Vehicle seating assembly having lower storage compartment with sliding drawers and steps

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a vehicle seating assembly having a lower storage compartment with sliding drawers and steps. A vehicle seating assembly includes: a seatback; a seat base pivotable between a raised position and a lowered seating position; a storage compartment located at a lower portion of the seat when the seat is in the lowered seating position; a vehicle seating assembly includes a storage compartment, and a first drawer slidably disposed within the storage compartment and accessible via a first lateral side of the vehicle seating assembly, where the first drawer includes a first stepped surface on a top side thereof, the first stepped surface configured to support a user when the first drawer is in an open position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle seating and storage, and more particularly, to a vehicle seating assembly having an under-seat storage compartment with side drawer access. Background Art

[0002] Motor vehicles are often equipped with vehicle seating assemblies that may include storage compartments. For example, a rear seat in a motor vehicle may include a seat that covers a lower storage compartment such as may be found on a pickup truck. It would be desirable to provide a vehicle seating assembly having an under-seat storage compartment that allows for easy access to the storage compartment and to other portions of the vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle seat assembly includes: a seat back; a seat base that is pivotable between a raised position and a lowered seating position; a storage compartment that is located under the seat when the seat is in the lowered seating position; and a first drawer that is slidably disposed in the storage compartment and accessible via a first lateral side of the vehicle seat assembly, wherein the first drawer includes a first step surface on a top side thereof, and the first step surface is configured to support a user when the first drawer is in an open position.

[0004] Embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure may include any one or a combination of the following features:

[0005] - the storage compartment includes a seat support for supporting the seat and the seat back;

[0006] - the seat support is configured to be supported on top of a vehicle floor;

[0007] - the first drawer is arranged in a recessed portion of the floor;

[0008] - the vehicle floor comprises at least one battery pack;

[0009] - the first drawer is located on a first lateral side, and the seat assembly further includes a second drawer located on a second lateral side, wherein the second drawer includes a second step surface, the second step surface is configured to support a user when the second drawer is in an open position;

[0010] - the first drawer comprises a first rail and a second rail configured to engage a plurality of rollers;

[0011] - the first drawer comprises a locking mechanism;

[0012] - the lock mechanism engages slots in the pair of guide rails in a locked position; and

[0013] -The vehicle seat assembly is a second row seat assembly in a pickup truck.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle includes: a vehicle interior; a floor defining a bottom side of the vehicle interior; a vehicle seat assembly; a seat back; a seat base pivotable between a raised position and a lowered seating position; a storage compartment located below the seat when the seat is in the lowered seating position; and at least one drawer slidably disposed within the storage compartment and accessible via a lateral side of the vehicle seat assembly, wherein the at least one drawer includes a step surface on a top side thereof, the step surface being configured to support a user when the drawer is in an open position.

[0015] Embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure may include any one or a combination of the following features:

[0016] - the storage compartment includes a seat support for supporting the seat and the seat back;

[0017] - the seat support is configured to be supported on top of a vehicle floor;

[0018] - the first drawer is arranged in a recessed portion of the floor;

[0019] - the vehicle floor comprises at least one battery pack;

[0020] - the first drawer is located on a first lateral side, and the seat assembly further includes a second drawer located on a second lateral side, wherein the second drawer includes a second step surface, the second step surface is configured to support a user when the second drawer is in an open position;

[0021] - the first drawer comprises a plurality of rails configured to engage a plurality of rollers;

[0022] - the first drawer comprises a locking mechanism;

[0023] - the lock mechanism engages slots in the pair of guide rails in a locked position; and

[0024] -The vehicle seat assembly is a second row seat assembly in a pickup truck.

