Automotive removable power seat

Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Seats with body modifications

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C297S180120

Reexamination Certificate

active

06250703

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention relates to a removable powered vehicle seat.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Removable vehicle seats are common in the industry and are widely used. These seats usually include a seat mounted to a riser or set of risers which are used to mount the vehicle seat within the vehicle. These risers are equipped with mechanisms to removably mount the vehicle seat within the vehicle. Seats of this type are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,836,597 and 4,971,379.
Vehicle seats are also commonly equipped with electrical components mounted within. Most commonly these seats include power adjustment mechanisms such as a powered six-way seat adjuster, or seat heaters. Vehicle seats of this type including seat heaters and power adjustment mechanisms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,014,958; 4,966,045 and 4,880,199.
While removable vehicle seats have been developed which include power components, these type of seats require that the user manually connect a vehicle mounted electrical connector to a seat mounted electrical connector after the seat has been installed within the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by providing a vehicle seat assembly which is removably mounted to the floor of a vehicle and includes an electrical component mounted within the seat. The vehicle seat includes a riser mounted to the seat for releasably mounting the seat to the vehicle floor. The seat assembly includes a first electrical contact mounted to the seat for delivering power to the electrical component within the seat, and a second electrical contact adapted to be mounted to the vehicle floor for delivering power to the first electrical contact. The vehicle seat assembly is characterized by the first electrical contact fixedly mounted to the riser to automatically engage the second electrical contact when the vehicle seat assembly is mounted to the vehicle floor whereby the first and second electrical contacts provide a circuit to power the electrical component.
Accordingly, the present invention will allow a removable vehicle seat to be removed from and installed within a vehicle while the electrical connection necessary to power electrical components within the vehicle seat is made automatically and simultaneously when the seat is installed within the vehicle. The subject invention will allow the operator to remove the seat without having to first disconnect the electrical connection, and to install the vehicle seat without having to manually connect a seat mounted electrical connector to a vehicle mounted electrical connector after the seat is installed.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a riser assembly for a vehicle seat assembly adapted to be removably mounted to the floor of a vehicle. The vehicle seat includes a seat and an electrical component mounted to the seat. The riser assembly is mounted to the seat for releasably mounting the seat to the vehicle floor. The riser assembly has a first electrical connector rigidly mounted to the riser for delivering power to the electrical component. A second electrical connector is adapted to be mounted to the vehicle floor for delivering power to the first electrical connector. The first electrical connector is positioned on the riser to automatically engage the second electrical connector when the riser assembly is mounted to the vehicle floor. The first and second electrical contacts close a circuit to power the electrical component.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3915493 (1975-10-01), Brown
patent: 4836597 (1989-06-01), Izumida
patent: 4880199 (1989-11-01), Harney
patent: 4927201 (1990-05-01), Froutzis
patent: 4966045 (1990-10-01), Harney
patent: 4971379 (1990-11-01), Rumpel et al.
patent: 5014958 (1991-05-01), Harney
patent: 5348264 (1994-09-01), Few e tal.
patent: 5620225 (1997-04-01), Harry
patent: 5696409 (1997-12-01), Handman et al.
patent: 5697662 (1997-12-01), Leftwich
patent: 5730414 (1998-03-01), Wenger et al.
patent: 5752845 (1998-05-01), Fu
patent: 6050835 (2000-04-01), Henrion
patent: 2905235 (1980-08-01), None
patent: 0558408 (1993-02-01), None

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