Seating assembly for a vehicle

Abstract

A seating assembly comprises a calf rest coupled to a seat base and having a body that comprises a first trough that extends from a first exterior peak to an interior peak and a second trough that extends from a second exterior peak to the interior peak. The seating assembly also comprises a wire that extends across the first trough from the first exterior peak to the interior peak, the wire being operable between an at rest condition and a contracted condition, wherein movement of the wire from the at rest condition to the contracted condition moves a portion of the wire between the first exterior peak and the interior peak away from a bottom of the first trough. The seating assembly further comprises a controller that prompts electrical current to be supplied to the wire to move the wire from the at rest condition to the contracted condition.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A body for a calf rest of a seating assembly, comprising:
 first and second exterior peaks in a spaced relationship with each other;   an interior peak between the first and second exterior peaks;   a first trough that extends between the first exterior peak and the interior peak, wherein the first trough includes a contoured section having a curved surface that is disposed between the first exterior peak and the interior peak and a sloped section having a generally planar surface that is disposed between the contoured section and the interior peak; and   a second trough that extends between the second exterior peak and the interior peak, wherein the second trough includes a contoured section having a curved surface that is disposed between the second exterior peak and the interior peak and a sloped section having a generally planar surface that is disposed between the contoured section of the second trough and the interior peak.   
     
     
         2 . The body of  claim 1 , wherein a plane of the surface of the sloped section of the first trough is not parallel to a plane of the surface of the sloped section of the second trough. 
     
     
         3 . The body of  claim 2 , wherein the plane of the surface of the sloped section of the first trough and the plane of the surface of the sloped section of the second trough intersect to form an angle that is between about 30 degrees and about 90 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The body of  claim 3 , wherein the plane of the surface of the sloped section of the first trough and the plane of the surface of the sloped section of the second trough intersect to form an angle that is between about 45 degrees and about 75 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The body of  claim 4 , wherein the plane of the surface of the sloped section of the first trough and the plane of the surface of the sloped section of the second trough intersect to form an angle of about 60 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The body of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second exterior peaks are formed of expanded polypropylene. 
     
     
         7 . The body of  claim 1 , wherein a height of the interior peak relative to a bottom of the first trough is greater than a height of the first exterior peak relative to the bottom of the first trough. 
     
     
         8 . The body of  claim 7 , wherein a height of the interior peak relative to a bottom of the second trough is greater than a height of the second exterior peak relative to the bottom of the second trough. 
     
     
         9 . The body of  claim 1 , wherein, relative to the interior peak, a bottom of the first trough is shallowest proximate to an end of the calf rest that is distal from a seat base of the seating assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The body of  claim 9 , wherein, relative to the interior peak, the bottom of the first trough is shallowest proximate to an end of the calf rest that is proximal to the seat base of the seating assembly, such that the deepest portion of the bottom of the first trough is nearer than the shallowest portion of the bottom of the first trough to the seat base.