CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS:

[0001] Priority is claimed to US 11/016,102 filed with the USPTO on December

17, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention.

[0002] This invention relates generally to a seat support system and, in particular, a support system having expanded space between select support elements within the support system, permitting other seat components to be assembled through the seat support system without reducing the number of support elements, the level of support or comfort of the seat occupant.

2. Description of Related Art.

[0003] A variety of seat suspension systems are known. It is known to use a plurality of transverse wires spaced along the side margins of the seat suspension systems to achieve the desired support, as described in: Youngflex A.G., GB 2 342 287; Deceuninck US 5,988,745 ;and Youngflex S.A. EP 0 128 407 Al . It is also known to use transverse wires having one or more angled sections, permitting the transverse wires to extend resiliently in relation to the side margins, thereby providing resilient support and occupant comfort, as described in Youngflex S. A. EP 0 128 407 Al, Deceuninck US 6,601,919 Bl and Deceuninck US 6,152,531. It is also known to assemble components through a seat support system, including adjustment mechanisms, namely Bowden

cables as described in Deceuninck US 6,602,919 Bl and Deceuninck US 6,152,531. [0004] There is increasing demand to incorporate additional advantageous components within a seat, such as ventilation system components. However, the advantageous components are necessarily limited by the space available within the seat platform or seat back. The presence of a support system within the seat platform or seat back further limits the space available for placement of advantageous components. Unless the component is of a size that it can pass between the support elements, the component is limited to placement on one side of the support system, namely the top or bottom of a seat platform or the front or back of a seat back. Therefore, the ability of seat components to pass through or be situated within the seat support system is highly advantageous. The placement of advantageous seat components within the seat support system provides an efficient use of available space and allows additional features to be added to the seat without increasing the seat dimensions.

[0005] In known support systems, assemblage of larger seat components through the support system may be accomplished if the support elements are spaced at greater distances along the side margins of the support system. The distancing of support elements results in fewer support elements in the support system, causing loss of support and decreased comfort for the seat occupant. Therefore, it is highly advantageous to provide a seat support system that permits larger seat components to be assembled through the support system without reducing the resilient support of the support system or the comfort of the seat occupant.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

[0006] It is in view of the above problems that the present invention was developed. The invention provides a seat support system comprising a set of side margins coupled to sets of transverse wires having angled sections which are herein referred to as "convolutions". The pattern or arrangement of convolution sections on a particular transverse wire is referred to as the "convolution pattern" of the transverse wire. In the present invention, adjacent pairing of a transverse wire having different convolution patterns expands the traversing region between the transverse wires. The expanded traversing region becomes an enlarged opening for pass-through of seat components, such as ventilation system components, from one side of the support system to the other side. In an alternate arrangement, the base sections of the side margins are extended to form a traverse element having a convolution pattern. In yet another aspect of the invention, adjacent pairing of transverse wires having different convolution patterns also creates aligning sections of the transverse wires, bringing them in close proximity, such that the transverse wires may be fastened at the aligned section for greater stability of the transverse wires bounding the expanded traversing region. Another advantage of the invention is that other seat components, such as ventilation system components, may be secured to the support system by being fastened to the aligned sections of the adjacent transverse wires. Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS:

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

[0008] Figure 1 illustrates a front view of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 2A illustrates a front view of an alternate arrangement of the present invention;

[00010] Figure 2B illustrates a detail of the embodiment illustrated by Figure

2A;

[00011] Figure 2C illustrates an alternative detail of the embodiment illustrated by Figure 2A;

[00012] Figure 3 illustrates a front view of another alternative arrangement of the present invention; and

[00013] Figure 4 illustrates a front view of yet another alternative arrangement of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

[00014] Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like elements, the embodiments are illustrated with alternative designs. Figure 1 represents a single convoluted transverse wire in combination with a plurality of opposing convoluted transverse wires. Figure 2 represents a plurality of convoluted transverse wires in combination with a single opposing convoluted transverse wire. It will be appreciated that according to the present invention, any set of convoluted

transverse wires may be combined with a set of opposing convoluted transverse wires, and that under general set theory and in accordance with the invention, a set of transverse wires may include as few as a single wire. It will also be appreciated that the adjacent pairing of sets of convoluted and opposing convoluted transverse wires provides various advantages as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

[00015] In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the several advantages of the invention are achieved and attained. Referring to Figure 1, the seat support system (10) comprises a pair of side margins (12, 14) between which extend a plurality of transverse wires (20) that are attached to the side margins by known attachment means, preferably by integral attachment where the ends of the transverse wire are wound around the side margins (58), by a clip or a bracket (54) having a ferrule for receiving the terminal end of the transverse wire. In a known manner, select ones of the transverse wires may extend through a longitudinal element (50) substantially parallel to and between the side margins (12, 14). The transverse wires (20) are provided in sets, with a first set of transverse wires (22) having a first convolution pattern (32) and a second set of transverse wires (24) having a second convolution pattern (34). The adjacent pairing of sets of transverse wires having different and opposing convolution patterns provides several advantages.

