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[0001] This application, filed under the provisions of 35 U.S. C. 120, is a Continuation-In-Part of co-pending patent application Ser. No. 09/654,775, filed Sep. 5, 2000, for STRADDLE SEAT SUPPLEMENT AND PAD, in which is disclosed a device for enhancing the comfort of saddle seats, particularly those on motorcycles and bicycles.
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a saddle seat supplement device, particularly for motorcycle and bicycle seats, but is also intended for use with all seats having the same general design as those on such vehicles, namely, saddle seats.
[0004] The terms “saddle” and “saddle seat”, are intended to define seats on which the supporting areas are relatively narrow, wherein the inside thigh areas of a seated person's legs ordinarily contact the opposite and outside sides of the seat.
[0005] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0006] Seat supplements for motorcycles, bicycles and other vehicles are known in the art. The following prior art is of interest:
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,670 to Svehia, et al describes an accessory seat attachment for removable securement to two-wheeled vehicles.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,248 to Mayer describes a motorcycle seat in which springs and straps, both laterally and vertically, buttress the side support areas of the buttocks.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,613 describes a child's seat cushion placable on the bottom of a vehicle seat, elevating the child, and includes guides for a hip seat belt restricting the movement of the seat cushion.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,120 to Wendling describes a multi position infant support system including a flexible panel of sheet material to which are secured first and second longitudinal cushions.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,256 to Lyszczasz describes an infant cushion support for infant car seats. The patent's use, design and material selection is different from the instant invention. Hook and loop (HL) fasteners are used.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,714 to Lemke discloses a seat cushion comprising first and second elongated curved cushion pieces.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,671 to Shavitz describes a motorcycle seat enlarger supplement wherein a supplement seat is nested on an existing seat.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,123 to Clifford describes a flotation device comprised of closed cell polymer cylindrical foam material contained within two connected and opposed or separated sleeves. The web of connecting material is a fabric.
[0015] None of the above disclosures or patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
[0016] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to enhance the comfort of saddle seats on vehicles, and other applications, by use of a supplement device which effectively enlarges the area of sitting surface, allowing more of an operator's or passenger's buttocks to contact the support surface.
[0017] Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, practical and efficient means for reducing the deleterious effects and discomfort of saddle seats due to gravitational forces and vertical accelerations, or bouncing, on a concentrated area of the buttocks, particularly the ischium area.
[0018] It is another object of the invention to provide a seat supplement that enhances the comfort of bicycle seats.
[0019] It is another object of the invention to provide an inexpensive and efficient seat supplement device for enhancing the comfort of motorcycle operator and passenger seats by use of a supplement or adjunct that aids in support of a person's upper thigh area of the legs.
[0020] It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a device or article of manufacture for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
[0021] These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
[0022] To achieve the above objects, the invention thus involves a saddle seat supplement described herein which enhances comfort and increases the effective width of such seats in a critical area of support.
[0023] Placing pads on top of saddle seats has been known for a very long time, motorcycle and bicycle seats included. For example, sheepskin padding has been used on motorcycle seats in an effort to increase riding comfort.
[0024] With respect to motorcycle seats used by an operator thereof, the use of an overlay pad such as sheepskin or the like on a saddle seat has the disadvantage of increasing the height of an operator above the ground, elevating the level of the legs and feet, often making it difficult for an operator to place his/her feet on the ground to prevent a vehicle from tipping over.
[0025] Further, if only the toes can contact the ground close to the sides of a motorcycle, then, when slippery, uneven ground conditions or gravel are encountered when stationary, securing a good grip on the pavement or ground is difficult.
[0026] The saddle seat supplement according to the invention has three embodiments, all employing the same general principle.
[0027] One embodiment of the supplement is intended for use on motorcycle operator's seat, particularly those that are relative narrow in width, and having a slight taper from the mid portion of the seat to the front.
[0028] Another embodiment is intended for use on motorcycle passenger seats, those relatively narrow in width and having very little or no taper.
