Vehicle seating system for a stationary vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12077066-B2
Application number	US-202217699755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Mar 21, 2022
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle seating system includes a support feature coupled to a sidewall within a cargo space of a vehicle. A seating assembly is coupled to the support feature. The seating assembly is rotatable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The seating assembly includes a seat base having a proximal end coupled to the support feature and a distal end. The distal end of the seat base is disposed adjacent to the sidewall in the stowed position. The seating assembly also includes a leg support coupled to the distal end of the seat base. The leg support is operable between a storage position and a support position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a body defining a cargo space, wherein the body includes at least one sidewall at least partially defining the cargo space;
support features coupled to the at least one sidewall;
seating assemblies coupled to the support features in the cargo space, wherein each of the seating assemblies includes:
a seat base operable between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein a bottom surface of the seat base is disposed adjacent to the at least one sidewall when the seat base is in the stowed position, and wherein a bottom surface of the seat base defines a channel that is recessed into the seat base; and
a leg support operably coupled to the seat base, wherein the leg support is operable between a storage position and a support position, wherein an end of the leg support is disposed proximate to the seat base when in the storage position and configured to engage a floor of the cargo space when in the support position, and wherein at least a portion of the leg support is disposed in the channel to contain at least the portion of the leg support in the seat base when the leg support is in the storage position; and

a frame coupled to the at least one sidewall proximate to a wheel housing, wherein the seat base of at least one of the seating assemblies includes pivot members configured to rotatably engage the frame, and wherein the frame defines a receiving aperture configured to receive the seat base of the at least one of the seating assemblies when the seat base is in the stowed position, and further wherein a support surface of the seat base of the at least one of the seating assemblies aligns with a front surface of the frame when the seat base is disposed in the stowed position.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the cargo space is a truck bed.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sidewall includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposing the first sidewall, and wherein the first sidewall defines a first wheel housing and the second sidewall defines a second wheel housing.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein two of the seating assemblies are coupled to the first sidewall on opposing sides of the first wheel housing, and wherein two of the seating assemblies are coupled to the second sidewall on opposing sides of the second wheel housing.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein for each of the seating assemblies the leg support is rotatably coupled to a distal end of the seat base, respectively.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein for each of the seating assemblies the leg support includes leg portions coupled via a connector, and wherein for each of the seating assemblies the channel extends between opposing side surfaces of the seat base for receiving the connector when the leg support is in the storage position, respectively.

7. A seating system for a vehicle, comprising:
a sidewall at least partially defining a cargo space, wherein the sidewall defines a wheel housing;
a first support feature coupled to the sidewall on a first side of the wheel housing;
a second support feature coupled to the sidewall on a second side of the wheel housing;
a first seating assembly selectively coupled to the first support feature; and
a second seating assembly selectively coupled to the second support feature, wherein each of the first seating assembly and the second seating assembly include:
a seat base rotatable between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein the seat base extends along a surface of the sidewall when in the stowed position; and
a leg support coupled to the seat base, wherein the leg support is operable between a storage position and a support position, and wherein each leg support is configured to slide from the storage position to an intermediate position and rotate between the intermediate position and the support position.

8. The seating system of claim 7 , wherein the seat bases and the leg supports are each disposed parallel to the sidewall when the seat bases are in the stowed position, and wherein the seat bases are disposed perpendicular to the sidewall when in the deployed position.

9. The seating system of claim 7 , wherein the seat bases of the first seating assembly and the second seating assembly each define a channel in a bottom surface thereof to receive the respective leg supports when the leg supports are in the storage position.

10. The seating system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a cushion selectively coupled to the seat base of at least one of the first seating assembly and the second seating assembly.

11. The seating system of claim 7 , wherein the leg supports are operable between nested positions and extended positions to adjust lengths of the leg supports.

12. A vehicle seating system, comprising:
a support feature coupled to a sidewall within a cargo space of a vehicle; and
a seating assembly coupled to the support feature, wherein the seating assembly is rotatable between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein the seating assembly includes:
a seat base having a proximal end coupled to the support feature and a distal end, wherein the distal end of the seat base rotates toward the sidewall to the stowed position for a bottom surface of the seat base to face the sidewall;
a leg support coupled to the distal end of the seat base, wherein the leg support is operable between a storage position and a support position; and
a seatback operably coupled to the seat base, wherein the seatback is disposed between the bottom surface of the seat base and the sidewall in the stowed position.

13. The vehicle seating system of claim 12 , wherein the bottom surface of the seat base is disposed adjacent to the seatback and the seatback is disposed adjacent to the sidewall when the seat base and the seatback are in the stowed position.

14. The vehicle seating system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a frame coupled to the sidewall, wherein the frame defines a receiving aperture for receiving the seat base when the seat base is in the stowed position.

15. The vehicle seating system of claim 12 , wherein the leg support is configured to telescope between a nested position and an extended position to adjust a length of the leg support.

16. The vehicle seating system of claim 12 , wherein the seating assembly includes a coupling feature configured to selectively engage and disengage from the support feature.

17. The vehicle seating system of claim 12 , wherein the leg support is coupled to the distal end of the seat base, and wherein the leg support is configured to rotate between the storage position and the support position.

18. The vehicle seating system of claim 12 , wherein the leg support is disposed between the seat base and the seatback when the leg support is in the storage position and the seating assembly is in the stowed position.

19. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each of the seating assemblies includes a cushion selectively coupled to the seat base, respectively.

20. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the frame defines a notch to receive the wheel housing and a second receiving aperture, and wherein the receiving aperture and the second receiving aperture are disposed on each side of the wheel housing to receive two of the seating assemblies.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B60N2/3081

  Seats convertible into parts of the seat cushion or the back-rest or disapppearing therein, e.g. for children · CPC title

• B60N2/36

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

• B60N2/3095

  Auxiliary rear seats accessible from outside the vehicle when in an in-use position · CPC title

• B60N2/305

  the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame · CPC title

• B60N2/0292

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