Abstract:
An improved system to raise and lower a seat by a simplified parallelogram motion. By replacing two of the links of a parallelogram seat lift system with an arc, space and material can be saved to fit and adjustable seat on a ATV. The system can be useful on many varieties of vehicles and other adjustable supports.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/650,956 filed on May 23, 2012. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to adjustable seat support systems for 4 wheel straddle seat vehicles and seats of various types and other support devices. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Typically an ATV is a motorized vehicle having three or four low pressure tires, a seat the operator&#39;s legs straddle, and handlebars for steering control. ATVs are used for work, recreation and various types of competition mostly off road There are over 10 million ATVs in use in the US and they are typically much less expensive and smaller than a car. 
         [0004]    Though useful, ATVs have proven to be dangerous. The rider position: typically seated on top of the vehicle contributes to a higher center of gravity and makes him more likely to be thrown from the vehicle. The higher center of gravity contributes to rolling the vehicle especially when cornering, accelerating, braking, or on uneven terrain. 
         [0005]    The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated in a recent report that there are over 400,000 injuries and 800 deaths result from ATV accidents in the average year. In  FIG. 1  from that report, the GAO illustrates how typical ATV fatalities and injuries occur. Four of five the scenarios they show are rolling the vehicle or being thrown from it all things, as stated above, the a high seat position contribute to. 
         [0006]    A purpose of the Adjustable Seat and Support System is to give an ATV rider the option of lowering the seat of an ATV, therefore lowering the center of gravity, plus making him or her more one with the vehicle and less likely to roll or be ejected. 
         [0007]    Additionally, the cost of automobiles continues to escalate each year and the price of fuel is unstable. Global weather change has everyone concerned about carbon footprint. The world economy is swelling and many millions of people would like to find affordable 4 wheel transportation for good and bad roads. A small on and off the road 4 wheel vehicle with a straddle seat and handlebars, that is safe from rollovers and driver ejection, is not known or common With the Adjustable Seat and Support System and some design changes to an ATV, a useful vehicle could be created that could:
       Have fuel economy easily over 50 miles per gallon   Reduce the carbon footprint   Be purchased for half the cost of an automobile   Open the market for future luxury models, designed for current luxury motorcycle riders who would like 4 wheels and the feel of a motorcycle   Help millions in developing countries and across the world get affordable 4 wheel transportation that will be safe and useable on all their roads       
 
         [0013]    The current design of seats and supports shows little or no use of the architecture and geometry used in the Adjustable Seat and Support System. This invention can offer many advantages that will be shown to be useful in many different seat applications as well as many devices used to support, lift and move objects. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0014]    A support adjustment system used to lift An object in parallelogram motion or non-parallelogram motion using a rail and two links. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF EXPLANATION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  Typical ATV fatality and injury Scenarios from GOA Report 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  A portion of a drawing from “Seat Suspension Method” shown in patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,556 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  First Embodiment with the seat at the lowest position and parallelogram marked 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  First Embodiment with the seat at the lowest position and parallelogram movement 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  Elevated view of the Seat Assembly with seat at its lowest position. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  Close-up view of the Seat Assembly in a middle latched position to show the track, roller, latch pin and latch holes. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  Seat Assembly with the seat latched in the highest position. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  Seat Assembly with the seat latched in a middle height position. 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  Seat Assembly mounted on an ATV 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  Second Embodiment with a single slide rail 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  Close up of Slide Pivot and Magnet Latch Assembly 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  Orthographic view of Second Embodiment with parallelogram lines 
           [0027]      FIG. 13  Non-Parallelogram motion using a straight line instead of a circular arc 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    Seats are known to be adjustable in many ways. One way commonly known to move a seat horizontally and vertically simultaneously is to use geometry often referred to as a parallelogram. The parallelogram has two sets of opposite, parallel and equal sides. If the sides are of fixed length and the sides can pivot at their connecting points, and one of the 4 sides is fixed in place when one of the other sides is moved, all three of the unfixed sides move and stay parallel to their opposite sides. If the side opposite the fixed is a surface used to support a seat or other object, then when it moves it stays in parallel with the plane occupied by the fixed side. Typically this means there are 4 visible links in a parallelogram like seat suspension method shown in patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,556. 
