Vehicle seat assembly

• US 9,004,586 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2013
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E.V.S. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: E.V.S. Ltd.
• Inventors: DeCraene, James E., Wells, Jeffry H.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, PETER R
• Application Number:
  US14/073,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20140054943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 297/344.22, 297/344.26, 297/130, 297/344.24, 297/440.22
• US Class Current: 297/130
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/062 transversally slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/14 rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/10 , B60N2/2869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/143 taking a position opposite to the original one
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/146 characterised by the locking device

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly includes a seat, a pedestal, a swivel mechanism connected to the pedestal for permitting the seat to rotate about a vertical axis and a latch located external to the swivel mechanism for preventing rotation of the seat. The seat assembly may further include a bracket for mounting the seat to the swivel mechanism in any one of a plurality of positions. Another vehicle seat assembly includes a track, a seat having a seating portion and a seat back, a base connected to the seat and engaging the track so as to permit longitudinal movement of the seat along the track and a locking mechanism for retaining the seat in a desired position along the track. The locking mechanism includes a vertically extending pin located beneath the center of the seating portion of the seat.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat assembly, including:

a seat;

a pedestal;

a swivel mechanism connected to the pedestal for permitting the seat to rotate about a vertical axis, the swivel mechanism including a plurality of notches;

a latch located external to the swivel mechanism, the latch including a portion operable to selectively engage one or more of the notches to prevent rotation of the seat; and

a bracket connected to the seat, the bracket including a first plurality of openings for selectively and removably securing the seat to the swivel mechanism at a first location on the bracket in a first position relative to the pedestal and a second plurality of openings for selectively and removably securing the seat to the swivel mechanism at a second location on the bracket in a second position relative to the pedestal wherein the seat and bracket may be dismounted from one of the first and second plurality of openings and reattached to the swivel mechanism at the other of the first and second plurality of openings.

2. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1, further including means connected to the seat for operating the latch.

3. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 2, wherein the means for operating the latch is a handle that rotates with the seat.

4. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bracket includes a first end and a second end and the first location is adjacent the first end of the bracket and the second location is adjacent the second end of the bracket.

5. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bracket further includes a third plurality of openings for selectively and removably securing the seat to the swivel mechanism at a third location on the bracket in a third position relative to the pedestal.

6. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 5, wherein the bracket includes a first end and a second end and the third location is located between the first and second ends of the bracket.

7. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bracket includes a first end, a second end, a third plurality of openings for selectively and removably securing the seat to the swivel mechanism at a third location on the bracket in a third position relative to the pedestal, the first location is adjacent the first end of the bracket, the second location is adjacent the second end of the bracket and the third location is located between the first and second locations.

8. A vehicle seat assembly, including:

a seat;

a pedestal;

a swivel mechanism connected to the pedestal for permitting the seat to rotate about a vertical axis, the swivel mechanism including a bearing located adjacent the pedestal, a first collar located on the bearing and a second collar positioned over the bearing and at least a portion of the first collar; and

a bracket connected to the seat, the bracket including a first plurality of openings for selectively and removably mounting the seat to the swivel mechanism in a first location relative to the pedestal and a second plurality of openings for selectively and removably mounting the seat to the swivel mechanism in a second location relative to the pedestal wherein the seat and bracket may be dismounted from one of the first and second plurality of openings and reattached to the swivel mechanism at the other of the first and second plurality of openings.

9. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 8, wherein the bracket mounts the seat to the first collar.

10. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 8, further including a latch connected to the bracket for engaging the swivel mechanism to prevent rotation of the seat.

11. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 10, wherein the latch can retain the seat in at least two orientations about the vertical axis.

12. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 10 wherein the latch engages a portion of the swivel mechanism.

13. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 12, wherein the second collar includes a plurality of notches for receiving a portion of the latch.

14. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 12, wherein the swivel mechanism further includes a plate positioned adjacent the second collar and a portion of the latch is received between the second collar and the plate.

15. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 12, wherein the portion of the latch that engages the swivel mechanism is located outside of the swivel mechanism.

16. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 10, wherein the latch is connected to the bracket.

17. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 10, wherein the latch rotates with the seat.

18. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 10, further including means connected to the seat for operating the latch.

19. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 18, wherein the means for operating the latch is a handle that rotates with the seat.

20. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 8, wherein the bracket includes a first end and a second end and the first location is adjacent the first end of the bracket and the second location is adjacent the second end of the bracket.

21. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 8, wherein the bracket further includes a third plurality of openings for selectively and removably mounting the seat to the swivel mechanism in a third location relative to the pedestal.

22. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 21, wherein the bracket includes a first end and a second end and the third location is located between the first and second ends of the bracket.

23. The vehicle seat assembly according to claim 8, wherein the bracket includes a first end, a second end, a third plurality of openings for selectively and removably mounting the seat to the swivel mechanism in a third location relative to the pedestal, the first location is adjacent the first end of the bracket, the second location is adjacent the second end of the bracket and the third location is located between the first and second locations.