# US 10,481,588 B2 · Configurable vehicle seat and method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,588 B2 - Document ID: US10481588B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/599,752 - Filed: 2017-05-19 - Published: 2018-07-26 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-24 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Michael C. McCarley; Christopher Ferguson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481588B2 ## CPC - B64D 11/0689: {specially adapted for pilots} - B29C 64/386: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - B60N 2/24: for particular purposes or particular vehicles - B60N 2/643: {shape of the back-rests (B60N2/66 takes precedence)} - B64D 11/062: {Belts or other passenger restraint means for passenger seats} - B64D 11/064: {Adjustable inclination or position of seats} - B64D 11/0642: {Adjustable headrests} - B64G 1/60: Crew or passenger accommodations - B64G 1/62: Systems for re-entry into the earth's atmosphere; Retarding or landing devices - G05B 19/4099: Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing - B29L 2031/771: {Seats} - G05B 2219/35134: 3-D cad-cam - G05B 2219/49007: Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A conformal seat insert for an adjustable vehicle seat, the conformal seat insert comprising an insert frame, the insert frame having one or more insert reference features for locating the insert frame on a seat frame of the vehicle seat in a predetermined position relative to the seat frame, and a contoured support surface formed in the insert frame, the contoured support surface having a crew reference point corresponding to an acromial point of a shoulder of a seat occupant of the adjustable vehicle seat, the crew reference point being a datum from which an eye position of the seat occupant is established relative to instrumentation of an aerospace vehicle in which the adjustable vehicle seat is located. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of making a conformal seat insert for an adjustable vehicle seat, the method comprising: positioning a seat occupant in a recumbent position on a seat replicator; scanning an upper torso of the seat occupant and generating a solid body model of the upper torso based on the scanning of the upper torso; and generating the conformal seat insert based on the solid body model of the upper torso so that the conformal seat insert includes a contoured support surface having a crew reference point corresponding to an acromial point of a shoulder of a seat occupant of the adjustable vehicle seat, the crew reference point being a datum from which an eye position of the seat occupant is established relative to instrumentation of an aerospace vehicle in which the adjustable vehicle seat is located. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the conformal seat insert comprises additively manufacturing the conformal seat insert. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a virtual solid model contoured negative impression of the upper torso so that the virtual solid model contoured negative impression includes the crew reference point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising generating a virtual solid model of the conformal seat insert based on the virtual solid model contoured negative impression. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant comprises optically scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the seat replicator comprises a transparent material and scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant comprises optically scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the conformal seat insert comprises locating the crew reference point relative to one or more reference features of the conformal seat insert for locating the conformal seat insert on a seat frame of the vehicle seat in a predetermined position relative to the seat frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the contoured support surface is formed to restrain lateral movement of the seat occupant relative to the seat frame. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming at least one aperture in the conformal seat insert that is configured for passage of a portion of a seat occupant restraint system. ### Claim 10 A method of making an adjustable vehicle seat, the method comprising: providing a seat frame; positioning a seat occupant in a recumbent position on a seat replicator; scanning an upper torso of the seat occupant and generating a solid body model of the upper torso based on the scanning of the upper torso; generating a conformal seat insert based on the solid body model of the upper torso so that the conformal seat insert includes a contoured support surface having a crew reference point corresponding to an acromial point of a shoulder of a seat occupant of the adjustable vehicle seat; and coupling the conformal seat insert to the seat frame in a predetermined position relative to the seat frame so that the crew reference point of the conformal seat insert forms a datum from which an eye position of the seat occupant is established relative to instrumentation of an aerospace vehicle in which the adjustable vehicle seat is located. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein generating the conformal seat insert comprises additively manufacturing the conformal seat insert. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a virtual solid model contoured negative impression of the upper torso so that the virtual solid model contoured negative impression includes the crew reference point. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a virtual solid model of the conformal seat insert based on the virtual solid model contoured negative impression. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant comprises optically scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant comprises magnetically scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the seat replicator comprises a transparent material and scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant comprises optically scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant through the seat replicator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein generating the conformal seat insert comprises locating the crew reference point relative to one or more reference features of the conformal seat insert where the reference features of the conformal seat insert locate the conformal seat insert on a seat frame of the vehicle seat in a predetermined position relative to the seat frame. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the contoured support surface is formed to restrain lateral movement of the seat occupant relative to the seat frame. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising forming at least one aperture in the conformal seat insert where the at least one aperture is configured for passage of a portion of a seat occupant restraint system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein generating a solid body model of the upper torso includes importing a point cloud obtained during scanning the upper torso of the seat occupant into a computer modeling application. ### Claim 21 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the solid body model of the upper torso is a three dimensional model. ### Claim 22 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein generating a conformal seat insert includes printing the conformal seat insert with a three dimensional printer.