Abstract: A vehicle seating system includes a top frame for mounting to a vehicle seat. A bottom frame is provided for mounting to the vehicle and a middle frame or linking system movably mounts the top frame to the bottom frame. The middle frame includes two pair of scissor arms with rollers at the ends of the scissor arms. The top frame has four corners with roller tracks at each corner. The bottom frame also has four corners with roller tracks at each corner. Included among the roller tracks of the top and bottom frames is a single pair of curvilinear tracks, a pair of pivotal connecting tracks and two pair of linear tracks. A regulator system is also disclosed to regulate the amount of fore and aft travel of the top frame.

Abstract: A vehicle seating system includes a top frame for mounting to a vehicle seat. A bottom frame is provided for mounting to the vehicle and a middle frame or linking system movably mounts the top frame to the bottom frame. The middle frame includes two pair of scissor arms with rollers at the ends of the scissor arms. The top frame has four corners with roller tracks at each corner. The bottom frame also has four corners with roller tracks at each corner. Included among the roller tracks of the top and bottom frames is a single pair of curvilinear tracks, a pair of pivotal connecting tracks and two pair of linear tracks. A regulator system is also disclosed to regulate the amount of fore and aft travel of the top frame.

Abstract: A vehicle seating system includes a top frame for mounting to a vehicle seat. A bottom frame is provided for mounting to the vehicle and a middle frame or linking system movably mounts the top frame to the bottom frame. The middle frame includes two pair of scissor arms with rollers at the ends of the scissor arms. The top frame has four corners with roller tracks at each corner. The bottom frame also has four corners with roller tracks at each corner. Included among the roller tracks of the top and bottom frames is a single pair of curvilinear tracks, a pair of pivotal connecting tracks and two pair of linear tracks. A regulator system is also disclosed to regulate the amount of fore and aft travel of the top frame.

Abstract: A powered automotive seat. The powered automotive seat includes an upper seat frame and a lower seat frame. The upper seat frame is attached to the lower seat frame. The lower seat frame is attached to a suspension base assembly. The suspension base assembly includes a lower base mountable on the floor of an automotive vehicle, an upper base capable of receiving the lower seat frame and a pair of base arms attaching the upper base to the lower base. An air spring is attached between the upper base and the lower base. An automatic control unit selectively decreases and increases air pressure in the air spring. The air spring extends and contracts in response to changes in air pressure by the automatic control unit.

Abstract: There is provided a low profile valve assembly for controlling flow of air and the like. The valve assembly includes a housing defining inlet and outlet ports and a valve operator located within the housing. The operator includes a body portion seated in the housing with an axis of rotation and defining an internal passage with inlet and outlet ends. An actuator rotates the body portion a first predetermined distance to a fill position to allow flow through the internal passage and a second predetermined distance opposite the first direction to a vent position to allow flow to vent from the valve assembly through the outlet end. A spring extends from the valve operator adjacent the body portion between the axis of rotation and the valve housing. The spring extends partially about the axis of rotation to bias the body portion to an off position to substantially prohibit flow through the valve operator when the body portion is not being actuated to the fill and vent positions.

Abstract: A base assembly for a suspension system of a vehicle seat utilizes lower and upper support frame and two pairs of elongated arms which are pivotally connected between the upper and lower support frames to accommodate forward and rearward movement (as well as upward and downward movement) of the upper support frame relative to the lower support frame. The arms act as parallel linkages during the movement of the upper support frame relative to the lower support frame and include broad abutment surfaces which engage one another when the upper support frame is moved forwardly relative to the lower support frame by a prescribed amount to thereby limit the forward movement of the upper support frame relative to the lower support frame. The abutment surfaces are relatively long in length in relation to the overall length of the arms and are bounded by tabs which interlock the arms together at the forward limit of travel of the upper support frame.

Abstract: A frame assembly for a vehicle seat includes a seat-supporting section and a back-supporting section which are joined in a manner which accommodates the attachment thereto of a seat belt assembly so that the seat belt assembly need not be attached to the body of the vehicle within which the seat is used in order to pass load test requirements. The seat-supporting section includes two elongated side members which are fixedly secured to one another in a substantially parallel relationship, and the back-supporting section includes a generally vertically-oriented beam disposed on one side of the seat and a brace for stabilizing the beam in its vertical orientation. The frame also includes gusset members for joining the back-supporting section to the seat-supporting section at the corners of the frame.

Abstract: A pneumatic spring for damping the relative motion between a vehicle seat and a base upon which the seat is mounted utilizes a rolling lobe sleeve, a plug secured within one end of the sleeve and a piston secured within the other end of the sleeve for movement toward and away from the plug as the sleeve rolls along the outside surface of the piston. The piston, sleeve and plug provide the surfaces of a variable-volume chamber, and the piston includes an internal piston cavity of a fixed size and shape. The variable-volume chamber and piston cavity contain a pneumatic fluid, and an orifice is provided within the piston which permits flow communication between the variable-volume chamber and the piston cavity.

Abstract: An air spring seat principally for buses, trucks, boats or other vehicles includes a manual air pump for inflating and deflating the air spring. The manual air pump includes a piston having a rearward air intake stroke, a forward compression stroke to deliver pressurized air through a check valve delivery and venting system to the air spring, a pressure stabilized at rest position at the end of the compression stroke and a forward venting stroke from the at rest position mechanically to release air from the air spring through the check valve delivery and venting system. A floating seal carried by the piston provides a fluid tight seal between the piston and pump body during the piston compression stroke but permits air to move from the intake side of the piston to the compression side of the piston during the piston intake stroke. The piston movements are all controlled by a manual lever handle readily accessible to the seat occupant.

Abstract: An air spring seat principally for buses, trucks, boats or other vehicles includes a manual air pump for inflating and deflating the air spring. The manual air pump includes a piston having a rearward air intake stroke, a forward compression stroke to deliver pressurized air through a check valve delivery and venting system to the air spring, a pressure stablized at rest position at the end of the compression stroke and a forward venting stroke from the at rest position mechanically to release air from the air spring through the check valve delivery and venting system. A floating seal carried by the piston provides a fluid tight seal between the piston and pump body during the piston compression stroke but permits air to move from the intake side of the piston to the compression side of the piston during the piston intake stroke. The piston movements are all controlled by a manual lever handle readily accessible to the seat occupant.

Abstract: A slipover headrest pillow assembly includes an invaginable open bottom cover having a pocket along the front side thereof, with such pocket initially being exposed for insertion of a foam pillow. The cover is then invaginated to enclose the pillow and to form a support compartment between such pillow pocket and the top and back walls of the cover, such support compartment receiving the top of the seat back when the cover has been slipped over the same to support such pillow assembly in a headrest position. The pocket may include a flap initially hanging freely downwardly to permit the pillow to be inserted in the pocket during assembly and then extending up and over the seat back within the support compartment after installation to enclose the pillow within the pocket.

Abstract: A seat assembly for use in vehicles includes an air spring suspension system, positioned behind the seat back, selectively operative vertically to move the seat relative to the vehicle a distance twice that of the air spring expansion movement. The seat is mounted on a movable frame that is supported by the suspension system from a fixed frame connected to the vehicle, with the travel of the movable frame being rectilinearly guided by rollers carried by the suspension system being received in trackways defined by cooperating channels on the fixed and movable frames.