US 5,294,085 A · Shock and vibration isolation apparatus for motor vehicle seats

Abstract

A seat assembly for a motor vehicle includes an air suspension system for effectively isolating the occupant of the seat from shock, vibration and inertial forces directed along both a vertical axis and a horizontal axis. A base plate is mounted to the floor of the vehicle and supports first and second pairs of sleeve bearings on opposed sides of a box-like housing. The housing itself is attached to a pair of guide rods which cooperate with the sleeve bearings to provide fore and aft movement of the housing. Springs operating in cooperation with a first horizontally disposed air bag serves to dampen out inertial forces on the vehicle seat The seat itself it support atop a vertically oriented air spring and a plurality of hydraulic vibration dampeners that tend to cushion vertically directed force spectors acting upon the seat and its occupant.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A seat assembly adapted to be mounted on the floor of a motor vehicle comprising, in combination:

(a) a base member attachable to the floor of a motor vehicle;
(b) a box-like housing slidingly mounted on said base member for movement in a fore and aft direction relative to said motor vehicle, said housing having a floor and four mutually perpendicular side walls;
(c) a vertically displaceable frame;
(d) a seat supporting frame;
(e) slide means for mounting said seat supporting frame to said vertically displaceable frame;
(f) first air spring means supported in said box-like housing and engaging said vertically displaceable frame for controlling vertical movement of said vertically displaceable frame and said seat supporting frame;
and
(g) second air spring means operatively disposed between said base member and said box-like housing for controlling movement of said box-like housing in the fore and aft direction.

5 more elements

The seat assembly adapted to be mounted on the floor of a motor vehicle comprising, combination:

(a) a base member attachable to the floor of a motor vehicle;
(b) a box-like housing supported by slide means on said base member allowing said housing to move in the fore and aft direction;
(c) spring means coupled between said base member and said box-like housing for biasing said housing in one direction;
(d) a first air spring member contained within said box-like housing and operatively coupled between said base member and said box-like housing and operating against the force of said spring means;
(e) a vertically displaceable frame;
(f) a second air spring member disposed in said housing and cooperating with said vertically displaceable frame for controlling the height of said vertically displaceable frame relative to said base member;
and
(g) hydraulic dampening means disposed in said housing and cooperating with said vertically displaceable frame for suppressing oscillating movement of said vertically displaceable frame.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Shock and vibration isolation apparatus for motor vehicle seats

Life of this patent

Shock and vibration isolation apparatus for motor vehicle seats

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17