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US3879007A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Vehicle seat

Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
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Filing: 1973-12-07
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Granted: 1975-04-22
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Expires: 1993-12-07
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Abstract

Abstract An improved vehicle seat wherein a bottom cushion assembly is pivotally attached to a back and resiliently mounted upon a base by an oscillation damping member to control oscillation of said vehicle seat with respect to the base. The back is pivotally joined to the base by substantially parallel links which maintain the back at a constant angle of inclination with respect to the base independent of elevational displacement. A swing link, pivotally connecting the bottom cushion assembly to the base permits the bottom cushion assembly to pivot about an imaginary point forward of the seat approximating the knee joint of an operator to minimize movement of the operator''s feet relative to the vehicle. A hydraulic circuit associated with a hydropneumatic suspension for such a seat includes dual damping capabilities for accommodating both normal and high impact loads on the seat.

Inventors

  • 👤 James C Barton
  • 👤 Jon C Christensen
  • 👤 James P Mueller
  • 👤 Larry W Sprinkle

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 06:38
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60N; B60N2/00; B60N2/50; B60N2/502; B60N2/505; B60N2/506; B60N2/507; B60N2/52; B60N2/525; B60N2/527; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/8593; Y10T137/87265

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 192 words
A suspension system for a vehicle seat, comprising a hydraulic cylinder effectively interconnected with said seat and responsive to vertical motion of the seat, the hydraulic cylinder including a working chamber containing hydraulic fluid and an inlet passage in communication with the working chamber, an accumulator, a first check valve means in communication with said cylinder inlet passage and said accumulator to regulate the rate of fluid flow from said cylinder working chamber to said accumulator and provide normal damping, said first check valve means comprising a check valve in series with a manually adjustable orifice, a second check valve means in parallel arrangement with said first check valve means, said second check valve means being biased to open at a higher pressure than said first check valve means to provide an additional path for fluid flow from said cylinder working chamber to said accumulator to provide impact damping, and a third check valve means in parallel arrangement with said first check valve means to provide for hydraulic fluid flow from said accumulator to said cylinder working chamber, said third check valve means comprising a check valve in series with an orifice.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 192 words
A suspension system for a vehicle seat, comprising a hydraulic cylinder effectively interconnected with said seat and responsive to vertical motion of the seat, the hydraulic cylinder including a working chamber containing hydraulic fluid and an inlet passage in communication with the working chamber, an accumulator, a first check valve means in communication with said cylinder inlet passage and said accumulator to regulate the rate of fluid flow from said cylinder working chamber to said accumulator and provide normal damping, said first check valve means comprising a check valve in series with a manually adjustable orifice, a second check valve means in parallel arrangement with said first check valve means, said second check valve means being biased to open at a higher pressure than said first check valve means to provide an additional path for fluid flow from said cylinder working chamber to said accumulator to provide impact damping, and a third check valve means in parallel arrangement with said first check valve means to provide for hydraulic fluid flow from said accumulator to said cylinder working chamber, said third check valve means comprising a check valve in series with an orifice.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 192 words
A suspension system for a vehicle seat, comprising a hydraulic cylinder effectively interconnected with said seat and responsive to vertical motion of the seat, the hydraulic cylinder including a working chamber containing hydraulic fluid and an inlet passage in communication with the working chamber, an accumulator, a first check valve means in communication with said cylinder inlet passage and said accumulator to regulate the rate of fluid flow from said cylinder working chamber to said accumulator and provide normal damping, said first check valve means comprising a check valve in series with a manually adjustable orifice, a second check valve means in parallel arrangement with said first check valve means, said second check valve means being biased to open at a higher pressure than said first check valve means to provide an additional path for fluid flow from said cylinder working chamber to said accumulator to provide impact damping, and a third check valve means in parallel arrangement with said first check valve means to provide for hydraulic fluid flow from said accumulator to said cylinder working chamber, said third check valve means comprising a check valve in series with an orifice.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 192 words
A suspension system for a vehicle seat, comprising a hydraulic cylinder effectively interconnected with said seat and responsive to vertical motion of the seat, the hydraulic cylinder including a working chamber containing hydraulic fluid and an inlet passage in communication with the working chamber, an accumulator, a first check valve means in communication with said cylinder inlet passage and said accumulator to regulate the rate of fluid flow from said cylinder working chamber to said accumulator and provide normal damping, said first check valve means comprising a check valve in series with a manually adjustable orifice, a second check valve means in parallel arrangement with said first check valve means, said second check valve means being biased to open at a higher pressure than said first check valve means to provide an additional path for fluid flow from said cylinder working chamber to said accumulator to provide impact damping, and a third check valve means in parallel arrangement with said first check valve means to provide for hydraulic fluid flow from said accumulator to said cylinder working chamber, said third check valve means comprising a check valve in series with an orifice.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-04-21 1978-10-21 1979-04-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-04-21 1982-10-21 1983-04-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-04-21 1986-10-21 1987-04-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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