Light-weight utility vehicle seat

Abstract

A utility vehicle seat assembly includes a seat cushion subassembly having a plastic base that includes a substantially flat or smooth perimeter portion on an underside of the plastic base. The substantially flat perimeter is suitable for accepting fasteners. The seat cushion subassembly additionally includes, a foam cushion that is positioned on a top surface of the plastic base and a seat cushion covering that is positioned over the foam cushion. The seat cushion covering is wrapped around a circumferential edge of the plastic base and fastened to the substantially flat perimeter portion of the underside of the plastic base using a plurality of fasteners. A fastener cover is positioned over the fasteners and connected to the underside of the plastic base to conceal the fasteners and the fastened portion of the seat cushion covering.

1 . A utility vehicle seat cushion assembly comprising: 
 a plastic base;    a foam cushion positioned on a top surface of the plastic base; and    a covering positioned over the cushion and fastened to an underside of the plastic base using a plurality of fasteners.    
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a concealing rim positioned over the fasteners and connected to the underside of the plastic base.  
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the concealing rim comprises a pair of cover hinge recesses.  
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic base comprises a substantially flat portion around a perimeter of the plastic base underside.  
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic base comprises a pair of base hinge recesses in a perimeter portion of the plastic base underside.  
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic base comprises a plurality of intersecting structural ribs formed in the underside.  
   
   
       7 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a driver hip restraint and a passenger hip restraint coupled to the plastic base underside, wherein the driver hip restraint has a shorter longitudinal length to provide minimally impaired ingress and egress of the seat cushion assembly.  
   
   
       8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the seat cushion assembly comprises at least one of a utility vehicle seat bottom and a utility vehicle seat back.  
   
   
       9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the fasteners comprise staples and the covering is stapled to the plastic base.  
   
   
       10 . A method for assembling a utility vehicle seat cushion assembly, said method comprising: 
 positioning a foam cushion on a top surface of a plastic base having a substantially flat perimeter portion on an underside thereof suitable for accepting fasteners;    placing a seat cushion covering over the foam cushion;    wrapping the seat cushion covering around a circumferential edge of the plastic base; and    fastening the seat cushion covering to the substantially flat perimeter portion of the underside of the plastic base using a plurality of fasteners.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 positioning a fastener cover over the fasteners and the fastened portion of the seat cushion covering; and    connecting the fastener cover to the underside of the plastic base to conceal the fasteners and the fastened portion of the seat cushion covering.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein positioning a fastener cover over the fasteners comprises positioning the fastener cover over the fasteners such that a backside of a pair of cover hinge recesses formed in the fastener cover mate with a pair of base hinge recesses in the underside of the plastic base to properly align the fastener cover on the underside of the plastic base.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising: 
 placing one leg of a pair of hinges in each of the cover hinge recesses; and    coupling the leg of each hinge to the plastic base using a single fastener such that the cover hinge recesses prevent the hinge legs from rotating about the respective fasteners.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising coupling a driver hip restraint and a passenger hip restraint to the plastic base underside, wherein the driver hip restraint has a shorter longitudinal length to provide minimally impaired ingress and egress of the seat cushion assembly.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein fastening the seat cushion covering comprises stapling the seat cushion covering to the substantially flat perimeter portion of the underside of the plastic base using a plurality of staples.  
   
   
       16 . A utility vehicle seat assembly comprising: 
 a seat cushion subassembly including:    a plastic base including a substantially smooth perimeter portion on an underside of the plastic base suitable for accepting fasteners;    a foam cushion positioned on a top surface of the plastic base;    a seat cushion covering positioned over the foam cushion, wrapped around a circumferential edge of the plastic base and fastened to the substantially smooth perimeter portion of the underside of the plastic base using a plurality of fasteners; and    a fastener cover positioned over the fasteners and connected to the underside of the plastic base for concealing the fasteners and the fastened portion of the seat cushion covering.    
   
   
       17 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the plastic base includes a pair of base hinge recesses.  
   
   
       18 . The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the fastener cover includes a pair of cover hinge recesses for retaining one leg of a pair of hinges and preventing the leg from rotating about a fastener used to connect the leg to the plastic base, wherein a backside of the cover hinge recesses mate with the base hinge recesses to properly align the fastener cover on the underside of the plastic base.  
   
   
       19 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the plastic base includes a plurality of crisscrossing structural ridges formed in the underside for providing longitudinal and lateral stability and strength to the plastic base.  
   
   
       20 . The assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the plastic base further includes at least one diagonal structure ridge intersecting the crisscrossing structural ridges to provide diagonal stability and strength to the plastic base.  
   
   
       21 . The assembly of  claim 16  further comprising a driver hip restraint and a passenger hip restraint coupled to the plastic base underside, wherein the driver hip restraint has a shorter longitudinal length to provide minimally impaired ingress and egress of the seat cushion subassembly.  
   
   
       22 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the seat cushion subassembly comprises a utility vehicle seat bottom and the fastener cover comprises a concealing rim.  
   
   
       23 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the seat cushion subassembly comprises a utility vehicle seat back and the fastener cover comprises a concealing panel.