Seat mounting assembly

A seat mounting assembly to rotate a seat in a segment of an inclined rotational plane. The assembly rotates at a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of the force of gravity to bank the seat upward as it traverses to either the left or the right. The seat mounting assembly is constructed and arranged to receive a seat and to be mounted in a vehicle, such as a boat. An anti-rotational assembly is provided to control the rotational speed and the segment within the rotational plane in which the assembly reciprocates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 This invention relates to a seat mounting assembly and more particularly to
 a mounting assembly for a boat seat which rotates in response to lateral
 or side to side forces resulting from rocking and movement of a boat, for
 example. The seat mounting assembly of this invention is suited for
 various vehicles and environments where a seat is subject to lateral,
 rocking movement causing the occupant to adjust position to compensate on
 a stationary seat. Varying boat motion results from buffeting by rough
 water, waves, or swells or by the turning of the boat while other vehicles
 encounter similar lateral and vertical motion causing the occupant to
 react and adjust position.
 Boat and other vehicle seats typically do not accommodate lateral or side
 to side forces which are commonly encountered in boat operation and
 although rotating seats are known, they are limited in dealing fully with
 the range of movements encountered by a boat in rough water, for example.
 There is a need for a seat mounting assembly to effectively deal with
 lateral and vertical forces in vehicles such as boats.
 It is an object of this invention to provide a seat mounting assembly which
 rotates from side to side to accommodate lateral forces that are
 encountered during boat operation, for example. The seat mounting assembly
 of this invention provides an efficient and effective assembly which does
 not impede the normal operation of the seat and which is usable on
 standard seat pedestals and seat mounting structures.
 Another objective of the seat mounting assembly of the present invention is
 to provide a boat seat to reduce the discomfort of occupants attempting to
 maintain a normal seating position against the disruptive forces imposed
 during boat operation. The axis of rotation of the seat assembly permits
 the upper body and feet of the occupant to remain relatively stationary as
 the lower body rotates in a segment.
 The seat mounting assembly further provides a seat motion that is dampened
 by an anti-rotation means which provides comfort and security while
 encountering rough waters. Another objective of the present invention is
 to provide a seat mounting assembly which is constructed and arranged to
 receive a boat seat which does not affect normal seat adjustment, i.e.,
 forward and rear movement to adjust for the height and weight of the
 occupant. Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly that
 rotates in a segment of an inclined rotational plane and which has
 adjustable shock absorbers to dampen seat movement.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The seat mounting assembly of the present invention relates to seat
 structures constructed and arranged to accommodate various lateral and
 vertical forces and force components. Although the seat mounting assembly
 of the invention is discussed with respect to a boat seat, the assembly
 may also be used in other environments where lateral forces act on a
 vehicle, or the like, such as where lateral forces act on the occupant of
 a tractor or like equipment. For example, a tractor traveling along a hill
 or through a ditch will experience forces disruptive to the seat occupant,
 however, utilizing the present invention the occupant remains relatively
 level and stable. The seat mounting assembly of this invention is for use
 with seats typically installed in boats, such as those used in sailboats
 and power boats, for example.
 The seat mounting assembly of this invention is comprised of a rotation
 assembly that is constructed and arranged to be attached between a seat
 and a base member, having the rotation assembly operative at a
 predetermined angle when mounted. The seat mounting assembly described and
 shown is comprised of a rotation assembly having an upper arm and a lower
 arm connected to and extending therefrom. The upper and lower arms are
 connected at their respective front ends to the rotation assembly which is
 constructed to rotate at a selected angle in an angle range. The upper arm
 is constructed to receive a seat and the lower arm is constructed to be
 mounted to a pedestal or other mounting structure. The rotation assembly
 causes the top arm to rotate with respect to the bottom arm. An
 anti-rotation means is provided to dampen the rotating motion and is
 provided with adjustment means to control the dampening effect.
 As the seat, the upper arm, and seat mounting member rotate with respect to
 the lower arm, the upper arm and seat move from side to side and upwardly.
