A seating assembly includes a seat having a seat frame. The seat generally defines a seating surface. A seatback is pivotally coupled with the seat. A carrier is disposed on the seat frame and supports a multi-contour seating component that is adjustable to change a contour of the seating surface. A cushion assembly is disposed over the multi-contour seating component of the seat and is in communication with a climate control system. A spreader plate is disposed below the cushion assembly. The spreader plate is configured to balance load distribution across the seating surface when the multi-contour seating component is activated. The spreader plate includes flex recesses defined in forward and rearward walls of the spreader plate. Lateral flex breaks allow limited flexure of the spreader plate. An inner opening is in communication with the climate control system.

The present invention provides an array type automobile seat profile adaptive-adjusting apparatus, comprising a seat back plate, a seat bottom plate, a seat profile layer covered thereon and a plurality of shape memory material actuators which are arranged in a rectangular array and are disposed between the seat profile layer and the seat back plate and between the seat profile layer and the seat bottom plate, wherein each of the shape memory material actuators comprises a plurality of sequentially nested sleeves, a return spring through which an outwardly extending elastic force is applied to the sleeves, a pulley block fixedly arranged in the sleeve located at a tail end, and a memory alloy wire which is in a shape of filament and is wound on the pulley block.

A method for conditioning a load bearing surface includes positioning an oriented polymeric membrane in a mount and applying a force to the polymeric membrane so as to create a stress in the membrane. The stressed membrane is heated to a temperature no less than about a temperature that the load bearing surface is expected endure in use. The membrane is maintained at the temperature for a first period of time sufficient to heat the entirety of the membrane and the it is cooled while maintaining the stress on the membrane. Following a predetermined cool down period, the applied stress is removed for availability of the end use product. A seating surface for use in a vehicle that is subjected to an elevated temperature is also disclosed.

The main cushion (3) of an automobile seat (e.g. the seat pan cushion, or a backrest cushion) is provided with a shield (2). The shield surrounds at least part of the lateral sides of the main cushion and is formed of a less compressible (i.e. harder) foam than the main cushion, such that when the seat is upholstered, creases in the upholstery are reduced/prevented and gapping is avoided.

A vehicle seat including a seat back, the seat back including: a back frame serving as a framework; a top plate main seat pad that is a covered cushion member attached to the back frame and serving as a support structure at the center in a seat width direction; a top plate side seat pad that is a covered cushion member attached to the back frame and serving as support structures on both sides in the seat width direction; and a headrest, wherein the top plate main seat pad includes, at its upper portion, an annular portion having an opening portion in which the headrest is inserted and placed, and an open annular base member, which is harder than the top plate main seat pad and whose front surface portion is opened, is disposed on a surface of the annular portion at an inner side of the seat.

A foam molding article includes an outer-shell-configuring part, an insert that is at least partially embedded in the outer-shell-configuring part, and a fitting member. The outer-shell-configuring part includes a body side foam member. The body side foam member includes a foam and a missing part where a part of the foam is missing. The missing part is located in an intermediate part of the body side foam member, and the fitting member is mounted in the missing part.

A vehicle seat including: a seat pad capable of elastically supporting an occupant, the seat pad having a seating portion that allows the occupant to seat on a front surface thereof, and the seating portion is divided in a seat width direction into a first region, a second region, and a central region formed between the first and the second region, the first region and the second region being capable of being concave-deformed toward a back surface of the seat pad opposite to the front surface when pressed by the occupant in a seating state, and in a free state where the seating portion is not pressed, a central region part in the central region arranged between the first and the second region that are to be concave-deformed has a shape concaved toward the back surface of the seat pad as compared to the first and the second region.

An aircraft passenger seat that includes a seat frame including a seat back and at least one armrest, a seat bottom that includes a seat pan and a foam seat cushion positioned on the seat bottom above the seat pan, a pneumatic cushion positioned on the seat bottom between the seat pan and the foam seat cushion and adapted to maintain a predetermined level of inflation determined by air pressure within the pneumatic cushion, and a pneumatic inflation device communicating with the pneumatic cushion for permitting the air pressure within the pneumatic cushion to be varied as desired to provide additional comfort to the seat occupant. The pneumatic cushion may include at least first and second laterally-separated cushion chambers providing lateral articulation of the first and second cushion chambers relative to each other.

A seat assembly is provided with a seat bottom having a seat frame. An air bladder is mounted to the frame. A seat cushion is spaced vertically from the seat frame by the air bladder at height-adjustment distance being variable. The cushion defines a seating surface. A height-adjustment distance between the frame and the seating surface is increased as the air bladder is inflated, thereby adjusting a height of the seating surface without adjusting the frame.

A vehicle passenger seat assembly for a passenger cabin of a vehicle includes: a pair of side frames; passenger seats disposed between the pair of side frames. Each of the passenger seats includes: a back portion configured to support a back of a passenger; and a bottom portion configured to support a hip of the passenger. The vehicle passenger seat assembly further includes: a first horizontal beam that connects the pair of side frames and is disposed at the same vertical height, from a floor of the passenger cabin, as a lower end of the back portion.