[0025] These and other features, advantages and objectives of the present disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by referring to the following description, claims and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In the attached picture:

[0027] Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a motor vehicle having a vehicle seat assembly with a first drawer in an open step position to expose a step to a user;

[0028] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat assembly showing the seat assembly in a seated position and a first drawer and a second drawer in a closed position;

[0029] Figure 3 is a front perspective view of a vehicle seat assembly further illustrating the seat in a folded upright position, thereby exposing a storage compartment beneath the seat;

[0030] Figure 4 is a front perspective view of a vehicle seat assembly further illustrating a first drawer of the storage compartment in a partially open position;

[0031] Figure 5 is a front perspective view of a vehicle seat assembly showing the first drawer in another partially open position, thereby defining a step position;

[0032] Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the vehicle seat assembly further illustrating the first drawer in another open position;

[0033] Figure 7 is a front perspective view of a vehicle seat assembly further illustrating a first drawer in a fully open position;

[0034] Figure 8 is a front perspective view of a vehicle seat assembly with the seat flipped up and the second drawer in an open position;

[0035] Fig. 9 is an exploded view of a seat assembly showing a first drawer and a second drawer having a step portion;

[0036] Fig.10 is an upper perspective view of the first drawer with the handle in a locked position; and

[0037] Fig.11 is an upper perspective view of the first drawer showing the handle in the unlocked position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. In the drawings, the depicted structural elements are not drawn to scale, and certain parts are enlarged relative to other parts for the purpose of emphasis and understanding.

[0039] As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the present disclosure, which may be implemented in various alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily designed in detail; some schematic diagrams may be enlarged or minimized to show functional overviews. Therefore, the specific structural details and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but only as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to adopt the present disclosure in different ways.

[0040] For the purpose of description herein, the terms "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "rear", "front", "vertical", "horizontal" and their derivatives shall refer to the following: Figure 1 The concepts of orientation in the drawings are presented in detail. However, it should be understood that the concepts can assume various alternative orientations unless expressly indicated to the contrary. It should also be understood that the specific devices and processes shown in the drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Therefore, unless the claims expressly state otherwise, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting.

[0041] The presently illustrated embodiments reside primarily in a combination of method steps and apparatus components associated with a vehicle seat assembly having an under-seat storage compartment and a step surface. Accordingly, apparatus components and method steps have been represented, where appropriate, by conventional symbols in the drawings, and only those specific details relevant to an understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown so as not to obscure the present disclosure with details that would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Additionally, like reference numerals in the specification and drawings represent like elements.

[0042] As used herein, the term "and / or" when used with a list of two or more items means that any one of the listed items may be employed alone, or any combination of two or more of the listed items may be employed. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and / or C, the composition may contain: A only; B only; C only; a combination of A and B; a combination of A and C; a combination of B and C; or a combination of A, B, and C.

[0043] In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, etc. are used singly to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements may include not only those elements, but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by "comprising ..." does not, in the absence of further constraints, preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the element.

[0044] As used herein, the term "about" means that the amount, size, formula, parameter and other quantity and characteristics are not exact, nor need to be exact, but may be approximate and / or larger or smaller as needed to reflect tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement errors, etc. and other factors known to those skilled in the art. When the term "about" is used to describe the endpoints of a value or range, the disclosure should be understood to include the specific value or endpoint mentioned. Whether or not the endpoints of a numerical value or range in this specification are described as "about", the endpoints of the numerical value or range are intended to include two embodiments: one modified by "about" and one not modified by "about". It should also be understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant in relation to the other endpoint and independently of the other endpoint.

[0045] As used herein, the terms "substantially," "substantially," and variations thereof are intended to indicate that the described feature is equal to or approximately equal to a value or description. For example, a "substantially planar" surface is intended to indicate a planar or approximately planar surface. Additionally, "substantially" is intended to indicate that two values ​​are equal or approximately equal. In some embodiments, "substantially" may indicate that values ​​are within about 10% of each other, such as within about 5% of each other, or within about 2% of each other.

