Chairs and seats – Straddle seat – Sectional or split relatively movable supporting surface
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-17
2001-10-16
Barfield, Anthony D. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Straddle seat
Sectional or split relatively movable supporting surface
C297S195100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302480
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to bicycle and motorcycle seats. In particular, it relates to bicycle and motorcycle seats that have a distributed seating platform that distributes weight away from the spinal and groin area of the rider, and a sloped front leg support that reduces interference of the bicycle seat with the rider's leg motion.
2. Background Art
There are currently millions of bicycles in use worldwide. Bicycles provide an inexpensive and efficient way for individuals to achieve a variety of benefits. They provide an excellent source of exercise, which in contrast to other conventional exercise devices, simultaneously allows riders the ability to enjoy the outdoors. In addition to exercise, they are used for a variety of sports, such as mountain biking, racing, etc. Many individuals rely on bicycles as transportation devices for commuting from home to work or school. In addition, many individuals use bicycles while performing their jobs. For example, couriers in large cities use bicycles because they allow faster delivery than that which would be possible if a vehicle such as an automobile was used.
While bicycles provide numerous benefits to a wide variety of riders, the design of a conventional bicycle also causes unnecessary discomfort, and potentially injurious side effects, to many riders. The principal source of rider discomfort is the design of a conventional bicycle seat. Bicycle seats have been manufactured in substantially the same structural for many years. The typical design bicycle seat includes a seating platform with an extended central extension that extends between the rider's legs. The structure results in a substantial portion of the rider's weight being supported by the extended central extension and the central portion of the seating platform.
This distribution of weight results in the bicycle seat applying pressure against a central seating area on the rider's body that extends from the lower extremity of the rider's spine to the rider's groin area. The longer the rider rides the bicycle, the more uncomfortable the seat becomes. Further, it has recently been found that prolonged bicycle riding a result and permanent physical injury to the rider. In particular, male riders who use conventional bicycle seats have constant pressure applied to the blood vessels that supply blood to the genitals. Over time, this pressure results in damage to the blood vessels which reduces the capacity of the rider's body to supply blood to the genitals. In turn, this reduced blood supply may have a substantial impact on the rider's ability to maintain an erection and may ultimately lead or contribute to impotency.
A disadvantage of conventional bicycle seats is that they do not take advantage of the buttocks and legs of the riders as a principal support for the body weight of the rider. It would be desirable to have a bicycle seat capable of distributing the weight of the rider away from the central seating area on the riders body and distributing it to the legs and buttocks of the rider such that the rider's comfort was increased, and the pressure on the blood vessels in the groin area of the rider was reduced to eliminate injury to the circulatory system and reduce blood circulation problems that may lead to serious is medical complications such as impotency.
In addition to bicycles, a variety of exercise machines used in gymnasiums use conventional bicycle seats. The seats result in the same discomfort and medical problems found in riders of bicycles.
In addition to the undesirable distribution of weight in a conventional bicycle seat, many bicycles do not provide any support to the rider's legs while peddling. This results in fatigue when peddling prolonged distances. It would be desirable to have a bicycle seat which provides support for the rider's legs without interfering with the peddling of the bicycle.
Another disadvantage associated with conventional bicycle seats is that they tend to be relatively hard and uncomfortable to sit on. Add-on cushions are known which provide a slightly softer seating surface than that typically found on a bicycle seat. However, add-on cushions do not alleviate problems caused by improper distribution of the rider's weight on the bicycle seat It would be desirable to have a bicycle seat which provides cushioned comfort to the rider while at the same time provides a weight distribution that eliminates undesirable pressure on the central seating area of a rider's body.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that motorcycle seats are often similar to bicycle seats and, as a result, they may cause or contribute to the same problems encountered by bicycle riders and users of exercise equipment.
While addressing the basic seating requirements of bicycles, motorcycles, and exercise equipment, the prior art has failed to provide a seat which distributes weight away from the groin area of the rider's body, which provides support for the rider's legs, and which provides a cushioned surface to the portions of the rider's body to which weight has been distributed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the foregoing problems by providing a bicycle seat that reduces damage to the vascular system of the rider's groin area by distributing the rider's weight away from the groin area of the rider's body toward the buttocks and legs. The central extension found in conventional bicycle seats is eliminated and replaced with front and rear central indentations that are formed in the seat to reduce the longitudinal length in the central portion of the bicycle seat and minimize contact between the bicycle seat and the groin area of a rider's body. An extended seating surface extends laterally outward from the longitudinal axis of the bicycle to distribute the rider's weight outward from the central seating area of the rider's body, and to provide a more comfortable seating area upon which the buttocks of the rider can more fully support the rider's body weight. An alternative embodiment provides a central cavity that extends longitudinally along the central portion of the upper surface of the bicycle seat such that the extended seating surface is separated into separate left and right segments, each segment supporting one of the rider's buttocks. The central cavity is formed with a width and depth sufficient to minimize or eliminate contact between the central seating area of a rider's body and the upper surface of the bicycle seat such that the bicycle seat does not interfere with or injure the circulatory system of the rider in the central seating area of the rider's body. Optional left front and right front sloped surfaces extend forward and downward from the extended seating surface such that the left and right legs of the rider, respectively, are supported as the rider pedals. An alternative embodiment provides an adjustable width seating surface to provide additional comfort to the rider.
REFERENCES:
patent: 572062 (1896-11-01), Peck
patent: 603734 (1898-05-01), Peck et al.
patent: 6095600 (2000-08-01), Mattingly
Barfield Anthony D.
Smith John C.
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