Supports – Stand – Understructure
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-02
2003-12-16
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Stand
Understructure
C297S314000, C297S325000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06663061
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable to this application.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable to this application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle seat support devices and more specifically it relates to a vehicle seat leveling system for adjusting the angle of a seat to compensate for the natural road angle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Seats for vehicles have been in use for years. Seats are utilized for trucks, cars, pickups, tractors and the like for the intended purpose of comfortably supporting an operator of the vehicle. Seats are positioned within a vehicle in a manner parallel to a horizontal plane.
Unfortunately, a road surface typically peaks within the center and declines at an angle outwardly within the opposing lanes for promoting effective water drainage (often times referred to as a “crowned road” or a “cambered road”); The lane surface angle may be between 0.5-5 degrees. Hence, a vehicle operating within the right lane of a road will typically not be positioned in a level manner, but rather at a side angle declining to the right.
The main problem with conventional seats for vehicles is that they fail to compensate for the natural road angle. Another problem with conventional seats is that they are not suitable for usage over extended periods of time upon roads with angled surfaces. A further problem with conventional seats is that they do not allow for adjustment of the side angle of the seat.
Examples of patented devices which may be related to the present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 3,466,089 to Stueckle; U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,920 to Obeda et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,933 to West; U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,347 to Minnich; U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,694 to Martin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,337 to Torras; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,062 to Sandvik.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for adjusting the angle of a seat to compensate for the natural road angle. Conventional vehicle seats are not suitable for usage upon angled road surfaces for extended periods of time.
In these respects, the vehicle seat leveling system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of adjusting the angle of a seat to compensate for the natural road angle.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of seat supports now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new vehicle seat leveling system construction wherein the same can be utilized for adjusting the angle of a seat to compensate for the natural road angle.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new vehicle seat leveling system that has many of the advantages of the vehicle seat supports mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new vehicle seat leveling system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art seat supports, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a first spacer having a first slot and a second slot, and a second spacer having a third slot and a fourth slot. The first spacer and the second spacer are positioned between the support base of a seat and the floor of the vehicle to achieve the desired side angle to compensate for the road surface side angle. The upper surfaces of both the first spacer and the second spacer have approximately the same angle ranging between 0.5-5.0 degrees. The first spacer and the second spacer may be comprised of a single unit.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to, the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat leveling system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide a vehicle seat leveling system for adjusting the angle of a seat to compensate for the natural road angle for supporting the operator in a level manner.
Another object is to provide a vehicle seat leveling system that increases the comfort of operating a vehicle on a surface having a side angle such as but not limited to a road.
An additional object is to provide a vehicle seat leveling system that increases a vehicle operator's endurance for effectively operating a vehicle.
A further object is to provide a vehicle seat leveling system that can be easily installed upon new or existing vehicle seats.
Another object is to provide a vehicle seat leveling system that does not require removal of a vehicle seat to install.
A further object is to provide a vehicle seat leveling system that decreases operator pain, fatigue and back problems due to sitting for extended periods of time upon a side sloped surface.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2123484 (1938-07-01), Mafera
patent: 2672920 (1954-03-01), Altgelt
patent: 2772596 (1956-12-01), Trussell
patent: 2819037 (1958-01-01), Wilkin
patent: 3021638 (1962-02-01), Kristek
patent: 3171632 (1965-03-01), Jines
patent: 3466089 (1969-09-01), Stueckle
patent: 3836118 (1974-09-01), Meyer
patent: 4500062 (1985-02-01), Sandvik
patent: 4515337 (1985-05-01), Torras
patent: 4824303 (1989-04-01), Dinger
patent: 4858865 (1989-08-01), Schrepfer
patent: 5046694 (1991-09-01), Martin
patent: 5249767 (1993-10-01), Mellen
patent: 5372347 (1994-12-01), Minnich
patent: 5492292 (1996-02-01), Richards
patent: 5607273 (1997-03-01), Kecmer et al.
patent: 5992933 (1999-11-01), West
patent: 6026920 (2000-02-01), Obeda et al.
Ramirez Ramon O.
Szumny Jon
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