A seat assembly is provided having a seat bottom and a seat back mounted adjacent the seat bottom. A cushion is disposed on at least one of the seat bottom and seat back and defines a seating surface. The seating surface has a plurality of regions. A controller is in communication with the cushion and is programmed to independently vary a stiffness of each of the regions along the seating surface.

What is new about this invention is the concept of installing these rubber types of air inflatable inner tubes in the interior of the operators' seat frame construction. These tubes would be installed beneath the operators' seating location and also the lumbar position of the frame seating area. The air filling valve locations would be placed to the rear of the seat construction frame or also could be altered due to the type of product construction being used.

A seating assembly includes a seat base. A seatback is operably coupled to the seat base. A plurality of bladders is positioned within at least one of the seatback and the seat base. A fluid pump and a valve module are in fluid communication with the plurality of bladders and the pump includes a common pressure rail and a plurality of two-way valves each in communication with the pressure rail and one of the bladders. A one-way valve is fluidly coupled to each of the two-way valves.

A seat assembly is provided having a seat bottom and a seat back mounted adjacent the seat bottom. A cushion is disposed on at least one of the seat bottom and seat back and defines a seating surface. The seating surface has a plurality of regions. A controller is in communication with the cushion and is programmed to independently vary a stiffness of each of the regions along the seating surface.

A valve, preferably a solenoid valve, for a seat comfort system, preferably a vehicle seat comfort system, which in particular comprises at least one fluid actuator, or/and a seat, preferably a vehicle seat, which is equipped with such a comfort system, comprises a base body with a linearly movable piston. The piston is reversibly displaceable in the direction of a sealing seat and in the direction of an end stop. The piston has at least one damping element provided for mitigating its impact on the end stop or/and on the sealing seat. The piston has a channel extending through it between its two end-face regions. The damping element is arranged within this channel.

A seat includes a seat frame, a seating surface supported by the seat frame, and a comfort system disposed between the seat frame and seating surface. The comfort system includes a bladder transitionable between an inflated condition and a deflated condition such that the bladder has a variable size and a variable firmness. The bladder defines a cavity and includes a lower surface adjacent the seat frame, and an upper surface opposite the lower surface and configured to support an occupant of the seat. The comfort system also includes a foam disposed within the cavity, wherein the foam contacts the upper surface when the bladder is in the deflated condition. The comfort system also includes a pump configured for alternately introducing air into the cavity and throughout the foam and removing air from the cavity and the foam to transition the bladder between the inflated condition and the deflated condition.

A fluid valve assembly for a seat comprising a fluid bladder, the fluid valve assembly comprising: a valve housing at least partially defining a first fluid inlet, a first fluid outlet, and a first exhaust outlet; a diaphragm disposed at least partially in the valve housing and configured to flex between a first position and a second position according to a first fluid pressure difference between the first fluid inlet and the first fluid outlet.