U.S. patent application number 09/778982 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-10 for vehicle electric reclining seats.
Invention is credited to Kuo, Ming C..
Application Number | 20020145301 09/778982 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25114943 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020145301 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kuo, Ming C. |
October 10, 2002 |
VEHICLE ELECTRIC RECLINING SEATS
Abstract
A set of vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats are
provided to replace stationary seats in a van permitting
comfortable sleeping. The invention consists of a pair of side
walls (30) attached to the van interior, with each side wall
including a slotted frame (31) having a horizontal slot (32)
therein. A set of rollers (42) on a bench frame (40) interface with
the slots permitting the frame to slide horizontally as driven by a
first electric motor drive. A pair of seats (60) and back rests
(72) are attached to the bench frame, connected to a second
electric motor drive such that when the back rest is substantially
upright the back of the seat is lower than the front of the seat
and when the back rest is pivoted flat the seat is simultaneously
raised to a horizontal position parallel to the back rest. A pair
of extendible foot rests (94) are connected to the frame adjacent
to a seat, and a third electric motor drive is jointly attached to
the frame and foot rest to extend the footrest when the back rest
and seat is reclined to a fully horizontal position, forming a bed
within the van.
Inventors: |
Kuo, Ming C.; (Cerritos,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GORDON K ANDERSON
14632 PACIFIC STREET
TUSTIN
CA
92780
|
Family ID: |
25114943 |
Appl. No.: |
09/778982 |
Filed: |
February 7, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/65.09 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/34 20130101; B60N
2/0232 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/65.09 |
International
Class: |
B60N 002/02 |
Claims
1. Vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats for replacing
stationary seats achieving seating comfort and to permit sleeping
within a van comprising: a pair of side walls attached to a van
interior, with each side wall having a horizontal slot therein, a
bench frame having a plurality of rollers extending therefrom, with
the rollers disposed within each horizontal slot such that the
frame may horizontally glide on the rollers through the slots, a
first electric motor drive attached to both the bench frame and the
side walls for moving the bench frame forward and rearward within
the van, a pair of seats having a front and a back with each seat
front hingeably attached to said bench frame, a pair of reclining
back rests each having a top and a bottom with each bottom
arcuately attached to the frame, a pair of second electric motor
drives each interconnected with a seat back and also the bottom of
its corresponding back rest such that when each back rest is
substantially upright the back of each seat is lower than its front
and when each back rest is pivoted flat by the second electric
motor drive the corresponding seat is simultaneously raised to a
horizontal position parallel with its back rest, a pair of
extendible foot rests each connected to the frame adjacent to the
front of each seat, and a pair of third electric motor drives each
jointly attached to the frame and each extendible foot rest for
extending individual footrests when each corresponding back rest is
reclined to a fully horizontal position and the back of its seat is
horizontal, forming a bed within a van permitting a person to sleep
thereon.
2. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 wherein said pair of side walls are fabricated of sheet
metal configured to conform with the interior of the van.
3. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 wherein each pair of side walls further comprise an
enclosure belt slot cover positioned over the slot such that the
exposed slot outside the seat is constantly enveloped in all
forward and rearward seat positions.
4. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 wherein said bench frame is essentially constructed of thin
wall rectangular tubing.
5. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 wherein said plurality of rollers further comprise a pair
of stationary shaft flanged rollers on said van curb side for
captivation within a side wall and a pair of floating flanged
rollers on said van road side, said floating rollers slip laterally
to overcome misalignment and to eliminate binding of the bench
frame on the side walls when shifting forward and rearward within
the slots of the side walls.
6. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 wherein said first electric motor drive further comprising,
a motor attached to the bench frame, a drive shaft connected on
each end of the motor, a worm gear rotatably connected to each
drive shaft, and a first drive threaded shaft fixably attached to
each side wall, with the worm gear disposed upon the threaded
shaft, such that when the motor is actuated the drive shaft rotates
the worm gear and propels the bench frame linearly along the first
drive threaded shaft.
7. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 6 wherein said electric motor and worm gear further comprises
a passenger vehicle seat adjuster operating on vehicle electrical
power.
8. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 wherein each of the pair of seats and the back rests
further comprise a metallic tubular frame having cushioning with
covering disposed thereon.
9. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 wherein said second electric motor drive further comprises,
a worm gear rotatably coupled to said motor, a second drive
threaded shaft disposed within the worm gear, and a pivoting nut
threadably attached to the second drive threaded shaft and also to
both the seat back and the bottom of the back rest to facilitate
said function that when each back rest is substantially upright the
back of each seat is lower than its front and when each back rest
is pivoted flat by the second electric motor drive the
corresponding seat is simultaneously raised to a horizontal
position parallel with its back rest.
10. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 9 wherein said electric motor and said worm gear further
comprise a passenger vehicle seat adjuster motor and worm gear
respectively, with the motor operating on vehicle electrical
power.
11. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 further comprising, a plurality of seat and backrest links,
each having a backrest arm connecting point and a seat arm
connecting point, a plurality of seat and backrest links, wherein
said back rest bottom is connected to the seat back with the seat
and backrest links at the seat arm connecting points and the
backrest arm connecting points, the connecting point locations
permit the seat back to tilt to a lowest position when the back
rest is substantially 45 degrees from a vertical position.
12. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 wherein said each extendible foot rest further comprises a
commercially obtainable reclining rocker foot rest assembly.
13. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 wherein said extendible foot rests further comprise a pair
of cushioned pads attached together with a plurality of scissor
brackets each having cushioning enclosed with a covering.
14. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 13 wherein said extendible foot rests further comprise, each
scissor bracket having a upper end of a first rearmost link and a
upper end of a second rearmost link, at least one foot rest pivot
joint yoke in communication with the scissor bracket with the yoke
having a first hole, a second hole and a stop pin therein, said
bench frame having a bracket slot therein, and a plurality of yoke
brackets attached to the bench frame, wherein the foot rest pivot
joint yoke connects the first hole to the yoke bracket on the bench
frame with the stop pin engaging the slot in the bench frame, the
upper end of the first rearmost link of the scissor bracket is
connected through the second hole in the foot rest pivot yoke and
the upper end of the second rearmost link of the scissor bracket is
jointly connected through the first hole of the yoke bracket and to
the yoke bracket on the bench frame, this attachment arrangement
permits the foot rest to swing upward further that it could if it
were mounted directly to the bench frame and allows the foot rest
to be raised high enough for sitting comfort as well as forming the
lower part of the bed.
15. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 1 wherein said third electric motor drive further comprises,
a worm gear rotatably coupled to each motor, a third drive threaded
shaft disposed within the worm gear, and a pivoting nut threadably
attached to the third drive threaded shaft and also to each
extendable foot rest to facilitate said function of extending
individual footrests for sitting comfort and also when each
corresponding back rest is reclined to a fully horizontal position
and the back of its seat is horizontal, forming a bed within a van
permitting a person to sleep thereon.
16. The vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats as recited in
claim 15 wherein said electric motor and said worm gear further
comprise a passenger vehicle seat adjuster motor and worm gear
respectively, with the motor operating on vehicle electrical
power.
17. Vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats for replacing
stationary seats achieving seating comfort and to permit sleeping
within a van comprising: a pair of side walls attached to a van
interior, with each side wall having a horizontal slot therein, a
bench frame having roller means interfacing with each slot such
that the frame may move horizontally through the slots, a first
electric motor drive attached to both the bench frame and the side
walls for moving the bench frame forward and rearward within the
van, at least one seat attached to said bench frame, at least one
reclining back rest attached to the frame, at least one second
electric motor drive connected to both a seat and a back rest such
that when the back rest is substantially upright a back portion of
the seat is lower than a front portion of the seat and when the
back rest is pivoted flat by the second electric motor drive the
seat is simultaneously raised to a horizontal position parallel to
the back rest, at least one extendible foot rests connected to the
frame adjacent to a seat, and at least one third electric motor
drives jointly attached to the frame and extendible foot rest for
extending the footrest for sitting comfort and when each back rest
is reclined to a fully horizontal position and the seat is
horizontal, forming a bed within a van permitting a person to sleep
thereon.
18. Vehicle electrically actuated reclining seats for replacing
stationary seats in a van interior comprising: a pair of side walls
attached onto the van, a bench frame interfacing with each side
wall, means for attaching the bench frame to each side wall, at
least one seat attached to said bench frame, at least one reclining
back rest attached to the frame, means to rotate the seat and back
rest such that when the back rest is substantially upright a back
portion of the seat is lower than a front portion of the seat and
when the back rest is flat the seat is simultaneously raised to a
horizontal position parallel with the back rest, an extendible foot
rest connected to the frame adjacent to the seat, and foot rest
extending means, for elongating the footrest to form a bed.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to vehicle seats in general.
More specifically to electrically actuated replacement reclining
seats to permit sleeping in a van.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Previously, many types of vehicle seats have been used in
endeavoring to provide comfort to the passenger. In most cases the
seats recline, but not sufficiently to lie completely flat,
therefore not allowing comfortable sleeping arrangements.
[0003] A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that
possess the novelty of the instant invention, however the following
U.S. patents are considered related:
1 Patent Number Inventor Issue Date 4,585,273 Higgs et al. Apr. 29,
1986 4,619,482 Itsuki Oct. 28, 1986 5,123,706 Granzow Jun. 23, 1992
5,605,376 Kogai Feb. 25, 1997 5,772,283 Yoshida et al. Jun. 30,
1998
[0004] Higgs et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,273 teaches a vehicle
seat frame that is formed of a molded body or a foam, such as
polyurethane reinforced internally by a fabricated sheet metal
skeleton. The frame is covered by a pad to complete the seat with
the back and pan portions structurally independent. Seat belt
anchorage's are mounted on the seat back frame rather than to the
vehicle body and the arrangement is such that the restraint loads
to not pass thorough the seat pan portion of the frame.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,482 issued to Itsuki is for a reclining
device used for an automobile seat that has a back frame and a
cushion frame with the back frame journaled relative to the cushion
frame. The device has a cam in the back and in the cushion frame
with a second cam engaged by the first cam with a hook for
retaining the cam to incline the seat. The seat is therefore
adjustable in accordance with the amount of displacement of the
cam.
[0006] Granzow in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,706 discloses an automobile
seat that includes a seat frame and a backrest frame each having a
pair of oppose side U-shaped braces which face away from the
seating surfaces. The side braces of the side frame and back frame
portions define open channel like areas for accommodating adjusting
units of the seat.
[0007] Kogai in U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,376 teaches a backrest
attaching frame for rearward inclination and at the same time is
spring loaded toward the attaching frame. A push-up member is
vertically attached to a horizontal portion of the backrest
attaching member. A seat receiving plate is pivotally supported at
the front side of the attaching frame for upward inclination and
the seat receiving plate is engaged with an upper end of the
push-up member. With this arrangement the backrest side of the seat
is upwardly inclined by causing the backrest to be inclined
rearwardly.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,283 issued to Yoshida et al. is for a
tilt-up automobile seat that has a mechanism positioned under the
seat cushion. The seat cushion and a seat back are continuously
positioned in a flat plane at a predetermined angle and the whole
seat is tilted upwards around a front side of the seat cushion as a
fulcrum. The mechanism is covered by a combination of an upper
cover and a lower cover resulting in the tilt-up mechanism not
being seen from the outside. The upper and lower covers may include
flange parts overlapped to each other having a predetermined
height.
Disclosure of the Invention
[0009] In the past passenger vans, or so called mini-vans, have
been popular in this country as they offer increased passenger
seating and more useable area inside than conventional passenger
automobiles. In most cases the bench seats are removable for
hauling large objects and permit aftermarket modification to
convert the van into a mini-camper. While these conversions are
successful they are usually permanent and therefore complete
flexibility of the van is lost.
[0010] It is therefore a primary object of the invention to employ
a pair of reclining seats mounted within the van that function as
conventional automotive seats with reclining capabilities but may
be angularly adjusted to lay completely flat creating a comfortable
bed. This substitution may be easily made and does not effect the
appearance and utility of the van itself
[0011] An important object of the invention is directed to the
physical size of the reclining seats as they are proportioned
properly as passenger seats so as to be comfortable in the sitting
position but are also sized to be full length beds when reclined
flat. This feature is particularly important in the utility of the
van as it may be used in the conventional manner as a passenger
vehicle but may be altered quickly and easily into a mini-van with
sleeping capabilities. This object is specially meaningful to
couples that travel and do not want to be subjected to the
inconveniences of driving a larger mobile home with its fuel
expense and parking difficulties.
