Front seat sleeper seat and features

• US 10,081,270 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Line, Johnathan Andrew, Kondrad, Marcos Silva, Preuss, Kevin Wayne, Ferretti, Daniel, Godin, Keith Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US15/449,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20180251044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 2972171, 29735413
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/16 height-adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2222 the back-rest having two or more parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/34 into a bed
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/882 detachable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/995 Lower-leg-rests, e.g. calf-rests

Abstract

A seating assembly for a vehicle includes a seat having an extendable leg support. A seatback is operably coupled with the seat. The seating assembly includes an occupant detection system. A rear seat lift device is disposed in the seat and operable between a lowered position and a heightened position. A rear portion of the seat is elevated relative to the seatback to minimize a height difference between the rear portion of the seat and a bottom portion of the seatback when the seatback is in a fully reclined position. A control module is in communication with the occupant detection system, the seat, and the seatback. The control module is configured to activate an actuation assembly of the seatback to rotate the seatback rearward, extend the extendable leg support forward, and raise the rear seat lift device to provide optimal rest conditions for the occupant.

Claims

1. A seating assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a seat including an extendable leg support;

a seatback operably coupled with the seat;

an occupant detection system;

a rear seat lift device disposed in the seat and operable between a lowered position and a raised position, wherein a rear portion of the seat is elevated relative to the seatback to minimize a height difference between the rear portion of the seat and a bottom portion of the seatback when the seatback is in a fully reclined position; and

a control module in communication with the occupant detection system, the seat, and the seatback, wherein when said vehicle is in park and an occupant has been detected by the occupant detection system, the control module is configured to activate an actuation assembly of the seatback to rotate the seatback rearward, extend the extendable leg support forward, and raise the rear seat lift device to provide optimal rest conditions for the occupant.

2. The seating assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a removable head restraint.

3. The seating assembly of claim 1, wherein said seating assembly is slidable between forward and rearward positions.

4. The seating assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an upper thoracic cushion disposed at an upper portion of the seatback and operable between retracted and deployed positions.

5. The seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to automatically, simultaneously rotate the seatback rearward, extend the extendable leg support forward, and raise the rear seat lift device.

6. The seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the extendable leg support includes a rotatable base and an extension member configured to extend from the rotatable base.

7. In a seating assembly for a vehicle a seat operably coupled with a seatback, a method of operating a sleeper seat mode comprising:

determining an occupancy status of said seating assembly;

activating an actuation assembly of said seatback resulting in rotation of said seatback rearward;

extending extendable leg supports of said seat in a forward direction; and

raising a rear seat lift device of said seat to a heightened position, wherein a rear portion of the seat is elevated relative to the seatback to minimize a height difference between the rear portion of the seat and a bottom portion of the seatback to provide optimal rest conditions for the occupant.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

removing a removable head restraint.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sliding said seating assembly from a forward position to a rearward position.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

moving an upper thoracic cushion at an upper portion of the seatback from a retracted position to a deployed position.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

automatically, simultaneously rotating the seatback rearward, extending the extendable leg support forward, and raising the rear seat lift device.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

rotating a rotatable base of the extendable leg support outward and extending an extension member from the rotatable base.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

prohibiting movement of said seating assembly to the sleeper seat mode when said vehicle is not in park.

14. A method of operating a sleeper seat mode for a seating assembly comprising:

determining an occupancy status of said seating assembly;

activating an actuation assembly of a seatback to rotate said seatback rearward;

extending extendable leg supports of a seat in a forward direction; and

raising a rear seat lift device of said seat to minimize a height difference between a rear portion of the seat and a bottom portion of the seatback.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

removing a removable head restraint.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sliding said seating assembly from a forward position to a rearward position.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

moving an upper thoracic cushion at an upper portion of the seatback from a retracted position to a deployed position.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

automatically, simultaneously rotating the seatback rearward, extending the extendable leg support forward, and raising the rear seat lift device.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

rotating a rotatable base of the extendable leg support outward and extending an extension member from the rotatable base.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

prohibiting movement of said seating assembly to the sleeper seat mode when said vehicle is not in park.