Vehicle user support including flexible lighting features
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsMarc Silva Kondrad, Kevin Wayne Preuss, David D. Friske, Keith Weston
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A user support for motor vehicles includes a flexible cover having a flexible light comprising electroluminescent material that emits light when electrical power is supplied to the electroluminescent material. The user support may include a resilient porous lattice matrix formed by an additive process and may include electroluminescent material disposed on links of the lattice matrix.
Claims19
A user support for motor vehicles, the user support comprising:
- a lower portion having an upwardly-facing cushioned user support surface;
- a back portion having a forwardly-facing user support surface;
- a flexible cover extending over at least a portion of a selected one of the lower portion and the back portion;
- electrical conductors disposed on an inner side of the flexible cover;
- the flexible cover including a flexible light extending along a portion of the flexible cover;
- the flexible light including flexible electroluminescent material that is electrically connected to the electrical conductors, wherein the electroluminescent material is configured to emit light when electrical power is supplied to the electroluminescent material by the electrical conductors, wherein the flexible light includes a layer of flexible opaque material, and wherein at least a portion of the layer of flexible opaque material is disposed on an inner side of the flexible electroluminescent material.
A user support for motor vehicles, the user support comprising:
- a frame;
- a porous lattice matrix formed by an additive process, the porous lattice matrix having a plurality of links that are interconnected to form a one-piece polymer structure;
- and wherein:
- at least a selected one of the links includes an electroluminescent material that emits light when electrical power is supplied to the electroluminescent material.
A user support for motor vehicles, the user support comprising:
- a frame;
- a porous lattice matrix formed by an additive process, the porous lattice matrix having a plurality of links that are interconnected to form a one-piece polymer structure;
- and:
- at least one light emitting diode (LED) secured to a link of the porous lattice matrix.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.