[0029] Yet another embodiment is intended for use on bicycle seats.
[0030] The embodiment intended for use on motorcycle operator seats is designed to minimize the elevation of an operator's body and feet, reducing a possible hazardous and awkward condition.
[0031] A principal component of the seat supplement of the present invention is a woven or non-woven web, panel or sheet material, ideally made of a flexible and durable upholstery fabric, for example, of a generally rectangular shape, but not limited thereto.
[0032] The web, or sheet is either a two-component design, each web being removably fastened together to form an adjustable width and adjustable pad angle supplement, or a single web, non-adjustable design.
[0033] The seat supplement, for description, is constituted by six sides, front, rear, lateral, and top and bottom. Intermediate between the lateral sides is a middle area, which is the central sitting area.
[0034] The seat supplement dimensions include length, width and thickness. The length dimension lies across a saddle seat when in use as a supplement.
[0035] The web or panel component of the supplement is defined as having by length, width and thickness. The web should be about {fraction (1/16)} inch thick, such as upholstery material for automobile seats, for example.
[0036] In one embodiment, the length dimension, which lies across the saddle seat, side to side, is slightly curved to match the inward taper toward the front of the saddle seat.
[0037] In another embodiment, the central portion of the seat supplement web is circular or oval shaped.
[0038] It has been found upon and development that the sitting area, the middle, of the seat supplement should be designed to be circular or nearly so for optimum results.
[0039] A circular design eliminates uneven seams or joining areas between top and bottom web elements and eliminates also the irritation to the buttocks that occurs with a two-component adjustable width seat supplement.
[0040] The longer dimension of the web or seat supplement is constituted laterally by first and second end portions, each of which forms a tubular pocket or sleeve.
[0041] The tubular sleeves secure the resilient cushion elements in place, the combination of sleeve and cushion element forming a pad and saddle seat width extender.
[0042] The pads thus function both as flexible cushions and saddle seat width extending elements.
[0043] Each pocket or sleeve contains within it a block of rigid cushion material, ideally having fairly good elasticity. The shape of the cushion elements is critical for obtaining optimum results. For example, the side of the pad and cushion adjacent to or butting against the saddle seat should be flat or nearly so. For motorcycle operator seats, the cushion shape is preferably hemi-cylindrical. For passenger seats on motorcycles that are narrow in width, a generally six-sided polyhedron block is suitable.
[0044] As the material for the cushions, an open or closed-cell synthetic cellular polymer foam material is very useful, closed cell foam being preferred.
[0045] Respecting the cushion element, the terms “hemi-cylinder” and “hemi-cylindrical” are herein intended to identify a three dimensional structure comprising a cylinder with a portion of the cylinder area removed along the entire axis thereof, forming a plane parallel to the axis of the cylinder; in other words, a cylinder having a flattened side parallel to the axis.
[0046] From about 0.18 to 0.50 of the cross-section of a cylinder should be removed, so that the plane lies between about 0.18 to 0.50 of the diameter dimension.
[0047] The polymer foam cushions may, of course, be made by a molding process to arrive at the above identified configurations.
[0048] The terms “hemi-cylinder” and “hemi-cylindrical” are intended to include cushion elements made from generally cylindrical, oval or ellipsoid structures.
[0049] The flat sides of the pads, when in use as a saddle seat supplement, butt against the sides of the saddle seat, which usually are without severe vertical curvature. For optimum performance, the side of the pads which butt against the side surface of the saddle seat must be approximately flat or be made to conform to the curvature of the side of the saddle seat.
[0050] The web material is composed of a woven or non-woven flexible, tear-resistant, upholstery fabric material such as leather, synthetic leather, or a natural or synthetic polymer material and laminated combinations thereof with the same or other fabrics.
[0051]
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[0063] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
[0064] The present invention is directed to a seat supplement for saddle seats commonly employed on two wheeled vehicles or three wheeled vehicles and some watercraft.