[0012] Another object of the invention is in the addition of the
footrest in front of the seat as passenger comfort is enhanced
beyond that of a conventional passenger car seat particularly for
long trips. Further the design of the seats permits the rear
portion of the seat to be lower than the front and when reclined
the seat and backrest follow the natural contour of a persons body
by automatically raising the angle of the seat proportionally until
the seat and backrest are completely horizontal. It should be noted
that most vans do not have electrically operated reclining seats
for passengers in the rear as this feature, when available, is
usually limited to the front seats.
[0013] Still another object of the invention is space utilization
within the van interior. The invention actually slides the entire
bench frame, to which the seats are attached, to the rear leaving
ample space to stretch out the footrest and also to permit room to
accomplish other functions when the seats are upright such as
eating on a portable table, changing ones clothes etc. Additionally
this object permits the seats to be slid forward to the front when
added space is required behind the seats for hauling items whenever
it is required. Adding to its versatility, when the bench frame is
slid to or beyond the second bench position the original first van
bench may be positioned within the vehicle captivation slots
permitting the van to carry additional passengers as the movable
seats do not encroach on this space.
[0014] Yet another object of the invention is that the seats are
separately adjusted to accommodate the individual preference of the
passenger as to the angle of recline and the height of the footrest
during a trip. When both seats are lowered flat individual beds may
be made up or both may be treated as a double bed with one set of
bedding as the seats are relatively close together and yet
separated.
[0015] A further object of the invention is the use of conventional
switching controls which are well known and in common usage in
passenger vehicles. As a matter of fact the switches are attached
to the electrical system of the van in the accessory circuits which
were furnished by the original equipment manufacturer for just that
purpose and since the motors and worm gears are the automotive type
sufficient power is available in the vans electrical system.
[0016] A final object of the invention is the flexibility of the
design which is easily adaptable to other configurations such as
the preferred embodiment has two separate seat and backrest
combinations, however, it could be easily made as a single bench
seat with little modification the basic design required. The
preferred embodiment presented at this time, has the side walls
attached to the sides of the van however the attachment could just
as well be made to the floor of the van and interface with the
existing connections for the standard bench seats that have been
removed to install the invention. This adaptation would permit the
entire assembly to be removed in one piece by only disconnecting
the power and unlatching the connection in the floor. Again little
modification would be required to accomplish this feature.
[0017] These and other objects and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed
description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a partial isometric view of the preferred
embodiment installed in the rear portion of a van behind the
drivers seat.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the preferred embodiment
installed within a van shown in phantom.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a top view of the preferred embodiment installed
within a van with one of the side walls cut away to show the
stationary flanged rollers and the threaded shaft.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary isometric view of one of the side
walls removed from the invention for clarity.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of
FIG. 3.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the bench frame completely removed
from the invention, with the front of the frame facing upward.
[0024] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of
FIG. 6.
[0025] FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of the bench frame
completely removed from the invention for clarity.
[0026] FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 9-9 of
FIG. 3.
[0027] FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 10-10 of
FIG. 3.
[0028] FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 11-11 of
FIG. 3.
[0029] FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the seat and backrest
attached to the bench frame, illustrating the seat adjusted in the
upright position.
[0030] FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the seat and backrest
attached to the bench frame, illustrating the seat adjusted in the
intermediate position.
[0031] FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the seat and backrest
attached to the bench frame, illustrating the seat adjusted in the
fully reclining position forming the seat into a bed.
[0032] FIG. 15 is a partial isometric view of the bench frame,
completely removed from the invention for clarity and viewed from
the right front.
[0033] FIG. 16 is a partial isometric view of one of the pivot arm
shafts completely removed from the invention for clarity.
[0034] FIG. 17 is a partial isometric view of one of the back rest
frames completely removed from the invention for clarity.
[0035] FIG. 18 is a partial isometric view of one of the threaded
shafts and bracket that is attached to the side wall completely
removed from the invention for clarity.
[0036] FIG. 19 is a partial isometric view of one of the seat
frames completely removed from the invention for clarity.
[0037] FIG. 20 is a partial isometric view of one of the worm gear
attaching frame brackets completely removed from the invention for
clarity.
