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Turkey seat with memory foam

Turkey seat with memory foam description/claims

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/866,158, entitled, “TURKEY SEAT WITH MEMORY FOAM,” filed on Nov. 16, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein as if set forth in full.

The present invention relates generally to portable seats, such as turkey seats or stadium seats, and, in particular, to portable seats that employ a memory foam cushion for improved comfort and performance.

Portable seats are used in a variety of environments, such as hunting and in stadiums. Typically, the portable seats include a seat panel and a backrest. The seat panel may be connected to the backrest by means of a strap or other support such that, when the user is seated on the seat, he can lean against the backrest to get some degree of back support.

This case of a turkey seat is illustrative. Turkey seats are used by hunters, for example, in connection with hunting wild birds. In this context, the hunter may be required to wait a substantial period of time for a good hunting opportunity. Of course, it is desirable to be able to remain comfortably seated while waiting. Moreover, if the hunter is comfortable, movement may be reduced, increasing the chances that the hunter will avoid detection and enhancing the chances for success.

When a hunting opportunity arises, it is desirable to use the turkey seat so as to remain steady for a shot. In particular, a solid back support assists in this regard. It is also desirable that the turkey seat be quickly and quietly deployable, again, so as to avoid detection at critical junctures.

Because portable seats are often used in environments such as in connection with hunting, as discussed above, or at a stadium, it is desirable that the seats be compact and lightweight. In particular, in contexts as described above, the user is often carrying a variety of additional gear at the same time as he is carrying the portable seat, and all of these materials may be carried a substantial distance. For example, portable seats may be formed with a collapsible aluminum frame. In such cases, the seat and backrest may be formed from nylon panels attached to the frame.

In at least one case, a turkey seat has been incorporated into a hunting vest. In this case, the seat is formed from a substantially unpadded flip-out nylon panel. During transport, the nylon panel can be folded up against the back of the vest and secured in place. When it is desired to use the seat, the panel flips out and can be secured to a back portion of the vest by way of nylon straps. In this manner, the back portion of the vest serves as an effective backrest.

The present invention is directed to a portable seat including memory foam padding, at least in the seat portion of the product. As is known, memory foam is made from polyurethane treated to, increase its viscosity level and density. Such memory foam can come in a variety of densities. Higher density memory foam is sensitive to body heat and molds itself to the shape of a warm body in a few minutes. Lower density memory foam is pressure sensitive and molds more quickly to the shape of a body. In either case, an important property of the memory foam is that it molds to the shape of a body pressed against it, such that the pressure is distributed more evenly over the foam surface, thereby potentially allowing for greater comfort.

Because memory foam is denser than other foams and, therefore, heavier, its uses have been limited. For example, memory foam, or visco-elastic memory foam, has been used in certain medical applications, such as wheelchair seat cushions. In addition, memory foam has been used in certain mattresses, pillows and mattress pads. Memory foam has generally not been viewed as a suitable material for portable products to be carried by a user.

The present inventor has recognized that, despite its density and weight, memory foam yields significant advantages in the context of portable seats. In particular, by utilizing memory foam only in a small area, such as the cushion portion of a portable seat, the overall weight of the device can be kept within acceptable limits. The issue of weight can further be addressed by careful selection of the density, thickness and other dimensions of the cushion. On the other hand, memory foam provides superior comfort and thermal insulation yielding substantial advantages. For example, in the case of the turkey seat, this results in improved comfort, which, in turn, allows the hunter to remain motionless for longer periods of time so as to better avoid detection. In addition, the memory foam, because it molds to the contours of the user, provides rock-solid stability when the hunter takes a shot.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a cushion of a portable seat is formed from multiple layers including at least one memory foam layer. As noted above, memory foam has desirable characteristics for portable seat applications but can also be relatively heavy. In addition, for certain users and under certain conditions, e.g., when the portable seat is used on a hot stadium bench or otherwise in hot conditions, the memory foam can become quite thin or substantially “bottom out” in certain areas. Accordingly, it has been recognized that a multiple layer construction may be desirable so as to accommodate a variety of users and use conditions. For example, the cushion may include a memory foam layer and at least one additional non-memory foam layer. In one implementation, a three-layer design is used including a memory foam layer, an open cell foam layer and a closed cell foam layer. The memory foam layer is disposed at a top portion of the cushion for more direct contact with the user, the closed cell is disposed at a bottom portion of the cushion, and the open cell foam is disposed in between. In this manner, the memory foam provides good user conformance and load spreading, the open cell foam material provides good cushioning for a range of users, and the closed cell material is durable and ensures significant cushioning for substantially any user under substantially any conditions.

In a preferred implementation, the memory foam turkey seat can be incorporated into a hunting vest design. The memory foam cushion is movable between a stowed position against the back of the vest and a deployed position where the memory foam cushion extends from the vest at an angle suitable for use as a seat. The cushion panel can be connected to the vest by means of nylon straps and the like, such that the back of the vest functions as a backrest when the hunter is seated on the cushion. It will be appreciated that, in this manner, any additional weight of the seat due to the memory foam construction is of little concern as the weight is supported by the vest, which, in effect, functions as a backpack. Accordingly, the advantages of memory foam as noted above are realized without a problematic penalty due to the density of the memory foam.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and further advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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