| CPC B60N 2/508 (2013.01) [B60N 2/502 (2013.01); B60N 2/505 (2013.01); B60N 2/522 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A suspension for a vehicle seat, to move a seat portion of the vehicle seat relative to a neutral position, the suspension comprising:
a damping linkage coupled to a base of the suspension and a suspension member that is configured to support the seat portion of the vehicle seat relative to the base;
a damper including a base end and a head end, the damper coupled to the base and the damping linkage; and
the damping linkage comprising a first damping link, a second damping link, and an intermediate damping link, the first damping link including a first and a second end, with:
the first damping link coupled to the base at the first end of the first damping link and coupled to the damper at the second end of the first damping link;
the second damping link connecting the suspension member and the intermediate damping link; and
the intermediate damping link pivotally coupled to the second damping link and the first damping link,
wherein the first, second, and intermediate damping links cooperate to actuate the damper in a first direction when the suspension is moved in an upward direction away from the neutral position and when the suspension is moved in a downward direction away from the neutral position,
wherein the first damping link is configured to maintain a lengthwise substantially upright orientation extending upwardly from the base and defining an arcuate path for the head end of the damper either by an arcuate rotation of the first damping link about the base end or by an arcuate slot in the second end of the first damping link, and
wherein the arcuate path maintains the head end of the damper above the base end of the damper.
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