Description:Field of the Invention

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of a vehicle seat assembly for the vehicle interior. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat assembly having a plastic carrier with a portion being adapted to provide a comfort support(s) for e.g., a lumbar and/or neck and/or thigh support for a seat user.

Background of the Invention

[0002] Vehicle manufacturers offer seats equipped with comfort support element(s) as a standard or optional feature. Comfort support element(s) like a lumbar is designed to provide additional support to the lower back while driving. It can help to reduce discomfort and fatigue during long drives, improve posture, and provide added support for the lower back. This feature can be particularly beneficial for people who have back problems.

[0003] Comfort system(s) is typically included as an option in higher-end vehicles, but it is becoming more common as a standard feature in many cars. The type of comfort support system can vary depending on the make and model of the car, with some offering manual systems, while others offer pneumatic or electric systems.

[0004] There are several types of comfort systems that can be used in vehicle seats. One such is a manual comfort system which is arranged within the seat assembly and is actuated by a lever or knob that can adjust the comfort system to provide support to the seat user. The lever or knob helps to adjust the position of comfort system arranged to adapted/change the position of a seat foam or an air-filled comfort pad.

[0005] Therefore, there is a requirement of a vehicle seat assembly to provide a comfort support(s) like a lumbar and/or neck and/or thigh support to a seat user without requiring any special comfort system element as explained above.

Objects of the Invention

[0006] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle seat assembly with a plastic carrier arranged beneath a foam part of the seat assembly to have a portion being adapted to provide a comfort support(s) like a lumbar and/or neck and/or thigh support to a seat user without requiring any special/separate comfort system.

Summary of the invention

[0007] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle seat assembly for a vehicle interior in accordance with the present invention is provided. The vehicle seat assembly may include a seat cushion and/or a backrest for an occupant or a seat user to sit thereon.

[0008] Further, the backrest and/or the seat cushion includes a foam, a cover, and a plastic carrier. The cover covers the foam providing a back support and/or a seating support to the seat user. The plastic carrier is arranged beneath the foam for supporting the foam.

[0009] In an aspect, a portion of the plastic carrier is adapted to be movable from an idle position to a utility position for providing a comfort support to the seat user. The portion of the plastic carrier is arranged such that the portion can be pivotable around an axis between the idle position and the utility position. The idle position may correspond to a position wherein the portion is in a same plane of the plastic carrier and the utility position may correspond to a position wherein the portion is oblique with respect to plastic carrier.

[0010] Further, a guiding rod can be arranged within the backrest and/or seat cushion, preferably beneath the plastic carrier and being movable between a first position and at least one second position such that when the guiding rod moves from the first position to the at least one second position, the guiding rod abuts and pivots the portion of the plastic carrier from the idle position to the utility position. More particularly, a rotary knob or slidable knob is arranged on the backrest cover such that upon an actuation of the rotary knob or slidable knob the guiding rod moves between a first position and at least one second position. More specifically, the rotary knob or slidable knob is coupled to the guiding rod.

[0011] In an aspect of the invention, the portion of the plastic carrier has a wedge-shaped rib structure, wherein a height of the wedge-shaped rib structure gradually increases from the pivotable end to a free end of the portion of the plastic carrier such that when the guiding rod slides from the first position to the at least one second position the portion of the plastic carrier abuts and pushes the rib to pivot the portion of the plastic carrier from the idle position to the utility position.

[0012] In an aspect of the invention, a slidable knob may be arranged on the backrest such that upon actuation of the knob the guiding rod slides between the first position and the at least one second position.

[0013] In an aspect of the invention, a guiding rail with plurality of detents may be arranged beneath the plastic carrier such that upon actuation of the knob the guiding rod slides in/on the guiding rail, wherein the detents enable the guiding rod to engage in plurality of second positions thus allowing the seat user(s) to customize the position of portion of the plastic carrier to their individual needs and thus are able to have a comfortable seating position/posture with the desirable comfort support.

[0014] In another aspect of the invention, a guiding rod may be arranged within the backrest, preferably beneath the plastic carrier wherein the guiding rod includes a cam-shaped member such that when the guiding rod rotates from the first position to the at least one second position the cam-shaped member abuts and pushes the portion of the plastic carrier to pivot the portion from the idle position to the utility position.

[0015] In an aspect of the invention, a rotary knob is arranged on the cover such that upon actuation of the knob the guiding rod rotates between a first position and at least one second position.

