AUTOMOTIVE SEAT RECONFIGURABLE TO WORK DESK

• US 20100123338A1
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adient Luxembourg Holding S..R.L., Flagship Enterprise Center, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Cansfield, Jonathan Peter, Friedman, Daniel A., Zadins, Emery Jay, Busch, David B., Waters, John E., Nothwehr, Rollin
• Granted Patent: US 8,109,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/125
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/206 to a position in which it can be used as a support for objects, e.g. as a tray
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/24 for particular purposes or particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3013 the back-rest being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/305 the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/001 of tables or trays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/043 mounted on or under a seat

Abstract

An automotive seat has a seat back and a seat bottom that are movable between a seating configuration and a work desk configuration. When moving from the seating configuration to the work desk configuration, the seat bottom pivots forwardly into a generally vertical orientation and the seat back pivots downwardly into a generally horizontal orientation. The seat bottom supports an end of the seat back when the seat bottom and the seat back are in the work desk configuration. The back surface of the seat back faces upwardly to provide a work surface when the seat bottom and the seat back are in the work desk configuration. Sufficient space is provided beneath the seat back when in the work desk configuration to accommodate a person'"'"'s legs underneath the seat back.

Claims

1. An automotive seat for a vehicle, the automotive seat comprising

a seat back movable between a raised position in which a back surface of the seat back faces generally toward a rear of the vehicle and a lowered position in which the back surface of the seat back faces upwardly to serve as a work surface, and

a seat bottom movable between a first position in which a seating surface of the seat bottom faces generally upwardly and a second position in which the seating surface faces generally toward a front of the vehicle, the seat bottom being configured to support the seat back in the lowered position.

2. The automotive seat of claim 1, further comprising a linkage coupled to the seat bottom and coupled to a floor of the vehicle, the linkage being situated beneath a front region of the seat bottom when the seat bottom is in the first position.

3. The automotive seat of claim 2, wherein the linkage extends generally vertically upwardly from the floor of the vehicle beneath the front region of the seat when the seat is in the first position and the linkage extends generally horizontally adjacent the floor of the vehicle when the seat bottom is in the second position.

4. The automotive seat of claim 2, wherein the linkage comprises a link having a first end coupled to the seat bottom and a second end pivotably coupled to the floor of the vehicle.

5. The automotive seat of claim 1, wherein the seat back pivots about a generally horizontal pivot axis when moving between the raised position and the lowered position.

6. The automotive seat of claim 1, wherein the seat bottom has a support member that extends generally downwardly from a rear region of the seat bottom when the seat bottom is in the first position, the support member extends generally horizontally from the seat bottom when the seat bottom is in the second position, and the seat back is supported by the support member when the seat back is in the lowered position.

7. The automotive seat of claim 1, further comprising a latch configured to releasably secure the seat back to the seat bottom when the seat bottom is in the second position supporting the seat back in the lowered position.

8. The automotive seat of claim 7, wherein the latch comprises a first portion coupled to the seat bottom and a second portion coupled to the seat back.

9. The automotive seat of claim 1, further comprising a first latch to releasably secure the seat back in the raised position and a second latch to releasably secure the seat back in the lowered position.

10. The automotive seat of claim 9, wherein the first latch comprises a first portion coupled to a top region of the seat back and a second portion coupled to the vehicle.

11. The automotive seat of claim 9, wherein the second latch comprises a first portion coupled to the seat bottom and a second portion coupled to the seat back.

12. The automotive seat of claim 1, wherein the seat back is positioned by a sufficient amount above a floor of the vehicle when in the lowered position to permit legs of a person sitting on another seat of the vehicle to fit underneath the seat back.

13. The automotive seat of claim 1, wherein the back surface of the seat back has at least one recess for receiving at least one item therein.

14. The automotive seat of claim 13, wherein the at least one recess includes a first recess configured to catch objects left on the work surface when the seat back is moved from the lowered position to the raised position.

15. The automotive seat of claim 13, wherein the at least one recess includes a recess configured as a cup holder.

16. The automotive seat of claim 13, wherein the at least one recess includes a recess configured to receive a laptop computer.

17. An automotive seat for a vehicle, the automotive seat comprising

a seat back having a top end and a bottom end, and

a seat bottom having a rear end and a front end,

wherein the seat back and seat bottom are coupled to the vehicle and moveable between a seating configuration in which the rear end of the seat bottom is situated adjacent the bottom end of the seat back and a work desk configuration in which the rear end of the seat bottom is situated generally vertically above the front end of the seat bottom and in which the top end of the seat back is supported by the seat bottom and is situated adjacent the rear end of the seat bottom.

18. The automotive seat of claim 17, further comprising a linkage that is coupled to the seat bottom near the front end and that is pivotably coupled to a floor of the vehicle, the linkage extending generally vertically and supporting the front end of the seat bottom above the floor when the seat back and seat bottom are in the seating configuration, and the linkage extending generally horizontally along the floor when the seat back and seat bottom are in the work desk configuration.

19. The automotive seat of claim 18, wherein the seat bottom has a support member extending from the seat bottom near the rear end, the support member extending downwardly when the seat back and the seat bottom are in the seating configuration, the support member extending generally horizontally when the seat back and the seat bottom are in the work desk configuration, and the top end of the seat back being supported atop the support member when the seat back and the seat bottom are in the work desk configuration.

20. The automotive seat of claim 19, further comprising a latch to releasably secure the seat bottom and the seat back together when the seat bottom and the seat back are in the work desk configuration, the latch having a first portion coupled to the seat bottom near the top end, and the latch having a second portion coupled to seat bottom near the rear end.