EP2057092B1 - Riding saddle with body-matching seat padding - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the seat upholstery of a riding saddle. A saddle has the task to create a connection between horse and human, which meets the requirements of both. Thus, there are many details to consider when fitting a saddle to the back of a horse, which are not the subject of the present invention. It is also important to take into account the comfort of the rider in order to create optimal conditions for any kind of riding.

A typical riding saddle has a saddle structure, on the top of a seat padding is attached. In this case, the top has a Grundsattelfläche, which forms a kind of seat shell for the buttocks. In this case, the rear part of the seat is usually relatively high up in the lower back of a rider, and for the buttocks as large as possible a large bearing surface is available. Considering the anatomy of the human buttocks, it follows for a conventional rice saddle, that the area around the coccyx of the person concerned is more heavily loaded by the rearwardly raised seat shell than the ischial tuberosities, which also carry a portion of the weight of the person in question should. This can lead to a mismatch of the load on the buttocks, which after some time can be perceived as unpleasant and also adversely affects the stability of the posture.

In the WO 02/070400 A2 is described a riding saddle, which has a central channel in an otherwise uniformly continuous Grundsattelfläche through which the overlying coccyx of a rider to be relieved. A padding protruding from the saddle surface below the ischial tuberosity of a rider is not provided.

In the DE 3236079 A1 is described a riding saddle, where nubby or strip-like elevations massage the muscle tissue on the thigh inside.

Object of the present invention is therefore to remedy this situation by a suitable seat upholstery.

This object is achieved by a saddle with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

An inventive saddle with a saddle structure and a seat padding mounted thereon is characterized in that the seat padding in the support area for a buttocks of a rider has two padded protrusions projecting from a basic saddle surface, which are separated by a two-dimensional recess, wherein the dimensions and arrangement of Elevations and depressions are designed so that the tailbone of a rider is relieved when riding by the buttocks of the rider are padded more than the coccyx, the depression extends to the saddle surface below the surveys and is arranged and dimensioned so that the tailbone of a Reiters is positioned while riding in the area above the recess. The invention shifts the surface load on the buttocks from the center outwards so that less load rests on the tailbone and more load on the region of the ischial tuberosities. This provides greater comfort for the rider and at the same time widens the support base, thus ensuring a secure fit.

Since a rider changes his position in the saddle within certain limits and under certain circumstances, a saddle of different riders should be used, it is advantageous to design the surveys with such a large area that the desired reinforced relining of the ischial tuberosity is ensured in a wide range , For this purpose, the elevations have an area of at least 150 cm ² each, preferably more than 200 cm ² , in particular even more than 300 cm ² . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the elevations are approximately kidney-shaped and longer in the longitudinal direction of the saddle than in the transverse direction. The depression runs approximately in the middle of the saddle in the longitudinal direction and preferably has a width of at least 2 cm, in particular more than 4 cm. Typically, the recess has a narrowest point approximately in the center of the seat pan and widens forwardly and rearwardly by slightly outwardly curved edges of the protuberances. The recess preferably has a width between 4 and 10 cm. It extends to the saddle surface below the surveys and is arranged and dimensioned so that the tailbone of a rider is positioned during riding in the area above the recess and therefore less burdened even when sitting in the saddle according to the invention as in conventional saddles.

The elevations are preferred with respect to their outer contours gently rounded and adapted to the shape of the saddle. In particular, they can extend laterally in the outer region of the saddle to the seams present there.

Since it depends mainly on the relief of the coccyx, while the remaining load of the buttocks should be as even as possible, the surveys are designed so that they have an approximately constant height on the largest part of their surface and fall off to their outer contours, preferably over evenly overlap a border area of 1 to 4 cm width into the base of the saddle. This allows a uniform and exactly the shape of the surveys adapted leather layer as the surface of the seating area. If the surveys are in the right places and also the deepening, it does not matter whether the surveys are interconnected by bridges or not. However, an embodiment is preferred in which the two elevations are formed by two completely separate pads, between which the depression extends down to the base of the saddle beneath the padding, thus forming a continuous valley along the center line of the saddle. This design does not require excessive deformations in the adaptation of the leather layer as the surface of the seating area and allows a largely wrinkle-free structure of the seat surface even during prolonged use. This seat surface is preferably formed of a leather layer having a thickness between 1 and 3 mm, in particular about 2.0 to 2.2 mm. It is particularly favorable if this leather layer has no seams in the entire seating area.

