Seat post

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897571-B2
Application number	US-202117332685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2021
Priority date	Nov 25, 2008
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A system including: a seat post; a user interface operatively connected with the seat post, the user interface configured for receiving instructions associated with a height of the seat post and for communicating received instructions to at least one controller coupled with a motive source of the seat post; and a valve assembly in communication with the motive source, the valve assembly regulating fluid flow within a variable finite positioning seat post height mode in response to a translation of the received instructions by the motive source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable seat post for a vehicle, said adjustable seat post having various adjustable and programmable height positions, said adjustable seat post comprising:
an upper post;
a lower post within which said upper post telescopically slides;
a user interface operatively connected with said seat post, said user interface configured for adjusting said various adjustable and programmable height positions;
a valve assembly coupled to adjustable seat post, said valve assembly regulating fluid flow within said adjustable seat post to achieve said various adjustable and programmable height positions, wherein said valve assembly comprises:
at least one set of check valves configured for at least one of opening and closing, and wherein a rate of said opening and said closing of said at least one set of check valves is proportional to a real-time displacement measurement, wherein said real-time displacement measurement is based on a measured difference between a seat post height position instruction of received instructions and an actual seat post height of said adjustable seat post, and;
wherein said at least one set of check valves comprising:
two sets of check valves positioned, relative to each other, in a series, and opposed to each other, such that one-way only movement is achieved in response to said translation.

2. The adjustable seat post of claim 1 further comprising:
a motive source coupled to said user interface and said valve assembly.

3. The adjustable seat post of claim 1 , wherein said user interface comprises at least one of a GUI, button, dial, smart phone, and lever.

4. The adjustable seat post of claim 1 , further comprising:
a proportional-integral-derivative controller configured for controlling a rate of said opening and said closing of said at least one set of check valves.

5. The adjustable seat post of claim 1 , further comprising:
a displacement sensor coupled to adjustable seat post, said displacement sensor configured for measuring a displacement between a seat post height position instruction and an actual seat post height of said adjustable seat post.

6. The adjustable seat post of claim 5 , wherein said displacement sensor is a pressure sensor.

7. The adjustable seat post of claim 1 , wherein said user interface comprises:
at least one activation button configured for activating a pre-programmed seat post position.

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Pelot Sante
• Haugen David M
• Allinger Wes
• Galasso Mario
• Laird Andrew

Classifications

• B62K19/36 Primary

  for attaching saddle pillars, e.g. adjustable during ride · CPC title

• B62J1/00

  Saddles or other seats for cycles; Arrangement thereof; Component parts · CPC title

• B62J1/02

  Saddles resiliently mounted on the frame; Equipment therefor, e.g. springs · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G05D7/0635

  by action on throttling means (G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence) · CPC title