Vehicle seat development

Abstract

A multi-positional seat in one form accommodates a vehicle driver in a standup driving position, a seated driving position and a riding position. The seat back is shiftable relative to the seat base to expose a varying amount of seat base surface for supporting the buttocks of an individual seat user. The seat back and seat base may also be adjustable, for example in fore and aft directions as a unit, to shift the entire seat position. In addition, the elevation of the seat may be adjusted.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A vehicle seat comprising: 
 a seat support;    a seat base;    a seat back;    the seat base being coupled to the seat support such that the seat base is selectively movable at least in respective first and second directions; and    the seat back also being coupled to the seat support such that the seat back is selectively movable at least in the first and second directions and relative to the seat base to vary the amount of seat base which is available for support of a user of the seat.    
     
     
         2 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 1  wherein the seat base and seat back are coupled to the seat support such that the seat base and seat back are selectively movable together as a unit in the first and second directions in addition to the seat back being selectively movable at least in the first and second directions relative to the seat base.  
     
     
         3 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 1  further comprising a seat elevation adjuster coupled to the seat support and supporting the seat support such that the seat support is selectively movable in upward and downward directions so as to change the elevation of the seat base and the seat back.  
     
     
         4 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 1  wherein the seat support includes a first slide coupler adapted to slidably support the seat base and seat back for sliding as a unit in the first and second directions and a second slide coupler adapted to slidably support the seat back for sliding in the first and second directions relative to the seat base.  
     
     
         5 . A vehicle seat comprising: 
 a seat support;    a seat base;    a seat back;    the seat base being coupled to the seat support such that the seat base is selectively movable at least in respective first and second directions;    the seat back also being coupled to the seat support such that the seat back is selectively movable at least in the first and second directions relative to the seat base to vary the amount of seat base which is available for support of a user of the seat; and    the seat support further comprising a seat carrier coupled to the seat base and to the seat back and an upright telescoping pedestal coupled to the seat carrier, the pedestal comprising first and second telescoping members which slide relative to one another to respectively extend and retract the telescoping pedestal, the telescoping pedestal being extended to raise the seat carrier and thereby the seat base, the pedestal being telescopingly retracted to lower the seat carrier and thereby the seat base.    
     
     
         6 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 5  comprising a gas shock absorber coupled to the first and second telescoping members and being operable to bias the first and second telescopic members to an extended position to thereby bias the seat carrier and carried seat base toward a raised position.  
     
     
         7 . A vehicle seat comprising: 
 a seat base member;    a seat carrier;    a seat back member;    a first slide coupler slidably coupling the seat base member and seat back member to the seat carrier such that the seat base member and seat back member are slidable as a unit at least in respective first and second opposed directions relative to the seat carrier; and    a second slide coupler slidably coupling the seat back member to the seat base member such that the seat back member is slidable relative to the seat base member at least in the respective first and second opposed directions and to at least three seat back positions.    
     
     
         8 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 7  wherein the seat base member comprises a seat base frame and a seat base cushion, wherein the seat back member comprises a seat back frame and a seat back cushion carried by the seat back frame, wherein the seat base cushion has an upper surface and a front side and a rear side, the first and second directions of movement of the seat back member relative to the seat base member corresponding to sliding the seat back member respectively toward and away from the front side of the seat base cushion, wherein as the seat back member is slid in the first direction between such positions, a lesser area of the upper surface of the seat cushion is located forwardly of the seat back member, and wherein as the seat back member is slid in the second direction between such positions, a greater area of the upper surface of the seat base cushion is located forwardly of the seat back member.  
     
     
         9 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 8  further comprising an upright seat support coupled to the seat carrier.  
     
     
         10 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 9  wherein the upright seat support comprises a post which is adjustable in length such that adjustment of the length of the post adjusts the elevation of the seat base member.  
     
     
         11 . A vehicle seat comprising: 
 a seat base member;    a seat carrier;    a seat back member;    a plurality of elongated first tracks at least a portion of which extends in the first and second directions, the first tracks being coupled to the seat carrier, the seat base member comprising a seat frame and a plurality of first track engagers coupled to the seat frame and slidably engaging the respective first tracks, the seat back member and seat base member being carried by the seat frame such that sliding of the seat frame along the first tracks moves the seat base member and seat back member together as a unit in respective first and second directions relative to the seat carrier;    a seat base latch operable to selectively prevent sliding of the first track engagers along the first tracks to thereby prevent sliding movement of the seat base member and seat back member together as a unit relative to the seat carrier;    a plurality of elongated seat back guides coupled to the seat base member and at least a portion of which extends in the first and second directions, guide engagers respectively coupled to the seat back member and slidably engaging the seat back guides such that the seat back member is slidable along the seat back guides in the first and second directions and relative to the seat base member; and    a seat back latch operable to selectively prevent sliding of the guide engagers along the guides so as to retain the seat back member in a position to which it has been slid relative to the seat base member.    
     
     
         12 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 11  in which the seat back latch comprises a latch lever pivoted to the seat back member and a latch rod coupled to the latch lever and extending in a transverse direction relative to the first and second directions, the latch lever being pivotal between a first seat back latched position and a second seat back unlatched position, the seat frame comprising a plurality of latch rod receiving grooves, the latch rod receiving grooves being spaced apart along the seat frame in the first direction and at respective positions to selectively receive the latch rod to latch the seat back member against movement relative to the seat base member when the latch lever is the first seat back latched position, the rod being disengaged from the latch rod receiving grooves with the seat back member being slidable relative to the seat base member when the lever is in the second seat back unlatched position.  
     