[0046] Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, as used herein, the terms "the," "a," or "an" mean "at least one" and should not be limited to "only one." Thus, for example, reference to "a component" includes embodiments having two or more such components unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0047] refer to Figures 1 to 11, generally shows a wheeled automobile or motor vehicle 10 configured with passenger seats for transporting one or more passengers, including a driver of the vehicle 10, and one or more items on the vehicle 10. The motor vehicle 10 has a vehicle body 12 that generally defines a vehicle interior 14 that may include various features and components. The vehicle interior 14 has an arrangement of front passenger seats, which are generally configured to seat a driver and a passenger, and a rear vehicle seating assembly 30 that is generally positioned rearward of the front seat assembly and supported on a floor 18. The vehicle seating assembly 30 is a stowable vehicle seating assembly that may have a seat that may be flipped up and back and expose a storage compartment under the seat that includes a first drawer 44A and a second drawer 44B on opposite lateral sides that allow access to the storage compartment.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown in , the first drawer 44A can be pulled laterally outward so that when the corresponding door 16 of the vehicle 10 is opened to expose the door opening 15, the first drawer slides out on the first lateral side. In this position, the user 90 can access the storage compartment within the first drawer 44A. In addition, when the drawer is in the open step position, the user 90 can utilize the step surface 50A provided on the first drawer 44A. Figure 1 As shown in , a user 90 may step on step surface 50A to reach a raised position to allow elevated access to items, such as those on roof 20 of motor vehicle 10 , which in one example shows user 90 accessing roof rack accessory 22 .

[0049] refer to Figures 2 to 11 , the vehicle seating assembly 30 is shown as a bench or split bench seating assembly having a seat 32 and a seat back 34 supported on a support structure 38. The vehicle seating assembly 30 is shown as a second row seating assembly in a pickup truck. The support structure 38 has side walls and also forms an under seat storage assembly 40. The support structure 38 is in turn supported on top of and above the vehicle floor 18, which in an electric vehicle may include a surface on top of or above the vehicle battery pack 26 that supplies power to one or more electric motors to power the motor vehicle 10.

[0050] Figure 2The vehicle seating assembly 30 is shown in FIG, wherein the seat 32 is in a generally horizontal seating position and the first drawer 44A and the second drawer 44B are in a closed position. According to one example, the seating assembly 30 is supported on a lower floor 18, which may include a plurality of battery packs for an electric vehicle. It should be appreciated that electric vehicles typically have a plurality of battery packs that may be placed in or form the floor 18. Formed within the floor 18 and within the battery pack 26 is a concave slot 28 that extends laterally and generally includes a lower portion of each of the first drawer 44A and the second drawer 44B. To this end, the first drawer 44A and the second drawer 44B can slide laterally outward within the slot 28, which is a recessed area formed in the floor 18 of the battery pack 26. In addition, the vehicle seating assembly 30 has a pivot mechanism 36 that allows the seat 32 to be moved laterally in the vehicle seating assembly 30. Figure 2 The seating position shown in Figure 3 The storage compartment pivots between an upright storage access position shown in FIG. 1 , which uncovers and exposes the lower storage compartment.

[0051] In such Figure 3 , the vehicle seat assembly 30 is shown as having a first storage compartment 46A and a second storage compartment 46B. The first storage compartment 46A is generally defined by the interior portion of the first drawer 44A. Similarly, the second storage compartment 46B is generally defined by the opening portion of the second drawer 44B. Each of the first drawer 44A and the second drawer 44B has a plurality of side walls defining the respective first storage compartment 46A and the second storage compartment 46B. In addition, each of the first drawer 44A and the second drawer 44B has a step surface 50A or 50B provided on the top laterally outward portion of the first drawer 44A and the second drawer 44B.

[0052] like Figure 4 , the first drawer 44A moves to a partially open position to at least partially expose the top step surface 50A. The movement of the first drawer 44A from the closed position to at least the first partially open position is achieved by pulling the handle 48A to disengage the locking mechanism 56A, thereby allowing the drawer to move laterally outward under the force of pulling the handle 48A. It should be understood that the second drawer 44B also has a step surface 50A, and when the handle 48B releases the locking mechanism 56B, the second drawer can move laterally outward under the application of force.

[0053] refer to Figure 5, the first drawer 44A is shown as further moving outward to the step position, wherein the first drawer 44A is partially opened and the step surface 50A is fully exposed on the outer top side. In this position, the locking mechanism 56A can engage one or more locking slots 80A in one or more guide rails to fix the first drawer 44A and lock it in the step position. The step surface 50A can be provided by a platform extending across the outer top portion of the first drawer 44A. In the step position, the user 90 can step on the top of the step surface 50A to increase the reach height, so that the user 90 can reach one or more objects on or near the roof 20 of the motor vehicle 10, for example. It should be understood that when the door 16 of the motor vehicle 10 near the first drawer 44A is in the open position, the first drawer 44A can be moved to the step position or any open position to allow the outward lateral movement extending outward from the body of the vehicle 10. It should also be understood that the second drawer 44B can also be moved to the step position so that the user 90 can step on the step surface 50B on the relative lateral side of the motor vehicle 10.

