Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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VE~ICLE SE~T INCLUDING ADJUST~BLE
SIDE BOLSTERS
TEC~NICAL FIELD
This invention relates to vehicle seats and
in particular to vehicle seats in which the shape of
the v~hicle seat may be changed.
BACKGRO~N~ ART
The driver and other occupa~ts of motor vehicles
experience various driving stresses during the course
of a typical drive. Such stress to the body may also
include stress to the spine which often causes dis-
comfort and which may cause injury in extreme situations.
The occupants of vehicles may be forced in a
lateral direction with respect to their seat, for
example, during a vehicle collision or during a sharp
turn. The occupants may be thrown against other
occupants of the ~ehicle or the inner side walls of the
vehicle. When the driver of the vehicle experiences
such forces, he may lose control of the vehicle.
If the backrest portion and/or the seating por-
tion of the vehicle seat are each provided with a pair
of lateral bolsters or bolster sections, lateral move-
ment of the occupant of the vehicle seat is more restric-
ted to protect the occupant of the seat. Such a back-
rest portion of a vehicle seat is disclosed in the U.S.
Patent of Faust 3,Ç27,379.
The protective quality of vehicle seats having
lateral bolster sections is largely determined by how
snugly the side bolster sections are laterally positioned
about the occupant of the vehicle seat. It is desirable
that the distance between such bolster sections be
slightly greater than the width of the occupant of the
seat, While such snugness is desirable for safety
reasons, a certain amount of looseness is also important
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~or the comfort of the occupant. Also such looseness
allows the driver the necessary freedom o~ movement
to drive the ~ehicle.
One possible, yet impractical, solution for
providing such la$eral support with comfort is to have
each vehicle seat custom made to fit each occupant.
Such a seat would be expensive and would invariably
fail to accommodate others. Also, depending on the
amount of clothing worn by the occupant, the seat may
at times be unsuitable for an occupant for whom the
seat was designed. Obviously, the optimum difference
in distance between the bolster section varies depend-
ing on the effective width of the occupant.
Consequently, it is desirable that the effective
distance between such bolster sections be variable to
provide the necessary support and comfort for the
particular occupant of the vehicle seat, One known
method is to adjust the lateral position of each bolster
section by a handwheel which, upon rotation, causes the
associated bolster section to move relative to its
associated backrest portion. In this way, the distance
between the adjusted bolster section and the bolster
section mounted at the opposite side o~ the backrest por-
tion is varied. The other bolster section may be indi-
vidually adjusted by its own handwheel in a similarfashion.
Such a method for varying the distance between
a pair of corresponding bolster sections is not only
complicated but also time-consuming in that each of
the bolster sections must be individually adjusted to
obtain the proper distance therebetween. Furthermore,
once the proper distance is obtained, it is possible
that one o~ the bolster sections may be angled to a
greater or lesser extent with respect to its corresponding
backrest or seating portion than other bolster sections
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thereby causing discomfort to the occupant of the seat.
Vehicle seats generally of the type to which this invention relates
are disclosed by United States Patent to Goldner 4,169,899, Tischler 3,727,980
and Capener et al 3,623,768.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved
vehicle seat.
According to a broad aspect of the invention, there is provided in
combination with a vehicle seat having a backrest portion and seating portion,
a pair of movable lateral bolster sections mounted on opposite sides of at
least one of said portions and projecting therefrom, and adjustment means
including a pair of drive members, for selectively and simultaneously moving
the bolster sections in a controlled fashion between a first lateral support
position and a second lateral support position, wherein each of said bolster
sections has inner and outer parts, said sections being connected at opposite
sides of said one of said portions at their inner parts and wherein said one
of said portions includes a frame assembly and wherein each of said bolster
sections includes a rigid support paddle, having an outer free end portion
and an inner, supported end portion, the inner end portion of said support
paddle being hingedly connec~ed to said frame assembly to permit the
support paddle to rotate about a first longitudinal axis and wherein each
support paddle is hingedly connected to its respective drive member to permit
the support paddle to rotate with respect to the drive member about a
second longitudinal axis spaced away from the first longitudinal axis to
move the free end portion of the support paddle about the first longitudinal
axis.