[0016] In another aspect of the invention, the rotary knob may be arranged in-between a central cushion (C) and a side bolster (B) of the backrest and/or seat cushion of the vehicle seat assembly as a thumb wheel to actuate the guiding rod. This specific placement or arrangement of the rotary knob makes it easily operable and robust in construction without requiring any cut portion on the cover of the backrest and/or the seat cushion.

[0017] In an aspect of the invention, the plastic carrier is arranged beneath the backrest of the vehicle seat assembly having one or more portion being pivotable from the idle position to the comfort support for providing a lumbar support and/or a neck support to the sear user. In another aspect of the invention, the plastic carrier is arranged beneath the seat cushion of the vehicle seat assembly having with a portion being pivotable from the idle position to the utility position for providing a thigh support to the seat user. In yet another aspect of the invention, the plastic carrier is arranged beneath the backrest and seat cushion and of the vehicle seat assembly having two or more portion being pivotable from the idle position to the utility position for providing a thigh support and a neck and/or lumbar support to the seat user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. The diagrams are for illustration only, which thus is not a limitation of the present disclosure.

[0019] In the figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

[0020] Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a vehicle seat assembly for a vehicle interior in accordance with the present invention;

[0021] Figure 1-1 illustrates an isometric view of a backrest illustrating a plastic carrier with a pivotable portion of a vehicle seat assembly for a vehicle interior in accordance with the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic partial view of the figure 1-1 showing the plastic carrier with a wedge-shaped rib structure and a guiding rod;

[0023] Figures 3a and 3b illustrates an isometric view of a first embodiment of the present invention showing a respective position of the guiding rod actuated by a sliding knob when in a first position (3a) and in an at least one second position (3b);

[0024] Figure 4 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a guiding rails with detents enabling plurality of the at least one second position according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 illustrates an isometric view of a guiding rod with a cam shaped structure operable by a rotary knob to pivot a portion of a plastic carrier from an idle position to a utility position, accordingly to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 illustrates an isometric view of a second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0027] Figure 6a illustrates a side cross section view of an aspect of the second embodiment wherein the rotary knob along with the guiding rod is slidable to a second pivotable portion (30-1’).

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0028] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0029] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details.

[0030] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat assembly. Specifically, a vehicle seat assembly is designed with a comfort support(s) which can be easily operated to provide comfort to a back/neck/thing of an occupant or a sear user.

[0031] Referring now to figures 1 and 1-1, a vehicle seat assembly (1000) for a vehicle interior in accordance with the invention is illustrated. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) can be a driver seat, a passenger seat, front row seat or a rear row seat or a middle row seat. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) comprises a seat cushion (200) and a backrest (100) for an occupant or a seat user to sit thereon. The backrest and/or the seat cushion (100) includes a cover (10) and a plastic carrier (30). The cover (10) covers a foam (20), providing a back support or a seating support to the occupant or the seat user. The plastic carrier (30) is arranged beneath the foam (20). In the present embodiment, the plastic carrier is a structural component that provides support to the foam and ensures maintaining the shape and rigidity of the foam. In an embodiment of the invention, the plastic carrier may be made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The plastic carrier (30) is molded into a specific shape that corresponds to the contours of the foam cushion and is designed to be attached to the vehicle seat frame (not shown).

[0032] Further, a portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) is adapted to be movable from an idle position (5) to a utility position (15) for providing a comfort support to the seat user. In an embodiment, for the backrest (100), the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) is a region(s) which is substantially on a lower central part (as shown in figure 1-1) and/or upper central part (as shown in figure 6a) of the plastic carrier which corresponds to a lumbar and/or neck region of the occupant when seated. Similarly for a seat cushion (200), the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) is a region(s) which is substantially at a thigh region of the occupant when seated (as shown in figure 6a).

[0033] In the present embodiment, the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) is pivotable around an axis (A) between the idle position (5) and the utility position (15). The idle position (5) corresponds to a position wherein the portion (30-1) is substantially in a same plane of the plastic carrier (30) and the utility position (15) corresponds to a position wherein the portion (30-1) is oblique with respect to plastic carrier (30). Specifically, in the utility position (15), the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) pushes a corresponding portion of the foam (20) towards a lumbar and/or neck and/or thigh region of the seated occupant thereby providing lumbar and/or neck and/or thigh support to the seated occupant.

