To provide a technique that enables the reduction of fatigue of a vehicle occupant at low cost and without an increase in the number of parts. Without preparing a sensor in addition to a posture changing mechanism, the position of a lumbar vertebra or thoracic vertebra of each vehicle occupant is estimated by controlling the operation of the posture changing mechanism. The posture changing mechanism includes: a back side support mechanism; a first motor capable of shifting a position of the back side support mechanism with respect to a vertical direction; and a second motor capable of shifting the position of the back side support member with respect to a front-back direction. A position of a lumbar vertebra of the vehicle occupant is estimated by: while changing the vertical position of the back side support mechanism by means of the first motor, changing a forward position of the back side support mechanism at each of the different vertical positions thereof by means of the second motor so as to obtain a turnover number value of the second motor achieving a desired resistance; and comparing the turnover number values of the second motor achieving the desired resistance. A position of the thoracic vertebra is determined by calculation based on the position of the lumbar vertebra. The position of the posture changing mechanism is set based on the results of estimation of the individual positions. Thus, a fatigue reduction effect is provided on the vehicle occupant by utilizing the posture changing mechanism.

A seat having a seat surface and a backrest includes a support member, a support-member driving unit, a specific-region position estimator, and a controller. The support member is provided in the backrest. The support member is configured to support a predetermined region of a body of a sitter to be seated on the seat and is movable in a vertical direction. The support-member driving unit is configured to drive the support member in the vertical direction relative to the backrest. The specific-region position estimator is configured to estimate a position of a specific region of the sitter that is defined in advance. The controller is configured to control the support-member driving unit such that the support member supports the specific region in accordance with the position of the specific region estimated by the specific-region position estimator.

A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to receive a series of pressure maps indicating a respective series of sitting positions of an occupant in a seat, wherein the pressure maps include a current pressure map; update a profile of the occupant based on the pressure maps, wherein the profile includes a plurality of clusters of sitting positions and classifications of the clusters as preferred or nonpreferred, and updating the profile includes sorting one of the sitting positions into one of the clusters that is classified as preferred in response to the occupant remaining in that sitting position for greater than a threshold time; and adjust a physical configuration of the seat in response to the current sitting position being in one of the clusters that is classified as nonpreferred.

A lumbar support for a vehicle seat includes: a support panel made of an elastic material and supporting the user's lumbar vertebra; a first guide rod supporting the support panel; a second link bracket fastened to the first guide rod to be movable up and down; a first link bracket disposed under the second link bracket to be movable up and down with respect to the second link bracket, and having an operation block providing a supporting force to the lumbar vertebra; a first rotary screw vertically extending, thread-fastened to the first link bracket, and moving up and down the first link bracket by rotating about a longitudinal axis; and a second rotary screw vertically extending, thread-fastened to the second link bracket, and moving up and down the second link bracket by rotating about a longitudinal axis.

There is provided a technique by which posture changing can be given to an occupant while the forward shift of his/her hip portion is prevented. A seat for vehicle includes a seat cushion, and a seat back coupled to the seat cushion, and the seat back includes a posture changing mechanism having a back face supporting mechanism. There is provided a technique by which a fatigue reduction operation using the posture changing mechanism includes a) moving the back face supporting mechanism set to a position of a lumbar spine portion of an occupant from a first position state to a rear direction side and setting the back face supporting mechanism to a second position state, and b) thereafter, moving the back face supporting mechanism stepwise to a front direction side from the second position state to the first position state.

A vehicle seat comprising: a seat cushion frame that structures a frame of a seat cushion and that is configured to support buttocks of a seated vehicle occupant; a seat cushion pad mounted to the seat cushion frame; and a pelvis supporting portion having a push-up portion that is provided at a seat lower side of the seat cushion pad along a seat left-right direction and that, by being displaced toward a seat upper side, pushes a seat rear side portion of the seat cushion pad toward the seat upper side.

An assembly for adjusting a lumbar region of a seat frame. A support is provided for suspension in the frame and is movable between lumbar positions. An actuator having a chassis and a drive is attached to the support. A wire extends between a first end engaging the drive and a second end for attachment to the frame. First and second spaced guides are mounted to the support and slidably support the wire. An intermediate device supports the wire and has a mount for attachment to the frame. A conduit disposed about the wire has a first end coupled to the actuator and a second end mounted to the intermediate device such that movement of the drive moves the wire relative to the guides and the intermediate device so to move the first guide relative to the second wire end and the second guide relative to the intermediate device.

A portable lumbar support apparatus comprising a fabric panel removably mountable on to a backrest of a seat. The fabric panel comprises at least one vertical patch of loop fastener attached onto a front face. The apparatus further comprises a pillow comprising at least one patch of hook fastener removably attachable to the loop fastener of the fabric panel at different heights to support lumbar region in a seated position. The height of the pillow is adjustable for different users by attaching the pillow at different position along the vertical patch of the fabric panel.

A vehicle includes a vehicle seat comprising a seat base structure and a seat back structure pivotally connected to the seat base structure. The seat back structure includes a central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable region adjacent the central adjustable region and a outboard side adjustable region located adjacent the central adjustable region. The seat back structure includes a central proximity sensor located at the central adjustable region, an inboard side proximity sensor located at the inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side proximity sensor located at the outboard side adjustable region. A seat back structure adjustment apparatus includes a central region adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the outboard adjustable region.