SEAT REPOSITIONING DEVICE WITH RELEASE ON CONTROL HANDLE

• US 20060061178A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Winner, Dean E., Pollack, Jay G., Gilliland, Kevin A., Billger, Steven C., Pulskamp, Steven R., Kaiser, Eric J., Thobe, Nicholas D., Kluver, Leroy M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,059,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/344.220
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/14 rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/10 , B60N2/2869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/797 for use as electrical control means, e.g. switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/919 Positioning and locking mechanisms B60N2/16, B60N2/18, B60N2/22, B60N2/225 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07545 Overhead guards
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0759 Details of operating station, e.g. seats, levers, operator platforms, cabin suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/20 Means for actuating or controlling masts, platforms, or forks power take-off from vehicle transmissions, combined with vehicle propulsion systems B60K

Abstract

Seat repositioning systems for vehicles comprise a seat release element that is operable to cause an operator'"'"'s seat to be temporarily released from a locked position such that the operator'"'"'s seat may be adjusted to a new position. By optionally positioning the seat control element proximate to an operator'"'"'s working position, a vehicle operator may reposition the seat while simultaneously performing another task. Moreover, a controller may be provided that is capable of deciding whether or not to allow the operator'"'"'s seat to be released based upon vehicle parameters such as vehicle speed or load handling conditions. Still further, the controller may temporarily disable select features of the vehicle depending upon the position of the seat.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A system for repositioning an operator'"'"'s seat in a vehicle comprising:

a repositionable operator'"'"'s seat;

a seat release control for unlocking said operator'"'"'s seat from a locked position;

a first module coupled to said seat release control that transmits a first message over a network designating an operation of said seat release control;

a second module that receives said first message transmitted over said network; and

a seat release system that is coupled to said second module, said seat release system controlled to unlock said operator'"'"'s seat from a designated locked position for repositioning of said seat based at least upon said first message transmitted over said network.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said seat release control is positioned on an armrest of said opeator'"'"'s seat and said first module is positioned in proximity to said armrest.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said seat release control comprises a push button control.

18. The system according to claim 15, where said network comprises a controller area network.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein said seat release system further comprises a detector for determining whether said operator'"'"'s seat is in a locked position or whether said seat is unlocked for repositioning.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein at least one function of said vehicle is disabled or modified while said operator'"'"'s seat is unlocked for repositioning.

21. The system according to claim 15, wherein said seat release system further comprises a detector that is operatively configured to sense a limited range of rotated positions of said operator'"'"'s seat.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein at least one function of said vehicle is disabled or modified while said detector indicates that said operator'"'"'s seat is outside of said limited range of positions.

23. The system according to claim 15, wherein said seat release system further comprises a sensor operatively configured to detect whether an operator is seated in said operator'"'"'s seat, wherein at least one function of said vehicle is disabled or modified while said sensor detects that said operator is not in said operator'"'"'s seat.

24. The system according to claim 15, further comprising at least one additional module communicably coupled to said network, wherein said second module determines whether to unlock said operator'"'"'s seat further based at least in part upon information received by said second module from said additional module.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said additional module detects a speed of said vehicle, and said second module keeps the operator'"'"'s seat locked as long as said vehicle is traveling above a predetermined threshold speed.

26. The system according to claim 15, further comprising at least one additional module communicably coupled to said network, wherein said second module determines whether at least one vehicle feature should be disabled or modified when said operator'"'"'s seat is unlocked based upon an input from said additional module.

27-33. -33. (canceled)

34. A system for repositioning an operator'"'"'s seat in a vehicle comprising:

a repositionable operator'"'"'s seat having;

a base structure;

an operator support coupled to said base structure, said operator support including a seat bottom upon which a vehicle operator may sit;

an armrest extending from said base structure; and

a rotation assembly arranged such that said base structure of said operator'"'"'s seat is manually rotatable about a first axis by said vehicle operator;

a release assembly for transitioning between a first state wherein said rotation assembly is locked with respect to said release assembly and a second state wherein said rotation assembly is released for manual repositioning by said operator;

a seat release control on said armrest for operating said release assembly between said first and second states for rotatably repositioning said operator'"'"'s seat; and

a first module electronically coupled between said seat release control and said release assembly for electronically transmitting a first message to said release assembly designating an operation of said seat release control.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein:

said rotate assembly comprises a lock disk having a plurality of locking positions thereon, and

said release assembly locks said operator'"'"'s seat from rotation when said operator'"'"'s seat is rotated so as to bring a select one of said locking positions substantially in line with said release assembly and said seat release control is not activated.

