Active suspension seat floor plate

• US 8,282,149 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClearMotion Acquisition I LLC
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Kniffin, Mark, Nute, Christopher P., Clark, Ian Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kiran B
• Application Number:
  US12/693,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65.02, 296/204, 296/63, 180/68.5, 267/131, 297/216.1, 297/216.16, 297/216.17, 248/550, 248/585, 248/588, 248/421, 280/124.109, 280/788
• US Class Current: 296/65.02
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/501 actively controlled suspension, e.g. electronic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/502 attached to the base of the seat B60N2/504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/507 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6009 covering more than only the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An active suspension seat is mounted to a floor of a vehicle with a floor plate having a lower portion through which is formed a first plurality of apertures positioned about the lower portion to correspond to the manner in which mounting features are positioned about the floor of the vehicle, and having an upper portion through which is formed a second plurality of apertures positioned about the upper portion to correspond to the manner in which apertures are positioned about a lower frame of the active suspension seat, and to enable the active suspension seat to be coupled to the floor plate by inserting fasteners through the second plurality of apertures from locations external to the lower frame.

Claims

1. A method of installing an active suspension seat in a vehicle comprising:

coupling a floor plate to a floor of a vehicle, wherein the floor plate has a first plurality of apertures that correspond to a plurality of mounting features positioned about the floor to enable the floor plate to be coupled to the floor; and

coupling the active suspension seat to the floor plate, wherein;

the floor plate having a second plurality of apertures that correspond to a plurality of apertures formed in a lower frame of the active suspension seat to enable the active suspension seat to be coupled to the floor plate; and

coupling the active suspension seat to the floor plate comprises inserting fasteners through the second plurality of apertures and into the corresponding apertures of the lower frame, wherein the second plurality of apertures are located at positions on the floor plate that enable the fasteners to be inserted from locations external to the active suspension seat.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling an upper portion of a skirt to an upper frame of the active suspension seat that is structured to be actively suspended above a lower frame of the active suspension seat; and

coupling a lower portion of the skirt to the floor plate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the floor plate comprises a flat sheet of material and a ribbon of material bent at two locations and joined to the flat sheet of material to form a tray having three side walls; and

coupling the floor plate to the floor of the vehicle comprises positioning the floor plate on the floor such that the tray having three side walls opens rearwardly.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein coupling the active suspension seat to the floor plate comprises:

positioning the lower frame between two of the three side walls;

sliding the lower frame forward to engage the other one of the three side walls; and

inserting a fastener through an aperture of the second plurality of apertures formed through at least one of the three side walls and at least partly into a corresponding aperture formed in the lower frame.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein two of the three side walls defined by the three portions of the ribbon extend in parallel planes, imparting a U-shape configuration to the ribbon and enabling parallel portions of the lower frame to be positioned therebetween.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the three side walls extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the plane of the flat sheet of material.

17. The method of claim 3, wherein another plurality of apertures are formed through the flat sheet of material that correspond to a plurality of mounting features positioned about another floor of another vehicle.

18. The method of claim 3, wherein a plurality of extensions extend downwardly from the plane of the flat sheet of material to reach through corresponding openings formed in a layer of resilient material disposed between the floor and floor plate to engage the floor plate at locations corresponding to the first plurality of apertures.

19. The method of claim 3, wherein a pin is carried by one of the three side walls and extends outwardly from the tray to engage a lower portion of a skirt structured to surround the lower frame.

20. The method of claim 3, wherein an extension is carried by one of the three side walls and extends outwardly from the tray to engage a lower portion of a skirt structured to surround the lower frame.

5. An apparatus comprising:

an upper frame coupled to a seat cushion providing a place on which a person may sit;

a lower frame;

a suspension comprising suspension components and a controller that cooperate to couple the upper frame to the lower frame and to actively suspend the upper frame relative to the lower frame; and

a floor plate comprising;

a first plurality of apertures formed therethrough that correspond to a plurality mounting features positioned about a floor of a vehicle to enable the floor plate to be coupled to the first floor; and

a second plurality of apertures formed therethrough that correspond to a plurality of apertures formed in the lower frame enabling fasteners to be inserted through the second plurality of apertures and into corresponding ones of the plurality of apertures of the lower frame to couple the lower frame to floor plate, wherein the second plurality of apertures are located at positions on the floor plate that enable the fasteners to be inserted from locations external to the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

an upper portion of a skirt structured to be coupled to the upper frame; and

a lower portion of the skirt structured to be coupled to the floor plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the floor plate comprises a flat sheet of material and a ribbon of material bent at two locations and joined to the flat sheet of material to form a tray having three side walls; and

coupling the floor plate to the floor of the vehicle comprises positioning the floor plate on the floor such that the tray having three side walls opens rearwardly.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

coupling the lower frame to the floor plate comprises positioning the lower frame between two of the three side walls, and sliding the lower frame forward to engage the other one of the three side walls; and

the second plurality of apertures are formed through at least one of the three side walls, and coupling the lower frame to floor plate comprises inserting a fastener through an aperture of the second plurality of apertures and at least partly into a corresponding aperture formed in the lower frame.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein two of the three side walls defined by the three portions of the ribbon extend in parallel planes, imparting a U-shape configuration to the ribbon and enabling parallel portions of the lower frame to be positioned therebetween.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each of the three side walls extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the plane of the flat sheet of material.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein another plurality of apertures are formed through the flat sheet of material that correspond to a plurality of mounting features positioned about another floor of another vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a plurality of extensions extend downwardly from the plane of the flat sheet of material to reach through corresponding openings formed in a layer of resilient material disposed between the floor and floor plate to engage the floor plate at locations corresponding to the first plurality of apertures.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a pin is carried by one of the three side walls and extends outwardly from the tray to engage a lower portion of a skirt structured to surround the lower frame.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein an extension is carried by one of the three side walls and extends outwardly from the tray to engage a lower portion of a skirt structured to surround the lower frame.