Patent ID: 6371456
Filing Date: 2002-04-16
Classification: B60N,F16F

Abstract:
A seat suspension system for supporting a seat above the floor of a vehicle comprising:a seat support adapted to support the seat above the floor of the vehicle, the seat support including a seat supporting member to which the seat is mounted, the seat supporting member comprising a front portion and a rear portion, the seat supporting member being raisable and lowerable to support the seat at various elevations relative to the floor of the vehicle; the seat suspension system comprising only one air spring, said only one air spring comprising an elevation adjustment air spring, the seat elevation adjustment air spring being positioned below the seat supporting member and coupled to the seat supporting member, the seat elevation adjustment air spring being adapted to raise and lower the front and rear portions of the seat supporting member together and thereby the seat between various elevations relative to the floor and to a selected elevation, the seat elevation adjustment air spring being adapted to permit movement of the seat supporting member and thereby the seat from the selected elevation in response to vibrations; a vibration damper having an upper end portion coupled to the seat supporting member, and a lower end portion coupled to the seat support, the vibration damper including a dampening cylinder, a dampening piston which is adapted to provide a dampening force to the seat elevation adjustment air spring to dampen seat vibrations, the dampening piston being biased toward a first position, the vibration dampener being adapted to dampen movements of the dampening piston away from the first position to thereby dampen vibrations of the seat, the dampening cylinder being supported for selective movement relative to the floor of the vehicle such that the elevation of the first position is adjustable to correspond to adjustments in the selected elevation of the seat; and wherein the seat elevation adjustment air spring and vibration dampener cooperate to adjust the elevation of the first position with each change in the selected elevation by the seat elevation adjustment air spring.