Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Seats with body modifications
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2001-08-07
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Seats with body modifications
C246S065000, C246S065000, C246S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270140
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to a seat which is removable from a vehicle and, more particularly. to a seat which engages a track aligned with and generally perpendicular to a door opening which allows the seat to be removed through the door opening when extended beyond the end of the track.
2. Discussion
Seats which are removable from a vehicle are known in the industry within certain vehicle types. Particularly, removable seats have been incorporated in vans which are intended to serve a dual purpose, that of cargo carrying and that of passenger transport. While some advancements have been made to improve the ease with which the seats may be removed, the task is still often difficult and awkward. Typically, the person removing the seats must release a latch mechanism mounted to the seat which engages a striker bar connected to a recess in the vehicle floor. Once released. the seat is lifted from the recesses and is free from the vehicle at that point. The seat must then be lifted by the person removing the seat as they exit the vehicle. The lifting motion is often difficult because the person must bend to avoid hitting the roof of the vehicle as they lift the seat. Some manufacturers have reduced the difficulty of removing the seat by placing rollers on the bottom of the seat stations, however, the seat must still be lifted out of the recesses and angled such that the wheels contact the floor of the vehicle while rolling them toward the opening.
The present invention is intended to provide a user friendly removable seat which minimizes the operator's difficulty during removal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there is provided a removable seat slidably engaging a track mounted to the vehicle. The track is generally perpendicular to and aligns with the door opening of the vehicle such that the operator is able to remove the seat while primarily standing on the exterior of the vehicle. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the seat can be folded to a more compact configuration than when in the normal use position. Once the seat is in the folded configuration it can pass through the door opening of the vehicle with relative ease.
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Anticuar David G.
Duncan Terrence
Fieroh Lawrence A.
Griswold Leslie
Opfer John G.
Dayoan D. Glenn
Foley & Lardner
Johnson Controls Technology Corporation
Morrow Jason
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