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The adjustment means is preferably manually actuated to move the
bolster section between the first and second lateral support posi.tions.
The objects, features and advantages of the present invention
are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best
mode taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing a vehicle seat construc-
ted according to this invention;
FIGURE 2 is a front view of the vehicle seat;
FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 wherein the top and bottom
sides of the vehicle seat are partially broken away;
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FIGURE 4 is a front view o~ a seating portion
of the vehicle seat, partially broken away, and showing
an interconnected bolster section in two of its
lateral support positions in phantom;
FIGURE 5 is a top view o~ the seating portion
showing an adjustment mechanism for varying the distance
between interconnected bolster sections;
FIGCRE 6 is a top view of a backrest portion
of the vehicle seat, partially b~oken away, showing
interconnected bolster sections in a first-lateral
support position by solid lines and a second lateral
support position in phantom;
FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGVRE 3 showing
a second embodiment of the present in~ention;
~IGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing
two lateral support positions of one of the interconnec-
ted bolster sections in phantom;
FIGURE 9 is a top view, partially broken away,
of a part of an adjustment mechanism shown in FIGURE 8;
FIGURE 10 is a bottom view of a backrest portion
of the vehicle seat of the second embodiment, partially
broken away, showing two lateral support positions of
the interconnected bolster sections in phantom; and
FIGURE 11 is a rear view, partially broken away,
of the backrest portion of the second embodiment and the
interconnected bolster sections.
BEST MODE FOR CA~RYING OUT ~HE INVENTION
Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, a first embodiment
of a vehicle seat constructed according to the present
invention is indicated collectively by reference numeral
20 and inc:Ludes a seating portion 22, an interconnected
backrest portion 24 and a head support 23 mounted at the
top of the backrest portion 24. A pair of movable lateral
bolster sections comprising a right-hand bolster section
26 and left-hand bolster section 28 are mounted on
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opposite sides of the s~ating portion 22 and project
above the top part of the seating portion 22 to
laterally support the lower part of the occupant of
the seat 20 therebetween.
A second pair of movable lateral bolster
sections comprising a right-hand bolster section 30
and a left-hand bolster section 32 are mounted on
opposite sides of the backre!st portion 24 and project
towards the front of the vehicle seat 20 to laterally
support the upper part of the occupant of the vehicle
seat 20 therebetween.
The lateral bolster sections 26, 28 30 and
32 are adapted to take up the considera~le forces which
may occur in the transverse directions of the backrest
portion 24 and the seating portion 22, for example,
when the person occupying the seat drives at a consider-
able speed along a curve and is pressed against either
the right-hand bolster sections 26 and 30 or the left-
hald bolster sections 28 and 32.
With reference to FIGURES 3 and 4, the seating
portion 22 includes a frame assembly 34 to which the
right and left-hand seating bolster sections 26 and 28
are hingedly connected at their inner ends. More
particularly, the bolster sections 26 and 28 include
rigid paddles 36 in the form of metal or plastic paddles
or plates, which are pivotally connected to the ~rame
assembly 34 at their lower ends by pivot rods 38. The
lower ends of the paddles 36 are formed with sleeves
39 for rotatably retaining the opposite ends of the pivot
rods 38 therein. The pivot rods 38 are, in turn, sup-
ported by support brackets 40 of the ~rame assembly 34.
