Adjustable seat for personal mobility vehicle

Abstract

An adjustable seat for a personal mobility vehicle comprises a panel and a support structure. The panel comprises at least one panel part. The panel part is releasably secured relative to the support structure so as to be adjustable in at least one direction. The panel part has one of either a key member or a mating structure that is configured to mate with the other one of either the mating structure or the key member, which is supported in relation to the support structure to locate the panel part in a suitable adjusted position. Alternatively, a personal mobility vehicle seat may comprise a panel comprising panel parts. The panel parts may be releasably secured to one another so that at least one of the panel parts is adjustable relative to the other one of the panel parts. One of the panel parts may have a key member and the other panel part may have a mating structure configured to mate with the key member to locate the panel parts in a suitable adjusted position relative to one another.

1 . A personal mobility vehicle seat comprising:
 a panel for supporting a user; and   a support structure configured to support the panel, the panel comprising at least one panel part releasably secured relative to the support structure so as to be adjustable in at least one direction, the panel part having one of either a key member or a plurality of mating structures that is configured to mate with the other one of either the plurality of mating structures or a key member supported by the support structure to locate the panel part in a suitable adjusted position, the key member and the mating structures being configured to provide incremental amounts of adjustment.   
     
     
         2 . A seat comprising a panel comprising:
 at least two panel parts, the panel parts being releasably secured to one another so as to be adjustable in at least one direction, at least one of the panel parts having one or more key members and at least the other panel part having one or more mating structures configured to mate with at least one of the one or more key members to locate the panel parts in a suitable adjusted position relative to one another.   
     
     
         3 . The seat of  claim 2  wherein the panel is a seat panel for supporting the buttocks of a person. 
     
     
         4 . The seat of  claim 2  wherein the panel is a backrest panel for supporting the back of a person. 
     
     
         5 . The seat of  claim 2  further comprising one or more fasteners, wherein one or more slots are provided in at least one of the panel parts and one or more holes are provided in at least the other panel part, at least one of the one or more slots aligning with at least one of the one or more holes at one of various positions, the one or more fasteners being insertable through the aligning one or more slots and one or more holes and being configured to secure the panel parts in a suitable adjusted position. 
     
     
         6 . The seat of  claim 5  wherein the one or more fasteners are one or more threaded fasteners. 
     
     
         7 . The seat of  claim 2  wherein the at least two panel parts comprises three panel parts, including a central panel part and opposing panel parts. 
     
     
         8 . The seat of  claim 7  further comprising a panel support structure, wherein the central panel part is secured with respect to the support structure and at least one of the opposing panel parts is adjustable with respect to the central panel part to adjust the panel in at least one direction. 
     
     
         9 . The seat of  claim 7  wherein at least one of the opposing panel parts is movable with respect to the central panel part to permit the at least one opposing panel part to be adjustable in a lateral direction with respect to the central panel part. 
     
     
         10 . The seat of  claim 2  wherein the one or more mating structures comprise a plurality of spaced mating structures. 
     
     
         11 . The seat of  claim 2  wherein the one or more mating structures are spaced at discrete locations so as to permit discrete adjustments in at least one of the panel parts relative to the other one of the panel parts. 
     
     
         12 . The seat of  claim 2  wherein the panel parts comprise relatively thin, substantially stiff base plates, which form a substantially rigid support surface for supporting a person. 
     
     
         13 . The seat of  claim 12  wherein the base plates are arranged substantially parallel to one another and define a seat or backrest plane for supporting the person. 
     
     
         14 . The seat of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the one or more key members comprises a protrusion and at least one of the one or more mating structures comprises a complimentary shaped concave recess or hole for receiving the protrusion. 
     
     
         15 . The seat of  claim 14  wherein the protrusion has a tapered side wall that allows for ease in guiding the protrusion into the recess. 
     
     
         16 . The seat of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the one or more key members is in the form of a projection and at least one of the one or more mating structures is in the form of a hole. 
     
     
         17 . The seat of  claim 16  wherein the projection and the hole are complimentary mating shapes. 
     
     
         18 . The seat of  claim 2  wherein the one or more key members comprise a plurality of key members and the one or more mating structures comprise a plurality of mating structures, the key members and the mating structures being in the form of complimentary mating waffle, serrated, or saw tooth surfaces. 
     
     
         19 . A seat comprising a panel comprising:
 at least two panel parts, the panel parts being releasably secured to one another so as to be adjustable in at least one direction, at least one of the panel parts having one or more key members and at least the other panel part having one or more mating structures configured to mate with at least one of the one or more key members to locate the panel parts in a suitable adjusted position relative to one another, at least one of the key members or the mating structures being constructed so that, to move the panel parts relative to each other, the panel parts are required to be separated.