[0065] In this respect, the seat supplement of the present invention is described as comprising the following elements which, in proper combination, form the useful article of manufacture:
[0066] (1) a principal web, panel or sheet element, functioning to provide a physical connection between two lateral pad elements, and comprising either two separable but attachable web and pad members, or a single, continuous web and pad forming material.
[0067] (2) Two pad elements, each comprised of a tubular web, panel or sheet, which may be contiguous with the principal web or separate therefrom but joined thereto, and containing there within a cushion element, the pads which, in use, somewhat overhang the sides of the saddle seat upon which the supplement is placed.
[0068] (3) Cushion elements having a hemi-cylindrical, or six-sided polyhedral configuration or a six-sided polyhedron configuration having one rounded or curved side in the length-wise dimension parallel to the axis thereof.
[0069] The cushion elements are preferably made from closed-cell synthetic polymer foam or cellular compositions or structures, although many open-cell foam structure compositions are also usable. Polyethylene having closed-cell compositions having a density in the range of about 0.8 to 1.5 pounds per cubic foot is a more specific example.
[0070] (4) Removable attachment means for joining two principal web elements in a fixed manner, for example, snap fasteners or hook and loop fasteners. VELCRO is a trade name for such a product.
[0071] (5) Fastening means for removably securing the seat supplement to the frame of a vehicle seat.
[0072] (6) a web or sheet material comprising a bottom layer or under-pad to the principal web (1) to reduce the tendency to slip and slide on a saddle seat, while providing additional cushioning.
[0073] Referring to the drawings,
[0074] The face side A forms part of a pad which butts against the side of a saddle seat, in this case particularly a passenger seat for a motorcycle.
[0075]
[0076] The embodiment of
[0077] While FIGS.
[0078] As mentioned, the embodiment of the invention described by
[0079] An oval or elliptical shape is also within the scope of the present invention, and such a shape includes, in use, a relatively or approximate flat side, conforming to the shape of the sides of a saddle seat upon which the supplement is to be placed.
[0080] Further, although the drawings and previous description refer to cushion elements for making the pads which extend out beyond the sides of saddle seats as having a rounded side, cushion blocks having a generally rectangular or square cross-section shape are also contemplated as within the scope of the invention, and inherently possess an approximately flat side parallel to the length-wise axis of the block.
[0081] Such pad and cushion shapes (rectangular or square cross-section) have value in forming seat supplements for passenger seats for motorcycles or saddle seats intended for use mainly for passengers.
[0082] The cushion elements placed within the pads are preferably made of a synthetic polymer foam composition having either open or closed cell structure. Such materials are polyalkylenes or copolymers of alkylene and vinyl constituents such as vinyl acetate and ethylene or propylene. In the case of an open cell foam composition, the outside surfaces thereof may be made to be water impermeable. Since the expected use includes wet environments, water impermeability is obviously desirable.
[0083] The term “foam” in relation to solid cushion materials of the present invention means solid materials containing a high volume of pores, voids, cells or cavities in relation to the total volume of the material. A closed cell polymeric foam is highly desired because of its water imperviousness as opposed to an open cell polymer foam.
[0084] However, open cell foam compositions may be used also if they have low water absorption properties and sufficient elasticity.
[0085] The foam cushion element should be able to readily return to its original shape following deformation. Naturally existing sponge and synthetic sponges, for example, are not very suitable since such materials both absorb water and have low elastic recovery properties. In addition to having sufficient elasticity, the cushion component of the pads should also be relatively rigid or stiff.
[0086] Additionally, the cushion block elements contained within the tubular sleeves may be made from natural or synthetic fibrous filler material.
[0087] It has been determined that for motorcycle operator seats, the cellular foam cushion elements and tubular sleeves should be no more that about 5½ inches in front to back width, making the width of the seat supplement also about 5½ inches. If the cushion or pads are much longer than the aforesaid dimension, then they interfere with the ability of an operator to secure foot contact with the ground.