Each of the paddles 36 is embedded along with
a suitable spring assembly ~not shown) within a body
of foam plastic material and an upholstery fabric is
applied to the outer surface of the body to complete
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the construction of each of the right and le~t-hand
bolster sections 26 and 28, respectivelyO
With reference to FIGURE 5, an adjustment
mechanism, generally indicated at 42, is provided ~or
alterately moving both the right and left-hand bolster
sections 26 and 28, respecti.vely, either toward each
other or away from each other, thereby providing a
lesser or greater seating area therebetween. The
ad~ustment mechanism 42 selectively and simultaneously
moves the right and left-hand bolster sections 26 and 28
in a ~ontrolled fashion between a first lateral support
position and a second lateral support position as shown
in FIGURE 4. The adjustment mechanism 42 also retains
and supports the right and left-hand bolster sections
26 and~8 in any desired lateral support position there-
between.
More particularly, the adjustment mechanism
42 is pivotally connected to both of the paddles 36
to pivotally move the paddles 36 about their respective
pivot rods 38. The adjustment mechanism 42 includes a
single handwheel 44 which is fixedly connected at one
end of a drive rod 46 which extends outwardly from its
seating portion 22. The drive rod 46 is supported on
the frame assembly 34 by a plastic or rubber support
bushing 48, as best shown in FIGURE 4. A lower end
portion 47 of the bushing 48 is secured to the ~rame
assembly 34 and a hollow, cylindrical, upper portion
49 of the bushing 48 supports the rod 46 therewithin
above the frame assembly 34.
Opposite the handwheel 44 the drive rod 46
includes a threaded portion 50 which is threadedly
received within a movable threaded nut 52 having an
upwardly extending pin 54 connected thereto. The pin
54 is received within an aperture 55 which extends through
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an arm 56 of a rotary device 58. Movement of the
threaded nut 52 axially along the rod 46 causes the
rotary device 58 to rotate about an upwardly extending
axle pin 60 which is fixedly connected to the frame
assembly 34 and which extends through an aperture 61
formed concentrically through the rotary device 58.
The rotary device 58 loosely fits on the pin 61 to allow
the device 58 to rotate in response to axial movement
by the nut 52. The rotary device 58 rotates through a
slight angle as shown in FIGURE 5 when the threaded nut
52 moves on the drive rod 46 in response to rotary
motion imparted to the drive rod 46 at the handwheel 44.
The rotary device 58 further includes a plate
structure 62 integrally formed with the arm 56 and a
pair of arms 64 and 65 integrally formed with the plate
structure 62 at opposite sides thereof, Each of the
arms 64 and 65 includes a pair of spaced flanges 66 and
68 as best shown in FIGU~E 4, Tapered end portions
70 of rigid, oppositely extending push rods 72 are re~
ceived and retained in their corresponding flanges 6
and 68. The end portions 70 are pivotally connected
therebetween the ~langes 66 and 68 by pivot pins 74.
The push rods 72 are also pivotally connected at their
opposite tapered end portions 76 to the paddles 36 by
pivot rods 78. The rods 78 are mounted on the paddles
36 by brackets 80.
If the rotary device 58 rotates in a clockwise
direction as shown in FIGURE 5, paddles 36 are pulled
toward each other by the push rods 72. If the rotary
device 58 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the
paddles 36 are pushed away from each other by the push
rods 72.
With reference to FIGURE 6, the backrest portion
24 includes an internal frame assembly 81 having a pair
of substantially identical right and left-hand cage
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structures 82 located at opposite sides of the backrest
portion 24. Pivot rods 8~ are supported by their
respective cage structures 82 at their opposite ends.
A pair of paddles 8~ of the bolster sections 30 and 32
are pivotally mounted on the pivot rods 84 at the
inner ends of the paddles 86. The outer ends of the
paddles 86 may be connected to spring assemblies including
longitudinally extending wires 87 which are embedded
within the bolster sections 30 and 32 as in the bolster
sections 26 and 2B.
The bolster sections 30 and 32 of the backrest
portion 34 are selectively moved simultaneously toward
or away from each other in controlled fashion by an
adjustment mechanism 88. The adjustment mechanism 88
is adapted to move the bolster sections 30 and 32 between
a first lateral support position as shown by the solid
lines in FIGURE 6 and a second lateral support position
as shown by the phantom lines. The adjustment mechanism
88 also maintains the bolster sections 30 and 32 in both
of the first and second support positions and any desired
support positions therebetween.
