US3736020A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Energy absorbing seat for snowmobiles
Assignee: Bostrom Seating Inc
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Filing: 1971-07-26
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Granted: 1973-05-29
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Expires: 1991-07-26
Abstract
Abstract Snowmobile seat has relatively firm, damped cushion mounted on a base member which is pivoted at its front end to the snowmobile chassis. The rear end of the base member is supported above the chassis by a pair of rearwardly and downwardly extending shock absorbers which are attached at their lower ends to a rigid saddle strap bracket which spreads the load over a large area of the chassis. The shock absorbers are surrounded by springs which are preloaded so as not to be compressed by the static weight of an average operator. The shock absorber means cooperate with the springs and damped cushion to greatly reduce shock loads transmitted to the operator as a result of hard bounces of the vehicle. By preloading and positioning the linear springs so as to face rearwardly at an angle to the vertical, a far greater amount of energy can be absorbed by a given amount of vertical seat deflection and a maximum allowable vertical spring force than if the springs were vertical, since the linear springs are loaded in a non-linear manner which causes them to function somewhat as a constant force spring.
Inventors
- 👤 M T Pilachowski
- 👤 L F Stikeleather
- 👤 D J Zach
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 11:19
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60N; B60N2/00; B60N2/50; B60N2/502; B60N2/54; B60N2/544
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
An energy absorbing seat for a snowmobile comprising a relatively thick, highly damped cushion, a cushion support member adapted to be hingedly pivoted at its front end to the chassis of a snowmobile, suspension means comprising at least two shock absorbers and springs supported at one end by the rearward portion of said cushion support member and having their opposite ends directed rearwardly and downwardly and adapted to be affixed relative to the chassis of a snowmobile so as to permit a substantial downward movement of said cushion support member relative to said chassis, said springs being pre-loaded sufficiently to carry all or at least most of the static weight of an average operator on said cushion without deflection of said cushion support member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
124 words
An energy absorbing seat for a snowmobile comprising a relatively thick, highly damped cushion, a cushion support member adapted to be hingedly pivoted at its front end to the chassis of a snowmobile, suspension means comprising at least two shock absorbers and springs supported at one end by the rearward portion of said cushion support member and having their opposite ends directed rearwardly and downwardly and adapted to be affixed relative to the chassis of a snowmobile so as to permit a substantial downward movement of said cushion support member relative to said chassis, said springs being pre-loaded sufficiently to carry all or at least most of the static weight of an average operator on said cushion without deflection of said cushion support member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 1 wherein the rearward portion of said cushion includes integral outwardly extending portions on each side of said seat, said suspension means being affixed to the bottom of said cushion support member under said outwardly extending portions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 1 wherein said suspension means is affixed to said chassis by a wide bracket member that straddles and is supported by the cHassis over a large area of contact and has side flange portions extending outwardly from said chassis to support said opposite ends of said shock absorbers and springs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
96 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 3 wherein said cushion is at least four inches thick above said cushion support member and is of increased thickness at its front and rear portions, said cushion having its sides tapered upwardly at its front portion so that it is of lesser width at its top than on its bottom, said cushion and cushion support member being of substantially increased width at said rearward portion so as to overlie said shock absorbers and springs, said springs surrounding said shock absorbers and being affixed to the relatively movable parts thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 1 wherein the forward portion of the cushion above the cushion support member has an increasing thickness in a forward direction from the center of said cushion support member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 5 wherein at least the forward portion of said cushion has tapered side walls which decrease in thickness in an upward direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 1 wherein said cushion is at least four inches thick above said cushion support member and covered with a plastic covering, said cushion containing damping means providing a linear damping coefficient of 5-10 pound/second/inch.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 7 wherein said cushion is filled with an expanded foam material, said damping being provided by air escaping through said cover during deflection of said foam.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 8 wherein said cover is cut and sewn from air tight plastic, said air escapement taking place through the seams.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 8 wherein said cover is formed of an airtight plastic having no seams, said air escapement taking place through vent means positioned in said cover.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 1 wherein said springs are positioned about the exterior of said shock absorbers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 11 wherein each of said springs is preloaded with approximately 75 pounds of force.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 11 wherein each of said springs has a spring rate of approximately 50 pounds per inch.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 11 wherein each of said shock absorbers include force limiting means which limit their force to a maximum of approximately 500 pounds.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
The energy absorbing seat of claim 11 wherein said shock absorbers and springs extend rearwardly and downwardly at an angle of approximately 56* to the horizontal when the seat is mounted on a snowmobile positioned on a horizontal surface.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-05-28 | 1976-11-27 | 1977-05-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-05-28 | 1980-11-27 | 1981-05-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-05-28 | 1984-11-27 | 1985-05-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |