Seat cushioning device

Abstract

The present invention uses air, among other things, to provide cushioning on a seat in order to cushion the genital-perineal area, the medial aspect of the upper leg area, and the buttocks area of a user. In addition, the present invention relates to seat cushion devices that are essentially self-inflating, and capable of deflation by the user. Furthermore, the present invention relates to seat cushion devices in which the user may vary the amount of air that the device contains for cushioning purposes. The present invention comprises a deformable cushion surrounded by an airtight chamber. In addition, the airtight chamber has a release valve mounted though it, which serves to either allow or prevent air flow to or from the deformable cushion. In order to decrease the amount of air that is used for cushioning, the user compresses the deformable cushion, thereby forcing air out of the deformable cushion through the release valve. Once the desired amount of air is contained in the deformable cushion, and while the deformable cushion is still under compression, the user closes the release valve, thereby preventing air flow to or from the deformable cushion. In this respect, the device is capable of being adjusted to contain an amount of air for cushioning that the user desires. Later, if the user desires a greater amount of air for cushioning, the user may open the release valve that allows air to flow into the deformable cushion as the deformable cushion expands to its original shape. This aspect of the present invention makes the seat cushion device essentially self-inflating.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/300,051, filed Jun. 20, 2001.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a seat cushioning device that provides cushioning on a seat in order to cushion the genital-perineal area, the medial aspect of the upper leg area, and the buttocks area (herein collectively referred to as the “upper leg areas”) of a user. More specifically, the seat cushioning device of the present invention relates to the use of air, among other things, in order to provide cushioning to the upper leg areas of the user. In addition, the present invention relates to seat cushion devices that are essentially self-inflating, and capable of deflation by the user. Furthermore, the present invention relates to seat cushion devices in which the user may vary the amount of air that the device contains for cushioning purposes. One embodiment of the present invention is a cushion for a bicycle seat.

2. Description of the Related Art

The prior art discloses various types of cushioning devices that use air in order to provide cushion for a user. Many prior art devices disclose cushioning devices that involve the pumping of air under pressure into an air-tight bladder defining a chamber. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,429,915; 5,938,277; 5,244,251; 5,318,344; 5,419,612; 5,280,993; 5,524,961; 5,558,395; 5,738,406; 5,636,896; and 6,012,772 generally disclose the injection of air under pressure into an inflatable bladder for the purposes of cushioning the upper leg areas of a user. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,020,852; 5,121,962; and 5,330,249 generally disclose the filling of a bladder with fluid for the purposes of cushioning the upper leg areas of a user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,013 ('013) discloses a therapeutic lower back-support pillow that uses a resilient material containing air for the purposes of cushioning the lower back of a user.

More specifically, the '013 patent discloses a lower back support pillow that comprises, among other things, a resilient material inside of an airtight bag, with a valve installed in a selected region of the airtight bag. Under the '013 patent, the valve is arranged to provide either a closed state wherein the airtight bag and the valve form an airtight closure around the resilient material, or an open state wherein air can freely flow into and out of the airtight bag through the valve. In addition, the '013 patent discloses that a user is able to vary the thickness of the lower back support pillow. In order to decrease the thickness, the valve is opened, pressure is applied externally so as to compress the pillow to a desired thickness while exhausting a quantity of air from the pillow, and the valve is then closed, thereby retaining the desired thickness. In order to increase the thickness, the valve is opened, a quantity of air is allowed to enter the pillow as the resilient material expands to the desired thickness, and the valve is then closed, thereby retaining the desired thickness.

The prior art fails to provide an essentially self-inflating seat cushioning device for the purposes of cushioning the upper leg areas of a user. More specifically, the prior art does not provide for an essentially self-inflating seat cushioning device for the purposes of cushioning the upper leg areas of a user that is user-adjustable with respect to the amount of air used for cushioning. The present invention provides an essentially self-inflating seat cushioning device for the purposes of cushioning the upper leg areas of a user that addresses the aforementioned deficiencies, as well as other deficiencies of the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a seat cushioning device that provides cushioning on a seat in order to cushion the genital-perineal area, the medial aspect of the upper leg area, and the buttocks area (herein collectively referred to as the “upper leg areas”) of a user. More specifically, the seat cushioning device of the present invention uses air, among other things, in order to provide cushioning to the upper leg areas of the user. In addition, the present invention is essentially self-inflating, and capable of deflation by the user. Furthermore, the present invention allows the user to vary the amount of air that the seat cushion device contains for cushioning purposes.

The seat cushioning device uses a deformable cushion, an airtight chamber, and a valve, among other things. The deformable cushion is made out of a material that readily deforms when it is compressed and air is expelled out of the material. In addition, once the material is released from compression and allowed to take on air, it returns to its original, pre-compressed shape. An airtight chamber surrounds the deformable cushion and makes the flow of air to or from the deformable cushion possible through a release valve that is mounted through a wall of the airtight chamber. The release valve may be opened to permit the air flow, or closed to prohibit the air flow. Furthermore, the airtight chamber may have a sleeve attached to it that is designed to slip over and secure the seat cushioning device over a seat.

In operation, a user opens the release valve so that air is able to freely travel from the deformable cushion. The user then forces air out of the deformable cushion through the release valve by compressing the deformable cushion and surrounding airtight chamber. Once the user has compressed the deformable cushion to contain the desired amount of air for cushioning, and with the deformable cushion under compression, the user closes the release valve in order to prevent the flow of air into or out of the deformable cushion. As a result, the amount of air provided by the present invention for cushioning purposes may be adjusted to contain an amount of air that the user desires. The deformable cushion remains in its compressed state until the release valve is opened and the deformable cushion is allowed to take on air and return to its original shape. This aspect of the present invention makes the seat cushioning device essentially self-inflating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1A shows a side cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a side, deflated view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A shows a side cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a side, deflated view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a bottom view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to solve seat or gel cushion discomfort.

Another object of the present invention is to avoid pain that is caused by or aggravated by using a hard seat or gel cushion.

Another object of the invention is to solve the over stimulation of the genitals that results from riding upon a seat that has too firm of a surface such as a hard seat or a gel cushion.

Another object of the invention is to solve prostate or hemorrhoidal pain or discomfort that is aggravated by using a hard seat or a gel cushion.

Another object of the invention is to solve joint stress or joint pain in elbows, wrists, shoulders, hips, knees, or ankles that is caused by the shifting of body weight or rising off of the seat due to riding over rough terrain, bumps, pot holes, surfaces which rapidly change in composition, or surfaces that are shoddy.

Another object of the invention is to solve the numbness in hands, wrists, or arms that is caused by the shifting of body weight forward in order to lessen discomfort or pain in the upper leg areas due to riding on a hard seat or gel cushion.

Another object of the invention is to solve the short duration of riding time and lack of enjoyment because of pain due to riding on a hard seat or gel cushion.

Another object of the invention is to solve the reluctance or fear of exercising on a bicycle because of the memory of pain that results from riding on a hard seat or gel cushion.

A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of the present invention (11) as shown in FIG. 1-3, relates to a seat cushioning device that is capable of being deflated and comprises, among other things, a deformable cushion (12), an airtight chamber (14), and a release valve (16). In addition, the preferred embodiment preferably has a fastening device such as a sleeve, strap, belt, Velcro, tape, stitches, rivets, adhesive or equivalent device (not shown) that is used to secure the seat cushioning device to a seat. The seat cushioning device may have any shape, or may be designed to conform to various styles of seats.

The deformable cushion (12) is constructed from a resilient, durable material such as a synthetic foam material that is readily compressible by expelling air out of the material. In addition, once the material is released from compression and allowed to take on air, it returns to its original, pre-compressed shape. The airtight chamber (14) surrounds the deformable cushion (12) and is made out of plastic, rubber or other airtight material. In addition, the airtight chamber (14) substantially conforms to the size and shape of the deformable cushion (12).

The release valve (16) is mounted through a wall of the airtight chamber (14). The release valve (16) may be opened in order to serve as a passageway for air to either enter or exit the deformable cushion (12) through the airtight chamber (14). In addition, the release valve (16) may be closed in order to prevent air flow either into or out of the deformable cushion (12). When the release valve (16) is opened, the deformable cushion (12) is able to expel air if being compressed, or take on air if being released from a compressed state. When the release valve (16) is closed, the deformable cushion (12) is able to neither expel nor take on air. The fastening device (not shown) is substantially fixed to the airtight chamber (14) and is designed to generally secure the seat cushioning device to a seat.

In operation, a user opens the release valve (16) so that air is able to freely travel into or out of the deformable cushion. The user then forces air out of the deformable cushion (12) through the release valve (16) by compressing the deformable cushion (12) and surrounding airtight chamber (14). Once the user has compressed the deformable cushion (12) to contain the desired amount of air, and with the deformable cushion (12) under compression, the user closes the release valve (16) in order to prevent the flow of air into or out of the deformable cushion (12). Thus, device is capable of being adjusted to contain an amount of air for cushioning that the user desires. The deformable cushion (12) then remains in its compressed state as shown in FIG. 3 until the release valve (16) is opened and the deformable cushion (12) is allowed to take on air and return to its original shape as shown in FIG. 2. This aspect of the invention makes the seat cushioning device of the present invention essentially self-inflating.