[0038] FIG. 21 is a partial isometric view of one of the enclosure
belt flanged drums completely removed from the invention for
clarity.
[0039] FIG. 22 is a partial isometric view of one of the foot rest
pivot joint yokes completely removed from the invention for
clarity.
[0040] FIG. 23 is a exploded partial isometric view of one of the
rollers which includes the threaded pin and roller body completely
removed from the invention for clarity.
[0041] FIG. 24 is a partial isometric view of one of the seat and
backrest links completely removed from the invention for
clarity.
[0042] FIG. 25 is a partial isometric view of one of the pivoting
nuts completely removed from the invention for clarity.
[0043] FIG. 26 is a partial isometric view of one of the footrest
pivot joint yokes completely removed from the invention for
clarity.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0044] The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in
terms of a preferred embodiment. This preferred embodiment is shown
in FIGS. 1 thorough 26 and is comprised of vehicle electrically
actuated reclining seats for replacing stationary seats to permit
sleeping within a van. A pair of side walls 30 are attached to the
van interior, with each side wall 30 having a slotted frame 31
attached thereunto forming a horizontal slot 32 near the top
portion of the vertical side. The side walls 30 are preferably
fabricated of sheet metal configured to conform with the interior
of the van and are formed as a right angle with flanges or ends
covering the open front and back. The side walls 30 are shown in
FIGS. 1 through 5 and one specifically by itself in FIG. 4. While
sheet metal is preferred, other materials may also be used in its
construction as long as they have the structural integrity to hold
the seats within the slots 32.
[0045] The side walls 30 also include a enclosure belt slot cover
34 positioned over the slot such that the exposed slot 32 outside
the seat is constantly enveloped in all forward and rearward seat
positions. The slot cover 34 is shown in FIGS. 3 through 5 and
consists of an enclosure belt 36 wrapped around a pair of flanged
drums 38 that are bracketed to the side walls 30. The ends of the
belt 36 attach to the front and the rear ends of the bench frame
40. The belt 36 may be of any flexible, substance that is also
stretchable such as a fabric covered with a thermoplastic material
etc. The slot cover 34 acts as a safety device to cover and protect
the slot 32 from entry of foreign objects and to eliminate human
intervention that may prove injurious.
[0046] A bench frame 40, that includes a plurality of rollers 42
that extend from each side, is positioned between the side walls 30
with the rollers 42 disposed within each slot 32 such that the
frame 40 may horizontally glide on the rollers 42 through the slots
32, as illustrated in FIG. 3, forming the means to attach the bench
frame 40 to each side wall 30. The bench frame 40 is essentially
constructed of thin wall rectangular tubing as shown in FIGS. 6
through 8 and 15 and contains a number of integral brackets for
attaching seats, backs, footrests and drives.
[0047] The plurality of rollers 42 consist a pair of stationary
shaft flanged rollers 44 on the van curb side for captivation
within a side wall 30 and a pair of floating flanged rollers 46 on
said van road side. The purpose of two separate types of rollers is
to permit the floating rollers 46 slip laterally to overcome
misalignment and to eliminate binding of the bench frame 40 on the
side walls 30 when shifting forward and rearward within the slots
32 of the side walls. The arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 6,
with a individual threaded pin 48 and roller body 50 by themselves
in FIG. 23, it should be noted that the stationary and floating
rollers 44 and 46 are similar in construction with the difference
in length of the threaded pin 48 to allow lateral movement in the
floating configuration. Further the stationary rollers 44 and
floating rollers 46 may be positioned on either the road side or
curb side of the vehicle without differentiation. The roller body
50 on each roller 42 may be replaced by a rectangular block having
flanges along its longitudinal edges to slide within the slot 32
and be confined on the edges instead of rotating. In this approach
the sliding block creates more friction that a rotating roller but
it has longer base and flange engagement to withstand the load.
Particularly if the sliding block is made of a low friction
material it may be a viable alternative.
[0048] A first electric motor drive is attached to both the bench
frame 40 and the side walls 30 for moving the bench frame 40
forward and rearward within the van. The first electric motor drive
consists of a motor 52 attached inside the bench frame 40, as shown
in FIG. 6, with a rigid tubular shaft 54 connected on one end of
the motor 52 and a flexible shaft 55 connected on the other end. A
worm gear 56 and gear attaching frame bracket 57 is rotatably
connected to each tubular shaft 54 and flexible shaft 55. The drive
also includes a first drive threaded shaft 58 that is fixably
attached to each side wall 30 with the worm gear 56 disposed upon
the threaded shaft 58 such that when the motor 52 is actuated each
of the drive shafts 54 and 55 rotate the worm gears 56 and propel
the bench frame 40 linearly along the threaded shafts 58. The worm
gear 56 is similar to a passenger vehicle seat adjuster except it
includes a threaded hole through its gear that engages the threaded
shaft 58.
[0049] A pair of seats 60, that embody a front 62 and a back 64,
are hingeably attached on the seat front 62 to the bench frame seat
brackets 66 as shown in FIGS. 9 through 14. The seats 60 are of
conventional construction with a metallic tubular frame 68 with
cushioning 70 in the form of wireform springs, foam cushion and a
covering of material on the outside. This arrangement permits the
seat 60 to pivot from the hinge point which raises the front 62
slightly when the back 64 is lowered as shown in FIGS. 12 through
14 since the pivot point is a short distance to the rear of the
front. The frame 68 has a pair of seat arms 112 each having a
connecting point 116 in the form of a hole. Each arm 112 extends
below the seat back 64 as shown in FIG. 19.
[0050] A pair of reclining back rests 72, that have a top 74 and a
bottom 76, are arcuately attached on the bottom 76 to the bench
frame back rest brackets 78 as shown in FIGS. 9 through 14. The
back rests 72 are of conventional construction having a metallic
tubular frame 80 with cushioning 82 in the form of wireform
springs, foam cushion and a covering of material on the outside.
This arrangement permits the back rest 72 to pivot from the hinge
point essentially 90 degrees from totally upright to completely
horizontal. The frame 80 has a pair of back rests arms 110 each
having a connecting point in the form of a hole. The back rest arms
110 extend below the backrest bottom 76 as shown in FIG. 17.
[0051] Second electric motor drives are interconnected with each
back rest 72. The back rest bottom 76 is connected to the seat back
64 with a pair of seat and backrest links 84 at the seat arm
connecting points 116 and the backrest arm connecting points 114.
The preferred position of the connecting point 114 on each arm 110
is beneath and close to the seat back 64 with adequate clearance
and the connecting point 116 of each seat arm 112 is below and
behind the connecting point 114 when both the back rest 72 and the
seat 60 are in the horizontal position as shown in FIG. 14. The
length of the link 84 is preferably equal to the distance from the
connecting points 114 to the hinge point attaching the backrest 72
on the back rest bracket 78 when viewed from the side as shown in
FIGS. 9 through 14. It could be desirable to select the locations
of the connecting points 114 and 116 such that the seat back is
allowed to tilt to its lowest position when the back rest 72 is
about 45 degrees in a vertical position, as shown in FIG. 13. There
are other methods to connect the seat back 64 to the back rest
bottom 76 that would accomplish the same purpose. As an example,
the connecting point 114 on the back rest arm 110 could have a
roller engaging a slot in the seat arm 112, however it has been
found that roller slot engagement has not proven to be a reliable
connection for use in a vehicle. When the back rest 72 is
substantially upright the back 64 of each seat 60 is lower than its
front 62. When each back rest 72 is pivoted flat the corresponding
seat 60 is simultaneously raised to a horizontal position parallel
with its back rest 72. The above motor drive then forms the means
to rotate both the seat 60 and back rest 72 at the same time. This
second electric motor drive consists of a worm gear 86 that is
rotatably coupled directly to a motor 88, as shown in FIGS. 9
through 14, and connected to a second drive threaded shaft 90 that
is disposed within the worm gear 86. A pivoting nut 92 is attached
to the threaded shaft 90 and also the back rest bottom 76 to
facilitate the function described above such that both the back
rest 72 and the seat 60 pivot simultaneously through the seat and
back rest link 84. The electric motor 88 and connected worm gear 86
are specifically a passenger vehicle seat adjuster motor and gear
type that operate on vehicle electrical power.
