Hydraulic adjustable seat

Abstract

An adjustable chair and a tilt assembly for use therewith typically provides side to side tilting of the chair seat and preferably provides forward and backward tilting of the seat separately or in combination with the side to side tilting. A hydraulic system is provided for controlling the tilting movement. Hydraulic valves having adjustable knobs are used to control the resistance to the tilting movement whereby the chair is useful for exercise while the user is seated and the rate at which the tilting occurs may be controlled. The seat may be locked by closing additional hydraulic valves while the tilt assembly is in any tilted position or the user may shift weight on the seat to provide a continuous shifting of the tilt angle and tilt direction of the seat.

1 . An adjustable hydraulic tilt assembly for a seat comprising:
 a base;   a seat support disposed above the base and adapted to mount on a bottom of the seat;   a universal joint providing a pivotal connection between the base and seat support whereby the seat support is tiltable relative to the base; and   a hydraulic system providing variable tilting resistance to the seat support.   
     
     
         2 . The tilt assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the universal joint includes a coupler having at least four faces, each face having a face aperture extending therethrough. 
     
     
         3 . The tilt assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the universal joint further includes a first pair of opposed brackets secured to the seat support and a second pair of opposed brackets secured to the base. 
     
     
         4 . The tilt assembly of  claim 3 , wherein each bracket includes a horizontal plate and a vertical plate joined generally at a right angle, and wherein each vertical plate includes a bracket aperture extending therethrough. 
     
     
         5 . The tilt assembly of  claim 4 , wherein each bracket aperture is sized and positioned to align with a corresponding face aperture in the coupler. 
     
     
         6 . The tilt assembly of  claim 5 , wherein a first bolt extends through the bracket apertures of the first pair of brackets and face apertures, and a second bolt extends through the bracket apertures of the second pair of brackets and face apertures. 
     
     
         7 . The tilt assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second bolts are positioned perpendicular to one another, and wherein the seat support is tiltable relative to the first and second bolt. 
     
     
         8 . The tilt assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic system includes a first pair of hydraulic actuators in fluid communication with each other through a fluid line, and wherein the hydraulic system further includes a regulator valve in the fluid line for controlling the fluid flow between the first pair of hydraulic actuators. 
     
     
         9 . An adjustable hydraulic tilt assembly for a seat comprising:
 a base;   a seat support disposed above the base and adapted to mount on a bottom of the seat;   a pivotal connection between the base and seat support whereby the seat support is tiltable relative to the base; and   an adjustable hydraulic system controlling tilting of the seat support relative to the base.   
     
     
         10 . The tilt assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the hydraulic system includes a first pair of hydraulic actuators in fluid communication with each other through a fluid line. 
     
     
         11 . The tilt assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the hydraulic system further includes a regulator valve in the fluid line for controlling the fluid flow between the first pair of hydraulic actuators. 
     
     
         12 . The tilt assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the regulator valve includes an adjustment knob for adjusting the rate of fluid flow between the first pair of hydraulic actuators. 
     
     
         13 . The tilt assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the hydraulic system further includes an on/off valve in the fluid line to stop and start the fluid communication between the first pair of hydraulic actuators. 
     
     
         14 . The tilt assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the on/off valve includes a control switch having an open position and a closed position, wherein the open position starts fluid communication between the first pair of hydraulic actuators, and the closed position stops fluid communication between the first pair of hydraulic actuators, and whereby in the open position the seat support is tiltable relative to the base, and in the closed position, the seat support is not tiltable relative to the base. 
     
     
         15 . The tilt assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the hydraulic system further includes a second pair of hydraulic actuators substantially similar to the first pair of hydraulic actuators, wherein the second pair of hydraulic actuators operate independent from the first pair of hydraulic actuators. 
     
     
         16 . The tilt assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the first pair of hydraulic actuators and the second pair of hydraulic actuators extend between the base and the seat support. 
     
     
         17 . The tilt assembly of  claim 16 , further including a first tilt axis intermediate the first pair of hydraulic actuators and a second tilt axis intermediate the second pair of hydraulic actuators, wherein the first and second tilt axis are generally perpendicular to one another and whereby the seat support is rotatable relative to the first tilt axis and to the second tilt axis. 
     
     
         18 . The tilt assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the seat support is generally a flat plate having four corners, and wherein the base is generally a flat plate having four corners with each corner disposed below a corner of the seat support, and wherein each hydraulic actuator of the first pair and second pair of hydraulic actuators is disposed between a corner of the seat support and a corner of the base, and wherein no two hydraulic actuators are disposed between the same corner of the seat support and corner of the base. 
     
     
         19 . An adjustable hydraulic chair comprising:
 a base;   a seat support disposed above the base and adapted to mount on a bottom of a seat;   a universal joint for providing a pivotal connection between the base and the seat support whereby the seat support is tiltable relative to the base;   a first pair of hydraulic actuators in fluid communication with each other and a second pair of hydraulic actuators in fluid communication with each other, wherein the first and second pair of hydraulic actuators are disposed between the seat support and the base and provide tilting resistance to the seat support;   a first hydraulic valve system operably connected to the first and second pair of hydraulic actuators, whereby the first hydraulic valve system provides variable tilting resistance to the seat support; and   a second hydraulic valve system operably connected to the first and second pair of hydraulic actuators, whereby the second hydraulic valve system enables and disables fluid communication between the hydraulic actuators in the first pair, and between the hydraulic actuators in the second pair.   
     
     
         20 . The adjustable hydraulic chair of  claim 19 , further comprising an imaginary central vertical axis passing through centers of the seat support and the base, wherein each hydraulic actuator in the first and second pair of hydraulic actuators are spaced equidistant from the imaginary central vertical axis.