Sprung vehicle seat
First Claim
1. In a sprung vehicle seat with adjustment for height and for weight so that the vehicle seat is always at a manually adjustable preset height, even when users of the seat are of different weights, said sprung vehicle seat being of the type which includes a gas spring arranged between a seat support frame and a base frame;
- a switching means for controlling the gas spring;
an actuator means which is movable relative to the switching means when there is a change in the height of the seat support frame above the base frame;
a slide member which for the purposes of adjusting the preset height can be locked to one of the frames selectively in a plurality of positions on a line of displacement which is parallel to the relative displacement between the switching means and the actuator means;
a holder which is carried by the slide member and movable transversely with respect to the line of displacement thereof between a first and a second position and which carries either the switching means or the actuator means, wherein the holder is spring-biassed toward the first position, in which first position the actuator means and the switching means are spaced from each other in the transverse direction of their relative movement by a spacing such that the actuator means and the switching means are non-cooperable, thereby to avoid actuation of the gas spring during normal spring movement of the seat while the seat is occupied by a user, while in the second position of the holder the actuator means and the switching means are sufficiently close together in the transverse direction of their relative movement that the actuator means and the switching means are co-operable to provide adjustment for weight; and
a three-stage actuating means which includes at least one pivotal actuating lever and which in the first actuating stage pivots the holder into its second position, in the subsequent second actuating stage releases the locking action on the slide member, and in a third actuating stage shifts the slide member from one position into another position, the improvement comprising;
the actuating means has only a single actuating lever which is manually movable in two different modes and first and second entrainment means, the first entrainment means urging the holder into the second position during the first actuating stage and the second entrainment means releasing the locking action on the slide member during the second actuating stage as the actuating lever is moved in one of said modes; and
the actuating means includes a third entrainment means which is operative when the actuating lever is actuated in the other mode of actuation thereof in the third actuating phase so as to entrain the slide member to move it from one position to another.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sprung vehicle seat which adjusts to a preset height, even when accommodating people of different weights, and which also permits adjustment of the preset height, is supported by a gas spring. An actuator which is linearly movable when there is a change in the seat height can cooperate with a switching mechanism, which includes a valve spaced apart from a switch, to control the volume of air in the gas spring. A holder carrying either the switching mechanism or the actuator is pivotably mounted on a slider which is linearly movable unless it is locked into place. When the holder is in a first angular position, the actuator and the switching mechanism are separated to avoid unnecessary actuation of the gas spring during bouncing movements, and when it is in a second angular position the actuator and the switching mechanism are moved toward each other so that they can cooperate to adjust the seat to the preset height. A manually operable three-stage actuating mechanism is operative during a first actuating stage to pivot the holder into its second position, during a second stage to unlock the slider, and during a third stage to shift the slider from one position to another so as to change the preset height. The actuating mechanism has only a single lever, which is movable in two different modes (such as rotation about its axis and rotation about a line perpendicular to the axis) to accomplish the three actuating stages.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a sprung vehicle seat with adjustment for height and for weight so that the vehicle seat is always at a manually adjustable preset height, even when users of the seat are of different weights, said sprung vehicle seat being of the type which includes a gas spring arranged between a seat support frame and a base frame;
- a switching means for controlling the gas spring;
an actuator means which is movable relative to the switching means when there is a change in the height of the seat support frame above the base frame;
a slide member which for the purposes of adjusting the preset height can be locked to one of the frames selectively in a plurality of positions on a line of displacement which is parallel to the relative displacement between the switching means and the actuator means;
a holder which is carried by the slide member and movable transversely with respect to the line of displacement thereof between a first and a second position and which carries either the switching means or the actuator means, wherein the holder is spring-biassed toward the first position, in which first position the actuator means and the switching means are spaced from each other in the transverse direction of their relative movement by a spacing such that the actuator means and the switching means are non-cooperable, thereby to avoid actuation of the gas spring during normal spring movement of the seat while the seat is occupied by a user, while in the second position of the holder the actuator means and the switching means are sufficiently close together in the transverse direction of their relative movement that the actuator means and the switching means are co-operable to provide adjustment for weight; and
a three-stage actuating means which includes at least one pivotal actuating lever and which in the first actuating stage pivots the holder into its second position, in the subsequent second actuating stage releases the locking action on the slide member, and in a third actuating stage shifts the slide member from one position into another position, the improvement comprising;
the actuating means has only a single actuating lever which is manually movable in two different modes and first and second entrainment means, the first entrainment means urging the holder into the second position during the first actuating stage and the second entrainment means releasing the locking action on the slide member during the second actuating stage as the actuating lever is moved in one of said modes; and
the actuating means includes a third entrainment means which is operative when the actuating lever is actuated in the other mode of actuation thereof in the third actuating phase so as to entrain the slide member to move it from one position to another. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- a switching means for controlling the gas spring;
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12. A sprung seat with adjustment for height and for weight so that the seat attains a manually adjustable preset height when in use, even when users of the seat have different weights, comprising:
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a vertically movable seat support frame; a control member movable along a linear path; means linking said seat support frame to said control member for positioning said control member along its path at a location dependent upon the height of the seat support frame; a slide member linearly movable along a path parallel to the path of said control member; locking means for immobilizing the slide member; a holder carried by said slide member and movable with respect thereto from a first position spaced apart from the control member to a second position adjacent the control member; an actuator member affixed to either the control member or holder; switching means affixed to the other of the control member or holder for detecting the relative position of said actuator member with respect to said holder when said holder is in its second position, said switching means additionally including means for adjusting the seat to the preset height by varying the height of said seat support frame when said holder is in its second position until said switching means and actuator member achieve a predetermined relative relationship; a manually operable actuating lever mounted for movement in a first mode and a second mode; and actuating means for moving said holder to its second position and for unlocking said locking means when said actuating lever is moved in the first mode, and for moving said control member along its path to change the preset height when said actuating lever is moved in the second mode. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification