Vehicle and occupant support for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12103443-B2
Application number	US-202217571788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2022
Priority date	Jan 10, 2022
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

A rear row occupant support for a vehicle includes a seat bottom arranged to overlie a floor of the vehicle, a seat back coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend upwardly away from the floor, and a seat mode-change system that allows the rear occupant support to adjust its position to provide a storage space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising
a vehicle frame including a floor, a front dash, and a rear wall to define a passenger compartment between the front dash and the rear wall and above the floor,
a front occupant support positioned directly aft of the front dash within the passenger compartment, and
a rear occupant support positioned directly forward of the rear wall between the front occupant support and the rear wall within the passenger compartment, the rear occupant support including a seat bottom arranged to overlie the floor, a seat back coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend upwardly away from the floor in front of the rear wall, and a seat mode-change system configured to couple the rear occupant support to at least one of the floor and the rear wall, the seat mode-change system including a foundation track coupled to the floor and arranged to extend longitudinally away from the rear wall toward the front occupant support, a foundation mount coupled to the foundation track and at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back, and a foundation motion-blocker configured to block forward and aft movement of the foundation mount along the foundation track in a locked arrangement and allow forward and aft movement of the foundation mount along the foundation track in an unlocked arrangement,
wherein the seat mode-change system is configured to allow movement of the rear occupant support relative to the floor and the rear wall between a passenger support mode, in which the seat bottom is arranged generally horizontally relative to the floor and the seat back extends upwardly away from the seat bottom and the floor, to a first storage mode, in which the seat bottom is arranged generally vertically relative to the floor in confronting relation to the seat back to provide a forward storage space between the seat bottom and the front occupant support, and to a second storage mode, in which the seat bottom is arranged in confronting relation to the front occupant support and the seat back is spaced apart from the rear wall to provide a rear storage space between the seat back and the rear wall,
wherein the rear occupant support further includes a storage shelf coupled between the seat back of the rear occupant support and the rear wall when the rear occupant support is in the second storage mode,
wherein the storage shelf is mounted to the rear wall for pivotable movement relative to the rear wall about a shelf pivot axis from a stored position, in which the storage shelf extends generally parallel with the rear wall, to a deployed position, in which the storage shelf extends between and interconnects the rear wall and the seat back, and
wherein a first end of the storage shelf is slidable relative to the rear wall to adjust a height of the first end relative to the floor and the seat back includes a plurality of vertically-spaced shelf supports arranged along a rearward-facing surface of the seat back, the storage shelf including a second end opposite the first end that is configured to engage one of the vertically-spaced shelf supports in the deployed position.

2. A rear row occupant support for a vehicle, the rear occupant support comprising
a seat bottom arranged to overlie a floor of the vehicle,
a seat back coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend upwardly away from the floor, and
a seat mode-change system configured to couple the rear occupant support to the floor, the seat mode-change system including a foundation track coupled to the floor and arranged to extend longitudinally along the floor, a foundation mount coupled to the foundation track and at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back, and a foundation motion-blocker configured to block forward and aft movement of the foundation mount along the foundation track in a locked arrangement and allow forward and aft movement of the foundation mount along the foundation track in an unlocked arrangement,
wherein the seat mode-change system is configured to allow movement of the rear occupant support relative to the floor between a passenger support mode, in which the seat bottom is arranged generally horizontally relative to the floor and the seat back extends upwardly away from the seat bottom and the floor, to a first storage mode, in which the foundation mount is positioned at a first end of the foundation track and the seat bottom is arranged in confronting relation to the seat back, and to a second storage mode, in which the foundation mount is arranged at an opposite, second end of the foundation track and the seat bottom is arranged in confronting relation to the seat back to provide a rear storage space behind the seat back,
wherein the rear row occupant support further includes a storage shelf coupled between the seat back of the rear occupant support and a frame of the vehicle when the rear occupant support is in the second storage mode,
wherein the storage shelf is mounted to the frame of the vehicle for pivotable movement relative to the frame of the vehicle about a shelf pivot axis from a stored position, in which the storage shelf extends generally parallel with the frame of the vehicle, to a deployed position, in which the storage shelf extends between and interconnects the frame of the vehicle and the seat back, and
wherein a first end of the storage shelf is slidable relative to the frame of the vehicle to adjust a height of the first end relative to the floor and the seat back includes a plurality of vertically-spaced shelf supports arranged along a rearward-facing surface of the seat back, the storage shelf including a second end opposite the first end that is configured to engage one of the vertically-spaced shelf supports in the deployed position.

3. A rear row occupant support for a vehicle, the rear occupant support comprising
a seat bottom arranged to overlie a floor of the vehicle,
a seat back coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend upwardly away from the floor,
a seat mode-change system configured to couple the rear occupant support to the floor, the seat mode-change system including a foundation track coupled to the floor and arranged to extend longitudinally along the floor, a foundation mount coupled to the foundation track and at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back, and a foundation motion-blocker configured to block forward and aft movement of the foundation mount along the foundation track in a locked arrangement and allow forward and aft movement of the foundation mount along the foundation track in an unlocked arrangement, and
a storage shelf coupled between the seat back of the rear occupant support and a frame of the vehicle when the foundation mount is arranged at a forward end of the foundation track and the seat bottom is arranged in confronting relation to the seat back,
wherein a first end of the storage shelf is slidable relative to the frame of the vehicle to adjust a height of the first end relative to the floor and the seat back includes a plurality of vertically-spaced shelf supports arranged along a rearward-facing surface of the seat back, the storage shelf including a second end opposite the first end that is configured to engage one of the vertically-spaced shelf supports in a deployed position.

4. The occupant support of claim 3 , wherein the storage shelf is mounted to the frame of the vehicle for pivotable movement relative to the frame of the vehicle about a shelf pivot axis from a stored position to the deployed position, in which the storage shelf extends between and interconnects the frame of the vehicle and the seat back.

Assignees

• Faurecia Automotive Seating Llc

Inventors

• Bonk Jeffery T
• Fitzpatrick Robert C

Classifications

• B60N2/065

  Rear seats · CPC title

• B60N2/3022 Primary

  along longitudinal axis · CPC title

• B60N2/3093

  slides · CPC title

• B60N2/3011

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