Flexible single piece sliding door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9421914-B2
Application number	US-201414518252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2014
Priority date	Oct 20, 2014
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seatback having an opening defined along a portion thereof. A track is coupled with the seatback adjacent the opening and extends in an imperfect arc. A door comprising a single piece, flexible body is supported by the track and is slidable between an open position and a closed position relative to the opening. The door is moveable through the imperfect arc by flexing of the body.

First claim

We claim:

1. A vehicle seat, comprising:
a seatback having an opening defined along a portion thereof;
a track coupled with the seatback adjacent the opening and extending in an imperfect arc; and
a door comprising a single piece, flexible body supported by the track and slidable between an open position and a closed position relative to the opening, the door moveable through the imperfect arc by flexing of the body.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein:
the track is a first track, the vehicle seat further including a second track coupled with the seatback adjacent the opening; and
the first and second tracks are on laterally opposing sides of the opening, each of the first and second tracks extending in a primarily vertical direction along the imperfect arc.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , further including a mounting unit coupled to the seatback and positioned at least partially within the opening, the mounting unit including a mounting receptacle and a power coupling therein, the mounting unit being alternately concealed and exposed by positioning the door respectively in the closed position and the open position.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , further including a face plate coupled with the seatback in a recess therein, the face plate defining a first portion of the track.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 4 , further including a bezel coupled with the face plate and defining the opening of the seatback, the bezel further defining a second portion of the track, the door being captured between the first portion of the track and the second portion of the track.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the single piece, flexible body of the door is of a single material and includes a plurality of crests defining generally planar surfaces extending parallel to each other in a lateral direction, the plurality of crests being joined together by a plurality of troughs coupled between respective pairs of ones of the plurality of crests at portions thereof that extend away from the generally planar surfaces of the respective crests.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 6 , wherein the single piece, flexible body is flexible by expansion and contraction of the troughs.

8. The vehicle seat of claim 6 , wherein the single piece, flexible body has a thickness of about 1 mm and the door has a thickness between one of the generally planar surfaces and an apex of one of the respective troughs opposite therefrom, the thickness of the door being between about 2.5 and 3.5 mm.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the door is about 3 mm.

10. A vehicle seat, comprising:
a seatback having a mounting unit recessed in a surface thereof, the mounting unit including a mounting receptacle therein;
a track coupled with the seatback adjacent the mounting unit and extending in an imperfect arc; and
a door supported by the track and slidable therealong between a first position in which the door covers the mounting unit and a second position where the mounting unit is uncovered by the door.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein:
the seatback defines an interior cavity adjacent the mounting unit; and
when the door is in the second position, a portion of the door is positioned within the interior cavity.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein the door comprises a single piece, flexible body of a single material and is slidable along the track through the imperfect arc by flexing of the body.

13. The vehicle seat of claim 12 , wherein the track includes a plurality of discontinuous guide portions, the imperfect arc being partially defined by the guide portions.

14. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein the mounting unit includes a face plate coupled over a cavity defined by the seatback, the face plate defining a first portion of the track along a side thereof.

15. The vehicle seat of claim 14 , further including a bezel coupled with the face plate and defining an opening through which the mounting receptacle is accessible, the bezel further defining a second portion of the track, the door being captured between the first portion of the track and the second portion of the track.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dry Alan George
• Talamonti Joseph S
• Groesbeck Gunnar

Classifications

• B60R7/043 Primary

  mounted on or under a seat · CPC title

• B60R2011/0017

  Head-rests · CPC title

• B60R2011/0003

  inside the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R2011/0094

  characterised by means for covering after user, e.g. boxes, shutters or the like · CPC title

• B60R11/02 Primary

  for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof · CPC title