Vehicular seating assembly, systems and method

• US 10,399,467 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joshua Hans Theander, Scott Allan Bannert
• Original Assignee: Joshua Hans Theander, Scott Allan Bannert
• Inventors: Theander, Joshua Hans, Bannert, Scott Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Mark R
• Application Number:
  US15/989,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20180272901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 2972501, 297255, 2972561, 29725613, 29725614, 29725616, 297254, 297256
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/265 Adaptations for seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/286 forward facing B60N2/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3011 the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement"
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4249 fixed structures, i.e. where neither the seat nor a part thereof are displaced during a crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence

Abstract

The present application is directed to a vehicular seating assembly including a plurality of forward facing seating configurations and a rearward facing seating configuration, the rearward facing seating configuration including an infant seat carrier operationally configured to be concealed from view when the seating assembly is set at a forward facing seating configuration, wherein the infant seat carrier is releasably attachable to the seat member assembly for vehicular seating assembly use and releasably attachable to vehicular child anchors for standalone use of the infant seat carrier apart from the seating assembly.

Claims

1. An infant seat carrier including:

a seat surface member having a center longitudinal plane and a backrest surface member having a center longitudinal plane, the backrest surface member being pivotally attached to the seat surface member at opposing pivot axis junctions wherein the seat surface member and backrest surface member are pivotal between (1) a closed position wherein said center longitudinal planes are oriented in a substantially parallel alignment and (2) one or more open positions including open positions wherein the center longitudinal planes define obtuse angles;

one or more connectors releasably attachable to vehicular child anchors; and

at least a first locking mechanism operable with one of the pivot axis junctions, the first locking mechanism being operationally configured to dictate pivotal movement of the seat surface member and the backrest surface member between said closed position and said one or more open positions;

wherein a first locking mechanism includes a locking gear assembly to prevent pivotal movement of the seat surface member and backrest surface member.

2. The infant seat carrier of claim 1 further including a handle attached at one or more of the pivot axis junctions and in communication with the first locking mechanism.

3. The infant seat carrier of claim 1 further including at least one support attached to a bottom surface of the seat surface member operationally configured to maintain the infant seat carrier in an upright position when the infant seat carrier is set upon a target surface.

4. The infant seat carrier of claim 1 further including an adjustable five-point seat belt harness adjustable along the seating surface of the backrest surface member.

5. A vehicular seating assembly having a seat member assembly, a backrest member assembly and an intermediary member, the vehicular seating assembly providing a seat surface and including a plurality of vehicular forward facing seating configurations defined by a plurality of seat surface elevations and a plurality of vehicular rearward facing seating configurations, the rearward facing seating configurations including an infant seat carrier operationally configured to be concealed from view when the seating assembly is set at a forward facing seating configuration, the infant seat carrier being (1) releasably attachable to the seat member assembly for rearward facing seating use and (2) releasably attachable to vehicular child anchors for standalone vehicular use apart from the seating assembly, wherein the intermediary member is operationally configured to receive a backrest surface member of the infant seat carrier when the vehicular seating assembly is set at forward and rearward facing seating configurations.

6. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 5 wherein the infant seat carrier includes a seat surface member and a backrest surface member pivotally attached to the seat surface member at opposing pivot axis junctions in a manner effective for the backrest surface member to be (1) directed to a contact position with the seat surface member when the seating assembly is set at a forward facing seating configuration and (2) directed apart from the seat surface member to one or more open positions when the seating assembly is set at a rearward facing seating configuration.

7. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 5 wherein the backrest surface member includes one or more connectors for releasably attaching the backrest surface member to the intermediary member.

8. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 6 further including a locking mechanism in communication with one of the pivot axis junctions, the locking mechanism being operationally configured to hold the backrest surface member at one or more fixed positions relative the seat surface member.

9. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 5 wherein the infant seat carrier includes a handle for manually carrying of the infant seat carrier apart from the vehicular seating assembly.

10. A vehicular seating assembly including (1) a mounting chassis fixable to one or more vehicular surfaces, (2) a seat member assembly attached to the mounting chassis, the seat member assembly having a pivotal seat member defining a first seat surface and an opposing underside surface including a mounting assembly disposed along the underside surface, (3) a backrest member assembly attached to the mounting chassis, the backrest member assembly having a pivotal first backrest member defining a first backrest surface when the first backrest member is set at an upright position, (4) an infant seat carrier releasably attachable to the mounting assembly, and (5) a lift system for adjusting the elevation of the first seat surface.

11. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 10 wherein the elevation of the first seat surface relative the vehicular surface is adjustable.

12. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 10 wherein the infant seat carrier is operationally configured for standalone use, the infant seat carrier including one or more connectors releasably attachable to vehicular child anchors of a vehicle.

13. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 10 wherein the backrest member assembly includes an interchangeable removable member operationally configured to provide a second backrest surface.

14. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 13 wherein the first interchangeable removable member includes a harness system defined by harness strapping, apertures disposed along the second backrest surface for receiving part of the harness strapping there through, and a tensioner system housed within the backrest member assembly.

15. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 14 wherein the apertures include a plurality of horizontally aligned fixed slots interconnected with vertically aligned grooves for receiving the harness strapping there through.

16. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 10 including opposing side guard members exposed when the first backrest member is oriented in a horizontal position.

17. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 16 wherein the opposing side guard members further include extensible side shielding members effective to define the width of the second backrest surface.

18. The vehicular seating assembly of claim 17 wherein the extensible side shielding members each include a perimeter frame member disposed along the edge of an interior substantially planar panel member, the frame members being operationally configured to bend when the side shielding members are set at a retracted position when the first backrest member is oriented in an upright position.