         [0029]    Some embodiments of the invention involve a new use of this old geometry, the parallelogram. The invention starts with 4 sided geometry and two sets of opposite, parallel and equal sides. One of the sides is fixed in place and all sides are of fixed length. The fixed side and one adjacent side are not typically visible. They are connected to and/or part of a circular arc that is visible. Said arc is fixed in place. The fixed side is a fixed invisible line from the center of curvature of said arc (which is the invisible fixed pivot point  8 ) to the lower pivot (which is the visible fixed pivot point  6 ) on a moveable upright link. The other hidden moveable line is a radius line that runs from the center of curvature of said arc, said invisible fixed pivot point  8 , to the arc at a pivot and follow point  2 ′ at one end of the seat. A line, a support surface line, that runs from said pivot and follow point  2 ′ at one end of the seat to a pivot point four  4 ′, at the other end of the seat is the side that is equal in length and parallel to said fixed invisible line. A line from said pivot point four  4 ′ runs through said moveable upright link to said visible fixed pivot point  6  and is of equal length and parallel to said radius line. As said pivot and follow point  2 ′ is moved along said arc, said support surface line is moved simultaneously horizontally and vertically along said arc. Because of the parallelogram like movement stays in parallel to its original position and said fixed side. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 4  the lines and pivot points are seen in the lower and upper positions on said arc. As can be seen in this fig, the seat will move in parallelogram like motion to the high position and stay parallel to its original position. 
         [0031]    All lines mentioned above and below are straight unless specified otherwise, and equal length is to be interpreted as of substantially equal length. Parallel is to be interpreted as substantially parallel. 
         [0032]    The following parts and features have substantially mirrored image parts or features on the right and left side of this sub-assembly: Rear Support Arm  40 , Support lower pivot  42 , Support upper pivot  44 , Pan to follower bracket  48 , Track Follower Roller  50 , Seat track  52 , Seat Track Side Frame  54 , Latch Pin  56  and Latch Pin Holes  58 . 
         [0033]    The Seat Track Side Frame  54  is rigidly mounted to the ATV frame. Seat Track Side Frame  54  may be a section of the ATV frame. In this document “the ATV frame” will refer to the tubular or solid frame that substantially runs around the outside of the center portion of the ATV. The ATV frame runs from front to rear typically very near the lowest point of the ATV, then upward at some angle or curve to above the engine, over the top of the engine for some distance, and then down again to the bottom of the ATV. Some ATV frames do not completely go above the engine but have two frame portions at the left and right sides near the top of the engine. This is not intended to give an exhaustive description of all ATV frames but just a typical description to locate where Seat Track Side Frame  54  is part of or attached to an ATV frame and to locate parts and features mentioned later. The top of Seat Track Side Frame  54  is attached at a plane near to the top of ATV frame, typically above the transmission portion of the engine/transmission. Seat Track Side Frame  54  runs at an angle toward the rear and bottom of the ATV. The bottom of Seat Track Side Frame  54  is attached rigidly to the ATV frame near the bottom, System Mounting Frame  32  or Lower Seat Frame  60 . Seat track  52  and Latch Pin Holes  58  are formed by any means effective or cut into Seat Track Side Frame  54 . Latch Pin Holes  58  run in a pattern substantially down the center of Seat track  52 . 
         [0034]    Track Follower Roller  50  has a diameter that is slightly smaller than the width of Seat track  52 . Track Follower Roller  50  is rotatably attached to Pan to follower bracket  48  in such a way as to force said roller to follow Seat track  52 . Pan to follower bracket  48  is rigidly attached to a front portion of Support Pan  46 . Rear Support Arm  40  is pivotally attached to a rear portion of Support Pan  46  at Support upper pivot  44 . The other end of Rear Support Arm  40  is pivotally attached to Lower Seat Frame  60  or a lower portion of the ATV frame or a suitable attachment to System Mounting Frame  32  at Support lower pivot  42 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 8  is a view of the Seat Sub-Assembly with the seat latched in a middle height position.  FIG. 7  is a view of the Seat Sub-Assembly with the seat latched in the highest position.  FIG. 6  is a close-up view of a portion of Seat Sub-Assembly  4 . Latch Pin  56  is mounted so it can slide in and out on the center line of Track Follower Roller  50 . To latch, the seat height position Latch Pin  56  is forced or moved by a spring into a Latch Pin Hole  58 . To unlatch, the seat height Latch Pin  56  is forced out of or moved out by a spring of Latch Pin Hole  58 . Many means are known of pulling or pushing a pin in or out of a hole and are not shown here. 
