BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cutaway side view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle seat system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first configuration of the vehicle seat system illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second configuration of the vehicle seat system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a third configuration of the vehicle seat system shown in FIG. 1 in another arrangement;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fourth configuration of the vehicle seat system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a side view of the vehicle seat system of FIG. 1 in another configuration;
FIG. 7 is a side view of the vehicle seat system of FIG. 1 in another configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT(S)
Reference will now be made in detail to the illustrated embodiments of the present invention which constitute the best mode of the practicing the invention presently known to the inventors. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be implemented in various and alternative forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as representative of the various aspects of the invention and/or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
FIG. 1 depicts a vehicle 10 equipped with an embodiment of the vehicle seat system 11 of the present invention. The illustrated embodiment shows the vehicle seat system attached to a split folding rear seat having separate sections which can fold and which can be stowed independently. The illustrated vehicle seat system likewise has separate segments that can operate independently and which correspond to, and which operate in conjunction with, the portion of the rear seat to which it is attached. In vehicles having a single segment rear seat (i.e., non-split folding rear seat), the vehicle seat system would likewise have only a single segment.
In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle seat system includes an automotive seat assembly 12 having a seat back 14 and a seat bottom 16 and a seat appendage 13 (see FIG. 3). In this embodiment, a substantially planar member 18 comprises an upper section 20 and a lower section 22. Upper section 20 is connected to lower section 22 by a first hinge assembly 24. Substantially planar member 18 is connected to the seat assembly 12 by a second hinge assembly 26. As illustrated, the vehicle has a floor 28 having a cavity 30 disposed behind seat assembly 12.
In this embodiment, the planar member 18 is configured to move between an upright position and a lowered position. Planar member 18 can be moved between the upright position and the lowered position by rotating it about its connection with the seat assembly. As shown in FIG. 1, in the upright position, the planar member 18 is positioned immediately behind and adjacent to a back portion 15 of the seat back 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the planar member 18 is held in the upright position by hinge assembly 24. In other embodiments, the planar member 18 may be held in the upright position adjacent to the seat back 14 by means of a latch or a tether or any other means effective for holding planar member 18 upright and adjacent to seat back 14.
Hinge assembly 24 and hinge assembly 26 allow planar member 18 to be configured in at least four configurations. These four configurations are illustrated in FIG. 1. The upright configuration for planar member 18, as discussed above, is shown in FIG. 1 in solid lines. The three additional configurations for planar member 18 are illustrated in phantom lines and will be discussed in greater detail below.
FIG. 2 illustrates the vehicle seat system in a first configuration. In this illustration, planar member 18 is depicted in the upright position. In this position, upper section 20 and lower section 22 are aligned with each other. In this embodiment, upper section 20 is held in position aligned with lower section 22 and adjacent to seat back 14 by the first hinge assembly 24 having an angle limiter. In alternative embodiments, upper section 20 may be secured by a tether, a latch, or any other means effective to secure upper section 20. In this configuration, cavity 30 is uncovered, allowing a user to view the cavity and to have access to it.
In FIG. 3, a second configuration of the vehicle seat system is illustrated. Planar member 18 has been moved to a lowered position to cover cavity 30. In this configuration, upper section 20 remains in alignment with lower section 22. In this configuration, any items placed in cavity 30 are neither visible nor directly accessible. In this embodiment, planar member 18 is disposed outside cavity 30 and thus is disposed above the floor 28. In other embodiments, a lip or other accommodation may be provided around the perimeter of cavity 30 to receive planar member 18 such that, when planar member 18 covers the cavity, it lies substantially flush with floor 28.
FIG. 4 illustrates a third configuration of the vehicle seat system. In this configuration, upper section 20 has been rotated about the first hinge assembly 24 to a lowered position that is substantially parallel to the floor 28. In this configuration lower section 22 remains upright, substantially parallel and substantially adjacent to the seat back 14. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, upper section 20 is held parallel to the floor 28 by a hinge assembly 24 having an angle limiter. In other embodiments, upper section 20 may be held in position substantially parallel to floor 28 by a latch, by support struts, by a tether, or by any other means effective to secure upper section 20 in a manner substantially parallel to the floor 28. In this configuration, upper section 20 may serve as a shelf that a user may use to store cargo, serve food, use as a baby changing station, or for any other purpose served by shelves. As depicted in FIG. 4, upper section 20 may have a depression 34 to facilitate its use as a shelf.
FIG. 5 depicts a fourth configuration for the vehicle seat system. In this configuration, both planar member 18 and upper section 20 are in their respective lowered positions. In this configuration, cavity 30 is divided by lower section 22 into a partially covered portion 31 and a partially exposed portion 33. As illustrated, upper section 20 is disposed within cavity 30 and positioned in a substantially perpendicular orientation to the cavity floor 36. As illustrated, upper section 20 serves as the back wall of the uncovered portion 31 of cavity 30. This configuration facilitates the carrying of smaller items such as shopping bags that may otherwise topple or tumble if the cavity 30 were not partitioned. Depending on the construction of planar member 18 and the upper section 20, and the size and construction of the cavity 30, a user desiring to reconfigure the vehicle seat system from the second configuration to the fourth configuration may have to briefly lift planar member 18 out of its lowered position to permit rotation of upper section 20 into its lowered position.
In other embodiments of the vehicle seat system, upper section 20 can rotate about the first hinge assembly 24 in a direction away from its lowered position to uncover a portion of cavity 30 thus giving a user access to the entire cavity 30 while leaving at least a portion of it covered. In other embodiments, the first hinge 24 may be able to hold the upper section in various positions as upper section 20 rotates about the first hinge 24. In some embodiments, upper section 20 may be rotated about the first hinge 24 until it comes to rest on top of lower section 22.
FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of the vehicle seat system used in combination with a vehicle having a rear hatch 38. In this embodiment, when the planar member 18 is in the upright position and upper section 20 is in the lower position, upper section 20 cooperates with hatch 38 and acts as a cargo area cover. In the illustrated embodiment, hatch 38 has a protrusion 40 which receives the upper section 20 and prevents the upper section 20 from rotating about the first hinge assembly 24 towards its lowered position. In other embodiments, upper section 20 may cooperate with other internal components of the vehicle 10 to maintain a position substantially parallel to the floor 28. In still other embodiments, a tether or a hinge having an angle limiter can be used to hold the upper section 20 in an orientation that is substantially parallel to the floor 28 and substantially adjacent to hatch 38 when hatch 38 is closed.
FIG. 7 depicts the vehicle seat system in a configuration covering the cavity 30 and vehicle seat assembly 12 when vehicle seat assembly 12 is in a folded configuration and stored in cavity 30. As illustrated in FIG. 7, planar member 18 protrudes above floor 28. In other configurations, cavity 30 may have a lip around its perimeter to receive planar member 18, or other adaptations may be employed to permit planar member 18 to be at least partially received within cavity 30 so that planar member 18 is substantially flush with the floor 28 when the seat assembly 12 is stored in the cavity 30.
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Patent Application
20080030039