36. The system according to claim 35, wherein said rotate assembly further comprises at least one stop that limits the range of rotation of said operator'"'"'s seat when said operator'"'"'s seat is released for repositioning.

37. The system according to claim 34, wherein said release assembly comprises a solenoid that locks said operator'"'"'s seat from rotating by engaging said rotate assembly when said operator'"'"'s seat is released for repositioning.

38. The system according to claim 37, wherein said rotate assembly comprises a lock disk having a plurality of locking positions thereon, and said solenoid is operatively configured to lock said operator'"'"'s seat by engaging a select one of said locking positions on said lock disk.

39. The system according to claim 37, wherein said solenoid is controlled by a first duty cycle pulse width modulation signal when retracting a plunger from said rotate assembly and said solenoid is controlled to retain said plunger in a retracted position while said operator'"'"'s seat is being repositioned by a second duty cycle pulse width modulation signal.

40. The system according to claim 37, wherein said solenoid comprises a plunger having a solenoid shaft coupled to a shaft extension, said shaft extension guided by bearings towards said rotate assembly.

41. The system according to claim 37, wherein said release assembly further comprises a support plate that is coupled to said rotate assembly by resilient mounts configured to allow play between a plunger of said solenoid and said rotate assembly.

42. The system according to claim 34, wherein:

said seat release control is provided above a horizontal plane of an armrest of said operator support; and

said operator support further comprises a first vehicle control for operating a task of said vehicle, wherein said seat release control is operative simultaneously with said first vehicle control while operating said vehicle.

43. The system according to claim 34, wherein said operator'"'"'s seat may rotate 360 degrees when said release assembly is released from engagement with said rotate assembly.

44. The system according to claim 34, further comprising a detector for detecting whether said operator'"'"'s seat is locked or unlocked and at least one vehicle control module that selectively enables or disables a vehicle fixation based upon a state of said detector.

45. The system according to claim 34, further comprising at least one vehicle control module that selectively enables or disables said first message electronically communicated by said first module from operating said release assembly based upon a determined state of said vehicle.

46. The system according to claim 34, wherein said rotate assembly further comprises:

a cam for designating a limited range of positions of said operator'"'"'s seat;

a detector for detecting a position of said cam; and

at least one vehicle control module that selectively enables or disables a vehicle function based upon a state of said detector.

47. The system according to claim 34, wherein said operator'"'"'s seat further comprises:

a sensor for designating whether an operator is seated in said operator'"'"'s seat; and

at least one vehicle control module that selectively enables or disables said first message electronically communicated by said first module from operating said release assembly based upon a determined state of said vehicle.

48. The system according to claim 34, wherein said release assembly comprises a braking device and said operator'"'"'s seat can be selectively locked in any rotated position.

49. A system for repositioning an operator'"'"'s seat in a vehicle comprising:

a repositionable operator'"'"'s seat;

a control handle provided on an armrest of said operator'"'"'s seat for performing at least one predetermined task;

a seat release control provided on said control handle for unlocking said operator'"'"'s seat for repositioning;

a first module coupled to said seat release control that transmits a first message over a network designating an operation of said seat release control;

a second module that receives said first message transmitted over said network; and

a seat release system that is coupled to said second module, said seat release system for unlocking said operator'"'"'s seat from a designated locked position for repositioning of said seat based at least upon said first message.

50. The system according to claim 49, wherein said control handle comprises a multifunction control handle and said seat release control is incorporated into said multifunction control handle such that said seat release control is operative simultaneously with an operative control of said multifunction control handle.

51. The system according to claim 49, wherein said seat release control is positioned above a substantially horizontal plane defined by the top of an armrest of said operator'"'"'s seat.

52. The system according to claim 49, wherein said second module comprises a vehicle control module that controls a plurality of vehicle functions.

53. The system according to claim 49, wherein said operator'"'"'s seat is repositionable by rotating said operator'"'"'s seat about a first axis.