[00016] As shown in Figure 1, the pairing of a transverse wire having a convolution pattern (32) projecting in a direction A (32') is paired with a transverse wire having a convolution pattern (34) projecting in a direction B (34') and the convolution patterns are located substantially opposite each other, creating an expanded traversing region (30) with dimensions h and / between the opposing convolution patterns. This

arrangement permits larger seat components having dimensions smaller than h and I (76) to be assembled and passed through the pair of transverse wires. A preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1 pairs a transverse wire having a single convolution projecting in a direction A with a transverse wire having two successive convolutions, or a double convolution, projecting in a direction B. However, it will be appreciated that a numerous variations may be achieved by altering the convolution patterns, namely the number or direction of the convolutions. For example, a transverse wire having single convolution pattern projecting in a direction A may be paired with a transverse wire having a single convolution pattern projecting in a direction B.

[00017] In an alternate arrangement shown in Figure 2A, the transverse wire (22) with the first convolution pattern (32) can be positioned between the transverse wires (24) with second convolution pattern (34) and another set of transverse wires (42) which can have the second convolution pattern projecting in a direction A (42'). One transverse wire pairing (22') is comprised of a transverse wire having a first convolution pattern (32) projecting in a direction A (32') and a transverse wire having a second convolution pattern (34) projecting in a direction B (34') and the convolution patterns are located substantially opposite each other creating an expanded traversing region (30) between the opposing convolution patterns. A second pair (40) comprises a first set of transverse wires (42) having a first convolution pattern projecting in a direction A (42') and a second set of transverse wires (34) having a second convolution pattern projecting in a direction B (34') creating a section of alignment (46) along the second pair of adjacent transverse wires. The second pair of transverse wires may be fastened to each other and to other seat components by known fastening means, preferably a clip (48). In

the embodiment shown in Figure 2B, the first convolution pattern comprises a single convolution and the second convolution pattern comprises a double convolution, and the second set of transverse wires is attached to the side margins by a bracket (54). As alternatively illustrated in Figure 2C, the pair of opposing transverse wires (40') surrounding expanded traversing region (30) can both be connected to the side margins by the same bracket (54).

[00018] In another embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base sections

(18) of the side margins extend substantially perpendicular to and between the parallel section (16) of the side margins to form a base support (80) having a second convolution pattern (80'). The base support replaces a transverse wire without adversely affecting the resilient support of the support system (10). The pairing of a set of transverse wires having a first convolution pattern (32') with a base support having a second convolution pattern (80') creates an expanded traversing region (90) between the transverse wire (32) and base support (80). A flexcord (84) may be used to provide resiliency to the base support (80). As in the arrangements previously discussed, larger seat components having at least two dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the expanded traversing region may be assembled through the expanded traversing region (90). In a preferred embodiment, the base sections (18) of the side margins form an integral, unitary base support (80). In an alternate arrangement, the base sections (86, 88) of each side margin (12, 14) can be fastened to each other by fastening means, preferably a clip (48), to form the base support (80).

[00019] Various know and advantageous seat components may be incorporated in the seat support system. For example, as shown in Figures 1 through 4, various

known link means (60, 62) may be provided for attachment of the seat support system (10) to a seat frame (70). Known adjustable support, such as lumbar support, may be provided by adjustable link means, preferably Bowden cables (62), extending between the side margins (12, 14) and the seat frame (70) and coupled to the side margins by brackets (68), with an known adjustment means being coupled to the Bowden cables, preferably an actuator (74).

[00020] The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

[00021] As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. For example, although the figures show a single convolution opposed to a double convolution, the invention is equally suited to providing a single convolution being opposite another single convolution projecting in an alternate direction. Similarly, the location of the opposing convolution patterns may occur at any point along the transverse wire, although the preferred embodiments are shown with the opposing convolutions located approximately medial to the side margins. Further, the dimensions of the traversing region (30, 90) may be varied by variation in the convolution patterns used and the placement of the convolution patterns in relation to each other. Also, although the embodiments shown provide expanded traversing regions (30, 90) at one

end of the support system, it will be appreciated that the arrangements may be achieved anywhere within the support system where expanded traversing regions are desirable. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.