 This reciprocating motion in an angled rotational plane is the result of
 the rotation assembly being disposed at an angle, for example, and the
 angle may vary depending upon the use and position of the assembly. The
 motion provided by the seat mounting assembly allows the occupant's body
 to be centered on the seat and not forced off the seat by centrifugal
 forces. The anti-rotation means allows the rotation of the seat to be
 dampened to control the speed of the rotational movement and to
 accommodate the weight of the occupant.
 These and other benefits of this invention will become clear from the
 following description by reference to the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 The seat mounting structure of the invention is shown and described with
 respect to a boat seat, however, it is within the purview of this
 invention to utilize the seat mounting structure for seats in other
 vehicles. Seats in various environments are subjected to lateral forces
 and movement causing occupant movement with respect to the seat. For
 example, vehicles similar to boats are often subjected to rocking, lateral
 type movements causing the occupant to shift position to accommodate the
 force. Tractors traveling along the side of a hill or in a ditch, for
 example, experience such movements and the present invention permits the
 occupant to remain relatively level and stable. Seats in various types of
 vehicles subject to lateral movement may be provided with seat mounting
 assemblies according to the teachings of the present invention to maintain
 normal seating positions for occupants subjected to disruptive forces.
 The present invention provides an assembly for rotating and banking a seat
 when subjected to lateral forces. The rotation and banking motions are
 provided by a rotation assembly having a base member for attachment to a
 structure of the vehicle and a seat mounting member, on which a seat is
 mounted, that is attached and rotates with respect to the base member. The
 rotation assembly is angled with respect to the base member to provide an
 inclined rotational plane in which the seat traverses. The segment in
 which the seat traverses or reciprocates within the rotational plane and
 the rotational speed with which the seat travels is controlled by an
 anti-rotation means active on the rotation assembly.
 Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-7 show an embodiment 10 of the seat
 mounting assembly. The assembly 10 is shown to have an upper arm 11 , a
 lower arm 12 which is connected for rotation by rotation assembly 13. The
 rotation assembly is comprised of an upper hub 15 and a lower hub 14 which
 rotates about axis 43 with respect to each other in plane 58. The upper
 arm 11 is constructed and arranged to be mounted to a seat and lower arm
 12 is constructed and arranged to be mounted to a base member, such as a
 pedestal, or the like. Upper arm shock absorber mounts 17 and 18 and lower
 arm shock absorber mounts 21 and 22 are constructed and arranged to
 receive opposing shock absorbers to dampen and control the reciprocating
 motion of the upper arm 11 in the inclined rotational plane 58.
 Referring to drawings FIGS. 11-14, a boat seat structure is shown having a
 seat 37 with seat portion 38 and back portion 39 mounted to seat mounting
 assembly embodiment 45. The seat mounting assembly 45 is shown comprised
 of an upper arm 46 and a lower arm 47 which are connected for rotation at
 rotation assembly 13. The rotation assembly 13 has an upper rotation hub
 15 and lower rotation hub 14 which are disposed at the ends of upper arm
 45 and lower arm 46, respectively. The upper arm 46 and lower arm 47 are
 shown having shock absorbers 27 mounted therebetween on opposing sides.
 Upper arm shock absorbers 48 and 49 and lower arm shock absorbers 50 and
 51 are constructed and arranged to receive shock absorbers 27. The lower
 arm 47 is further shown being attached to pedestal 24 by means of mounting
 bracket 36.
 Both seat mounting assembly embodiments 10 and 45 function similarly as
 shown in FIGS. 8-10. The rotation assembly 13 which may be utilized in
 each embodiment is shown in FIG. 15, however, it is within the purview of
 the invention to utilize other rotating means and structures which provide
 the motion of the present invention.