[0054] refer to Figure 6 , first drawer 44A is shown as further laterally moved outward to a further open position, which further exposes and exposes first compartment 46A. In this open position, user 90 can access first storage compartment 46A.

[0055] refer to Figure 7 , the first drawer 44A is further moved laterally outward to the fully open position. In the further fully open position, the user 90 is more easily accessible to the storage compartment 46A. It should be understood that the user 90 can remove the first drawer 44A from the vehicle seat assembly 30 by further extending the first drawer 44A laterally outward from this position.

[0056] refer to Figure 8 , the second drawer 44B is shown moved to a fully open position, similar to Figure 7 In this position, the second compartment is uncovered and exposed for access. It should be appreciated that the second drawer 44B can be moved to the same position as shown in the first drawer 44A, including a step position that allows the user 90 to step on the step surface 50B, which can also be provided by a platform extending across the outer top portion of the second drawer 44B.

[0057] refer to Fig. 9, a vehicle seat assembly 30 is shown in more detail, which shows a support structure 40 having a first open transverse end 54A and a second open transverse end 54B, wherein the first open transverse end and the second open transverse end are configured to receive a corresponding first drawer 44A and a second drawer 44B. In addition, a pair of longitudinal beams 52A are provided near the first opening 54A on the opposite vehicle forward side and the vehicle rearward side of the support structure 40. The guide rail 52A is configured to engage a roller bearing 51A on the opposite lateral side of the first drawer 44A. To this end, the roller bearing 51A enables the first drawer 44A to slide between a closed position and an open position on the guide rail 52A. In addition, each of a pair of guide rails 52A has a series of slots 80A formed on a wall extending inwardly from the bottom. The locking mechanism 56A includes an arm extending to a curved locking portion 82A, the size of which is designed to engage one of the slots 80A in the locked position. When the handle 48A is raised to the lock release position, it should be appreciated that the locking mechanism 56A can advantageously lock the first drawer 44A in a fixed latched position when the first drawer 44A is in the step position to provide a stable step surface for stepping on and prevent movement of the first drawer 44A.

[0058] Similar to the first drawer 44A, the second drawer 44B is inserted into the second opening 54A of the support structure 40 and includes a pair of guide rails 52B on opposite lateral sides. Similarly, each of the guide rails 52B has a series of locking slots 80B formed on the bottom wall, which can be engaged by the locking end 82B of the locking mechanism 56B in response to the actuation of the handle 48B. To this end, when the user steps on the step surface 50B, the second drawer 44B can be locked in the step position to prevent the movement of the drawer 44B.

[0059] refer to Fig.10 , the handle 48A of the first drawer 44A is shown as being in a locked position, wherein the locking mechanism 56A extends downward so that the engagement end 82A engages one of the locking slots 80A in the guide rail 52A. When the user pulls the handle 48A to extend the handle 48A laterally outward, the locking mechanism 56A rotates upward to release the locking end 82A from the locking slot 80 to allow the first drawer 44A to move between the closed position and the open position. The locking mechanism 56A is operably coupled to the handle 48A via a transmission coupling, and the transmission coupling may include, for example, a pair of mating gears 84B. The handle 48A may include a pair of springs, such as a torsion spring, which biases the handle 48A to a downward locked position. For this reason, when the user releases the handle 48A, the handle 48A is spring-biased to return to the locked position.

[0060] refer to Fig.11, the first drawer 44A is shown with the handle 48A in the unlocked position. In this position, the locking mechanism 56A is raised so that the locking end 82A is disengaged from the locking slot 80A on the guide rail 52A. In this position, the first drawer 44A can slide between the closed position and the open position. It should be understood that the second drawer 44B is configured similarly to the first drawer 44A, wherein the locking mechanism is operably connected to the transmission coupling and the spring device.

