Seat and seat assembly for use in a boat

• US 10,207,776 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Inventors: Downey, Kevin T., Kramer, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olson, Lars A
• Application Number:
  US15/693,718
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 114363
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2029/043 Seats; Arrangements thereof on vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2709/00 Tables, chairs and other furniture peculiar to vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 29/04 Furniture peculiar to vessels floatable furniture B63C9/30
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 29/06 Fastening to floors

Abstract

A seat is designed for use in a boat and extends in a vertical height direction, a lateral width direction, and a depth direction perpendicular to the width direction. The seat includes a pan main body extending in at least the width direction and the depth and a back main body coupled to the pan main body and extending in at least the width direction and the height direction. The pan main body and/or the back main body is formed from a single extrusion having a uniform cross section in one if the height, width, and depth directions. The pan main body and/or the back main body has an open profile when viewed in the one of the height, width, and depth directions. The open profile is configured to accept and hold a further seat component therein.

Claims

1. A seat for use in a boat and extending in a vertical height direction, a lateral width direction, and a depth direction perpendicular to the width direction, the seat comprising:

a pan main body extending in at least the width direction and the depth direction; and

a back main body coupled to the pan main body and extending in at least the width direction and the height direction;

wherein at least one of the pan main body and the back main body is formed from a single extrusion having a uniform cross section in one of the height, width, and depth directions;

wherein at least one of the pan main body and the back main body has an open profile when viewed in the one of the height, width, and depth directions, the open profile being configured to accept and hold a further seat component therein;

wherein at least one of the pan main body and the back main body is both formed from the extrusion and has the open profile, and the cross section of the extrusion defines the open profile; and

wherein the at least one of the pan main body and the back main body that is formed from the extrusion has a first wall and an opposing second wall that together define the open profile, and further comprising;

a reinforcing rib within the open profile that extends between the first wall and the second wall;

wherein the reinforcing rib at least in part defines a receiving area for holding the further seat component.

2. The seat of claim 1, wherein:

the pan main body is formed from a first single extrusion having a first uniform cross section in a first one of the height, width, and depth directions and has a first open profile when viewed in the first one of the height, width, and depth directions, the first cross section of the first extrusion defining the first open profile; and

the back main body is formed from a second single extrusion having a second uniform cross section in a second one of the height, width, and depth directions and has a second open profile when viewed in the second one of the height, width, and depth directions, the second cross section of the second extrusion defining the second open profile.

3. The seat of claim 2, further comprising:

a first hinge portion formed integrally at a rear end of the first extrusion; and

a second hinge portion formed integrally at a lower end of the second extrusion;

wherein the first and second hinge portions fit together to pivotably couple the back main body to the pan main body.

4. The seat of claim 3, wherein one of the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion is formed as a groove extending in the width direction and the other of the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion is complementary to and fits within the groove.

5. The seat of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of back main bodies coupled to the pan main body.

6. The seat of claim 5, wherein the pan main body is formed from the extrusion, and further comprising:

a pan hinge portion formed integrally at a rear end of the extrusion; and

a back hinge portion formed on a lower end of each back main body in the plurality of back main bodies, respectively;

wherein the back hinge portion of each back main body fits together with the pan hinge portion to pivotably couple each back main body to the pan main body.

7. The seat of claim 1, wherein the pan main body is formed from the extrusion, and further comprising:

a pedestal assembly configured to support the pan main body and extending at least in the height direction; and

an attachment area formed integrally at a bottom side of the extrusion and configured to receive and be coupled to an upper end of the pedestal assembly.

8. The seat of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of further seat components configured to be accepted and held by the open profile, wherein the further seat components in the plurality of further seat components comprise at least one of the following:

a back panel;

a side rail;

an elastic seat suspension;

a plug; and

a cover fabric.

9. A seat assembly for use in a boat and extending in a vertical height direction, a lateral width direction, and a depth direction perpendicular to the width direction, the seat assembly comprising:

a pan main body extending in at least the width direction and the depth direction, the pan main body being formed from a first single extrusion having a first uniform cross section in a first one of the height, width, and depth directions;

a back main body coupled to the pan main body and extending in at least the width direction and the height direction, the back main body being formed from a second single extrusion having a second uniform cross section in a second one of the height, width, and depth directions;

a first hinge portion formed integrally at a rear end of the first extrusion; and

a second hinge portion formed integrally at a lower end of the second extrusion;

wherein the first and second hinge portions fit together to pivotably couple the back main body to the pan main body.

10. The seat assembly of claim 9, further comprising at least one further seat component configured to be coupled to at least one of the pan main body and the back main body.

11. The seat assembly of claim 10, wherein at least one of the pan main body and the back main body has an open profile when viewed in the respective first or second one of the height, width, and depth directions, the open profile being configured to accept and hold the at least one further seat component therein.

12. The seat assembly of claim 11, wherein the open profile of the least one of the pan main body and the back main body is defined by a corresponding one of the first and second cross sections of a corresponding one of the first and second extrusions.

13. The seat assembly of claim 12, wherein the open profile is defined by a first wall and an opposing second wall of the at least one of the pan main body and the back main body, and further comprising:

a reinforcing rib within the open profile that extends between the first wall and the second wall;

wherein the reinforcing rib at least in part defines a receiving area for holding the at least one further seat component.

14. The seat assembly of claim 13, wherein the open profile and the reinforcing rib both extend in the width direction from a first lateral end to a second lateral end of the at least one of the pan main body and the back main body, such that a first further seat component can be held in a first receiving area at the first lateral end, and a second further seat component can be held in a second receiving area at the second lateral end.

15. The seat assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one further seat component comprises at least one of the following:

a back panel;

a side rail;

an elastic seat suspension;

a plug; and

a cover fabric.

16. The seat assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

a pedestal assembly configured to support the pan main body and extending at least in the height direction; and

an attachment area formed integrally at a bottom side of the first extrusion and configured to receive and be coupled to an upper end of the pedestal assembly.

17. The seat assembly of claim 16, wherein the attachment area extends in the first one of the height, width, and depth directions along an entirety of the bottom side of the first extrusion.

18. The seat assembly of claim 9, wherein the first hinge portion extends in the width direction along the rear end of the first extrusion, and the second hinge portion extends in the width direction along the lower end of the second extrusion.

19. A seat for use in a boat and extending in a vertical height direction, a lateral width direction, and a depth direction perpendicular to the width direction, the seat comprising:

a pan main body extending in at least the width direction and the depth direction; and

a plurality of back main bodies coupled to the pan main body, each back main body in the plurality of back main bodies extending in at least the width direction and the height direction;

wherein at least one of the pan main body and the back main bodies is formed from a single extrusion having a uniform cross section in one of the height, width, and depth directions;

wherein at least one of the pan main body and the back main bodies has an open profile when viewed in the one of the height, width, and depth directions, the open profile being configured to accept and hold a further seat component therein; and

wherein the pan main body is formed from the extrusion, and further comprising;

a pan hinge portion formed integrally at a rear end of the extrusion; and

a back hinge portion formed on a lower end of each back main body in the plurality of back main bodies, respectively;

wherein the back hinge portion of each back main body fits together with the pan hinge portion to pivotably couple each back main body to the pan main body.