Inflatable seat cushion and body support assembly

Claim 1

For use as a seat cushion and body support, an inflatable seat cushion assembly, comprising: A plurality of independent and individually inflatable chambers, each of said plurality of chambers being secured to at least one other chamber; and means for controlling each of the chambers, including, for each chamber; first valve means for connecting a chamber to a pressure source of fluid for inflating a chamber, said check valve means permitting fluid flow from said pressure source of fluid, when pressurized, to the respective chamber, said first check valve means being closable for maintaining said fluid in a respective chamber at a desired amount of inflation thereof; conduit means for said fluid between said first check valve means and a chamber; second seatable valve means provided in a control block and in fluid communication with said conduit means and operable to release fluid from a respective chamber, said seatable valve means being biased to a closed position and including means for unseating said valve means to permit fluid flow past the valve to a lower pressure sink while the valve is unseated by said means therefor; and wherein all of said first check valve means are also located in said control block and communicate with a common pressure manifold and are biased to a closed position to preclude fluid flow from any chamber past its respective valve to said manifold, said manifold also being in said control block, and said first check valve means are operable upon pressurization of said manifold above a predetermined minimum pressure to allow fluid flow past said valves to the respective chambers.