Seat assembly

• US 20070035167A1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Purpose Vehicles, Inc.
• Original Assignee: General Purpose Vehicles, Inc.
• Inventors: Meyer, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,484,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/344.190
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0868 in a transversal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4242 vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/502 attached to the base of the seat B60N2/504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/509 Seat guided by slides or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/525 using gas

Abstract

A seat assembly for an occupant of a vehicle possibly subjected to upsetting forces generally consisting of a base member mountable on a body portion of the vehicle, an occupant seat means for restraining an occupant positioned on the seat, means operatively interconnecting the base member and the seat for guiding the seat along a line of travel when the seat is displaced relative to the base member, means operatively interconnecting the base member and the seat for dampening a force imposed on the seat in first direction along the line of travel and means operatively interconnecting the base member and the seat for dampening a force imposed on the seat in a second direction along the line of travel.

Claims

1. A seat assembly for an occupant of a vehicle possibly subjected to upsetting forces, comprising:

a base member mountable on a body portion of said vehicle;

an occupant seat;

means for restraining an occupant positioned on said seat;

means operatively interconnecting said base member and said seat for guiding said seat along a line of travel when said seat is displaced relative to said base member;

means operatively interconnecting said base member and said seat for dampening a force imposed on said seat in a first direction along said line of travel; and

means operatively interconnecting said base member and said seat for dampening a force imposed on said seat in a second direction along said line of travel.

2. A seat assembly according to claim 1 wherein said body of said vehicle includes guide means and said base member is supported on and displaceable along said guide means, and including means for detachably locking said base member at selected locations along said guide means.

3. A seat assembly according to claim 2 wherein said guide means is disposed longitudinally.

4. A seat assembly according to claim 1 wherein said seat includes a bottom rest and a back rest.

5. A seat assembly according to claim 4 wherein said back rest is angularly displaceable relative to said bottom rest, and including means for detachably locking said back rest at selected angles relative to said bottom rest.

6. A seat assembly according to claim 1 wherein said restraining means comprises a five point harness including a pair of straps overlapping the shoulders of an occupant of said seat, a pair of straps overlapping the legs of said occupant and a strap extending between the legs of said occupant and means for buckling said straps together.

7. A seat assembly according to claim 1 wherein said line of travel is upright.

8. A seat assembly according to claim 1 wherein said guiding means includes a set of guide tracks disposed on said base member and a set of rollers disposed on said seat and rideable along said guide tracks.

9. A seat assembly according to claim 8 wherein said line of travel is upright.

10. A seat assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means for dampening said force imposed in said first direction comprises an energy absorbing means.

11. A seat assembly according to claim 10 wherein said energy absorbing means comprises at least one shock absorber.

12. A seat assembly according to claim 1 wherein said energy absorbing means comprises a pair of transversely spaced shock absorbers each having a base portion connected to said base member and a rod portion connected to said seat.

13. A seat assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means for dampening said force imposed in said second direction comprises an energy absorbing means.

14. A seat assembly according to claim 13 wherein said energy absorbing means comprises an air spring.

15. A seat assembly according to claim 14 wherein said air spring is seated on said base member, and said seat is mounted on said air spring.

16. A seat assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first direction of force is upwardly and said second direction of force is downwardly.

17. A seat assembly according to claim 1 wherein said line of travel is disposed at an obtuse angle relative to the horizontal.