Vehicle seat with inflatable bladder

A seat for supporting a seat occupant comprising:

• (a) a seat occupant supporting surface;
• (b) a bladder carried by said seat occupant supporting surface with said bladder having an inflatable chamber, a control flap, and a gas supply passage extending from said control flap to said chamber for communicating gas to said chamber;
• (c) a gas supply in gas flow communication with said control flap for supplying gas to said supply passage to inflate said chamber, said gas supply having a reservoir storing a charge of gas and said storage reservoir in gas flow communication with said gas supply passage, a gas pump in gas flow communication with said storage reservoir supplying said reservoir with gas, and a pressure sensing switch in gas flow communication with said reservoir for sensing the pressure of gas within said reservoir, said pressure sensing switch connected to said pump for controlling operation of said pump, and (1) said pressure sensing switch having a lower threshold pressure level wherein said switch energizes said pump to charge said reservoir with gas when the gas pressure in said reservoir is less than or equal to said lower threshold pressure level and (2) said switch having an upper threshold pressure level wherein said switch deenergizes said pump when the gas pressure within said reservoir is equal to or greater than said upper threshold pressure level;
• and
• (d) a gas flow control valve between said storage reservoir and said inflatable chamber, said valve controlling gas flow from said storage reservoir to said inflatable chamber.

A seat for a motorcycle comprising:

• (a) a seat occupant supporting saddle for supporting a rider of the motorcycle with said saddle having (1) a seat occupant supporting surface on its top and (2) a sidewall;
• (b) a bladder having (1) an inflatable chamber carried by said saddle and (2) an integral control flap disposed along side said sidewall;
• (c) a valve operably associated with said control flap for controlling gas flow into or out of said inflatable chamber;
• and
• (d) a seat covering overlying said saddle and said inflatable chamber.

A method of operating a seat for providing adjustable support to a seat occupant comprising:

• (a) providing a bladder having an inflatable chamber a gas supply having a reservoir for storing a charge of gas for supplying gas to the chamber to inflate the chamber, a compressor for charging the reservoir with gas, and a pressure switch having an upper and lower threshold pressure level for sensing the pressure of gas within the reservoir and controlling operation of the compressor, and a valve operably associated with the bladder having a first position for retaining gas in the chamber and a second position for admitting gas into the chamber;
• (b) sensing the pressure of the gas within the reservoir;
• (c) energizing the compressor to charge the reservoir with gas if the gas pressure within the reservoir is less than the lower threshold pressure level;
• and
• (d) deenergizing the compressor when the pressure of the gas in the reservoir is greater than the upper threshold pressure level.

A seat for supporting a seat occupant comprising:

• (a) a bladder having an inflatable chamber;
• (b) a gas storage reservoir bag in gas flow communication with said inflatable chamber and which is composed of a resilient and flexible material constructed and arranged to be substantially gas tight so as to hold gas at a pressure greater than the pressure of gas in said inflatable chamber;
• and
• (c) a gas pump in gas flow communication with said reservoir bag for charging said reservoir bag with gas.

A seat for supporting a seat occupant comprising:

• (a) a seat base having a seat occupant supporting surface;
• (b) a bladder carried by said seat base with said bladder having an inflatable chamber and a gas passage leading to said chamber;
• (c) a valve in operable communication with said gas passage for (1) allowing gas flow through said passage when said valve is in an open position and (2) opposing gas flow through said passage when said valve is in a closed position;
• (d) a gas storage reservoir in gas flow communication with said gas passage upstream of (1) said valve and (2) said inflatable chamber for storing a charge of gas under pressure that is supplied to said inflatable chamber when said valve is disposed in said open position, wherein said gas storage reservoir comprises a gas tight bag constructed of a flexible and resilient elastomeric material;
• and
• (e) a gas compressor in gas flow communication with said reservoir bag for supplying said reservoir bag with gas.

A seat for supporting a seat occupant comprising:

• (a) a seat base having a seat occupant supporting surface;
• (b) a bladder carried by said seat base with said bladder having an inflatable chamber and a gas passage leading to said chamber;
• (c) a valve in operable communication with said gas passage for (1) allowing gas flow through said passage when said valve is in an open position and (2) opposing gas flow through said passage when said valve is in a closed position;
• (d) a gas storage reservoir in gas flow communication with said gas passage upstream of said valve and said inflatable chamber for storing a charge of gas under pressure that is supplied to said inflatable chamber when said valve is disposed in said open position;
• (e) an electrically powered gas compressor in gas flow communication with said gas storage reservoir for charging said reservoir with gas;
• and
• (f) a gas pressure sensing switch in communication with said gas in said storage reservoir and electrically connected to said gas compressor for controlling operation of said compressor to cause said compressor to maintain gas at a pressure of at least about thirteen pounds per square inch inside said storage reservoir when said valve is closed so that said storage reservoir supplies gas under pressure to said inflatable chamber when said valve is opened.

A seat for supporting a seat occupant comprising:

• (a) a seat base having a seat occupant supporting surface;
• (b) a bladder carried by said base and having (1) a first pair of spaced apart inflatable chambers in gas flow communication with each other by a first interconnecting gas passage, and (2) a second pair of inflatable chambers in gas flow communication with each other by a second interconnecting gas passage with said second pair of inflatable chambers spaced rearwardly from said first pair of inflatable chambers relative to a seat occupant sitting in the seat;
• and
• (c) wherein (1) one of said chambers of said first pair underlies one of the thighs of a seat occupant and the other of said chambers of said first pair underlies the other of the thighs of a seat occupant when a seat occupant is sitting on the seat, and (2) one of said chambers of said second pair underlies one of the buttocks of a seat occupant and the other of said chambers of said second pair underlies the other of the buttocks of a seat occupant when a seat occupant is sitting on the seat.