[0061] Thus, the vehicle seating assembly 30 advantageously provides an under-seat storage compartment having one or more drawers 44A and 44B having a step surface to enable a user to access a raised portion of the motor vehicle 10, such as the roof of the vehicle or items attached to the roof of the vehicle. The step surface 50A is advantageously built into the drawer so that no added parts are required. It should be understood that the subject matter of the present disclosure will only be used when the vehicle is stationary and parked.

[0062] It should be understood that changes and modifications may be made to the aforementioned structures without departing from the concepts of the present disclosure, and it should be further understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the appended claims unless the claims explicitly state otherwise by their language.

[0063] According to the present invention, a vehicle seat assembly is provided, which has: a seat back; a seat base, which can be pivoted between a raised position and a lowered seating position; a storage compartment, which is located under the seat when the seat is in the lowered seating position; and a first drawer, which is slidably arranged in the storage compartment and can be accessed via a first lateral side of the vehicle seat assembly, wherein the first drawer includes a first step surface on its top side, and the first step surface is configured to support a user when the first drawer is in an open position.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the storage compartment comprises a seat support for supporting the seat and the seat back.

[0065] According to an embodiment, the seat support is configured to be supported on top of a vehicle floor.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the first drawer is arranged in a recessed portion of the floor.

[0067] According to an embodiment, the vehicle floor comprises at least one battery pack.

[0068] According to an embodiment, the first drawer is located on a first lateral side, and the seat assembly further includes a second drawer located on a second lateral side, wherein the second drawer includes a second step surface configured to support a user when the second drawer is in an open position.

[0069] According to an embodiment, the first drawer includes a first rail and a second rail configured to engage a plurality of rollers.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the first drawer comprises a locking mechanism.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the lock mechanism engages slots in the pair of guide rails in the locked position.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the vehicle seating assembly is a second row seating assembly in a pickup truck.

[0073] According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided, comprising: a vehicle interior; a floor defining a bottom side of the vehicle interior; a vehicle seat assembly; a seat back; a seat base pivotable between a raised position and a lowered seating position; a storage compartment located below the seat when the seat is in the lowered seating position; and at least one drawer slidably disposed in the storage compartment and accessible via a lateral side of the vehicle seat assembly, wherein the at least one drawer includes a step surface on a top side thereof, the step surface being configured to support a user when the drawer is in an open position.

[0074] According to an embodiment, the storage compartment comprises a seat support for supporting the seat and the seat back.

[0075] According to an embodiment, the seat support is configured to be supported on top of a vehicle floor.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the first drawer is arranged in a recessed portion of the floor.

[0077] According to an embodiment, the vehicle floor comprises at least one battery pack.

[0078] According to an embodiment, the first drawer is located on a first lateral side and further includes a second drawer located on a second lateral side, wherein the second drawer includes a second step surface configured to support a user when the second drawer is in an open position.

[0079] According to an embodiment, the first drawer includes a pair of rails configured to engage a plurality of rollers.

[0080] According to an embodiment, the first drawer comprises a locking mechanism.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the lock mechanism engages slots in the pair of guide rails in the locked position.

[0082] According to an embodiment, the vehicle seating assembly is a second row seating assembly in a pickup truck.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat assembly, comprising: Seat backs; a seat base pivotable between a raised position and a lowered seating position; a storage compartment located below the seat when the seat is in the lowered seating position; as well as A first drawer is slidably disposed within the storage compartment and accessible via a first lateral side of the vehicle seating assembly, wherein the first drawer includes a first step surface on a top side thereof, the first step surface being configured to support a user when the first drawer is in an open position. 2 . The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment includes a seat support for supporting the seat and the seat back.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 2, wherein the seat support is configured to be supported on top of a vehicle floor.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 3, wherein the first drawer is disposed within a recessed portion of the floor.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, wherein the vehicle floor includes at least one battery pack.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first drawer is located on a first lateral side, and the seating assembly further comprises a second drawer located on a second lateral side, wherein the second drawer comprises a second step surface configured to support a user when the second drawer is in an open position. 7 . The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first drawer includes a first rail and a second rail configured to engage a plurality of rollers.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the first drawer includes a locking mechanism. 9 . The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , wherein the lock mechanism engages slots in the pair of rails in the locked position.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the vehicle seating assembly is a second row seating assembly in a pickup truck.

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