Modular seat apparatus

• US 8,764,113 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMMI Safeguard, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Smith, Paul Michael, Glance, Bradley Michael, Grzybowski, Thomas, Walega, Frank Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US13/552,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20130020847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 297/440.15, 297/440.16, 297/218.1, 297/218.2, 297/218.3, 297/218.4, 297/218.5, 297/440.22
• US Class Current: 297/440.15
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/688 Particular seat belt attachment and guiding
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/684 the back rest being mounted or joined with an easy attachment system to the seat
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4973 Replacing of defective part

Abstract

A modular seat assembly including a seat bottom, a seat back, and a fastener. The seat bottom having a frame and a cushion, the frame including a first member having a channel with an open end. The seat back having a back frame, a back cushion, a second member, and a first restraint system. The second member is configured to be removably coupled to the first member by the fastener with the channel of the first member receiving the second member through the open end. The seat assembly is configured such that the second member may be decoupled from the first member to decouple the first seat back from the seat assembly and replace the first seat back with a second seat back.

Claims

1. A modular seat assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a seat bottom having a frame and a cushion, the frame including a first member having a channel with an open end, wherein the channel includes an elongated base and two spaced apart side walls extending from the base to define the open end opposite the base;

a seat back having a back frame, a back cushion, a second member, and a first restraint system, wherein the second member is an arm configured to engage the base of the channel;

a fastener; and

a third member configured to be coupled to the first member to secure the arm to the channel;

wherein the second member is configured to be removably coupled to the first member by the fastener with the channel of the first member receiving the second member through the open end;

wherein the seat assembly is configured such that the second member may be decoupled from the first member to decouple the first seat back from the seat assembly and replace the first seat back with a second seat back.

2. The modular seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the first restraint system is one of a five point seatbelt assembly, a four point seatbelt assembly, a three point seatbelt assembly, a two point seatbelt assembly, and an integrated child restraint.

3. The modular seat assembly of claim 2, wherein the second seat back includes a second restraint system that is one of a five point seatbelt assembly, a four point seatbelt assembly, a three point seatbelt assembly, a two point seatbelt assembly, and an integrated child restraint;

and wherein the second configuration of the restraint system is different than the first restraint system.

4. The modular seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the channel extends in a generally horizontal direction such that the open end is above the base.

5. The modular seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the third member is a bracket that is disposed on the open end of the channel, and wherein the fastener couples the bracket to the channel through the arm to retain the arm in the channel.

6. The modular seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the arm is configured as a tube having an outer wall that is provided adjacent to the base and the side walls of the channel.

8. The modular seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the seat bottom cushion is removably coupled to the seat bottom frame, such that the seat bottom cushion can be removed to allow access to the first and second members to allow the first and second back frames to be selectively decoupled from the second member.

17. The modular seat assembly of claim 1, further comprising a pedestal, wherein the seat bottom is configured to pivot between a seated position and an upright position relative to the pedestal.

7. A modular seat assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a seat bottom having a frame and a cushion, the frame including a first member having a channel with an open end, wherein the channel includes an elongated base and two spaced apart side walls extending from the base to define the open end opposite the base;

a seat back having a back frame, a back cushion, a second member, and a first restraint system; and

a fastener;

wherein the second member is configured to be removably coupled to the first member by the fastener with the channel of the first member receiving the second member through the open end;

wherein the seat assembly is configured such that the second member may be decoupled from the first member to decouple the first seat back from the seat assembly and replace the first seat back with a second seat back; and

wherein the arm is configured as an I-beam.

9. A method for replacing a first seat back assembly with a second seat back assembly for a vehicle seat assembly, comprising:

removing fasteners coupling a first member to a second member, the second member also being coupled to a seat back frame, the first member including a channel having an open end and also being coupled to a seat bottom frame, wherein second member is an arm configured to engage the channel through the open end;

removing a bracket that is disposed on the open end of the channel to retain the arm in the channel;

decoupling the second member from the first member;

decoupling the second member from the seat back frame;

coupling the second member to a second seat back frame; and

coupling the second member to the first member by the fasteners;

wherein the seat back frame is configured having a first restraint system and the second seat back frame is configured having a second restraint system that is different than the first restraint system.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising removing a seat bottom cushion from the seat bottom frame to allow access to remove the fasteners coupling the first and second members.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first restraint system is one of a five point seatbelt assembly, a four point seatbelt assembly, a three point seatbelt assembly, a two point seatbelt assembly, and a child restraint;

and wherein the second restraint system is one of a five point seatbelt assembly, a four point seatbelt assembly, a three point seatbelt assembly, a two point seatbelt assembly, and a child restraint, the second configuration of the restraint system being different than the first configuration of the restraint system.

12. A modular seat assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a pedestal having a first member including a channel having an elongated base and two spaced apart side walls extending from the base to define an open end opposite the base;

a seat bottom pivotally coupled to the pedestal and having a frame and a cushion, the bottom being configured to pivot between a seated position and an upright position;

a seat back having a back frame, a back cushion, and a restraint system, the back frame having a second member in the form of an arm that is configured to engage the channel of the first member;

a third member provided over the open end and covering the arm; and

a fastener that detachably couples the third member to the first member to secure the arm in the channel;

wherein the seat assembly is configured such that the second member may be decoupled from the first member via the open end of the channel to decouple the first seat back from the seat assembly and replace the first seat back with a second seat back.

13. The modular seat assembly of claim 12, wherein the first member is configured as a channel including an elongated base and two spaced apart side walls extending from the base to define an open end opposite the base, and wherein the second member is configured as an arm that is configured to engage the base of the channel.

14. The modular seat assembly of claim 12, wherein the third member is a bracket that is disposed on the open end of the channel.

15. The modular seat assembly of claim 14, wherein the fastener couples the bracket to the channel through the arm.

16. The modular seat assembly of claim 14, further comprising a second fastener that detachably couples the channel to the arm.