[0088] For passenger seats, the aforesaid dimension is not as critical since the passenger does not rely upon the need to touch the ground with the feet.
[0089]
[0090] It is adjustable since releasable fastening means, such as hook and loop fasteners
[0091] Further, the adjustable feature makes it possible to maintain the correct size or fit in spite of stretching or expansion during use, and to allow the supplement to conform to the taper of many motorcycle saddle seat designs by securing or fixing the two components slightly askew. That is, the pad alignment can be set to be out of parallel.
[0092] The web material
[0093] Vinyl upholstery fabric used for automobile seats and furniture coverings is very suitable. Polyester fabrics, fabrics having a polyvinyl or other polymer surface backed with woven fibers by lamination are suitable, as are polymer impregnated fibrous materials and polyvinyl chloride compositions.
[0094] The web
[0095] Woven webs, such as canvas, nylon or comprising natural or synthetic polymer fibers are also useful, particularly fabrics for marine use. Webs or sheets of polymer impregnated fibers are also included.
[0096] For use in harsh weather conditions, the material used should be water resistant or water impermeable. The web material should also be resistant to stretching.
[0097] The web element may also be composed of multiple layers of similar or different materials, laminated or adhesively bonded together to arrive at desired properties in the finished product.
[0098] The weight of the seated person on the middle portion of the web of both the two component, adjustable seat supplement and single web component seat supplement, placed on a saddle seat, acts in helping to hold the two pad elements in place by a partial cantilever effect. Consequently, the pads do not separate nor go out of severe adjustment. Even if they do, the pads
[0099] The separable fastening means
[0100] The seat supplement should optionally have a bottom surface
[0101] Thus, layer
[0102] Particularly usable as a non-slip surface
[0103]
[0104] The saddle pads
[0105] The web
[0106] The drawings depict the seat supplement as having open ended pad elements
[0107]
[0108] It is pointed out, regarding bicycle seats, that the seat supplement has a degree of flexibility, responding or moving somewhat in conjunction with the downward and upward movements of the thighs and legs during the pedaling process.
[0109] Further, a means for securing the supplement to a bicycle seat is required in order to achieve satisfactory results.
[0110] An unattached seat supplement on a bicycle seat may easily become dislodged as a result of movement caused by pedaling and the relatively narrow dimension of the forward portion of such seats.
[0111] Further, the seat supplement for a bicycle seat should be designed to conform to the front to rear curvature that most bicycle seats have, as shown in
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[0115]
[0116] A method of making some of the seat supplements of the present invention, e.g., those wherein the cushions have a hemi-cylindrical shape, involved obtaining long cylinders of closed cell polymer foam articles known as “Noodles”, cutting sections of the cylinders to the appropriate size. Then, a section of the length dimension, parallel to the axis was removed in the same manner. About ⅔ of the cylinder was removed, forming a hemi-cylinder having a flat side parallel to the axis and a rounded or curved side opposite thereto.
[0117] A section of web material was obtained having the appropriate dimensions.
[0118] An end section of a web material approximately 5 to 5½ inches in width was formed into a tubular pocket or sleeve by machine sewing a measured amount of the end section of the web to the underside of the web so that the cushion element
[0119] In use, the saddle seat supplement of the present invention may merely be placed across the top of a seat, or it may be removably secured to a seat using securing means such as straps, elastic bands with hooks, hook and loop fasteners or other similar fastening means attached to the seat supplement.
[0120] For small saddle seats such as bicycle seats, the use of securing means extending under the bike saddle and attached to the seat supplement is greatly desired, and is even necessary for obtaining optimum results since the peddling motion of a cyclist's legs contributes to destabilization of the seat supplement, in contrast to a motorcycle seat.
[0121] The physical properties of the seat supplement of the instant invention, and the configuration thereof allow for uses other than as a saddle seat supplement, widener and comfort enhancing article. For example, the seat supplements may be used as a head rest or pillow, or as an emergency flotation device.
[0122] It is to be understood than the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims: