Third-row conveyor load floor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137818-B1
Application number	US-201715603078-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 23, 2017
Priority date	May 23, 2017
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A conveyer mechanism for a vehicle cargo area load floor includes a power seat assembly and a folding conveyer assembly carried by the power seat assembly and comprising a conveyer gearbox. A power seat motor is adapted to engage the conveyer gearbox when the power seat assembly is translated to a folded configuration. The power seat motor drives a conveyer drive gear when the power seat assembly is translated to the folded configuration, and drives a seat sector gear when the power seat assembly is translated to a deployed configuration.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A conveyer mechanism for a vehicle cargo area load floor, comprising:
a power seat assembly;
a folding conveyer assembly carried by the power seat assembly and comprising a conveyer gearbox; and
a power seat motor adapted to engage the conveyer gearbox when the power seat assembly is translated to a folded configuration.

2. The conveyer mechanism of claim 1 , comprising a first conveyer member pivotably connected to a second conveyer member.

3. The conveyer mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the first conveyer member is carried by an underside of a seat bottom.

4. The conveyer mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the first conveyer member is carried by a vehicle-rear portion of a seat back and the second conveyer member is disposed on the vehicle cargo area load floor.

5. The conveyer mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the power seat motor drives a conveyer drive gear when the power seat assembly is translated to the folded configuration, and drives a seat sector gear when the power seat assembly is translated to a deployed configuration.

6. The conveyer mechanism of claim 5 , wherein a seat folding drive gear translates vehicle-inwardly to engage the conveyer drive gear on actuation of a conveyer actuator.

7. The conveyer mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the power seat assembly is a second-row or a third-row seat assembly comprising two or more power seats.

8. The conveyer mechanism of claim 7 , including two or more power seat motors and a folding conveyer assembly comprising two or more parallelly oriented folding conveyer belts.

9. A vehicle seat assembly, comprising:
a power seat assembly;
a motor adapted to translate the power seat assembly to a folded configuration; and
a folding conveyer assembly at least partially carried by the power seat assembly, comprising at least one folding conveyer belt mechanism and a conveyer gearbox drivable by the motor when the power seat assembly is in the folded configuration.

10. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 9 , wherein the folding conveyer assembly comprises a first conveyer member pivotably connected to a second conveyer member.

11. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first conveyer member is carried by an underside of a power seat assembly seat bottom.

12. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first conveyer member is carried by a vehicle-rear portion of a power seat assembly seat back and the second conveyer member is disposed on a vehicle load floor.

13. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 9 , wherein the motor drives a seat folding drive gear which engages a seat sector gear when the power seat assembly is in a deployed configuration, and which engages a folding conveyer assembly drive gear when the power seat assembly is in the folded configuration.

14. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 13 , wherein the seat folding drive gear translates vehicle-inwardly to engage the folding conveyer assembly drive gear on actuation of a conveyer actuator.

15. A vehicle, comprising:
a rear load floor;
a second- or third-row power seat assembly disposed adjacent to the rear load floor and including a pair of motors each adapted to translate a portion of the power seat assembly to a folded configuration; and
a folding conveyer assembly at least partially carried by the power seat assembly, comprising a pair of substantially parallelly-oriented folding conveyer belt mechanisms each having a conveyer gearbox drivable by a one of the pair of motors when the power seat assembly is in the folded configuration.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein each substantially parallelly oriented folding conveyer belt mechanism comprises a first conveyer member pivotably connected to a second conveyer member.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the first conveyer member is carried by an underside of a seat bottom.

18. The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the first conveyer member is carried by a vehicle-rear portion of a seat back and the second conveyer member is disposed on the load floor.

19. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein each of the pair of motors drives a folding conveyer assembly drive gear when the second- or third-row power seat assembly is translated to the folded configuration, and drives a seat folding drive gear when the second- or third-row power seat assembly is translated to a deployed configuration.

20. The vehicle of claim 19 , wherein a seat folding drive gear translates vehicle-inwardly to engage the folding conveyer assembly drive gear on actuation of a conveyer actuator.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc
• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ness Kyle
• Loew Pattrick

Classifications

• B60N2/3011

  the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement" · CPC title

• B60N2/3045

  about transversal axis · CPC title

• B60N2/36

  into a loading platform {(B60N2/065 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60P1/40 Primary

  using screw conveyors thereon · CPC title

• B60N2002/363

  characterised by provisions for enhancing the cargo floor surface, e.g. elements closing gaps or enlarging the back-rest surface · CPC title