Universal seat suspension system

Details Universal seat suspension system Universal seat suspension system

1999-02-25

2001-10-02

King, Anita (Department: 3632)

Supports

Resilient support

Including spring zone understructure

C297S308000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06296221

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to seat suspension system for industrial vehicles, and more particularly it relates to an air suspension system for a removable seat, that is adaptable to different models of lift trucks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The engine of a lift truck is typically located under the seat of the vehicle, and the seat needs to be removed for servicing the engine. Lift trucks have a compact structure that is adapted to travelling in narrow aisles of packed warehouses or to maneuvering in and out of rail box cars for examples. For this reason, driver seats in these lift trucks are generally as simple as possible and are often designed for removability rather than for comfort.
Because of the physical constrictions in these industrial vehicles, it has been a challenge in the past to design a seat suspension system that offers comfort to the driver as well as an easy access to the engine compartment of the vehicle. In that respect, it is known that a number of removable vehicle seats have been developed in the past and have been used with varying degrees of success. Examples of seats and seat adjustment mechanisms for industrial vehicles are illustrated and described in the following patent documents.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,043,287 issued on Jun. 9, 1936 to John M. Dorton;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,466,345 issued on Apr. 5, 1949 to Nathaniel Wyeth;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,913 issued on Aug. 10, 1954 to Brune G. Schlueter;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,810 issued on Dec. 8, 1970 to Ralph F. Anderson et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,518 issued on Jun. 8, 1971 to Darwin Carl Bichel et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,747 issued on Aug. 6, 1974 to Austin C. Cookes;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,696 issued on Oct. 15, 1974 to Robert T. Wagner;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,845 issued on Feb. 1, 1977 to Carlos E. Luppi et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,108 issued on May 24, 1977 to Conard E. Leighty et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,601 issued on May 31, 1977 to John L. Dill, III et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,759 issued on Sep. 13, 1977 to D. P. Koscinski;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,302 issued on Feb. 28, 1978 to Frank R. Sable;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,050 issued on Sep. 18, 1979 to Marvin E. Nerem et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,958 issued on Apr. 21, 1981 to Henry J. Houseman et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,205 issued on Jan. 19, 1982 to Ronald Goodacre et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,418 issued on Jan. 26, 1982 to Udo Rittman;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,121 issued on Nov. 16, 1982 to John S. Messner et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,602 issued on Dec. 21, 1982 to Corrado Rigazio;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,761 issued on Feb. 7, 1984 to Louis A. Haddock, Jr. et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,407 issued on Jan. 21, 1986 to Peter F. Brautigam;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,508 issued on Sep. 29, 1987 to Peter F. Brautigam;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,843 issued on Dec. 5, 1989 to Delbert D. DeRees;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,593 issued on Jun. 5, 1990 to James A. Swartzendruber et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,155 issued on Aug. 6, 1991 to David R. Holm et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,792 issued on Apr. 19, 1994 to Yutaka Shimizu;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,721 issued on Jun. 11, 1996 to Yoshihiko Yamauchi;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,722 issued on Jun. 11, 1996 to Robert L. Bowman;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,884 issued on Jun. 10, 1997 to Brett G. Ladetto et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,462 issued on Feb. 24, 1998 to Cole T. Brodersen;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,006 issued on Mar. 31, 1998 to Perry W. Woods;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,574 issued on Aug. 25, 1998 to Stephen R. Brooks et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,221 issued on Dec. 29, 1998 to D.C. Thoman et al.;
CA 1,237,971 issued on Jun. 14, 1988 to Frank W. Grigg;
CA 1,242,134 issued on Sep. 20, 1988 to Roy M. Bailey;
CA 2,015,353 published on Jun. 4, 1991 by Dennis J. Gryp;
GB 1,202,632 issued on Aug. 19, 1970 to Georg Grammar;
It is believed that the seats and seat suspension mechanisms described in the prior art documents were designed for specific applications or for specific makes of vehicles and are hardly adaptable to different models of lift trucks.
A warehousing operation or a shipping and receiving department often comprises a number of lift trucks that were purchased at different times and from different suppliers, and therefore, very little standardization can be found in the industry with regard to lift truck makes and models operated by a same company. Because of the uniqueness of each lift truck design, it has been difficult in the past for seat manufacturers to develop a standard model of seat suspension system that would be marketable to the industry in general, and that would be appropriate for easy installation on most models of lift trucks. It is this reason basically that has contributed to the development of a market demand for a better seat suspension system that is manufacturable as a common unit, and that is compatible to the conformations and limitations of most popular lift trucks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, however, there is provided an universal seat suspension system that is compact in size, that has few moving parts and that has a plain-shaped anchor body which can be used with various mounting kits for installation into different models of industrial vehicles.
Broadly, in accordance with one feature of the invention, there is provided a seat suspension system comprising a seat cradle, a seat mounted in the seat cradle, and an anchor body having means for attachment to the frame of an industrial vehicle. There are also provided two pairs of spaced-apart parallel bars each having spaced-apart first and second ends, the first ends being movably connected to the anchor body and the second ends being movably connected to the seat cradle for allowing a movement of the seat cradle relative to the anchor body. A single air bellows is mounted inside the anchor body for cushioning the movement of the seat craddle. The air bellows has an upper end connected to the seat cradle and a lower end connected to the anchor body. The anchor body has a plain rectangular box-like shape disposed behind the backrest portion of the seat, and a pair of spaced-apart plain and parallel anchor plates to which may be mounted a variety of structural connections for retaining the anchor body to the frame of a vehicle.
A primary advantage of the structure of the present invention is that the anchor body is adaptable for use with various mounting kits for securement thereof to a variety of different models of industrial vehicles. The seat suspension system according to the present invention is manufacturable as a standard unit whereby a manufacturer can standardize manufacturing inventories and procedures and manufacture the seat suspension systems at a reasonable price. The mounting of the seat suspension system is effected using attachment kits that are customized to the shape of each model of vehicle.
According to another feature of the present invention, the two pairs of parallel bars comprise an upper pair of parallel bars and a lower pair of parallel bars, and the bars in the upper pair are rigidly connected to one-another by a torsion or stabilization rod for preventing movement of these bars relative to one-another, and for preventing an uneven movement of the seat cradle when the seat cradle is loaded on the edge for example.
In another feature of the present invention, the torsion or stabilization rod is mounted in a pair of bearing blocks. These bearing blocks are in turn mounted on a pair of levers that are pivotally connected to the anchor body. A pair of bolts extending through the anchor body and the levers are usable for adjusting the position of the levers relative to the anchor body. The position of the torsion rod relative to the anchor body and a related levelling of the seat cradle are adjustable by working the pair of bolts.
This feature is particularly appreciable for adjusting the plane of the seat to compensate for an imperfect mounting of an attachment kit for example, or to compensate for work-related wear in the articulations of the seat suspension system.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, there is provided a swivel m

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