 Referring to FIG. 1, seat mounting assembly 10 is shown to have upper arm
 11, lower arm 12 and rotation assembly 13. Rotation assembly 13 has upper
 rotation hub 15 and lower rotation hub 14 which permit upper arm 11 to
 rotate with respect to lower arm 12. Shock absorber mounts 17 and 22 are
 located on upper arm 11 and lower arm 12, respectively. Upper arm shock
 absorber mount 17 and lower arm shock absorber mount 22 are shown and
 permit attachment of a shock absorber which restricts the rotational
 movement of upper arm 11. Upper arm 11 rotates with respect to lower arm
 12 around axis 43 and along plane 58. Axis of rotation 43 is defined as an
 axis which is angled with respect to the force of gravity 44 and plane of
 rotation 58 is defined as a plane which is angled with respect to a plane
 57 which is normal or perpendicular to the force of gravity 44. Axis and
 plane of rotation 43 and 58, respectively, are shown angled by angle 42,
 which is shown as approximately 20.degree. and is preferably an angle in a
 range of 0-90.degree.. Angle 42 may be varied depending on the distance
 between the seat and floor with which the assembly is used. For example, a
 longer distance would permit the use of a larger angle and a shorter
 distance would permit the use of a smaller angle.
 FIGS. 2 and 3 show upper arm 11 of seat mounting assembly embodiment 10
 comprised of upper rotation hub 15, opposing shock absorber mounts 17 and
 18, support ribs 19 and seat mount apertures 25. Upper arm 11 is shown to
 be a unitary structure constructed and arranged having top portion 16 with
 seat mounting apertures 25 to mount a seat thereon. Shock absorber mounts
 17 and 18 are constructed and arranged to receive opposing shock
 absorbers. Face 59 of upper rotation hub 15 is shown and defines the angle
 42 about which the assembly operates, as shown on FIG. 1. FIG. 2a further
 shows support ribs 19 and top portion 16 along line 2a--2a of FIG. 2. FIG.
 4 shows the front of upper arm 11 and upper rotation hub 15. Top portion
 16 is shown containing shock absorber mounts 17 and 18.
 Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, lower arm 12 is shown having lower rotation hub
 14, shock absorber mounts 21 and 22, support ribs 23 and pedestal mount
 apertures 26. Lower arm 12 is shown to be a unitary structure and is
 constructed and arranged to be attached to a pedestal or the like. The
 bottom portion 20 of lower arm 12 contains pedestal mount apertures 26.
 Shock absorber mounts 21 and 22 are constructed and arranged to cooperate
 with mounts 18 and 17 of the upper arm 11 of FIGS. 2-4 by connecting
 opposing shock absorbers therebetween. Face 60 is shown defining the angle
 42 as shown in FIG. 1. Support ribs 23 and bottom portion 20 are further
 shown in FIG. 5a. FIG. 7 shows a rear view of lower arm 12 and lower
 rotation assembly 14. Shock absorber mounts 21 and 22 are shown behind
 lower portion 20.
 FIGS. 8-10 show the seat mounting assembly 10, and further show the
 rotational movement of the assembly as it is subjected to outside forces,
 particularly, lateral forces and lateral force components resulting from
 rocking or side to side movement experienced in boat movement, for
 example. As shown, the lower arm 12 of the assembly 10 is mounted to a
 pedestal 52 fixed to the bottom 54 of a boat. As previously described, the
 upper arm 11 rotates about axis 43 and along plane 58 as a result of the
 angle 42 of the connection between the front end of the upper arm 11 to
 lower arm 12. The angle 42 is measured with respect to a plane 57 which is
 normal or perpendicular to the force of gravity depicted by 44 when the
 boat is at rest in calm water. When an occupant is seated in a seat
 mounted to upper arm 11 above pedestal 52 and the boat and thus bottom 54
 is subjected to a lateral force, the rear part 55 of upper arm 11 travels
 in a rotational plane 53 as depicted in FIGS. 8-10 as the seat rotates
 about the axis 43. As shown particularly in FIGS. 9 and 10, the rear
 portion 55 of arm 11 reciprocates in the rotational plane 53 with respect
 to the rear portion 56 of lower arm 12.