In a preferred embodiment, the elevations are made of foam, in particular polyurethane or polyethylene foam. Such foams have proven to be particularly suitable for the padding of riding saddles. In principle, however, it is also possible to use other materials for the elevations, depending on the desired properties of silicone foam, an addition-crosslinked two-component gel, preferably deliliquidized gel, optionally with proportions of foam, synthetic or natural wool or felt, can be used.

An inventive riding saddle is constructed in its preferred embodiment so that the base saddle surface by a pad, preferably made of about 14 mm thick natural rubber, and by an arranged on the pad liner, preferably made of jute fabric is formed. This saddle surface can then be coated with a leather surface forming the saddle surface, wherein the elevations are previously adhered to the underside of the saddle surface. Basic saddle surface, leather layer and elevations are preferably glued together, with an intermediate layer of jute fabric leads to a particularly stable composite. The bonding results in a durable, largely wrinkle-free fit, which recess can accommodate any wrinkles that may form in its sidewalls, whereby such wrinkles have no effect on comfort.

• Fig. 1: eine schematische Ansicht etwa von oben auf einen erfindungsgemäßen Sattel und
• Fig. 2: einen Querschnitt durch einen solchen Sattel nach Fig. 1 entlang der Linie II - II im Bereich der Erhebungen.

A preferred embodiment, to which the invention is not limited, is shown schematically in the drawing. Show it:

• Fig. 1 : A schematic view from above of a saddle according to the invention and
• Fig. 2 : a cross section through such a saddle after Fig. 1 along the line II - II in the survey area.

Fig. 1 shows a saddle 1 from the base saddle surface 2 elevations 5, 6 protrude. The elevations 5, 6 are separated from each other by a recess 7, said depression 7 reaching down to the saddle surface 2. The elevations 5, 6 have a length L of z. B. about 20 cm in the longitudinal direction of the saddle 1 and each have a width B which is less than the length L, for example, about 12 cm. The recess 7 has its smallest width b of z. B. about 4 cm approximately in the middle of the Grundsattelfläche 2 and extends slightly backwards and forwards. In their edge regions 8, the elevations 5, 6 merge smoothly into the base saddle surface 2. The elevations 5, 6 have about kidney shape and its outer contour 11 is rounded inside and adapted in the outer region of the saddle 1 to its shape.

The Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross section along the line II - II in Fig. 1 From the seating area of the saddle 1. From a 14 mm thick layer of natural rubber, a pad 3 is formed on which an intermediate layer 4, preferably made of jute fabric, is applied. The elevations 5 and 6 have a height H of between 5 and 40 mm, preferably about 15 mm, whereby they pass smoothly back into the base saddle surface 2 in their edge regions 8. The elevations 5, 6 are covered by a leather layer 12 of thickness d, preferably about 2.0 to 2.2 mm. This leather layer 12 is glued to the outside, front and back and in the region of the recess 7 with the pad 3 and the intermediate layer 4. In the area of the depression 7, a region of a few centimeters width is glued flat at the level of the base saddle surface 2, so that there arises an area over which the tailbone of a rider is exposed to a lower pressure when sitting in the saddle than in conventional saddles. The elevations 5, 6 take up a greater part of the weight of the rider over the area of the ischial tuberosities, so that overall a very stable seat position results in distribution of the pressure forces from the inside to the outside. Adhesive layers 10 as compounds between the elevations 5, 6 and the leather layer 12 and the intermediate layer 4 allow a production of the seat without seams.

• Ausgehend von einem Sattelbaum, insbesondere einem Stahlfederbaum, wird durch Spannen von Gurten die Form des Sitzes bestimmt. Dabei wird die Flexibilität des Sattelbaumes berücksichtigt. Auf die aufgespannten Gurte wird dann die Unterlage 3, insbesondere eine Schicht von etwa 14 mm Naturgummi, aufgeklebt. Diese Unterlage wirkt sehr sprungelastisch. Ein Sattelsitzleder mit einer Dicke von 2,0 bis 2,2 mm wird unter Berücksichtigung seiner Dehnbarkeit ausgereckt und auf die endgültige Sitzform und Größe zugeschnitten. Auf die Unterseite des vorgeformten Sitzleders werden die Erhebungen 5, 6, bevorzugt vorbereitete Schaumstoffteile, aufgeklebt. Mit einem dünnen Jutegewebe werden Leder und Schaumstoffkerne fixiert und stabilisiert und mit der Unterlage 3 verklebt. Anschließend werden kleine Satteltaschen mit dem Sitzleder vernäht. Schließlich wird das Sitzleder über den dafür vorbereiteten Sattelbaum gespannt.

