Seat System With Shock- And Vibration-Reducing Bladders

• US 20080296946A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ergoair, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ergoair, Inc.
• Inventors: Wolf, Erik, Reynolds, Douglas D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,033,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/284.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/525 using gas
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape

Abstract

A seat system has separate air bladders in the seat bottom and seat back. The seat bottom bladder is in fluid communication with the seat back bladder through a plurality of rigid interconnecting tubes, and valves in the tubes or orifice size can control flow rate of air exchange between the seat bottom bladder and the seat back bladder. A panel of resilient, compressible open cell foam extends in each of the seat bottom bladder and the seat back bladder. Through-holes in the foam panel permit accelerated air evacuation to the other bladder when the seat withstands a significant shock event. The vibration and shock attenuation characteristics of the seat are jointly provided by the panel spring force and the bladder air pressure.

Claims

1. A seat system comprising:

a seat bottom comprising;

a seat bladder retaining compressible fluid; and

a resilient compressible open cell panel disposed within the seat bladder;

a seat back comprising;

a back bladder retaining compressible fluid; and

a resilient compressible open cell panel disposed within the back bladder; and

a plurality of independent interconnections extending between the seat bottom and the seat back such that the seat bladder and the back bladder are in fluid communication through the interconnections.

2. The seat system of claim 1, further comprising a protective covering surrounding both the seat bottom and the seat back.

3. The seat system of claim 1, further comprising at least one valve in the interconnections for controlling the rate of fluid flow between the seat bladder and the back bladder.

4. The seat system of claim 1, wherein the interconnections are provided by tubes formed from a different material than the seat bladder and the back bladder.

5. The seat system of claim 1, wherein both the seat bladder and the back bladder are formed from a top sheet of a fluid impervious material joined to a bottom sheet of a fluid impervious material joined to the top sheet around a sealed perimeter.

6. The seat system of claim 1, wherein the seat bottom further comprises a rigid seat bottom under the seat bladder and wherein the seat back comprises a rigid back behind the back bladder.

7. The seat system of claim 6, wherein the rigid seat bottom is supported on a resilient spring support system.

8. The seat system of claim 7, wherein the resilient spring support system comprises an air bladder.

9. The seat system of claim 6, wherein the rigid seat bottom is supported on a load limiting device.

10. The seat system of claim 1, wherein the seat bottom open cell panel is formed of open cell foam.

11. The seat system of claim 10, wherein the seat bottom open cell panel comprises holes cut in the open cell foam for ready evacuation of fluid from the open cell foam through the interconnections into the seat back bladder.

12. The seat system of claim 1, wherein the seat back open cell panel is formed of open cell foam.

13. The seat system of claim 12, wherein the seat back open cell panel comprises holes cut in the open cell foam for ready evacuation of fluid from the open cell foam through the interconnections into the seat bottom bladder.

14. The seat system of claim 1, further comprising:

a head rest comprising;

a head rest bladder retaining compressible fluid; and

a resilient compressible open cell panel disposed within the head rest bladder.

15. The seat system of claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of independent interconnections extending between the seat back and the head rest such that the back bladder and the head rest bladder are in fluid communication through the interconnections.

16. A seat system comprising:

a seat bottom comprising a seat bladder retaining compressible fluid;

a seat back comprising a back bladder retaining compressible fluid;

a plurality of independent interconnections extending between the seat bottom and the seat back such that the seat bladder and the back bladder are in fluid communication through the interconnections; and

at least one valve in the plurality of interconnections permitting controlled restriction of flow between the seat bladder and the back bladder during a compression event.

17. The seat system of claim 16, further comprising:

a resilient compressible open cell foam panel disposed within the seat bladder, with holes cut in the open cell foam for ready evacuation of fluid from the open cell foam panel through the interconnections into the seat back bladder.

18. A seat system comprising:

a seat bottom comprising;

a seat bladder retaining compressible fluid; and

a rigid seat bottom under the seat bladder;

a seat back comprising;

a back bladder retaining compressible fluid; and

a rigid back behind the back bladder;

a plurality of independent interconnections extending between the seat bottom and the seat back such that the seat bladder and the back bladder are in fluid communication through the interconnections; and

an air bladder under the rigid seat bottom providing resilient spring support for the seat bottom.

19. The seat system of claim 18, further comprising:

a resilient compressible open cell foam panel disposed within the seat bladder, with holes cut in the open cell foam for ready evacuation of fluid from the open cell foam panel through the interconnections into the seat back bladder.