[0034] In a first embodiment as shown in figures 1-1, 2, 3 and 4, illustrating a backrest (100) of the vehicle seat assembly (1000). A guiding rod (50) is arranged beneath the plastic carrier (30) of the backrest (100) movable between a first position (50-1) and at least one second position (50-2). The guiding rod (50) is positioned horizontally along the backrest of the seat assembly (1000). Specifically, the guiding rod (50) is slidably arranged in/on a guiding rail (55) arranged vertically beneath the plastic carrier (30) on each side portions of the backrest (100) as shown in figure 1-1. The first position (50-1) corresponds to a position, where the guiding rod (50) is away from the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30).

[0035] More particularly, the guiding rail (55) has a plurality of detents (55-1) as shown in figure 4. The detents (55-1) are small notches or grooves that are spaced at regular intervals along the length of the guiding rail (55). The guiding rod (50) is connected to a knob (1) arranged on the backrest (100). The knob (1) is a slidable knob which is adapted to slide along the guiding rail (55). As shown in the figures 3a and 3b, the knob (1) is arranged on either side of the guiding rod (50). It may be obvious to a person skilled in the art to arrange the knob (1) only at one end of the guiding rod (50). The knob (1) is operable or actuated manually by moving upwards or downwards. The knob (1) may be operated electrically as well to move the knob (1) in an upward or downward direction.

[0036] When the guiding rod (50) moves from the first position (50-1) to the at least second position (50-2), the guiding rod (50) abuts and pivots the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) from the idle position (5) to the utility position (15).

[0037] When the knob (1) is actuated, the guiding rod (50) slides between the first position (50-1) and the at least one second position (50-2). Specifically, upon actuation of the knob (1), the guiding rod (50) slides in/on the guiding rail (55), and the detents (55-1) enable the guiding rod (50) to engage in plurality of second positions (50-2). These detents (55-1) serve as stopping points for the guiding rod (50) that is moving along the guiding rail (55).

[0038] More particularly, in the first embodiment, the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) has a wedge-shaped rib structure (30-2) as shown in figures 1-1 and 2. The height of the wedge-shaped rib structure (30-2) gradually increases from the pivotable end (P) to a free end (F) of the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30). When the guiding rod (50) slides from the first position (50-1) to the at least a second position (50-2) as shown in figures 3a and 3b, the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) abuts and pushes the rib (30-2) to pivot the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) from the idle position (5) to the utility position (15).

[0039] Referring now to figure 3b, when the rib structure (30-2) engages with the guiding rod (50), the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) pushes towards the corresponding portion of the foam (20) to provide support on a lumbar region of the occupant. When the portion (30-1) pushes the portion of the foam (20) the contour of the backrest changes to creating a more pronounced or flattened lumbar curve.

[0040] In a second embodiment as shown in figure 5, illustrating a plastic carrier (30) with a pivotable portion (30-1) of the vehicle seat assembly (1000). According to this embodiment, the guiding rod (50) is rotatable between a first position and at least second position around a rotational axis B-B. The guiding rod (50) is arranged along a horizontal plane and connected to a rotary knob (2) at one side portion (or both the side portions, not shown) of the guiding rod (50). The rotary knob (2) is arranged on the backrest cover (10) such that upon manual actuation of the rotary knob (2) the guiding rod (50) rotates between the first position (50-1) and at least one second position (50-2).

[0041] More particularly, the rotary knob (2) is arranged in-between a central cushion (C) and a side bolster (B) of the backrest (100) of the vehicle seat assembly (1000) as a thumb wheel to actuate the guiding rod (50) as shown in figure 6. The location of the rotary knob (2) between the central cushion (C) and side bolster (B) makes the rotary knob (2) easily accessible for the user and can be easily operated with the thumb without requiring any cut-portion on the backrest cover of the vehicle seat assembly (1000).

[0042] The guiding rod (50) in the second embodiment, includes a cam-shaped member (65) as shown in figure 5. The cam shaped member (65) is arranged on a mid-portion of the guiding rod and arranged adjacent to the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30). When the rotary knob (2) is actuated, the guiding rod (50) along with the cam-shaped member (65) rotates between a first rotary position (50-1’) to the at least one second rotary position (not shown). When the guiding rod (50) is in the first rotary position (50-1’), the cam shaped member (65) is positioned away from the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30). When the guiding rod (50) rotates to the second rotary position (50-2’), the cam shaped member (65) abuts and pushes the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) to pivot the portion (30-1) from the idle position (5) to the utility position (15).