A SECOND EMBODIMENT

A second embodiment of the present invention device relates to a cushioning device for a bicycle seat and comprises, among other things, a deformable cushion (12); an airtight chamber (14); and a release valve (16). In addition, the second embodiment preferably has a sleeve (18). The deformable cushion (12) and the airtight chamber (14) generally conform to the shape of a bicycle seat. Furthermore, the sleeve (18) generally slips over a bicycle seat and secures the cushioning device to the bicycle seat. However, the shape of each of the portions of the seat cushioning device may be modified to conform to various styles of bicycle seats.

The deformable cushion (12) is constructed from a resilient, durable material such as a synthetic foam material that is readily compressible by expelling air out of the material. In addition, once the material is released from compression, it returns to its original, pre-compressed shape when it is allowed to take on air. The airtight chamber (14) surrounds the deformable cushion (12) and is made out of plastic, rubber or other airtight material. In addition, the airtight chamber (14) substantially conforms to the size and shape of the deformable cushion (12).

The release valve (16) is mounted through a wall of the airtight chamber (14). The release valve (16) may be opened in order to serve as a passageway for air to either enter or exit the deformable cushion through the airtight chamber. In addition, the release valve (16) may be closed in order to prevent air flow either into or out of the airtight chamber (14). When the release valve (16) is opened, the deformable cushion (12) is able to expel air if being compressed, or take on air if being released from a compressed state. When the release valve (16) is closed, the deformable cushion (12) is able to neither expel nor take on air.

The sleeve (18) is substantially fixed to the airtight chamber (14) and is designed to be slipped over a bicycle seat and to generally secure the inflatable bicycle seat cover to a bicycle seat. In addition, alternate embodiments may include a draw string (20) within the sleeve (18) such that the user may gather the sleeve (18) close to the bicycle seat by pulling the draw string (20) taught and securing the draw string (20) to remain taught with a bead (22), knot, or similarly known devices. In still further alternative embodiments, the means of securing the inflatable bicycle seat may be any means known in the art including, tape, stitches, rivets, adhesives, or any means known or developed.

In operation, a user opens the release valve (16) so that air is able to freely travel into or out of the deformable cushion. The user then forces air out of the deformable cushion (12) through the release valve (16) by compressing the deformable cushion (12) and surrounding airtight chamber (14). Once the user has compressed the deformable cushion (12) to contain the desired amount of air, and with the deformable cushion (12) under compression, the user closes the release valve (16) in order to prevent the flow of air into or out of the deformable cushion (12). Thus, the seat cushioning device is capable of being adjusted to contain an amount of air for cushioning that the user desires. The deformable cushion (12) then remains in its compressed state as shown in FIG. 6 until the release valve (16) is opened and the deformable cushion (12) is allowed to take on air and return to its original shape as shown in FIG. 5. This aspect of the present invention makes the seat cushioning device essentially self-inflating.

The above-described embodiments of the present invention are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit its scope. The invention may be embodied and practiced in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, all of the embodiments presented herein are to be considered illustrative and non-restrictive in all respects.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. A seat cushioning device for a bicycle seat comprising:

a deformable cushion made from a resilient, durable material and shaped as the bicycle seat;

an airtight chamber having a wall and surrounding said deformable cushion;

a release valve in said wall of said airtight chamber; and

a fastening device connected to said airtight chamber, wherein said fastening device comprising a sleeve configured to surround the bicycle seat on all sides.

22. The seat cushioning device of claim 21 wherein said airtight chamber substantially conforms to the size and shape of said deformable cushion.

23. The seat cushioning device of claim 21 wherein said deformable cushion is made from a synthetic foam material.

24. The seat cushioning device of claim 21 wherein said airtight chamber is made out of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic and rubber.

25. A seat cushioning device for a bicycle seat comprising:

a deformable cushion made from a resilient, durable, synthetic foam material and shaped as the bicycle seat;

an airtight chamber having a wall and surrounding said deformable cushion;

said airtight chamber made out of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic and rubber;

a release valve in said wall of said airtight chamber;

said airtight chamber substantially conforming to the size and shape of said deformable cushion; and

a fastening device connected to said airtight chamber, wherein said fastening device comprising a sleeve configured to surround the bicycle seat on all sides.