The present invention relates generally to vehicle seating and, more particularly, to a vehicle seat designed to facilitate operation of the vehicle with the operator in either a sitting or standing position. Such a seat finds advantageous use in refuse trucks and other work vehicles where the operator is boarding and exiting the vehicle frequently.
The present invention is directed to a vehicle seat assembly comprising a seat assembly frame, a seat and backrest subassembly having a seat pivotally mounted to the frame and a backrest pivotally connected at its lower end to the seat, and a link pivotally connected to the backrest and the frame. The seat and backrest subassembly is movable between a first position to facilitate operation of the vehicle while the driver is sitting and a second position to facilitate operation of the vehicle with the driver standing. When the seat and backrest subassembly is moved from the first position to the second position, the seat moves from a generally horizontal orientation to a generally vertical orientation and the backrest moves upward and forward.
One object of the invention is to afford a simple and inexpensive dual purpose seat assembly that may be used effectively in either the sitting or standing position.
Another object of the invention is to provide a seat assembly that may be held in either of the sitting or standing position by an easily operated latching mechanism.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a seat assembly that may be moved from the sitting to the standing position using only one hand, thereby facilitating use of the assembly.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a seat assembly that affords greater leg and foot room when in the standing position as compared to when the assembly is in the sitting position.
Another object of the invention is to provide a seat assembly that gives back support to the driver of the vehicle when the assembly is in the standing position, by moving the backrest upward and forward when in the standing position.
The novel features which are characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. However, the invention's preferred embodiments, together with further objects of the invention and its attendant advantages will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:
With reference to
As shown in
The seat 30 is constructed with opposing side brackets 42 which support a seat cushion 44. Likewise, the backrest 32 is constructed with opposing side brackets 46 which support a backrest cushion 48. The seat side brackets are pivotally joined to forward extension 50 of the frame 36. The backrest side brackets are joined by links 40 to the upper frame flanges 52. As a result of this arrangement, and as more clearly in
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the seat assembly 20 also includes a latch bar 54 which is movable between engaged and disengaged positions, as more fully explained below. In the most preferred and illustrated embodiment, the latch bar 54 is actuated by a U-shaped latch handle 56 which is pivotally connected at pivot point 57 to the backrest side brackets 46. A spring 55 or other biasing device is employed to bias the latch 54 toward the engaged position. The backrest cushion 48 has a width less than the dimension between the opposing backrest side brackets 46, thereby defining a lateral space to accommodate the side rails 58 of the latch handle. Most preferably, the bight 59 of latch handle 56 is positioned above the top of the backrest 32, making it easily accessible to the vehicle operator. The latch bar 54 extends across the lower extremities of the latch handle side rails 58, and as shown clearly in
The following components cooperate with the latch bar 54 to maintain the seat assembly in either of the first or second positions. First, each of the seat side brackets has a rearward end shaped to define first and second retainers, 64 and 65 respectively. Secondly, the frame 36 includes an anchor flange 68 on each side, each of these flanges having a retaining slot 70. As shown in
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. As noted previously, the functions associated with the frame 36 may be achieved by designing the cab interior to meet those functions. Also, while the latch 54 is shown mounted to the backrest and engaging the seat, it is also within the scope of the present invention to mount the latch to different components and to engage other structures. All such modifications and changes are intended to be covered by the appended claims.