Utilizing a seat assembly having a set of limit straps to limit deflection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12287180-B2
Application number	US-202217963678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2022
Priority date	Oct 14, 2021
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle includes a vehicle ceiling, a vehicle floor, and a vehicle seat assembly that couples with the vehicle ceiling and the vehicle floor. The vehicle seat assembly includes a seat support that supports a vehicle seat from the vehicle ceiling, a base that forms a slip joint with the seat support from the vehicle floor, and a set of limit straps constructed and arranged to limit deflection of the slip joint in response to deformation between the vehicle ceiling and the vehicle floor (e.g., a vehicle collision, deformation between the vehicle ceiling and the vehicle floor possibly due to a blast, etc.). Each limit strap of the set of limit straps has a first end that attaches to a portion of the slip joint and a second end that attaches to the vehicle floor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle ceiling;
a vehicle floor; and
a vehicle seat assembly that couples with the vehicle ceiling and the vehicle floor, the vehicle seat assembly including:
a seat support that supports a vehicle seat weight from the vehicle ceiling,
a base that forms a slip joint with the seat support from the vehicle floor, and
a set of limit straps constructed and arranged to limit deflection of the slip joint in response to deformation between the vehicle ceiling and the vehicle floor, each limit strap of the set of limit straps having a first end that attaches to a portion of the slip joint and a second end that attaches to the vehicle floor.

2. A vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the vehicle ceiling and the vehicle floor form at least a portion of an armored vehicle cabin.

3. A vehicle as in claim 2 wherein the seat support of the vehicle seat assembly includes a midsection constructed and arranged to attach to a vehicle seat that provides the vehicle seat weight, an upper end constructed and arranged to connect with the vehicle ceiling, and a lower end constructed and arranged to reside above the vehicle floor when the seat support forms the slip joint with the base.

4. A vehicle as in claim 3 wherein the set of limit straps of the vehicle seat assembly includes:
a first limit strap having a first end that attaches to the seat support and a second end that attaches to the vehicle floor.

5. A vehicle as in claim 4 wherein the set of limit straps further includes:
a second limit strap having a first end that attaches to the seat support and a second end that attaches to the vehicle floor, the first and second limit straps being disposed parallel to each other.

6. A vehicle as in claim 3 wherein each limit strap of the set of limit straps includes a belt formed of nylon webbing, a first metallic anchor plate disposed at the first end to fasten to the lower end of the seat support, and a second metallic anchor plate disposed at the second end to fasten to the vehicle floor.

7. A vehicle as in claim 6 wherein the vehicle seat assembly further includes:
a first set of bolts that attaches the first metallic anchor plate of each limit strap of the set of limit straps to the lower end of the seat support and a second set of bolts that attaches the second metallic anchor plate of each limit strap of the set of limit straps to the vehicle floor.

8. A vehicle as in claim 3 wherein the seat support and the base of the vehicle seat assembly are formed of aluminum.

9. A vehicle as in claim 8 wherein the seat support and the base of the vehicle seat assembly have rectangular cross-sections.

10. A vehicle as in claim 2 , further comprising:
an armored vehicle suspension coupled with the armored vehicle cabin, the armored vehicle suspension being constructed and arranged to maneuver the vehicle within a blast-prone environment.

11. A vehicle seat assembly, comprising:
a seat support constructed and arranged to support a vehicle seat weight from a vehicle ceiling;
a base constructed and arranged to form a slip joint with the seat support from a vehicle floor; and
a set of limit straps constructed and arranged to limit deflection of the slip joint in response to deformation between the vehicle ceiling and the vehicle floor, each limit strap of the set of limit straps having a first end constructed and arranged to attach to a portion of the slip joint and a second end constructed and arranged to attach to the vehicle floor.

12. A vehicle seat assembly as in claim 11 wherein the seat support includes a midsection constructed and arranged to attach to a vehicle seat that provides the vehicle seat weight, an upper end constructed and arranged to connect with the vehicle ceiling, and a lower end constructed and arranged to reside above the vehicle floor when the seat support forms the slip joint with the base.

13. A vehicle seat assembly as in claim 12 wherein the set of limit straps includes:
a first limit strap having a first end that attaches to the seat support and a second end that attaches to the vehicle floor.

14. A vehicle seat assembly as in claim 13 wherein the set of limit straps further includes:
a second limit strap having a first end that attaches to the seat support and a second end that attaches to the vehicle floor, the first and second limit straps being disposed parallel to each other.

15. A vehicle seat assembly as in claim 12 wherein each limit strap of the set of limit straps includes a belt formed of nylon webbing, a first metallic anchor plate disposed at the first end to fasten to the lower end of the seat support, and a second metallic anchor plate disposed at the second end to fasten to the vehicle floor.

16. A vehicle seat assembly as in claim 15 , further comprising:
a first set of bolts that attaches the first metallic anchor plate of each limit strap of the set of limit straps to the lower end of the seat support and a second set of bolts that attaches the second metallic anchor plate of each limit strap of the set of limit straps to the vehicle floor.

17. A vehicle seat assembly as in claim 12 wherein the seat support and the base are formed of aluminum.

18. A vehicle seat assembly as in claim 17 wherein the seat support and the base have rectangular cross-sections.

19. A vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the seat support of the seat assembly is constructed and arranged to orient a vehicle seat that provides the vehicle seat weight in a forward facing direction which is parallel to a plane defined by the vehicle floor; and
wherein each limit strap of the set of limit straps is constructed and arranged to extend from the vehicle floor in an upward and forward direction between the vehicle floor and the slip joint to limit over-deflection of the seat assembly in the forward direction.

20. A vehicle as in claim 1 wherein the seat support has a top seat support end which attaches to the vehicle ceiling and a bottom seat support end which resides over the floor;
wherein the base has a bottom base end which attaches to the vehicle floor and a top base end which resides below the vehicle ceiling; and
wherein the bottom seat support end of the seat support and the top base end of the base engage each other to form the slip joint.

Assignees

• Textron Systems Corp

Inventors

• Huling Jr Wyatt Coleman
• Sequeira Giovanni Eduardo

Classifications

• B60N2/42736

  of the whole seat · CPC title

• B64D25/04

  Seat modifications · CPC title

• B60N2/42754

  of the cushion · CPC title

• B60N2/1665

  Hydraulic or pneumatic actuation · CPC title

• F41H7/046 Primary

  Shock resilient mounted seats for armoured or fighting vehicles · CPC title