# US 11,027,635 B1 · Upper thoracic support for vehicle seating assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,635 B1 - Document ID: US11027635B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/709,315 - Filed: 2019-12-10 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-10 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Vishal Vinayak Nageshkar; Christian J. Hosbach; Sangram Tamhankar; Patrick Maloney; John Wayne Jaranson; Johnathan Andrew Line; Marcos Silva Kondrad - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027635B1 ## CPC - B60N 2/2222: {the back-rest having two or more parts} - B60N 2/665: {using inflatable bladders} - B60N 2/646: {shape of the cushion} - B60N 2/68: Seat frames - B60N 2/914: {Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape} - G01L 17/00: Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) ## Abstract A vehicle seating assembly including a seat and a seatback pivotably coupled to the seat. The seatback includes a frame, a sub-frame member, a carrier, a cushion, and an inflatable member. The sub-frame member is pivotably coupled to an occupant-facing surface of the frame by a bracket. The carrier is coupled to the frame such that the sub-frame member is positioned between the frame and the carrier. The cushion is coupled to an occupant-facing surface of the carrier. The inflatable member is positioned between the occupant-facing surface of the frame and an interior surface of the sub-frame member. The inflatable member is operable between a deflated state and an inflated state. The inflatable member initiates pivotable motion of the sub-frame member of an axis defined by the bracket. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle seating assembly, comprising: a seat; and a seatback pivotably coupled to the seat, the seatback comprising: a frame; a sub-frame member comprising an arm portion, wherein the sub-frame member is pivotably coupled to an occupant-facing surface of the frame by a bracket; a retention member that is coupled to the bracket and the arm portion of the sub-frame member to retain the sub-frame member to the frame, wherein the retention member that couples the bracket and the arm portion of the sub-frame member defines an aperture that receives a fastener, and wherein the fastener couples the carrier to the bracket such that the carrier is pivotable about the axis that is defined by the bracket; a carrier coupled to the frame such that the sub-frame member is positioned between the frame and the carrier; a cushion coupled to an occupant-facing surface of the carrier; and an inflatable member positioned between the occupant-facing surface of the frame and an interior surface of the sub-frame member, the inflatable member being operable between a deflated state and an inflated state, and the inflatable member initiating pivotable motion of the sub-frame member about an axis defined by the bracket. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the carrier is pivotable about the axis defined by the bracket. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the sub-frame member directly contacts the occupant-facing surface of the frame when the inflatable member is in the deflated state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein a position of the sub-frame member is adjustable independent of a rotational position of the seatback relative to the seat. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein a surface area of contact between the inflatable member and the interior surface of the sub-frame member is greater when the inflatable member is in the deflated state than the surface area of contact between the inflatable member and the interior surface of the sub-frame member when the inflatable member is in the inflated state. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the frame of the seatback further comprises: a recess defined by the frame, the inflatable member being positioned within the recess of the frame. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 6, wherein the interior surface of the sub-frame member comprises: a recess defined by the sub-frame member, the inflatable member being received by the recess defined by the sub-frame member such that the inflatable member is received between two recessed surfaces. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflatable member comprises a plurality of inflatable members. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein the plurality of inflatable members are arranged along a vertical axis of the seatback. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9, wherein the plurality of inflatable members are arranged along the vertical axis such that the individual inflatable members that make up the plurality of inflatable members abut adjacent others of the individual inflatable members. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein a highest one of the inflatable members along the vertical axis is inflated to effect initial actuation of the sub-frame member from the stowed position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11, wherein a lowest one of the inflatable members along the vertical axis is inflated to effect actuation of the sub-frame member from an intermediate position to the deployed position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a pressure gauge fluidly coupled to the inflatable member and monitored by a control module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the axis defined by the bracket is a fixed rotational axis. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflatable member, the sub-frame member, the carrier, and the cushion are positioned in an upper thoracic region of the seatback. ### Claim 16 A vehicle seating assembly, comprising: a seat; and a seatback pivotably coupled to the seat, the seatback comprising: a frame; a sub-frame member pivotably coupled to an occupant-facing surface of the frame by a bracket, the bracket defining an axis about which the sub-frame member pivots; a retention member that is coupled to the bracket and the sub-frame member, the retention member retaining the sub-frame member to the frame, the retention member defining an aperture; a carrier coupled to the frame such that the sub-frame member is positioned between the frame and the carrier, the carrier being pivotable about the axis defined by the bracket; a fastener received within the aperture defined by the retention member, the fastener coupling the carrier to the bracket such that the carrier is pivotable about the axis that is defined by the bracket; a cushion coupled to an occupant-facing surface of the carrier; and an inflatable member positioned between the occupant-facing surface of the frame and an interior surface of the sub-frame member, the inflatable member being operable between a deflated state and an inflated state, wherein the sub-frame member directly contacts the occupant-facing surface of the frame when the inflatable member is in the deflated state, wherein the inflatable member initiating pivotable motion of the sub-frame member about the axis defined by the bracket, wherein a surface area of contact between the inflatable member and the interior surface of the sub-frame member is greater when the inflatable member is in the deflated state than the surface area of contact between the inflatable member and the interior surface of the sub-frame member when the inflatable member is in the inflated state, and wherein the inflatable member, the sub-frame member, the carrier, and the cushion are positioned in an upper thoracic region of the seatback. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 16, wherein the frame of the seatback further comprises: a recess defined by the frame, the inflatable member being positioned within the recess of the frame. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 17, wherein the interior surface of the sub-frame member comprises: a recess defined by the sub-frame member, the inflatable member being received by the recess defined by the sub-frame member such that the inflatable member is received between two recessed surfaces. ### Claim 19 A vehicle seating assembly, comprising: a seat; and a seatback pivotably coupled to the seat, the seatback comprising: a frame; a sub-frame member pivotably coupled to an occupant-facing surface of the frame by a bracket; a carrier coupled to the frame such that the sub-frame member is positioned between the frame and the carrier; a cushion coupled to an occupant-facing surface of the carrier; an inflatable member positioned between the occupant-facing surface of the frame and an interior surface of the sub-frame member, the inflatable member being operable between a deflated state and an inflated state, and the inflatable member initiating pivotable motion of the sub-frame member about an axis defined by the bracket; and a recess defined by the frame, the inflatable member being positioned within the recess of the frame. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The vehicle seating assembly of claim 19, wherein the interior surface of the sub-frame member comprises: a recess defined by the sub-frame member, the inflatable member being received by the recess defined by the sub-frame member such that the inflatable member is received between two recessed surfaces.