         [0036]    The Support Pan  46  can be moved up or down to any position on the seat track or latched in any of the position made available by Latch Pin Holes  58 . There can be any number of Latch Pin Holes  58 . Latch Pin Holes  58  may or may not go all the way thru Seat Track Side Frame  54 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 10  is a view of the Second Embodiment with a single slide rail. Shown is an embodiment of the Adjustable Seat and Support System with a single rail that is part of the frame of an ATV. The seat is at the top position on the rail. 
         [0038]      FIG. 12  is an Orthographic view of the Second Embodiment with parallelogram lines showing the movement of the seat. A Slide Pivot and Magnetic Latch Assembly  62  moves slidably along Slide and Latch rail  64  and causes a Pivot point at the front of the seat  70  to follow the arc as shown. Said pivot point pivotably attaches the Seat  74  to said Slide Pivot and Magnetic Latch Assembly. Square latch pins are urged into the square apertures on said Slide and latch rail  64  to hold seat position. Electromagnetic Latch Pulls  66  shown in  FIG. 11  pull the square pins from their apertures and allow the rider to adjust the seat position at the push of a button. Behind covers at visible fixed pivot point  6  there are springs that have just enough tension to cause the seat to rise to the highest position. For the rider to change the position of the seat, the selection button is pushed and held until desired position is reached. 
         [0039]      FIG. 13  is a view of Non-Parallelogram motion using a straight line instead of a circular arc as a third embodiment of this invention. When a straight line is used, the movement of the seat deviates significantly from the movement of the parallelogram. When a straight line is used for the rail, the back of the seat pitches up significantly as the seat moves down, in this movement about 12 degrees. This can be useful on an ATV or any straddle seat vehicle that uses one set of foot pegs slightly forward of the driver. As the seat goes down, the legs of the rider tend to fold up under him, pushing him or her away from the handle bars. When the back of the seat pitches up, it tends to cause the rider to move forward, helping the driver compensate for the folded legs. 
         [0040]    Thus the reader will see that at least, embodiment of the Adjustable Support and Seat System provides many advantages including but not limited to:
       Space, weight and material saved   Simplified design   Greater rigidity   Easier to index positions       
 
         [0045]    While the above description contains many specificities, they should not be construed as limitations of the scope, but rather, as an exemplification of one or several embodiments there of. Many many other variations are possible. 
         [0046]    Accordingly, the scope should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. 
       LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS USED IN DRAWINGS 
       [0000]    
       
         
           
               2  Pivot And Follow Point 
               4  Pivot Point Four 
               6  Visible Fixed Pivot Point 
               8  Invisible Fixed Pivot Point 
               10  Fixed Invisible Line 
               14  Invisible Radius Line 
               16  Arc 
               40  Rear Support Arm 
               42  Support Lower Pivot 
               44  Support Upper Pivot 
               46  Support Pan 
               48  Pan To Follower Bracket 
               50  Track Follower Roller 
               52  Seat Track 
               54  Seat Track Frame 
               56  Latch Pin 
               58  Latch Pin Holes 
               60  Lower Seat Frame 
               62  Slide Pivot And Magnetic Latch Assembly 
               64  Slide And Latch Rail 
               66  Electromagnetic Latch Pulls 
               68  Slide And Pivot Block With Internal Rollers 
               70  Pivot Point At Front Of Seat 
               72  Square Latch Holes 
               74  Seat 
               76  Seat Position At Lowest Latch 
               78  Seat Front Pivot 
               80  Rear Support Link 
               82  Position Of Rear Support Link When Seat At Lowest Latch 
               84  Tires 
               86  Vehicle Frame 
               88  Fuel Tank 
               90  Handlebars 
               92  Muffler and Protection Bracket 
               94  Taillight grab bar