Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Seats with body modifications
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2001-01-30
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Seats with body modifications
C296S065010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179363
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to seat assemblies for motor vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to vehicle seats that are adapted to be removed and easily transported by the use of rollers. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular embodiment and/or use which is shown and described for purposes of illustration, the present invention relates to vehicle seats that can be removed from a vehicle and transported with the aid of rollers.
2. Discussion
Automobiles contain a plurality of seating assemblies for use by the driver and the passengers of the vehicle. In an effort to create more versatility in today's vehicles, it is desirable to provide the capability of folding, relocating, or even removing a vehicle seat assembly. This type of versatility is desired in order to increase the cargo space of the vehicle and enhance the utility of the vehicle in order to meet the desires and needs of the driver. Furthermore, there is a need to provide a vehicle seat assembly that can be easily transported once it is removed from the vehicle.
Automobile owners require a tremendous amount of versatility in their vehicle. For example, a driver may want to carry five passengers comfortably to a social event. Shortly thereafter, the driver may want to pick up a couch from the furniture store or some lumber from the home improvement store. Large items such as lumber and furniture may not fit in a conventional vehicle with the seat assemblies positioned to carry passengers. Therefore, it is desireable, not only to move or transition the seat within the vehicle to provide more useable cargo space, but also to remove the seat assembly. In addition, the removal of the seat needs to be easy, and the transportation of the seat assembly cannot be onerous.
In order to provide this increases utility, a number of varying seat arrangements have been devised that are foldable and removable. Many have even provided means to transport the seat about easily. One such example is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,398, issued Dec. 13, 1994 and titled “Vehicle Seat Assembly With Retracting Latch/Engaging Roller Seat-To-Floor Lock”. '398 describes a seat latching assembly that can be used to lock the seat into place, or to activate rollers that can be used to transport the seat assembly out of the vehicle. The rollers are attached to the bottom of the vehicle seat so that the seat can be rolled out of the rear liftgate. Although this and other present seat assemblies perform satisfactorily, the designs tend to be bulky and overly complex. Furthermore, the '398 design requires the operator to disengage the latch from the rear of the seat that can be burdensome at times.
Although the '398 seat provides its desired function, there is a need to provide a seat assembly that can be folded, tumbled, removed easily out of the side door of a vehicle, and transported smoothly by the use of rollers, skis or similar means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal objective of the present invention to provide a truly versatile and effective vehicle seat.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat that can be folded, tumbled, and removed from the side door of a vehicle.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat that can be removed from a vehicle and transported easily by the use of rollers.
It is a more particular objective of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat assembly that can folded, tumbled, and removed form a vehicle such that a roller extends, at least partially, beyond an edge of the seat so that it can be transported easily on the rollers with the aid of a handle disposed on an opposing side of the seat.
In one form, the present invention provides a vehicle seat assembly having a roller for easy transportation thereof. The vehicle seat includes a cushion section, a back section, and preferably a headrest. The cushion section includes a front edge, a rear edge, a top surface, and a bottom. The front edge and the bottom interconnect at a lower edge. A wheeled latch is attached to the cushion section near the front edge thereof. The wheeled latch includes a seat member and a latch member pivotally interconnected at a pivot pin. The seat member is attached to the bottom of the cushion section. The latch member includes a recess to accept a striker disposed on the vehicle floor and a projection terminating in a roller. The vehicle floor also includes a U-shaped formation to accept the roller. The roller includes a shaft connected to the projection that terminates at both ends in wheels. A coil spring is disposed between the latch member and the seat member to urge pivoting in one direction about the pivot pin such that the roller extends from the seat member in a direction substantially parallel to the bottom and top surfaces of the cushion section. The coil spring urges the latch member is a direction away from the rear edge of the cushion section and towards said bottom of said cushion section. The roller is capable of extending at least partially beyond the lower edge of the cushion section of the vehicle seat. The wheeled latch also includes a clasp that can be pivoted relative to the latch member such that the striker can be entrapped between the recess of the latch member and a cup formed within the clasp. The entrapment of the striker limits all motion of the latch member except rotational motion. Rotational motion of the latch member is limited by the U-shaped formations reception of the roller or any other portion of the latch member.
While the clasp is in the unlatched or open position, the vehicle seat can be installed in the vehicle or removed from the vehicle. The seat can be removed from the vehicle while the seat is tumbled and the clasp is unlatched by raising the seat in a vertical fashion. A handle is provided that extends from the cushion section to provide ease is removing and transporting the seat. Once the seat is removed from the vehicle it can be transported by allowing the rollers to contact the ground and by pulling on the handle. The handle is disposed at an opposing side of the vehicle seat from the wheeled latch. The handle extends from the vehicle seat in a direction substantially parallel to the top and bottom surface of the vehicle seat and also substantially parallel to the direction at which the roller extends from the seat member.
The vehicle seat is installed into the vehicle by vertically placing the wheeled latch in contact with a forwardly placed striker assembly. The wheeled latch is directed such that the striker is received by the recess and the roller is received by the U-shaped formation. Once such installation has occurred, the clasp can be pivoted such that the striker is entrapped between the recess and the clasp. The seat is installed in the tumbled position as shown in FIG.
8
. The seat can then be transitioned to a seating position by first pivoting the cushion and back sections such that the cushion section becomes closer to the floor. This is against the tendencies of the coil spring that has been previously described. The cushion section is pivoted until a latch assembly disposed on the rear portion of the bottom of the cushion section contacts a rearward striker assembly disposed on the floor of the vehicle. The latch assembly and the rearward striker assembly are removeably coupled together. While the rear portion of the cushion section and the vehicle floor are coupled together, pivoting of the latch member and seat member, as urged by the coil spring, is restricted. The seat is now in the folded position. In the folded position, it should be appreciated that the roller no longer extends from the seat member in a manner parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the seat assembly. Due to the pivoting between the latch member and the seat member, the roller now extends from the seat member in a manner substantially perpendicular to the botto
O'Connor James G.
Palajac Patrick M.
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Dayoan D. Glenn
Lorelli Marc
Murray Mickki
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