GB1405333A - Seat for use in a vehicle simulator - Google Patents

Abstract

1405333 Air cushions SINGER CO 8 Feb 1973 [9 Feb 1972] 6175/73 Heading A4M [Also in Division B7] A seat for a vehicle simulator comprises a plurality of first inflatable air cells 13 covering the seat pan and back portions of the seat, and a plurality of second inflatable air cells 23 secured to the cells 13 so as to be between them and a seat occupant, and controlled means for inflating the air cells and the cells 23. These latter are pancake air bladders with internal partitions (26), Fig. 3 (not shown), to maintain some stiffness while permitting free air-flow. The cells 13 and 23 are supplied with air, through servovalves 77-80, to simulate the forces on a seat occupant due to acceleration. Thus for an upward acceleration the cells 13 are deflated, so that the occupant sinks into the seat, but the air supply to the cells 23 is increased so that the occupant feels the seat become harder. At the same time lap belt 19 and harness 21 are slackened by pistons 81, 83. Alternatively there may be rigid boards 85 between the air cells 13 of the seat pan and the cells 23, hardness of the seat then being increased by decreasing the air supply to the cells 23. The simulation may be enhanced by providing the seat pan with heat exchanger pads (27), Fig. 4 (not shown), since it is stated that the application of increased heat to the body gives a similar sensation to increased pressure. These pads (27) comprise tubes (31) and heating elements (33), the temperature of liquid flowing through the tubes being controlled by mixing liquid from reservoirs (51), (53), (55), Fig. 6 (not shown).