The adjustment mechanism 88 includes a handwhael
90 coupled to a threaded drive shaft 92 which, in turn,
is coupled to a substantially identical second threaded
drive shaft 94 by a flexible drive cable g6. The flexible
drive cable 96 is connected to each of the drive shafts
92 and 94 such as by set screws (not shown).
The first and second drive shafts 92 and 94 are
rotatably supported within their respective cage
structures 82 by spaced pairs of nylon bushings 98. The
first and second dri~e shafts 92 and 94 extend through
interconnected first and second support rails 100 and 102
of their corresponding cage structures 82 at the supported
bushings. The externally threaded drive shafts 92
and 94 extend in opposite directions, the purpose of
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which will become apparent hereinbelow.
Disposed within the cage structures 82 and
threadedly mounted on their respective drive shafts 92
and 94 are internally threaded drive nuts 104. Each
of the drive nuts 104 includes a forwardly extending
portion 106 which extends through elongated slots 108
formed through side wall portions 110 of the first
support rails 100 and are guided therewithin. The drive
nuts 104 are threaded to move a~ially along their threaded
drive shafts 92 and 94 either away or towards each other
in response to the rotary motion of the handwheel 90.
Pairs of rigid arm members 112 are fixedly con-
nected to their respective drive nuts 104 and are piYotally
connected at their opposite ends to tabs 114 which are
fixedly mounted to their respective paddles 86. The drive
nuts 104 move axially along the drive shafts 92 and 94
either toward each other or away from each other to pivot-
ally move the paddles 86 either toward or away from each
other through the interconnection of the arm members 112.
Referring to FIGU Æ 7, there is shown a second
and preferred embodiment of a vehicle seat 120 constructed
according to the present invention. Like the vehicle seat
20, the vehicle seat 120 includes a seating portion 122,
an interconnected ba~krest portion 124 and a head support
125 connected to the top of the backrest portion 124.
As in the first embodiment, the vehicle seat 120 includes
seating bolster sections 128 (only one of which is shown)
hingedly connected at opposite sides of the seating portion
122~ Also as in the first embodiment, the vehicle seat
120 includes right and left-hand backrest bolster sections
130 and 132, respectively, hingedly connected to the back-
rest portion 124 at their inner ends.
The seating portion 122 includes a frame assembly
134 to which paddles 136 (only one of which is shown) are
piYotally connected by pivot rods 138 (only one of which is
shown~. The frame assembly 134 includes a pair of support
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cages 140, each of ~hich supp~t thei~ respectiye pivot
rods 138 at an outer support bracket 141,
Each of the paddles 136 is fixedly connected to
a spring assembly (not shown) of the bolster sections
130 and 132. Each of the paddles 136 to~ether with its
associated spring assembly are embedded in a body of oam
plastic material so that the bolster sections move ~ith
their associated paddle 136,
An adjustment mechanism 142 is provided for
selectively and simultaneously moving the seating bolstex
sections 128 between their various lateral support posi-
tions including the lateral support positions shown in
phantom in FIGURE 8 for the left hand bolster section 128,
The adjustment mechanism 142 includes a handwheel 144
adapted to be gripped by the occupant of the seat adjacent
the left-hand bolster section 128. The handwheel 144 is
coupled to a drive screw or threaded rod 146. The drive
screw 146 is coupled to a second drive screw 150 by a
connecting tube 152 to transfer the rotary motion of the
fixst drive screw 146 to the second drive screw 150. The
drive screws 146 and 150 are supported by the first support
brackets 141 and interconnected second support bxackets
147 of the support cages 140. The drive screws 146 and
150 are rotatably supported and extend therethrough the
first and second support brackets 141 and 147 at supported
nylon bushings 149. Set screws (not shown) secure the
connecting tube to both of the drive screws 146 and 150.
lnternally threaded drive nuts 152 (only one of
which is shown in FIGURE 9 with reference to the left-
hand seating bolster section 128) are threadedly mounted
on the threaded portions of the first and second drive
screws 146 and 150, respectively. Each of the drive
nu~s 152 includes an upwardly extending end portion 154
which extends through a slot 153 ~ormed through an upper
wall portion 155 o~ each of the second support brackets
157. As the drive screws 146 and 150 are rotated, the
drive nuts 152 are guided within their corresponding
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slots 153.