An embodiment of a saddle according to the invention is produced in the following steps:

• Based on a saddle tree, especially a steel spring tree, the shape of the seat is determined by tensioning straps. The flexibility of the saddle tree is taken into account. On the stretched straps, the pad 3, in particular a layer of about 14 mm natural rubber, then glued. This pad is very elastic. A saddle leather with a thickness of 2.0 to 2.2 mm is stretched out in consideration of its elasticity and tailored to the final shape and size. On the underside of the preformed seat leather, the elevations 5, 6, preferably prepared foam pieces, glued. Leather and foam cores are fixed and stabilized with a thin jute fabric and glued to the base 3. Then small saddlebags are sewn with the seat leather. Finally, the seat leather is stretched over the prepared saddle tree.

In a saddle according to the invention the tailbone of a rider is relieved, while he feels a steeper departure in the leg area and thus closer contact with the horse. Overall, this increases the comfort, especially if the rider spends a long time in the saddle.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

saddle

2

Basic saddle surface

3

document

4

liner

5

survey

6

survey

7

deepening

8th

border area

9

Bonding area of the depression

10

adhesive layers

11

Outer contour of the surveys

12

leather layer

L

Length of the surveys

B

Width of the surveys

H

Height of the surveys

b

Width of the recess

d

Thickness of the leather layer

Claims (11)

1. A riding saddle (1) with a saddle structure and seat padding fitted thereon, characterized in that the seat padding in the supporting region for a rider's posterior has two padded elevations (5, 6) formed by pads which project from a basic saddle surface (2) and are separated from each other by a planar depression (7), wherein the dimensioning and arrangement of elevations (5, 6) and depression (7) is configured in such a manner that a rider's coccyx is relieved from load during riding by the rider's ischial protuberances being more greatly padded than the coccyx and wherein the depression (7) reaches as far as the basic saddle surface (2) under the elevations (5, 6) and is arranged and dimensioned in such a manner that a rider's coccyx is positioned in the region above the depression (7) during riding.
2. The riding saddle (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the elevations (5, 6) have a surface of a size such that at least the ischial protuberances of riders of differing height and having a different spacing between the ischial protuberances can be padded in different sitting positions, in particular a surface of at least 150 cm², preferably of more than 200 cm² in each case, in particular more than 300 cm².
3. The riding saddle (1) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the elevations (5, 6) are each approximately in the shape of a kidney and are longer in the longitudinal direction of the saddle (1) than in the transverse direction, with the depression (7) running in the longitudinal direction approximately in the center of the saddle and having a width (b) of at least 2 cm, preferably more than 4 cm, in particular 4 to 10 cm.
4. The riding saddle (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elevations (5, 6) are rounded with respect to their outer contours (11) and are matched to the shape of the saddle (1).
5. The riding saddle (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elevations (5, 6) have an approximately constant height (H), preferably of between 5 and 40 mm, in particular approximately 15 mm, over most of their surface and drop away toward their outer contours (11), preferably over an edge region (8) with a width of 1 to 4 cm.
6. The riding saddle (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two elevations (5, 6) are formed by two completely separate pads between which the depression (7) is formed as far as the basic saddle surface under the pads.
7. The riding saddle (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface of the seat region having the elevations (5, 6) is composed of a leather layer (12), preferably with a thickness (d) of 1 to 3 mm, in particular approximately 2 to 2.2 mm, and does not have any seams in the region of and between the elevations (5, 6).
8. The riding saddle (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elevations (5, 6) are composed of foam, preferably polyurethane or polyethylene foam.
9. The riding saddle (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the basic saddle surface (2) is formed by an underlayer (3), preferably of rubber which is approximately 14 mm thick, and by an intermediate layer (4), preferably made of jute fabric, arranged on the underlayer (3).
10. The riding saddle (1) as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elevations (5, 6) are adhesively bonded to the lower side of a leather layer (12) forming the saddle surface.
11. The riding saddle as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the lower side of the leather layer (12) in the region of the depression (7) and the lower sides of the elevations (5, 6) are adhesively bonded to the basic saddle surface (2).

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