Seating solutions for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897370-B2
Application number	US-202217699981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Mar 21, 2022
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle includes a passenger compartment. A wall is positioned within the passenger compartment. A support structure is positioned on the wall. The support structure defines a series of slots. A seating assembly engages at least one of the slots of the series of slots such that the seating assembly is suspended above a floor of the passenger compartment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a passenger compartment;
a wall positioned within the passenger compartment;
a support structure positioned on the wall, wherein the support structure defines a series of slots; and
a seating assembly that engages at least one of the slots of the series of slots such that the seating assembly is suspended above a floor of the passenger compartment;
wherein the seating assembly comprises a seat, wherein the seat comprises a seat engagement member that is received within one of the slots of the series of slots; and
wherein the seat engagement member is configured for coupling to a rear side of a primary seating assembly, and wherein such coupling of the seat to the rear side of the primary seating assembly enables an auxiliary seating assembly.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the seat of the seating assembly is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the stowed position of the seat and the deployed position of the seat are displaced from one another by a rotation of the seat about an axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the seat is rotated by at least about ninety degrees when the seat is transitioned between the stowed position and the deployed position.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the seat is rotated by about one-hundred-eighty degrees when the seat is transitioned between the stowed position and the deployed position.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the wall provides a seatback of the seating assembly.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the support structure comprises an upper support structure and a lower support structure, and wherein the series of slots are defined by each of the upper support structure and the lower support structure.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the seating assembly comprises a seat, and wherein the seat comprises a seat engagement member that is received within one of the slots of the series of slots defined by the lower support structure.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the seating assembly comprises a seatback, and wherein the seatback comprises a seatback engagement member that is received within one of the slots of the series of slots defined by the upper support structure.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the seat and the seatback are each independently suspended above the floor of the passenger compartment.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the seat engagement member is configured for coupling to a location on the vehicle that is remote from the passenger compartment.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary seating assembly comprises an auxiliary seatback.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary seating assembly comprises auxiliary side bolsters that extend from an upper edge of the auxiliary seatback downwardly along at least a portion of right and left sides of the auxiliary seatback.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
an accessory that is configured for engagement with at least one of the slots of the series of slots.

15. A vehicle, comprising:
a passenger compartment;
a wall positioned within the passenger compartment;
a support structure positioned on the wall, wherein the support structure defines a series of slots; and
a seating assembly that engages at least one of the slots of the series of slots such that the seating assembly is suspended above a floor of the passenger compartment, wherein the seating assembly comprises a seat, wherein the seat comprises a seat engagement member that is received within one of the slots of the series of slots, wherein the seat of the seating assembly is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein the stowed position of the seat and the deployed position of the seat are displaced from one another by a rotation of the seat about an axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and wherein the seat engagement member is configured for coupling to a rear side of a primary seating assembly, and wherein such coupling of the seat to the rear side of the primary seating assembly enables an auxiliary seating assembly.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the seat is rotated by about one-hundred-eighty degrees when the seat is transitioned between the stowed position and the deployed position.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the seat engagement member is configured for coupling to a location on the vehicle that is remote from the passenger compartment.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Line Johnathan Andrew
• Bastuba Jr Robert Allen
• Smith Collin Joshua
• Shipley Robert Charles
• Guizar Francisco Edgar
• Anderson Scott Culver

Classifications

• B60N2/0292 Primary

  Multiple configuration seats, e.g. for spacious vehicles or mini-buses · CPC title

• B60N2/305

  the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame · CPC title

• B60N2/3047

  the cushion being hinged at the back-rest · CPC title

• B60N2/01508

  using quick release attachments · CPC title

• B60N2/143

  taking a position opposite to the original one · CPC title