A pair of rigid arm members 156 are fixedly
connected to the drive nuts 152 to move therewith. The
ends 157 of the arm members 156 are connected to their
respe~tive paddles 136 by mounting brackets lS9 to
thereby interconnect the threaded nuts 152 and the
paddles 136. The paddles 136 pivot about the pivot rods
138 when the threaded nuts 152 move in an axial direction
along the first and second drive screws 146 and 150,
respectively.
With reference to FIGURES 10 and 11, a frame
assembly 181 of thebackrest portion 124 includes a pair
of spaced cage structures 182. The cage structures 182
have integrally formed therewith pairs of spaced mounting
15 flanges 183 to which paddles 186 of the bolster sections
130 and 132 are pivotally mounted, as described in
greater detail hereinbelow.
The paddles 186 which comprise skeletal frames,
are fixedly connected to their associates spring assemblies
20 (part of which is shown at 187 in FIGURES 10 and 11) and
the paddles 186, together with their associated spring
assemblies are embedded in a body of foam plastic material
to form the bolster sections 130 and 132 so that the
bolster sections 130 and 132 move with their associated
paddles 186.
The paddles 186 are moved from a first lateral
support position as shown by the solid lines in FIGURE 10
to other lateral support positions, two of which are
shown by the phantom lines in FIGURE 10, by an adjustment
30 mechanism 188 including a manually operated handwheel 1~3.
The handwheel 190 is coupled to an externally threaded
drive shaft 192 which, in turn,is coupled to a second
externally threaded drive shaft 194 by a flexible drive
cable 196, the ends of which are connected to the first
35 and second drive shafts 192 and 194, respectively, such
as by set screws (not shown). The first and second
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drive shafts lg2 and 194 axa rotatably supported within
their respective cage structures 182 by pairs of
bushings 198. The bushings 198 support the first and
second drive shafts 192 and 194, respectively, at inner
and outer rails 200 and 202 of the cage structures 182
through which the first and second drive shafts 192 and
194 extend.
Internally threaded drive nuts 204 are mounted
on the drive shafts 192 and 194. The paddles 186 are
connected to the drive nuts 204 to rotate the paddles
186 by pins 206 connected to the drive nuts 204 and
which extend through elongated slots 208 formed through
upper and lower frame members 189 and 191, respectively,
of the paddles 186. InterconnectivP frame members 193
of the paddles 186 connect the upper and lower frame
members 189 and 191 to provide structural strength.
The upper and lower parts 1~9 and 191, respectivel~,
of the paddles 186 are pivotally connected to the ~lange
portions 183 of their respective cage structures 182 by
pivot pins 209 which extend through the upper and lower
parts 189 and 191 o~ the paddles 186. The elongated
slots 208 allow the drive nuts 204 to move in an axial
direction either towards or away from each other on the
first and second drive shafts 192 and 194, respectively,
to thereby cause the paddles 186 to rotate about their
respective pivot pins 209 and to thereby move from one
lateral support position to another lateral support posi-
tion. When the handwheel 190 is rotated, the first and
second drive shafts 192 and 194 will rotate in the same
direction. However, the threads of the second drive
shaft 194 will rotate in the opposite direction since the
ends of the first and second drive shafts 192 and 194
are intercoupled by,the flexible drive cable 196.
While two embodiments, including a preferred
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embodiment of the invention have been shown and des-
cribed herein in detail, those skilled in this art will
recognize various alternative designs and embodiments
for practicing the present invention as defined by
the following claims.