[0052] Two sets of extendible foot rests 94 are connected to the
frame 40 adjacent to the each seat front 62, as shown in FIGS. 9
through 14, and are preferably a commercially obtainable reclining
rocker foot rest assembly such as manufactured by Liggett and Platt
Inc. under there trade name Concept Rocker, Model Number 8623-B.
Each set of extendible foot rests 94 consist of pair of scissors
brackets 98 and a pair of cushioned pads 96 supported by the
brackets 98. It should be realized however, that this specific
model or manufacturer is not obligatory as any substitute foot rest
may be used with equal ease and dispatch.
[0053] A pair of third electric motor drives are jointly attached
to the frame 40 and foot rests 94 for extending individual
footrests 94 when each corresponding back rest 72 is reclined to a
fully horizontal position and the back of its seat 60 is
horizontal, forming a bed within a van permitting a person to sleep
thereon. The third electric motor drive is almost identical to the
second motor drive and consists of a worm gear 86' that is
rotatably coupled directly to a motor 88', as shown in FIGS. 9
through 14, and connected to a third drive threaded shaft 90' that
is disposed within the worm gear 86'. A pivoting nut 92' is
attached to the threaded shaft 90' and also to a pivot arm shaft
100 which is additionally connected to a pair of foot rest links
102. It should be noted that a foot rest pivot joint yoke 104,
shown by itself in FIG. 22, is attached both the frame 40 on a yoke
bracket 106 on the frame 40 and foot rest 94 using a pin in the
yoke 104 intersecting with a slot 108 in the frame 40 to complete
the attachment of the foot rest 94 to the frame 40.
[0054] It should be noted that the foot rest pivot joint yoke 104
is used to support each scissor bracket 98 on the frame 40. The
yoke 104, illustrated separately in FIG. 22, incorporates a first
hole 118, a second hole 120 and a stop pin 122. The yoke 104
connects at the first hole 118 to the yoke bracket 106 on the bench
frame 40 with the stop pin 122 engaging the slot 108 in the bench
frame 40. The upper end of a first rearmost link 124 of the scissor
bracket 98 is connected through the second hole 120 in the foot
rest pivot yoke 104. The upper end of a second rearmost link 126 of
the scissor bracket 98 is jointly connected through the first hole
118 of the yoke bracket and to the yoke bracket 106 on the bench
frame 40. This attachment arrangement permits the foot rest 94 to
swing upward further that it could if it were mounted directly to
the bench frame 40 and allows the foot rest 94 to be raised high
enough for sitting comfort as well as forming the lower part of the
bed. The increase of the swing is dependent upon the length of the
slot 108, and the slot may therefore be sized to the achieve the
most beneficial position for the foot rest 94, It will be
understood that the foot rest link 102 connects to the first
rearmost link 124 to raise the entire footrest 94. When the motor
88' is energized the third drive threaded shaft 90' is rotated by
the worm gear 86' interfacing with the pivoting nut 92' attached to
the pivot arm shaft 100 which in turn pivots changing the
rotational arc to a linear movement to extend individual footrests
to form a bed or for comfort of the passenger when used as a chair.
The electric motor 88' and connected worm gear 86' consist of a
conventional passenger vehicle seat adjuster motor and worm gear
that operate on vehicle electrical power.
[0055] The first, second and third motor drives have been described
in detail however nothing has been disclosed regarding its control
since the switching arrangement is the conventional type used in
passenger automobiles, and the like, and as such is well known in
the art and subsequently requires no detailed description of its
structure and function. Likewise the connection to the vehicles
electrical system is found in all vans of the type described for
use with the invention which already have an auxiliary system
intended for use with additional electric equipment within the
vehicle.
[0056] The preferred embodiment describes a set of two separate
seats with individual control however it is the intent of the
invention to utilize the same system with a bench seat having a
single seat and backrest which only require one second and third
electric motor drive with all of the other elements substantially
the same in structure and function. It is also anticipated that the
side walls 30 could easily be attached to the floor of the van
making the entire invention removable with little change in the
structure, further for economy, the first electric motor drive may
be easily eliminated.
[0057] While the invention has been described in complete detail
and pictorially shown in the accompanying drawings, it is not to be
limited to such details, since many changes and modifications may
be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and
scope thereof Hence, it is described to cover any and all
modifications and forms which may come within the language and
scope of the appended claims.
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