US 11,850,980 B2
Vehicle seat assembly incorporating quasi-zero/negative stiffness vibration isolators
Paul A Gilmore, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Umesh N. Gandhi, Farmington Hills, MI (US); Ryohei Tsuruta, Ann Arbor, MI (US); and Brian J. Pinkelman, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Feb. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/180,056.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/110,658, filed on Nov. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0144152 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. B60N 2/50 (2006.01); F16F 3/12 (2006.01); F16F 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC B60N 2/502 (2013.01) [F16F 3/12 (2013.01); F16F 15/085 (2013.01); F16F 2224/025 (2013.01); F16F 2226/042 (2013.01); F16F 2226/045 (2013.01); F16F 2228/063 (2013.01); F16F 2230/36 (2013.01); F16F 2234/04 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seat frame;
a seat pan; and
a plurality of vibration isolators interposed between the seat frame and the seat pan for limiting transmission of vibrations from the seat frame to the seat pan, each vibration isolator including:
a flexible housing including at least one wall defining an interior of the housing; and
an arrangement of conical disc spring members positioned in the interior and structured so that the vibration isolator provides a quasi-zero/negative stiffness response when a force applied to the isolator is within a predetermined range.