US3652126A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pneumatic adjustment system for seat back panel
Assignee: PTC Aerospace Inc
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Filing: 1970-08-31
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Granted: 1972-03-28
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Expires: 1990-08-31
Abstract
Abstract A pneumatic system for adjusting the thickness or projection of a portion of a seat back, as for example the lumbar section of the back of a seating unit. A self-fillable air reservoir is provided by a foam-filled airtight envelope that will be positioned under the seat portion of the seating unit and this envelope is connected through conduit means and associated valving means to a small volume adjustable bladder portion in the seat back. A special conduit and valving arrangement may also be provided to have the air withdrawn from the seat back bladder portion into the air reservoir envelope so as to deflate the back support portion where there is no seat occupant.
Inventors
- 👤 Norman D Folling
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 10:20
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47C; A47C27/00; A47C27/08; A47C27/087; A47C27/081; A47C27/084; A47C27/088; A47C27/14; A47C27/18; A47C7/00; A47C7/36; A47C7/40; A47C7/46; A47C7/467; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S297/00; Y10S297/03
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
184 words
A pneumatic form of seat back panel adjustment system for a seating unit, which comprises in combination, an air-tight seat envelope traversing at least a portion of the seat area of the seating unit, an open-cell foam filler having internal springiness and resilience for said seat envelope to provide self-inflation and air storage therein, a movable seat back panel section for traversing a portion of the back of said seating unit, an expansible-contractable bladder means having a substantially smaller internal volume than said seat envelope positioned in combination with said movable seat back panel section to thereby provide outward and return movements for such section, a conduit means connecting said bladder means with said seat envelope, manually operative valving means in said conduit means to permit air flow between said seat envelope and said bladder means, and an air inlet means having check valving means in association therewith connecting to the interior of said seat envelope and to said open-cell foam, whereby ambient air will flow into the latter when there is no occupant weight thereon to replenish air transferred to said bladder means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
184 words
A pneumatic form of seat back panel adjustment system for a seating unit, which comprises in combination, an air-tight seat envelope traversing at least a portion of the seat area of the seating unit, an open-cell foam filler having internal springiness and resilience for said seat envelope to provide self-inflation and air storage therein, a movable seat back panel section for traversing a portion of the back of said seating unit, an expansible-contractable bladder means having a substantially smaller internal volume than said seat envelope positioned in combination with said movable seat back panel section to thereby provide outward and return movements for such section, a conduit means connecting said bladder means with said seat envelope, manually operative valving means in said conduit means to permit air flow between said seat envelope and said bladder means, and an air inlet means having check valving means in association therewith connecting to the interior of said seat envelope and to said open-cell foam, whereby ambient air will flow into the latter when there is no occupant weight thereon to replenish air transferred to said bladder means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
The seat back panel adjustment system of claim 1 further characterized in that said manually operative valving means provides by one adjustment thereof an air flow through said conduit means from the open-cell foam in said envelope to said bladder and provides, in another adjustment thereof, an air venting flow from said bladder means to the atmosphere.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The seat back panel adjustment system of claim 1 further characterized in that a by-pass passageway is provided around said manually operative valving means and between said conduit means and a check valve means is provided in such passageway to permit only air flow from the bladder means to said open-cell foam in said seat envelope.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The seat back panel adjustment system of claim 1 further characterized in that said bladder means comprises a narrow elongated configuration and is primarily only expansible inwardly and outwardly with respect to the front face of the back of the seating unit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The seat back panel adjustment system of claim 1 further characterized in that said seat envelope with open-cell foam therein is of a wide and thin configuration adapted to be positioned under at least a portion of the conventional seat cushioning of said seating unit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
82 words
The seat back panel adjustment system of claim 1 further characterized in that said manually operated valving means comprises a single multiple position valve unit which has an operative lever means that is spring biased to preclude air flow in the conduit means, a second position to provide air flow from the seat envelope to said bladder means and an additional position to permit air venting from the conduit means connecting to said bladder means whereby the latter is permitted to deflate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
79 words
The seat back panel adjustment system of claim 1 further characterized in that additional passageway means is provided connective to said conduit means that by-passes said manually operative valving means and a one-way check valve is provided in said additional passageway means permitting only unidirectional air flow to said air-tight seat Envelope from said bladder means, whereby the latter may be deflated responsive to a vacuum that can be provided by the open-cell foam filler in said seat envelope.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-03-28 | 1975-09-27 | 1976-03-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-03-28 | 1979-09-27 | 1980-03-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-03-28 | 1983-09-27 | 1984-03-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |