 14 is coupled in a relatively flexurally soft
region to the mechanical supporting means 20 such that the latter
can advantageously be deformed elastically about the pneumatic
supporting means 14, as indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 4 and
advantageously maintains a seat reference point.
[0033] In the upright position of the backrest, a connection
between the pump 42 and the pneumatic supporting means 16, 18 is
prevented via the valve unit 46 of the setting unit 24, and the
pneumatic supporting means 16, 18 are vented via the valve unit
46.
[0034] If the backrest is brought into an inclined position, a
connection between the pump 42 and the pneumatic supporting means
16, 18 is produced via the valve unit 46 of the setting unit 24 and
a connection between the pump 42 and the pneumatic supporting means
14 is interrupted. Furthermore, the pneumatic supporting means 14
is vented. The pneumatic supporting means 16, 18 can now be filled
and emptied by the passenger (FIG. 5). If the pneumatic supporting
means 16, 18 are filled, they press the mechanical supporting means
20 in the direction of the passenger and support the passenger in
his pelvic region, and therefore a pleasant reclining position can
be assumed. The position of the backrest is sensed via a mechanical
unit 44 of the setting unit 24, and a setting movement is
transmitted from the backrest via the mechanical unit 44 to the
valve unit 46 of the setting unit 24. The mechanical sensing and
the mechanical transmission of the setting movement by the backrest
by means of the mechanical unit 44 to the valve unit 46 make it
possible to save on additional actuators. In principle, however, it
would also be conceivable for the position of the backrest to be
detected electronically and/or for a setting movement to be
generated by means of an additional actuator.
[0035] If the backrest is brought again into its upright position
by the passenger, a setting movement is transmitted by the backrest
to the valve unit 46 of the setting unit 24 by means of a
mechanical unit 44, and the pneumatic supporting means 16, 18 are
vented or air is let out of the pneumatic supporting means 16, 18,
thus ensuring that a seat reference point is maintained. In
addition, the pump 42 is connected again to the pneumatic
supporting means 14. The pneumatic supporting means 16, 18 are
therefore associated exclusively with inclined positions of the
backrest while the pneumatic supporting means 14 is exclusively
associated with an upright position, as a result of which only
small quantities of air are ever required. In principle, however,
other associations appearing expedient to a person skilled in the
art are also conceivable; in particular, the supporting means 14
could be designed such that it can be inflated even in an inclined
position of the backrest, for example in order to obtain an
additional supporting effect.
[0036] The aforementioned exemplary embodiments are applicable for
use in all seats, such as in seats for long-distance coaches,
ferries, halls, convention halls, as well as in vehicle seats and,
particularly advantageously, in aircraft seats.
[0037] The invention is described herein in detail with particular
reference to presently preferred exemplary embodiments. However, it
will be understood that variations and modifications can be
effected within the scope and spirit of the invention.
* * * * *