[0043] Referring to the figures 6 and 6a, the rotary knob (2) is slidable on the backrest (100) in the vertical axis in different position such that the rotary knob (2) along with the guiding rod (50) may move adjacent to a second pivotable portion (30-1’) (as shown in figure 6a) arranged substantially around a neck region of a seated occupant which may provide a neck support (16) when the guiding rod (50) moves to the utility position (15). Also, another rotary knob (2) is arranged on the seat cushion (200) arranged substantially around a thigh region of the seated occupant which may provide a thigh support (18) when the guiding rod (50) moves to the utility position (15).

[0044] In an embodiment of the present invention, the actuation of the knob (1 or 2) to may be operated pneumatically or electrically.

[0045] Therefore, the advantage of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat assembly with a plastic carrier which support a foam part of the seat assembly and having a portion providing a utility support like lumbar. neck, thigh etc. The proposed vehicle seat assembly allows drivers to customize the level of support to their individual needs. Also, the proposed vehicle seat assembly helps to ensure that the seat user(s) of different needs are able to find a comfortable utility position(s).

[0046] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.
, Claims:We Claim:

1. A vehicle seat assembly (1000) for a vehicle interior comprising:
a seat cushion (200) and/or a backrest (100) for a seat user to rest thereon,
the backrest (100) and/or the seat cushion (200) includes:
a foam (20), a cover (10) covering the foam (20), and providing a back support and/or a seating support to an occupant or a seat user,
a plastic carrier (30) being arranged beneath the foam (20) for supporting the foam (20),
wherein a portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) is adapted to be movable from an idle position (5) to a utility position (15) for providing a comfort support to the seat user.

2. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) is arranged such that the portion (30-1) is pivotable around an axis (A) between the idle position (5) and the utility position (15), wherein the idle position (5) corresponds to a position wherein the portion (30-1) is substantially in a same plane of the plastic carrier (30) and the utility position (15) corresponds to a position wherein the portion (30-1) is oblique with respect to plastic carrier (30).

3. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) as claimed in claim 2, wherein a guiding rod (50) is arranged beneath the plastic carrier (30), the guiding rod (50) is movable between a first position (50-1) and at least one second position (50-2) such that when the guiding rod (50) moves from the first position (50-1) to the at least one second position (50-2), the guiding rod (50) abuts and pivots the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) from the idle position (5) to the utility position (15).

4. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) has a wedge-shaped rib structure (30-2), wherein a height of the wedge-shaped rib structure (30-2) gradually increases from the pivotable end (P) to a free end (F) of the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) such that when the guiding rod (50) slides from the first position (50-1) to the at least one second position (50-2) the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) abuts and pushes the rib (30-2) to pivot the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) from the idle position (5) to the utility position (15).

5. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) as claimed in claim 4, wherein a slidable knob (1) is arranged on the backrest (100) such that upon actuation of the knob (1), the guiding rod (50) slides between the first position (50-1) and the at least one second position (50-2).

6. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) as claimed in claim 5, wherein a guiding rail (55) with plurality of detents (55-1) is arranged beneath the plastic carrier (30) such that upon actuation of the knob (1) the guiding rod (50) slides in/on the guiding rail (55), wherein the detents (55-1) enable the guiding rod (50) to engage in plurality of second positions (50-2).

7. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) as claimed in claim 3, wherein a guiding rod (50) is arranged within the backrest (100), wherein the guiding rod (50) includes a cam-shaped member (65) such that when the guiding rod (50) rotates from the first position (50-1) to the at least one second position (50-2) the cam-shaped member (65) abuts and pushes the portion (30-1) of the plastic carrier (30) to pivot the portion (30-1) from the idle position (5) to the utility position (15).

8. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) as claimed in claim 7, wherein a rotary knob (2) is arranged on the backrest (100) such that upon actuation of the rotary knob (2), the guiding rod (50) rotates between a first rotary position (50-1’) and at least one second rotary position (not shown).

9. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) as claimed in claim 3, wherein a rotary or slidable knob (1, 2) is arranged on the cover (10) such that upon an actuation of the rotary or slidable knob (1, 2) the guiding rod (50) is movable between a first position (50-1) and at least one second position (50-2).

10. The vehicle seat assembly (1000) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rotary knob (2) is arranged in-between a central cushion (C) and a side bolster (B) of the backrest (100) and/or seat cushion (200) of the vehicle seat assembly as a thumb wheel to actuate the guiding rod (50).