A multi-position airflow control assembly includes a valve body fluidly connected to at least three inflation zones of a cushion, a control assembly partially received by the valve body, the control assembly including a seal member, and an actuation assembly operably connected to the seal member and configured to rotate the seal member relative to the valve body between at least a first position and a second position. In the first position, the seal member is configured to fluidly isolate the at least three inflation zones from each other. In the second position, the seal member is configured to group the at least three inflation zones into a first group of inflation zones being fluidly connected, and a second group of inflation zones being fluidly connected, the first group of inflation zones being fluidly isolated from the second group of inflation zones.

A seating system includes a seat, with structures for supporting a user thereon, and actuators. Each actuator includes a deformable shell with an enclosed internal cavity containing a fluid dielectric contained, a pair of electrodes disposed on opposing sides of the deformable shell. The actuators are integrated into the structures and configured for providing at least one function, such as haptic feedback, seat adjustment, alert notification, vibratory signal, user input receiving, and massage function. A portion of the plurality of actuators may be enclosed within an encapsulating shell to form an encapsulated sheet of actuators. Each actuator may be a part of a button-on-demand system, wherein the actuator is normally in a collapsed position such that a user-facing surface of the encapsulating shell is substantially flat and, when activated by a user, the actuator is configured to expand such that the encapsulating shell is raised to form a button.

An apparatus (1) for positioning the body of a user (100), wherein the apparatus can be used in a seat or in the form of a rest, comprising a seating element (20), a pelvis and lumbar-spine module (13) and a computer unit (40), wherein the pelvis and lumbar-spine module comprises an adjusting element (117) and a sensor (113), and the seating element comprises an adjusting element (108) and three sensors (111, 112), wherein the sensors (111, 112, 113) sense seat-related and rest-related pressures, wherein the computer unit activates the adjusting elements, wherein a first and second sensor (112) and a third sensor (111) sense the seat-related pressure of the first and second ischial tuberosities (102) and of the coccyx (104), wherein the first and the second ischial tuberosities define an ischial-tuberosity level, wherein the adjusting element of the seating element compensates for the ischial-tuberosity level horizontally about the user's sagittal axis, and whereupon the adjusting element of the pelvis and lumbar-spine module tilts the user's pelvis (101) about the horizontal axis of the same until the seat-related and/or rest-related pressure of the coccyx has a value substantially equal to zero.

An office, work and leisure chair and retrofit kit for subliminal motions of the seated person. The chair has a cruciform base (1) with rollers (4), a pneumatic spring-action post (2) with an interface plate (5) for a seat panel (21) and seat pad (19), and a backrest (22). The seat panel is mounted with wobble capability on a pneumatic cushion, which has deformable air chambers (18, 35) connected by connecting hoses (27) and lies on an elastically deformable hollow body (14). The hollow body pumps the air chambers when a person sits down and stands up. A pump hose (12) with a one-way valve leads from the hollow body to compensate for leakage losses. Connecting hoses between the air chambers have valves (31; 75; 89) such that the wobbling distance of the seat panel and the damping of the wobbling motion is variable.

A seat assembly is provided with a seat bottom and a seat back mounted adjacent the bottom. The seat back and seat bottom are provided with an occupant seating surface. At least one air bladder is oriented in a sacral region the seat bottom or the seat back. The air bladder has a support surface defined by a enlarged width portion and extends to an elongated tapered portion. When the air bladder is inflated, the support surface is inclined from the taper portion to the enlarged width portion relative to the seating surface.

An air bladder assembly for a seat comprising is provided. A central sacral bladder has a support surface defined by an enlarged width portion connected to an elongated tapered portion, wherein the tapered portion is defined by elongated lateral sides. A pair of side iliac bladders is provided so that one of the side bladders is positioned adjacent each of the elongated sides of the central bladder. A support surface of the central air bladder is not parallel to a support surface of the side air bladders when the air bladder assembly is inflated.

A height adjusting structure with directly communicating airbags includes at least two airbags, where the airbags each receive and retain therein an elastic body. One of the airbags includes an air control unit connected thereto for controlling air filling and discharge of the airbags. The airbags are provided, in surfaces thereof that opposes each other, with corresponding passage holes and joint sections formed around circumferences of the passage holes. The joint sections are jointed so that the airbags are directly connected with no additional medium between the airbags and allowing the airbags to share the same air control unit to achieve flowability of air between the airbags, whereby advantages of efficient air filling and discharge of the airbags, being easy to manufacture, and reducing manufacture costs can be achieved.

A height adjusting structure with directly communicating airbags includes at least two airbags, where the airbags each receive and retain therein an elastic body. One of the airbags includes an air control unit connected thereto for controlling air filling and discharge of the airbags. The airbags are provided, in surfaces thereof that opposes each other, with corresponding passage holes and joint sections formed around circumferences of the passage holes. The joint sections are jointed so that the airbags are directly connected with no additional medium between the airbags and allowing the airbags to share the same air control unit to achieve flowability of air between the airbags, whereby advantages of efficient air filling and discharge of the airbags, being easy to manufacture, and reducing manufacture costs can be achieved.

A fluid-fillable cushion comprises upper and lower layers, a first chamber and a second chamber and a discrete pressure distributing unit situated between the upper and lower layers, said pressure distributing unit providing a fluid connection between at least the first chamber and the second chamber. Such a cushion reduces leaks and allows controlled pressure equalisation between the chambers. Also disclosed is a process for making such cushions and seating products comprising such cushions.

An air bladder system is provided with a pair of lateral spaced apart air bladder assemblies, each provided with a primary region received in a seat bottom of a seat assembly. The primary region is expandable in a height direction to support a pelvis of an occupant. A secondary region extends from the primary region and is expandable for angular adjustment relative to the primary region to support a femur of the occupant. A plurality of sensors detects a seating position of an occupant. A controller is in electrical communication with the sensors and the air bladder assemblies. The controller is configured to receive data from the plurality of sensors. The data is compared to determine if the occupant is seated evenly. At least one of the air bladder assemblies is adjusted to balance an uneven left-to-right occupant seating position.