Passenger seat having a backrest for a straddle-seat vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144471-B2
Application number	US-201515022061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle straddle seat has a base extending generally in a first direction from a first edge. A backrest, formed integrally with the base, is spaced from the first edge and extends away from the base in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction. The backrest includes a first surface facing generally towards the first edge and a second surface facing away therefrom. A plurality of ribs formed on at least one of the first and second surfaces extends at least in the second direction. The plurality of ribs is configured to allow flexing of at least a portion of the backrest with respect to the base towards the first edge and away therefrom. The first surface is rigidly connected to the second surface so that the first and second surfaces flex together with respect to the base. Latch mechanisms and vehicles having the seat are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A straddle seat for a vehicle comprising:
a base comprising a first edge and extending generally in a first direction from the first edge;
a backrest being formed integrally with the base and being spaced from the first edge thereof, the backrest extending away from the base in a second direction, the second direction being generally perpendicular to the first direction, the backrest comprising:
a first surface facing generally towards the first edge of the base, the first surface defining a slot;
a second surface facing away from the first edge of the base; and
a plurality of ribs formed on at least one of the first and second surfaces, the plurality of ribs extending at least in the second direction, the plurality of ribs being configured to allow flexing of at least a portion of the backrest with respect to the base towards the first edge and away from the first edge, the first surface being rigidly connected to the second surface so that the first and second surfaces flex together with respect to the base;

a latch for removably fastening the seat to the vehicle, the latch comprising a latch release handle disposed at least in part in the slot defined by the first surface of the backrest, the latch release handle being operable to selectively fasten the seat to the vehicle; and
a left handle and a right handle, each of the left and right handles being connected to at least one of the base and the backrest and being disposed at least in part longitudinally forward of the backrest when the seat is connected on the vehicle.

2. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ribs is a plurality of first ribs and the backrest further comprises a plurality of second ribs extending transversely with respect to the plurality of first ribs.

3. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the base and the backrest are made of plastic.

4. The seat of claim 1 , further comprising:
a left handle mounting portion receiving the left handle extending along a left side of the base when the seat is connected on the vehicle; and
a right handle mounting portion receiving the right handle extending along a right side of the base when the seat is connected on the vehicle,
wherein each of the left and right handle mounting portions is integrally connected to the at least one of the base and the backrest.

5. The seat of claim 1 , wherein, when the seat is connected on the vehicle:
the left handle extends along a left side of the base; and
the right handle extends along a right side of the base.

6. The seat of claim 5 , wherein:
the left handle extends at least one of leftwardly and upwardly away from the base when the seat is connected on the vehicle; and
the right handle extends at least one of rightwardly and upwardly away from the base when the seat is connected on the vehicle.

7. The seat of claim 5 , wherein the backrest extends vertically higher than each of the left and right handles when the seat is connected on the vehicle.

8. The seat of claim 5 , wherein each of the left and right handles is removably fastened to the at least one of the base and the backrest.

9. The seat of claim 1 , further comprising:
a left handle mounting portion connecting the left handle to the at least one of the base and the backrest, the left handle mounting portion being integrally formed with the at least one of the base and the backrest, the left handle mounting portion including a left passage housing at least a portion of a left heating wire; and
a right handle mounting portion connecting the right handle to the at least one of the base and the backrest, the right handle mounting portion being integrally formed with the at least one of the base and the backrest, the right handle mounting portion including a right passage housing at least a portion of a right handle heating wire.

10. The seat of claim 1 , further comprising a seat base cushion disposed at least in part on the base and removably fastened thereto.

11. The seat of claim 10 , wherein the seat base cushion extends forward of the first edge of the base when the seat is connected on the vehicle.

12. The seat of claim 1 , wherein:
the first edge is the front edge;
the first direction is a longitudinal direction;
the second direction is a vertical direction;
the backrest further comprises a top edge extending in a lateral direction between a left end and a right end;
the backrest flexes laterally progressively from an unflexed position to a flexed position such that one of the left end and right end of the top edge is displaced by a greater amount than the other of the left end and right end of the top edge between their respective unflexed and flexed positions.

13. The seat of claim 12 , wherein:
the backrest further flexes vertically progressively such that an upper portion thereof is displaced by a greater angle than a lower portion thereof between their respective unflexed and flexed positions.

14. A straddle seat for a vehicle comprising:
a base comprising a first edge and extending generally in a first direction from the first edge;
a backrest being formed integrally with the base and being spaced from the first edge thereof, the backrest extending away from the base in a second direction, the second direction being generally perpendicular to the first direction, the backrest comprising:
a first surface facing generally towards the first edge of the base, the first surface defining a slot;
a second surface facing away from the first edge of the base; and
a plurality of ribs formed on at least one of the first and second surfaces, the plurality of ribs extending at least in the second direction, the plurality of ribs being configured to allow flexing of at least a portion of the backrest with respect to the base towards the first edge and away from the first edge, the first surface being rigidly connected to the second surface so that the first and second surfaces flex together with respect to the base;

a backrest cushion disposed on the first surface of the backrest and removably fastened thereto, the backrest cushion being configured to abut a back of a rider seated above the base when the seat is connected on the vehicle; and
a latch for removably fastening the seat to the vehicle, the latch comprising a latch release handle disposed at least in part in the slot defined by the first surface of the backrest, the latch release handle being operable to selectively fasten the seat to the vehicle.

15. A straddle seat for a vehicle comprising:
a base comprising a first edge and extending generally in a first direction from the first edge;
a backrest being formed integrally with the base and being spaced from the first edge thereof, the backrest extending away from the base in a second direction, the second direction being generally perpendicular to the first direction, the backrest comprising:
a first surface facing generally towards the first edge of the base, the first surface defining a slot;
a second surface facing away from the first edge of the base; and
a plurality of ribs formed on at least one of the first and second surfaces, the plurality of ribs extending at least in the second direction, the plurality of ribs being configured to allow flexing of at least a portion of the backrest with respect to the base towards the first edge and away from the first edge, the first surface being rigidly connected to the second surface so that the first and second surfaces flex together with respect to the base; and

a latch for removably fastening the seat to the vehicle, the latch comprising:
a latch release handle disposed at least in

Assignees

• Bombardier Recreational Products Inc

Inventors

• Lang Serge
• Lefebvre Richard

Classifications

• B62K5/01

  Motorcycles with four or more wheels (specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/003) · CPC title

• B62J1/28 Primary

  Other additional equipment, e.g. back-rests for children · CPC title

• B62J1/12

  Box-shaped seats; Bench-type seats, e.g. dual or twin seats · CPC title

• B60N2/68

  Seat frames · CPC title

• B60N3/02

  of hand grips or straps · CPC title