Rear vehicle seat with storage hoop and strap attachment

• US 10,144,315 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adient US, LLC (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Adient Luxembourg Holding S.A R.L. (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Michalak, Eric, Burton, Brent, Pike, Mason, Caruss, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US15/067,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20160264026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 2971881, 297335, 297 92, 297110, 297105, 297129
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01 Arrangement of seats relative to one another
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02 the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/305 the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/366 characterised by the locking device
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/905 the head-rest or seat used as an anchorage point, for an object not covered by groups in B60N, e.g. for a canvas

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a backrest and a seat base with a fitting with pivot connections for pivoting relative to the backrest. The seat base pivots between a seating position and a stadium flipped up position. A storage hoop has ends pivotably connected to an underside of the seat base at hoop pivot connections. The storage hoop pivots between a stowed position—with the hoop extending along a seat underside—and a hoop deployed position—with the hoop extending outwardly from the seat underside. The fitting with pivot connection has an inertial load lock to maintain the seat base in the stadium flipped up position upon exposure to inertial loads above a crash threshold. A cable is moved upon moving the hoop to the deployed position to move a latching cam, associated with the fitting, to prevent the seat base from pivoting.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising:

a backrest;

a seat base connected to the backrest;

pivotable hoop connections connected to an underside of the seat base; and

a storage hoop with hoop ends respectively connected to the respective pivotable hoop connections, whereby the storage hoop pivots between a stowage position with the storage hoop extending along a seat underside to a hoop deployed position with the hoop extending outwardly from the seat underside, wherein the seat base has seat base fittings forming a part of pivot connections between the backrest and the seat base for pivoting the seat base relative to the backrest between a seating position and a stadium flipped up position.

2. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat base underside has a hard panel surface with one of grooves, ridges, recesses and protuberances.

3. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the pivotable hoop connections have pivot locations that are respectively adjacent to the seat base pivot connections, such that in a pivoted out state the hoop extends outwardly and substantially horizontally from the seat base.

4. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising a cable assembly with a cable connected to one of the pivotable hoop connections wherein at least one of the seat base pivot connections has a latching cam connected to the cable of the cable assembly to lock the seat base in a position to prevent the seat base from pivoting relative to the backrest in the hoop deployed position.

5. A vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the seat base comprises

a base frame structure;

foam and trim connected to the base frame structure, wherein;

the pivotable hoop connections comprise pivot brackets fixed to the base frame structure and brackets respectively fixed at the hoop ends and pivotably mounted to respective pivot brackets; and

the cable is connected to the pivotably mounted brackets to extend and retract in response to movement of the hoop between the stowage position and the deployed position.

6. A vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the storage hoop comprises a multi part construction comprising:

two side arms respectively extending from brackets to connection ends; and

an outer U-shaped hoop part with first and second U-shaped hoop ends respectively connected to the connection ends of the two side arms, wherein the outer U-shaped hoop part is mounted in the respective connection ends of side arms to telescopingly slide outwardly relative to the two side arms.

7. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising a shelf surface supported by the hoop, the shelf surface being one of rigid and flexible.

8. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the hoop has attachment features comprising additional hoop loops or hooks for adhering straps, bungees, ropes and other items inside and outside of the hoop.

9. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the seat underside has straps supported relative to the seat underside to form a modular lightweight load-carrying equipment.

10. A vehicle seat arrangement comprising:

front seats; and

at least one rearward seat, disposed rearwardly of the front seats, the rearward seat comprising;

a backrest;

a seat base connected to the backrest;

pivotable hoop connections connected to an underside of the seat base; and

a storage hoop with hoop ends connected respectively to the respective pivotable hoop connections, whereby the storage hoop pivots between a stowage position with the storage hoop extending along a seat underside to a hoop deployed position with the hoop extending outwardly from the seat underside, wherein the seat base has seat base fittings forming as part of pivot connections between the backrest and the seat base for pivoting the seat base relative to the backrest between a seating position and a stadium flipped up position.

11. A vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 10, further comprising a cable assembly with a cable connected to one of the pivotable hoop connections wherein at least one of the seat base pivot connections has a latching cam connected to the cable of the cable assembly to lock the seat base in a position to prevent the seat base from pivoting relative to the backrest in the hoop deployed position.

12. A vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the seat base comprises:

a base frame structure;

foam and trim connected to the base frame structure, wherein;

the pivotable hoop connections comprise pivot brackets fixed to the base frame structure and brackets respectively fixed at the hoop ends and pivotably mounted to respective pivot brackets; and

the cable is connected to at least one of the brackets respectively fixed at the hoop ends, to extend and retract in response to movement of the hoop between the stowage position and the deployed position.

13. A vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the storage hoop comprises a multi part construction comprising:

two side arms respectively extending from brackets to connection ends; and

an outer U-shaped hoop part with first and second U-shaped hoop ends respectively connected to the connection ends of the two side arms, wherein the outer U-shaped hoop part is mounted in the respective connection ends of side arms to telescopingly slide outwardly relative to the two side arms.

14. A vehicle seat arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the pivotable hoop connections have pivot locations that are respectively adjacent to the seat base pivot connections, such that in a pivoted out state the hoop extends outwardly and substantially horizontally from the seat base.

15. A vehicle seating and storage method comprising:

providing at least one rearward seat, rearwardly of front seats, the rearward seat comprising a backrest, a seat base connected to the backrest, pivotable hoop connections connected to an underside of the seat base and a storage hoop with hoop ends connected respectively to the respective pivotable hoop connections, whereby the storage hoop pivots between a stowage position with the storage hoop extending along a seat underside to a hoop deployed position with the hoop extending outwardly from the seat underside;

storing one or more items within a perimeter defined by the hoop, with the hoop in the hoop deployed position, wherein the seat base has seat base fittings forming a part of pivot connections between the backrest and the seat base for pivoting the seat base relative to the backrest between a seating position and a stadium flipped up position, wherein the pivotable hoop connections have pivot locations that are respectively adjacent to seat base pivot connections, such that in a pivoted out state the hoop extends outwardly and substantially horizontally from the seat base.

16. A vehicle seating and storage method according to claim 15, wherein:

the at least one rearward seat further comprises a cable assembly with a cable connected to one of the pivotable hoop connections wherein at least one of the seat base pivot connections has a latching cam connected to the cable of the cable assembly to lock the seat base in a position to prevent the seat base from pivoting relative to the backrest in the hoop deployed position; and

the seat base comprises a base frame structure, foam and trim connected to the base frame structure, wherein the pivotable hoop connections comprise pivot brackets fixed to the base frame structure and brackets respectively fixed at the hoop ends and pivotably mounted to respective pivot brackets and the cable is connected to the pivotably mounted brackets to extend and retract in response to movement of the hoop between the stowage position and the deployed position.