Motor vehicle seat having extendable light

• US 6,431,734 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Curry, Harold M.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US09/741,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20020075692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 362/511, 362/488, 362/131, 362/581, 362/391, 362/487
• US Class Current: 362/488
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/233 Seats; Arm rests; Head rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/57 Retractable or concealable lighting devices

Abstract

A motor vehicle seat assembly comprises a seat, a tether, and a light unit. The seat has an opening, and the tether is movable between a stowed position and an extended position wherein the tether extends from the opening. The light unit is mounted on the distal end of the tether, and includes a finger hole, a lens, and a power switch.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a seat including a generally horizontally extending seat bottom and a generally vertically extending seat back having a junction with the seat bottom, and the seat having an opening adjacent the junction of the seat back with the seat bottom;

a flexible tether that extends through the opening of the seat and has a distal end;

a light unit secured to the distal end of the flexible tether and including a lens and a power switch; and

a retractor connected to the flexible tether to provide retraction thereof into the opening in order to stow the light unit flush with respect to the opening of the seat, and the retractor also permitting extension of the flexible tether to permit use of the light unit by operation of the power switch.

2. A motor vehicle seat assembly as in claim 1 wherein the light unit includes a finger hole.

3. A motor vehicle seat assembly as in claim 1 wherein the power switch of the light unit has at least two settings for setting the a corresponding light level emitted from the lens.

4. A motor vehicle seat assembly as in claim 1 wherein the power switch of the light unit has at least off, bright, and dim settings for setting the a corresponding light level emitted from the lens.

5. A motor vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a seat including a generally horizontally extending seat bottom and a generally vertically extending seat back having a junction with the seat bottom, and the seat having an opening adjacent the junction of the seat back with the seat bottom;

a flexible tether that extends through the opening of the seat and has a distal end;

a light unit secured to the distal end of the flexible tether and including a finger hole, a lens, and a power switch having off, bright and dim settings for setting a corresponding light level emitted from the lens; and

a retractor connected to the flexible tether to provide retraction thereof into the opening in order to stow the light unit flush with respect to the opening of the seat, and the retractor also permitting extension of the flexible tether to permit use of the light unit by operation of the power switch.

6. A motor vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a bench seat having ends and including a generally horizontally extending seat bottom and a generally vertically extending seat back having a junction with the seat bottom, and the seat having an opening located centrally between its ends adjacent the junction of the seat back with the seat bottom;

a flexible tether that extends through the opening of the seat and has a distal end;

a light unit secured to the distal end of the flexible tether and including a finger hole, a lens, and a power switch having off, bright and dim settings for setting a corresponding light level emitted from the lens; and

a retractor connected to the flexible tether to provide retraction thereof into the opening in order to stow the light unit flush with respect to the opening of the seat, and the retractor also permitting extension of the flexible tether to permit use of the light unit by operation of the power switch.