 As discussed above, the reciprocating arced path of the seat within a
 segment of rotational plane 53 is due to the constraints of the opposing
 anti-rotational means or shock absorbers 27. The distance between the
 opposing anti-rotational means determines the length of the arced
 rotational path. For example, positioning the shock absorbers close
 together would permit the upper arm to rotate approximately 90.degree. on
 either side of the lower arm. Other means may be used to determine the
 length of the rotational arc segment, such as rubber bumpers or stops, for
 example.
 Specifically shown in FIG. 10, as the bottom 54 is tilted to the left, the
 pedestal 52 and rear portion 56 of bottom arm 12 tilt left causing the
 rear portion 55 of upper arm 11 and the seat to move right in rotational
 segment 53. An opposite movement to the right will cause the seat to move
 about axis 43 to the left. This reciprocating motion in rotational plane
 53 results from the angular connection at the rotational hub
 interconnecting the upper arm 11 and lower arm 12 at their respective
 front ends.
 Referring to FIGS. 11-14, embodiment 45 of a seat mounting assembly is
 shown. Embodiment 45 is comprised of rotation assembly 13, lower rotation
 hub 14, upper rotation hub 15, shock absorbers 27, upper arm 46, lower arm
 47, seat mounting plate 40 and pedestal mounting plate 41. Unlike the
 embodiment 10, embodiment 45 is not a unitary structure, instead it is
 comprised of a plurality of parts which are constructed and arranged to
 receive a pedestal and a seat and to rotate in a reciprocating motion in
 an angled plane.
 FIGS. 11 and 12 show embodiment 45 attached to a seat 37 and a pedestal 24.
 However, the assembly may be mounted to other structures, such as a bench,
 as may embodiment 10. Seat 37 is comprised of seat portion 38 and back
 portion 39. Rotation assembly 13 is shown comprising upper rotation hub 15
 which is on the front end of upper arm 46 and lower rotation hub 14 which
 is on the front end of lower arm 47. Shock absorber 27 is shown extending
 from mount 49 to mount 51 to dampen the reciprocating motion by
 restricting the rotation of upper arm 46 around lower arm 47. An opposing
 shock absorber 27 can be seen extending from mount 48. As shown in FIGS.
 11-14, the shock absorbers 27 are preferably connected generally parallel
 to mounting arms 46 and 47 and are a distance of approximately 1 3/4" from
 the respective arms. Seat 37 is attached to assembly 45 by means of seat
 mounting plate 40 which connects seat portion 38 to upper arm 46. Shock
 absorber mounts 48 and 49 are contained on seat mounting plate 40. Shock
 absorber mounts 50 and 51 are shown spaced from lower arm 47. Pedestal 24
 is attached to assembly 45 by pedestal mounting plate 41. Pedestal
 mounting plate 41 is attached to pedestal mounting bracket 36 which is
 secured to pedestal 24 by mounting bracket locking pin 35. Locking pin 35
 allows the seat assembly to be adjusted and secured to suit its occupant.
 Referring to FIG. 13, the front of seat mounting assembly 45 is shown
 attached to boat seat 37 and pedestal 24. Opposing shock absorbers 27 can
 be seen attached to mounts 50 and 51 of the lower part of the assembly.
 The front of rotation assembly 13 is shown having locking pin 28. FIG. 14
 is a rear view of seat mounting assembly 45. Seat mounting plate 40 is
 shown attached to upper arm 46 and having mounts 48 and 49 for shock
 absorbers 27. Pedestal mounting plate 41 is shown attached to mounting
 bracket 36 which is secured to pedestal 24 by locking pin 35.
