Automotive vehicle seat with indented lower side portions

• US 10,549,658 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2018
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC (Rivian Automotive Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC (Rivian Automotive Inc.)
• Inventors: Frye, James H., Schneider, David, Odle, Jared
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Rodney B
• Application Number:
  US15/963,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20190329676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 29745233, 29745234, 29744015, 29744016, 29745256, 29745223, 29745225
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/24 for particular purposes or particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/643 shape of the back-rests B60N2/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/66 Lumbar supports
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/682 Joining means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/686 Panel like structures
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/803 fixed
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence

Abstract

A seat for an automotive vehicle includes a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat bottom includes a first frame and a seating surface, and the seat back includes a second frame. A first attachment mechanism is configured to secure the first frame of the seat bottom to the automotive vehicle. The seat back includes an upper portion, and a lower portion, and a middle portion between the upper portion and the lower portion. A second attachment mechanism is configured to connect the seat back and the seat bottom. The seat bottom and seat back being configured such that a lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back is greater than a lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back, a lateral width of the seat bottom is greater than the lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back, and a gap is located between the upper portion of the seat back and a rear portion of the seat bottom at a right side and/or a left side of the seat back.

Claims

1. A seat for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a seat bottom, the seat bottom comprising a first frame and a seating surface supported by the first frame, the seating surface configured to support an occupant of an automotive vehicle;

a first attachment mechanism configured to secure the first frame of the seat bottom to the automotive vehicle;

a seat back, the seat back comprising a second frame, the seat back having, above a level at which the seat back meets the seating surface of the seat bottom, an upper portion, a lower portion, and a middle portion between the upper portion and the lower portion, the upper portion, middle portion and lower portion of the seat back being supported by the second frame, the upper portion, middle portion, and lower portion of the seat back correspond to an upper third, middle third, and lower third of the seat back in an upright direction along the seatback, respectively; and

a second attachment mechanism configured to connect the seat back and the seat bottom, the seating surface at a rear of the seat bottom being disposed lower than a rotation axis of the second attachment mechanism,

the seat bottom and seat back being configured such that

a lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back is greater than a lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back,

a lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back is greater than a lateral width of the middle portion of the seat back,

a lateral width of the middle portion of the seat back is greater than a lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back,

a lateral width of the seat bottom is greater than the lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back, and

a gap is located between the upper portion of the seat back and a rear portion of the seat bottom at one or both of a right side of the seat back and a left side of the seat back.

2. The seat of claim 1, comprising a headrest attached to the seat back or integrated into the seat back, the headrest having a lateral width smaller than the lateral width of the upper portion of the seatback.

3. The seat of claim 1, the middle portion of the seat back having a laterally tapered shape such that a lateral width of the middle portion of the seat back varies in a side-to-side direction with location in a vertical direction.

4. The seat of claim 3, the seat back being configured such that:

the upper portion of the seat back has an average lateral width in the range of 18-24 inches, and the lower portion of the seat back has an average lateral width in the range of 8-14 inches.

5. The seat of claim 1, the lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back being an average width or a maximum width of the upper the portion of the seat back, and the lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back being an average width or a maximum of the lower portion of the seat back.

6. The seat of claim 1, the gap corresponding to a lateral indentation in the seat back that forms an empty space.

10. The seat of claim 2, the lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back being an average width or a maximum width of the upper the portion of the seat back, and the lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back being an average width or a maximum of the lower portion of the seat back.

7. A seat for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a seat bottom, the seat bottom comprising a first frame and a seating surface supported by the first frame, the seating surface configured to support an occupant of an automotive vehicle;

a first attachment mechanism configured to secure the first frame of the seat bottom to the automotive vehicle;

a seat back, the seat back comprising a second frame, the seat back having, above a level at which the seat back meets the seating surface of the seat bottom, an upper portion, and a lower portion, and a middle portion between the upper portion and the lower portion, the upper portion, middle portion and lower portion of the seat back being supported by the second frame, the upper portion, middle portion, and lower portion of the seat back correspond to an upper third, middle third, and lower third of the seat back in an upright direction along the seatback, respectively; and

a second attachment mechanism configured to connect the seat back and the seat bottom, the seating surface at a rear of the seat bottom being disposed lower than a rotation axis of the second attachment mechanism, the seat back being configured such that a ratio of a lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back to a lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back is in a range of about 1.3-3.0,

a lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back is greater than a lateral width of the middle portion of the seat back, and

a lateral width of the middle portion of the seat back is greater than a lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back.

8. The seat of claim 7, comprising a headrest attached to the seat back or integrated into the seat back, the headrest having a lateral width smaller than the lateral width of the upper portion of the seatback.

9. The seat of claim 7, the middle portion of the seat back having a laterally tapered shape such that a lateral width of the middle portion of the seat back varies in a side-to-side direction with location in a vertical direction.

11. The seat of claim 7, a gap being located between the upper portion of the seat back and a rear portion of the seat bottom at one or both of a right side of the seat back and a left side of the seat back, the gap corresponding to a lateral indentation in the seat back that forms an empty space.

12. A method of assembling a seat for an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a seat bottom, the seat bottom comprising a first frame and a seating surface supported by the first frame, the seating surface configured to support an occupant of an automotive vehicle, the seat bottom including a first attachment mechanism configured to secure the first frame of the seat bottom to an automotive vehicle;

providing a seat back, the seat back comprising a second frame, the seat back having, above a level at which the seat back meets the seating surface of the seat bottom, an upper portion, and a lower portion, and a middle portion between the upper portion and the lower portion, the upper portion, middle portion and lower portion of the seat back being supported by the second frame, the upper portion, middle portion, and lower portion of the seat back correspond to an upper third, middle third, and lower third of the seat back in an upright direction along the seatback, respectively; and

attaching the seat back to the seat bottom with a second attachment mechanism configured to connect the seat back and the seat bottom, the seating surface at a rear of the seat bottom being disposed lower than a rotation axis of the second attachment mechanism,

the seat bottom and seat back being configured such that

a lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back is greater than a lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back,

a lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back is greater than a lateral width of the middle portion of the seat back,

a lateral width of the middle portion of the seat back is greater than a lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back,

a lateral width of the seat bottom is greater than the lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back, and

a gap is located between the upper portion of the seat back and a rear portion of the seat bottom at one or both of a right side of the seat back and a left side of the seat back.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a ratio of a lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back to a lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back is in a range of about 1.3-3.0.

14. The method of claim 13, attaching a headrest to or integrating a headrest into the seat back, the headrest having a lateral width smaller than the lateral width of the upper portion of the seatback.

15. The method of claim 13, the middle portion of the seat back having a laterally tapered shape such that a lateral width of the middle portion of the seat back varies in a side-to-side direction with location in a vertical direction.

16. The method of claim 12, the lateral width of the upper portion of the seat back being an average width or a maximum width of the upper the portion of the seat back, and the lateral width of the lower portion of the seat back being an average width or a maximum width of the lower portion of the seat back.

17. The method of claim 12, a gap being located between the upper portion of the seat back and a rear portion of the seat bottom at one or both of a right side of the seat back and a left side of the seat back, the gap corresponding to a lateral indentation in the seat back that forms an empty space.