Passenger seats and doors for an autonomous vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11607973-B2
Application number	US-202016923610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2020
Priority date	Jun 4, 2020
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

An autonomous can include one or more configurable passenger seats to accommodate a plurality of different seating configurations. For instance, the one or more passenger seats can include a passenger seat defining a seating orientation. The passenger seat can be configurable in a first configuration in which the seating orientation is directed towards a forward end of the autonomous vehicle and a second configuration in which the seating orientation is directed towards a rear end of the autonomous vehicle. The passenger seat can include a seatback rotatable about a pivot point on a base of the passenger seat to switch between the first configuration and the second configuration. Alternatively, or additionally, the autonomous vehicle can include a door assembly pivotably fixed to a vehicle body of the autonomous vehicle such that a swept path of the door assembly when moving between an open position and a closed position is reduced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An autonomous vehicle defining a lateral axis, a longitudinal axis, and a vertical axis, the autonomous vehicle extending along the longitudinal axis between a forward end and a rear end, the autonomous vehicle comprising:
a first passenger seat defining a seating orientation, the first passenger seat further defining a first axis that is parallel to the lateral axis of the autonomous vehicle and a second axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the autonomous vehicle, the first passenger seat configurable in at least a first configuration in which the seating orientation is directed towards the forward end of the autonomous vehicle and a second configuration in which the seating orientation is directed towards the rear end of the autonomous vehicle, the first passenger seat comprising:
a base;
a seatback rotatable about a pivot point on the base to switch the first passenger seat between the first configuration and the second configuration; and
a seat bottom extending along the second axis between a first end and a second end, the seat bottom coupled to the base and configured to move along the second axis as the seatback rotates about the pivot point on the base,
wherein:
in the first configuration, the seatback is positioned closer to the first end of the seat bottom than the second end of the seat bottom; and
in the second configuration, the seatback is positioned closer to the second end of the seat bottom than the first end of the seat bottom.

2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
in the first configuration, the seat bottom has a first tilt angle of the seat bottom; and
in the second configuration, the seat bottom has a second tilt angle that is substantially the same as the first tilt angle.

3. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
in the first configuration, the seatback has a first reclination angle; and
in the second configuration, the seatback has a second reclination angle that is substantially the same as the first reclination angle.

4. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second passenger seat spaced apart from the first passenger seat along the longitudinal axis, the second passenger seat defining the first axis and the second axis, the second passenger seat comprising:
a seat bottom rotatable about the first axis; and
a seatback pivotably coupled to the seat bottom of the second passenger seat, the seatback of the second passenger seat rotatable about a pivot point on the seat bottom of the second passenger seat to rotate between a deployed position in which the seatback of the second passenger seat is substantially perpendicular to the seat bottom of the second passenger seat and a stowed position in which the seatback of the second passenger seat is substantially parallel to the seat bottom of the second passenger seat.

5. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein a headrest coupled to the seatback of the second passenger seat is configured to move from an extended position to a retracted position in response to the seatback of the second passenger seat rotating about the pivot point on the seat bottom of the second passenger seat to move from the deployed position to the stowed position.

6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the seat bottom of the second passenger seat is configured to rotate about the first axis to adjust a tilt angle of the seat bottom of the second passenger seat in response to the seatback of the second passenger seat rotating about the pivot point on the seat bottom of the second passenger seat to move from the deployed position to the stowed position.

7. The autonomous vehicle of claim 6 , wherein in the deployed position, the tilt angle of the seat bottom of the second passenger seat is 0 degrees.

8. The autonomous vehicle of claim 4 , further comprising:
a third passenger seat positioned between the second passenger seat and the rear end of the autonomous vehicle along the longitudinal axis, the third passenger seat comprising:
a seatback coupled to a vehicle body of the autonomous vehicle; and
a seat bottom pivotably coupled to the seatback of the third passenger seat, the seat bottom of the third passenger seat rotatable about a pivot point on the seatback of the third passenger seat to rotate between a deployed position in which the seat bottom of the third passenger seat is substantially perpendicular to the seatback of the third passenger seat and a stowed position in which the seat bottom of the third passenger seat is substantially parallel to the seatback of the third passenger seat.

9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the seat bottom is configured to rotate in a first direction that is opposite a second direction in which the seatback is rotating to switch the first passenger seat between the first configuration and the second configuration.

10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the seat bottom is pivotably coupled to the base via a first linkage arm and a second linkage arm, the first linkage arm pivotably coupled to the base at a first pivot point thereon, the second linkage arm pivotably coupled to the base at a second pivot point thereon that is different than the first pivot point.

11. An autonomous vehicle defining a lateral axis, a longitudinal axis, and a vertical axis, the autonomous vehicle extending along the longitudinal axis between a forward end and a rear end, the autonomous vehicle comprising:
a first passenger seat defining a seating orientation, the first passenger seat further defining a first axis that is parallel to the lateral axis of the autonomous vehicle and a second axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the autonomous vehicle, the first passenger seat configurable in at least a first configuration in which the seating orientation is directed towards the forward end of the autonomous vehicle and a second configuration in which the seating orientation is directed towards the rear end of the autonomous vehicle, the first passenger seat comprising:
a base;
a seatback pivotably coupled to the base, the seatback rotatable about a pivot point on the base to switch the first passenger seat between the first configuration and the second configuration; and
a seat bottom extending along the second axis between a first end and a second end, the seat bottom coupled to the base and configured to rotate about the first axis as the seatback rotates about the pivot point on the base,
wherein:
in the first configuration, the seatback is positioned closer to the first end of the seat bottom than the second end of the seat bottom; and
in the second configuration, the seatback is positioned closer to the second end of the seat bottom than the first end of the seat bottom.

12. The autonomous vehicle of claim 11 , wherein:
in the first configuration, the seat bottom has a first tilt angle of the seat bottom; and

in the second configuration, the seat bottom has a second tilt angle that is substantially the same as the first tilt angle.

13. The autonomous vehicle of claim 11 , wherein:
in the first configuration, the seatback has a first reclination angle; and
in the second configuration, the seatback has a second reclination angle that is substantially the same as the first reclination angle.

14. The autonomous vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the seat bottom is pivotably coupled to the base via a first linkage arm and a second linkage arm, the first linkage arm pivotably coupled to the base at a first pivot point thereon, the second linkage arm pivotably coupled to the base at a second pivot point thereon that is different than t

Assignees

• Uatc Llc

Inventors

• Kanitz Daniel Adam

Classifications

• B60N2/0252

  with relations between different adjustments, e.g. height of headrest following longitudinal position of seat · CPC title

• E05Y2900/531

  Doors · CPC title

• E05D15/34

  with wings opening parallel to themselves · CPC title

• E05D15/04

  with arms fixed on the wing pivoting about an axis outside of the wing · CPC title

• B60N2/3011

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