 The joining of the upper and lower rotation hubs 15 and 14 to form rotation
 assembly 13 and to provide the motion discussed with respect to the
 present invention, may be accomplished by any suitable means known in the
 art. One such means is shown in FIG. 15. As shown, the adjacent surfaces
 of hubs 15 and 14 are angled with respect to a plane 57 normal the force
 of gravity. Plane 58 represents the plane of rotation and axis 43
 represents the axis of rotation. As shown, the lower rotation hub 14 is
 internally configured to contain a set of bearings 33, preferably sealed
 roller bearings, and upper rotation member 14 has an axle shaft 34 which
 cooperates with the bearings 33. The shaft 34 is preferably constructed of
 stainless steel or a like material. The lower rotation hub 14 is shown
 configured to contain two sets of bearings 33 separated by a shoulder 32
 and protected by bearing seals 31. A bearing adjusting nut 30 and retainer
 29 are shown fastened at the bottom end of the axle shaft 34 and which
 allows the axle to rotate in the lower rotation hub 14. As shown in FIG.
 13, the lower rotation hub 14 may also have a locking pin 28 which may be
 used to lock the lower rotation hub 14 and the upper rotation hub 15 to
 prevent rotation if rotation is not desired. Other means to lock the seat
 mounting assembly to prevent rotation may also be used.
 FIG. 16 shows embodiment 10 of the seat mounting assembly in use attached
 to a seat 38 and being locked to prevent rotation of the assembly. Unitary
 upper arm 11 is shown being attached to seat portion 38. Unitary lower arm
 12 is shown attached to pedestal 52. Adjustment knob 62 is shown on the
 shock absorber used with embodiment 10. The shock absorbers are preferably
 hydraulic shock absorbers which provide constant pressure. Adjustment knob
 62 permits the front end of the shock absorber to be moved laterally away
 from the lower arm 12 of the assembly, thereby increasing the pressure and
 resistance of the shock absorber. Other types of adjustable shock
 absorbers may also be used to achieve varying resistances and, therefore,
 varying the pressure and dampening to the rotating assembly. Locking
 mechanism 61 is shown holding upper arm 12 and lower arm 11 together to
 prevent rotation. Locking mechanism 61 is a safety mechanism and may be
 used when a stable seat is desired. For example, when used in a driver's
 seat in a boat, it is recommended that the seat assembly be locked
 together when the boat exceeds 5 miles per hour. It is within the purview
 of the invention to use other means for safety locking the assembly. For
 example, the locking mechanism may be a pin, such as pin 28 discussed
 above, or a locking mechanism operative on the shock absorbers.
 In summary, the seat mounting assembly is constructed and arranged to
 receive a seat and permit the occupant of the seat to stay in relatively
 the same position while the vehicle experiences turbulence. As shown in
 the drawings, the assembly includes upper arm and lower arm structures
 which are adapted to reactive a seat and a pedestal or the like and which
 may be unitary. A rotation assembly is disposed at the respective front
 ends of the upper and lower arms. The upper and lower parts of the
 rotation assembly have adjacent surfaces which are angled with respect to
 a plane normal gravitational force. This angle permits the upper arm to
 move around the lower arm in a segment of a rotational plane which is
 angled with respect to a plane normal gravitational force. Anti-rotational
 forces on either side of the assembly provide for the reciprocating motion
 of the upper arm about the lower arm and provide control over the speed in
 which the upper arm moves through the plane of rotation. The arms and the
 rotation assembly may be constructed from any suitable material known in
 the art, however, materials such as aluminum, steel, stainless steel,
 plastic and the like may be utilized. For example, the upper and lower
 arms of one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1-7, preferably have a ribbed
 aluminum construction. One such embodiment, according to the invention, is
 constructed and arranged to be approximately 18 inches long, 8.5 inches
 wide, 5 inches high, weighing approximately 14 pounds and which can be
 used with a 9 inch in height pedestal.
 The shock absorbers which provide the anti-rotational force are preferably
 adjustable in order to accommodate various weights of occupants. It is
 within the purview of this invention to vary the angle which defines the
 adjacent sides of the rotation assembly and thus the rotational plane of
 motion. For example, in the case of a boat, rougher waters create more
 displacement of a boat seat. An increased angle would provide a more
 angled rotational plane to effect larger movements of a boat seat to
 compensate for the turbulence.
 As many changes are possible to the embodiments of this invention utilizing
 the teachings thereof, the descriptions above and accompanying drawings
 should be interpreted in the illustrative and not in the limited sense.