Seat repositioning device with release on control handle

• US 20060152052A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• 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 7,350,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/285
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0235 Joysticks
• 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: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• 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 an operator'"'"'s seat having a seat bottom and optionally, a seat back, where the operator'"'"'s seat further comprises an adjustable characteristic, such as seat rotation, seat height adjustment, tilt, or X-Y position. A seat release control is operable to release the operator'"'"'s seat from a locked position for repositioning of the adjustable characteristic of the operator'"'"'s seat.

Claims

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

an operator'"'"'s seat having;

a base structure; and

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

a rotate assembly arranged such that said base structure is rotatable relative to a floor of said vehicle;

a seat release control coupled to said operator'"'"'s seat;

a release assembly having a lock device that engages said rotate assembly to lock said operator'"'"'s seat from rotating, wherein said lock device is electrically controlled in response to operation of said seat release control to release said rotate assembly for rotation of said operator'"'"'s seat by an operator.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

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

said lock device 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 lock device and said seat release control is not activated.

3. The system according to claim 2, 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.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said operator'"'"'s seat may rotate 360 degrees when said release assembly is released from engagement with said lock device.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said lock device comprises a solenoid.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said rotate assembly comprises a lock disk having a plurality of locking positions thereon, and said solenoid comprises a plunger that is operatively controlled to lock said operator'"'"'s seat by projecting into a select one of said locking positions on said lock disk.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said plunger is extended to lock said operator'"'"'s seat when said solenoid is not energized, and said plunger retracts to release said operator'"'"'s seat when said solenoid is energized upon operation of said seat release control.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein:

said solenoid is controlled by a first duty cycle pulse width modulation signal when retracting said 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.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein said plunger comprises a solenoid shaft coupled to a shaft extension, said shaft extension guided by bearings towards said lock disk of said rotate assembly.

10. The system according to claim 5, 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.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

said operator'"'"'s seat further comprises an armrest;

said armrest supporting a control handle having at least one control element; and

said seat release control is positioned on said control handle.

12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first detector configured to detect whether said operator'"'"'s seat is locked or unlocked for repositioning by said operator;

a cam operatively configured to designate a limited range of positions of said operator'"'"'s seat,

a second detector configured to detect whether said cam is within said designated range of positions; and

a third detector configured to detect whether an operator is seated on said seat bottom, wherein;

said first, second and third detectors are coupled to a controller for controlling at least one function said vehicle.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said lock device comprises a braking device configured such that said operator'"'"'s seat can be selectively locked into any rotated position.

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

an operator'"'"'s seat having;

a base structure; and

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

a rotate assembly arranged such that said base structure is rotatable relative to a floor of said vehicle;

a release assembly operatively configured to lock said operator'"'"'s seat from rotating when said release assembly is in engagement with said rotate assembly, and to allow said operator'"'"'s seat to rotate when said release assembly is released from engagement with said rotate assembly; and

a seat release control on a control handle, wherein said seat release control is operable to cause said release assembly to release said operator'"'"'s seat for repositioning and said control handle includes at least one additional control element that provides at least one other vehicle control function.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said release assembly further comprises a lock device that is electronically controlled in response to said seat release control to release said rotate assembly for rotation of said operator'"'"'s seat by said operator.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said control handle is provided on an armrest of said operator'"'"'s seat.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein:

said seat release control is provided above a horizontal plane of said armrest of said operator support, wherein said seat release control is operative simultaneously with at least one additional control element on said control handle while said operator is operating said vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a first detector configured to detect whether said operator'"'"'s seat is locked or unlocked for repositioning by said operator;

a cam operatively configured to designate a limited range of positions of said operator'"'"'s seat,

a second detector configured to detect whether said cam is within said designated range of positions; and

a third detector configured to detect whether an operator is seated on said seat bottom, wherein;

said first, second and third detectors are coupled to a controller for controlling at least one function said vehicle such that control of said at least one function is affected by a state of at least one of said first, second and third detectors.

19. The system according to claim 14, further comprising a controller coupled to said release assembly, said controller disabling said lock device from releasing with said rotate assembly based upon a predetermined state of said vehicle.

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

an operator'"'"'s seat having a seat bottom, a seat back and at least one armrest, said operator'"'"'s seat further comprising an adjustable characteristic;

a control handle provided on said armrest, said control handle having at least one control element for controlling a function of said vehicle; and

a seat release control provided on said control handle, wherein said seat release control is operable to release said operator'"'"'s seat from a locked position for repositioning said adjustable characteristic of said operator'"'"'s seat.