     
         13 . A vehicle seat comprising: 
 a first elongated seat support member adapted to be mounted to the floor of the vehicle and defining a passageway;    a second seat support member slidably engaging the passageway and having respective upper and lower end portions;    a seat coupled to the upper end portion of the second seat support member;    a seat elevation latch for selectively coupling the first and second seat support members together to position the seat support at a desired elevation when the latch is in a latched position, the latch permitting relative movement of the first and second seat support members when the latch is in an unlatched position to thereby permit adjustment of the elevation of the seat support;    at least three elongated grooves positioned between the respective first and second seat support members; and    friction reducers positioned within the elongated grooves and engaged by the first and second seat support members as they slide relative to one another.    
     
     
         14 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 13  wherein each of the friction reducers comprises at least one elongated piece of plastic material.  
     
     
         15 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 13  wherein at least a portion of the perimeter of each groove is defined by the first seat support member and at least a portion of the perimeter of each groove is defined by the second seat support member.  
     
     
         16 . A vehicle seat according to  claim 13  wherein the first seat support member defines an interior channel which is generally rectangular in cross-section with four corners, a respective first groove defining portion being positioned at each of the corners of the interior channel, wherein the second seat support member has an exterior surface which is generally rectangular in cross-section with four corners, a respective second groove defining portion being positioned at each of the respective corners thereof, the respective first and second groove defining portions at each corner between the interior of the first seat support member and the exterior of the second seat support member together defining the grooves at the respective corners.  
     
     
         17 . A vehicle seat support according to  claim 16  wherein each of the grooves is generally circular in cross-section.  
     
     
         18 . A vehicle seat support according to  claim 16  wherein the first seat support member comprises an elongated projection extending along at least a length of each corner of the first seat support member, the respective first groove defining portions being located in the respective elongated projections.  
     
     
         19 . A vehicle seat support according to  claim 16  wherein the first seat support member comprises a first flange projecting outwardly from a first exterior corner of the first seat support member and a second flange projecting outwardly from a second exterior corner of the first seat support member, the second exterior corner being adjacent to the first exterior corner, the first and second flanges extending generally rearwardly when the first seat support member is mounted to the vehicle, and at least one first reinforcing brace extending from the first flange to a portion of the vehicle at a location spaced above the floor of the vehicle and at least one second reinforcing brace extending from the second flange to a portion of the vehicle at a location spaced above the floor of the vehicle.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to  claim 19  wherein the vehicle seat comprises an upper seat carrier member together with a plurality of flange braces extending from the upper seat carrier member to the upper end portion of the second seat support member.  
     
     
         21 . A vehicle seat support according to  claim 20 , in which the upper seat carrier member comprises a seat supporting surface, the vehicle seat comprising at least a plurality of elongated seat supporting tracks coupled to the seat supporting surface of the upper seat carrier member and slidably coupled to the seat such that that seat is slidable along the seat supporting tracks.  
     
     
         22 . An apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein the seat elevation latch comprises a lever actuated plunger carried by the first seat support member, a plurality of spaced apart plunger receiving openings positioned along at least a portion of the length of the second seat support member and located so as to selectively receive the plunger to latch the first and second seat supporting members together, a lever coupled to the plunger and shiftable from a first latching position in which the plunger is inserted into at least one of the plunger receiving openings and a second unlatched position wherein the plunger is retracted from the plunger receiving openings so as to permit relative sliding movement of the first and second seat support members, the lever being pivotally carried by the first seat support member for pivoting about a lever pivot axis, a cam coupled to the lever and a camming surface for engagement by the cam as the lever is shifted between the first and second positions, the lever and cam being coupled to the plunger such that pivoting of the lever in respective first and second directions moves the cam along the camming surface to respectively insert and withdraw the plunger from at least one of the openings in the second seat support member.  
     
     
         23 . A vehicle seat support according to  claim 22  including a collar coupled to the first support member, the collar defining a plunger guide channel for guiding the movement of at least a portion of the plunger, a biasing member positioned within the plunger receiving channel for biasing the plunger toward the plunger receiving openings, and the camming surface being located at the exterior of the collar opposite to the plunger guide channel.  
     
     
         24 . A vehicle seat comprising: 
 seat base means for supporting the buttocks of the user when sitting on the vehicle seat;    seat back means for supporting the back of a user when leaning against the seat back means;    seat support means for carrying the seat back means and seat base means and for permitting relative sliding movement of the seat back means and seat base means as a unit relative to the seat support means;    seat back support means for supporting the seat back means for movement relative to the seat base means and relative to the seat support means; and    the seat support means comprises means for adjusting the height of the seat base means.    
     
     
         25 . A method of adjusting the position of a standup seat comprising: 
 selectively shifting a seat back and seat base together as a unit selectively in respective forward and rearward directions, the forward direction being toward the front of a vehicle;    selectively shifting the seat back relative to the seat base at least in forward and rearward directions such that, as the seat back is shifted forwardly, a lesser amount of the upper surface of the seat base is exposed for sitting on by a user of the seat; and    selectively adjusting the elevation of the seat relative to a floor of a vehicle.    
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 25  comprising the act of shifting the seat back forwardly relative to the seat base for use as back rest by a driver standing up and operating a vehicle and rearwardly relative to the seat base to expose a major portion of the seat base for sitting on by a user of the seat.