Sealed boat seat suspension

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11858385-B2
Application number	US-202217747889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2022
Priority date	Oct 30, 2018
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A sealed boat seat suspension including a plurality of sealed rails. The sealed boat seat suspension also includes a boat seat attachment component which is coupled to the plurality of sealed rails. The sealed boat seat suspension also includes a boat seat attachment component which is movable with respect to at least a portion of the plurality of sealed rails. The sealed boat seat suspension also includes a suspension component which is coupled to the boat seat attachment component such that the suspension component provides at least some control of movement of the boat seat attachment component with respect to at least a portion of the plurality of sealed rails.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A system for controlling operation of a sealed boat seat suspension, said system comprising:
a plurality of sealed rails;
a boat seat attachment component coupled to said plurality of sealed rails, said boat seat attachment component movable with respect to at least a portion of said plurality of sealed rails;
a suspension component coupled to said boat seat attachment component such that said suspension component provides at least some control of movement of said boat seat attachment component with respect to said at least a portion of said plurality of sealed rails; and
an adjustment component coupled to said suspension component, said adjustment component configured to adjust at least one feature of said suspension component, said boat seat attachment component being coupled to a console such that said sealed boat seat suspension is console-mounted.

2. The system for controlling operation of a sealed boat seat suspension of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of sealed rails contain no spring and/or damping components.

3. The system for controlling operation of a sealed boat seat suspension of claim 1 further comprising:
a top bracket; and
a bottom bracket, said plurality of sealed rails each having a first end coupled to said top bracket and said plurality of sealed rails each having a second end coupled to said bottom bracket.

4. The system for controlling operation of a sealed boat seat suspension of claim 1 wherein said boat seat attachment component further comprises:
a plurality of openings to accommodate the coupling of boat seat attachment features with said boat seat attachment component.

5. The system for controlling operation of a sealed boat seat suspension of claim 1 wherein said suspension component is coupled between a static portion of said sealed boat seat suspension and a movable portion of said sealed boat seat suspension to provide said at least some control of movement of said boat seat attachment component as said boat seat attachment component moves at least partially with respect to said at least a portion of said plurality of sealed rails.

6. A system for controlling operation of a sealed boat seat suspension, said system comprising:
a plurality of sealed rails;
a boat seat attachment component coupled to said plurality of sealed rails, said boat seat attachment component movable with respect to at least a portion of said plurality of sealed rails;
a suspension component coupled to said boat seat attachment component such that said suspension component provides at least some control of movement of said boat seat attachment component with respect to said at least a portion of said plurality of sealed rails;
a processor coupled to said sealed boat seat suspension, said processor configured to adjust at least one feature of said suspension component, said boat seat attachment component being coupled to a console such that said sealed boat seat suspension is console-mounted.

7. The system for controlling operation of a sealed boat seat suspension of claim 6 , wherein said processor autonomously adjusts a pressure within said suspension component.

8. The system for controlling operation of a sealed boat seat suspension of claim 7 , wherein said processor autonomously adjusts said pressure within said suspension component based upon conditions selected from the group consisting of: passenger weight applied to a seat coupled to said boat seat attachment component, desired initial height of said seat, desired stiffness of an air spring of said suspension component, desired travel distance for said seat with respect to said at least a portion of said plurality of sealed rails, and current conditions at a body of water in which a boat having said sealed boat suspension coupled thereto is to be used.

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Tsiaras Philip
• Wootten Dennis K
• Hammerstrom Paul

Classifications

• B60N2/50 Primary

  Seat suspension devices · CPC title

• B60N2/505

  Adjustable suspension including height adjustment · CPC title

• B60N2/509

  Seat guided by slides or the like · CPC title

• B63B29/04 Primary

  Furniture peculiar to vessels (floatable furniture B63C9/30) · CPC title

• B63B2029/043

  Seats; Arrangements thereof on vessels · CPC title